You’re not playing fair
11 May 2012

Their Budget front page on Wednesday clearly demonstrates The Australian’s complete abandonment of any remaining pretence of neutrality or even fairness.

How do you justify the preposterous Maoist-style cartoon taking up a quarter of the page, the agit-prop headline “Smash the rich”, and the three unanimously condemnatory opinion pieces? By the failure of the government to reduce by 1% a company tax rate already lower than most OECD countries – a reduction which was in fact stymied by the opposition? Or was it the tiny rollback of tax concessions for very high income earners?

If a government ever came along which actually did something socialist, like renationalise the banks, The Australian have nowhere to go – its shrillness level has already maxed out over a little tax adjustment.

I don’t particularly care for this Budget, but I do care for honesty and fairness in journalism and democratic debate, and in that The Australian has thoroughly abrogated its responsibilities.