Warren Truss slams the media’s double standards and Labor-leaning ways

In an opinion piece today, Nationals’ leader Warren Truss says more fairness, balance and perspective is needed in reporting federal politics.

He describes how, following the conviction of former Queensland Labor minister Gordon Nuttall, the ABC’s Barrie Cassidy inferred that because the Fitzgerald Inquiry probed the government of Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s National Party Mr Truss was disqualified from criticising Queensland Labor.

Mr Truss writes:

“The theory behind this line of questioning seems to be that because there were failings in Queensland more than 20 years ago, involving National Party ministers, then Labor ministers of today have some excuse when their behaviour is bad (in Nuttall’s case, far worse). And as today’s Leader of The Nationals, it is somehow improper or hypocritical of me to condemn genuine, proven corruption.

“This is farcical. Is Kevin Rudd asked to defend every outrage of the Whitlam Government, for example? Can he not talk about the evils of the drug trade or inappropriate financial transgressions because of the very large shadows hanging over ex-Labor ministers of that era? When he makes a stand against the abuse of children, is he then grilled about convicted Labor MPs and paedophiles Bill D’arcy, Milton Orkopoulos and Keith Wright?”

Mr Truss pointed to another example of the way some sections of the media have attempted to shield Labor from fallout from the Gordon Nuttall conviction.

“Last Friday, The Sydney Morning Herald’s website ran a story about Nuttall’s jailing for seven years. Not once in the article by Amelia Bentley were the words ‘Labor’ or ‘ALP’ mentioned.”

Mr Truss also pointed to media behaviour during the Royal Commission into allegations of improper dealings in the Middle East by the Australian Wheat Board.

“John Howard appeared before the inquiry. So did then deputy prime minister Mark Vaile and foreign minister Alexander Downer. All were completely cleared of any improper behaviour.

“Yet Kevin Rudd was able to make his political name by peddling unproven accusations time and time again against all three. He accused Mr Howard of lying under oath, and on no less than 15 occasions called for their resignations.

“On a 16th occasion, he even called for my resignation. On the very day I was appointed Trade Minister and before I had even been sworn in, Mr Rudd, the then Opposition trade spokesman, quietly dropped a five page document to press gallery members. His name was not on this document, but journalists were told by the man who distributed it that they should contact Mr Rudd for comment.

“This tawdry document – littered with wild assertions and half-truths – outlined 10 reasons why Mr Rudd thought I should resign as Trade Minister over the AWB scandal. The most grievous allegation raised was that a Victorian grain merchant had told me in August 2002 at a field day that AWB was paying bribes to Saddam Hussein. Mr Rudd even printed an alleged quote from me to the merchant: ‘Ray, don’t give me that bullshit. The Wheat Board is run by farmers of great integrity and honesty, they wouldn’t do that sort of thing.’

“Quite apart from the bad language (which is not my style) I was not even present at field day on the day Mr Rudd said this conversation occurred. But Mr Rudd passed the conversation off as truth, and continued to repeat the false and quite slanderous allegation even after I denied it.

“Incredibly, some journalists saw fire in this pretty thin smoke and ran the allegations without even checking with me. I am fairly sure that none of those journalists have ever gone back to Mr Rudd and asked him whether an apology or correction was in order; at least I’ve never seen anything in print.

“Did Mr Rudd resign for peddling false claims? No. He stood for leadership of the Labor Party instead. And then confected the most remarkable outrage when someone else called for his resignation a few weeks ago,” Mr Truss writes.

Read the opinion piece at The Punch.