If you believe the Murdoch tabloids, any change to housing policy would result in millions of Australians being “crucified”. If that wasn’t scary enough, there was this warning: “The whole economic system will fall apart”.
It all started with a scoop in the Sydney Morning Herald which revealed the government had asked Treasury to model potential changes to negative gearing concessions.
After Anthony Albanese left the door slightly ajar as to whether he was considering changes to negative gearing, the Coalition ramped up its scare campaign. Sections of the media lined up to help.
“A highly controversial housing policy Labor is considering would have a brutal effect upon millions of Aussies,” the Daily Telegraph said.
Another headline screamed: “Millions crucified by Albo’s new housing move”.
The horror stories were endless; and the unlikely victims in the main were people with dozens of properties to their name. Sydney developer Bharat Patel, who owns 32 properties, said negative gearing reforms could be “disastrous for Australians” and that “the changes will only create more problems”.
Landlord Eddie Dilleen, who owns a mere 110 properties, warned that rents would go up nationally by as much as 50%: “Investor’s chilling warning: why rents could rise by 50%.”
The Herald Sun spoke to “one of Australia’s biggest property investors” who said changing negative gearing was drinking a “poison chalice” [sic]. “Rich lister Danny Wallis”, who we were told has investment properties in almost every state, said he may have to sell and put his money in super.
Albanese tried to put the scare campaign to rest on Thursday, saying his government is not considering taking negative gearing reforms to the next federal election.
“I have no plans to do it. It’s not our policy,” Albanese told radio station 2GB.
Power pin-up
Federal court justice Michael Lee has been listed No 5 on the cultural power list in the Australian Financial Review Magazine’s annual Power List.
Wearing a blue pin-striped suit and holding a cup and saucer, Lee was photographed against a topical backdrop illustrated by the Financial Review’s cartoonist, David Rowe.
The power list panel said his “impeccable handling” of the Bruce Lehrmann v Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson defamation case gave us a reason to believe in the judiciary.
He also introduced us to the word “omnishambles” and his comment – “Having escaped the lions’ den, Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat” – has already entered the lexicon.
“It is a singular case,” said Lee in his much-lauded judgment. “Indeed, given its unexpected detours and the collateral damage it has occasioned, it might be more fitting to describe it as an omnishambles.”
So popular was his judgment it will be released in book form on 5 November, just in time for Christmas.
He Went Back for His Hat: Justice Michael Lee’s Judgment on Bruce Lehrmann is published by Melbourne University Press.
Over and out for Tony
Sad news for fans of Tony Armstrong this week when he announced he was quitting News Breakfast at the end of next week.
While the ABC tried to spin it like the breakout star was just moving from breakfast TV to prime time, Armstrong’s contract with Aunty ends on 4 October.
England Beats Denmark to Reach Euro 2020 Final!!@Tonaaayy_ is out celebrating with football fans in Melbourne @BreakfastNews pic.twitter.com/lju0QHolyq
— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) July 7, 2021
He is in negotiations with TV boss Chris Oliver-Taylor for a project which would keep him at the public broadcaster.
It would be a terrible shame if the ABC lost someone which such obvious potential and popularity when its TV offering is in need of a refresh.
Armstrong takes a stand
A proud Gamilaroi man, Armstrong has used his platform to highlight issues faced by Indigenous Australians and has been open about being personally subjected to racism.
In 2022 the ABC notified police when a racist email was sent to Armstrong after the Indigenous sports presenter vowed never to stop advocating for his people.
“This shit has gotta stop,” he said on Twitter. “One thing is for certain though, this isn’t guna stop us speaking up or stepping up. Sent to my work email, no less.”
Thanks my brother - was just trying to pump up the Auskicker of the year! https://t.co/TlJ0iApZgi
— Tony Armstrong (@Tonaaayy_) September 25, 2024
The racial abuse hasn’t stopped and Armstrong called it out again this week.
The ABC’s independent review into ABC systems and processes in support of staff who experience racism will be released on Tuesday 1 October.
Led by Indigenous lawyer and cultural leader Dr Terri Janke, it has been a year in the making.
Legal stoush
The federal court has ordered criminal lawyer Adam Houda and Sky News Australia and two of its presenters, Andrew Bolt and Danica De Giorgio, into mediation before the registrar by 15 November 2024.
Houda has taken defamation action against the three respondents over an article which referred to a Bolt Report segment which was published on skynews.com.au and other platforms in January.
This week a planned case management hearing was vacated and rescheduled for 26 May 2025.
Justice Michael Wigney ordered Houda to submit “all documents relating to the hurt and damage and/or serious harm the Applicant claims to have suffered as a result of the publication of the matters complained of”.
Houda is pressing on with the case despite a lengthy apology published by Sky News on 21 March.
“It has since been suggested that these publications implied Mr Houda was not fit to practice as a lawyer and that he both threatens and engages in litigation against the police without proper cause,” the apology said.
“In fact, Mr Houda runs a successful legal practice. Any implication that he is unfit to practice as a lawyer is incorrect and was not intended.
“Mr Houda also has a history of successful actions against the police. Any implication that his conduct in connection with those actions was in some way improper is also incorrect and was not intended.
“Sky News Australia, Andrew Bolt and Danica De Giorgio apologise to Mr Houda for any harm and hurt caused.”
Paper cut
After four days of damaging public condemnation of the Saturday Paper, editor Erik Jensen amended the Christine Wallace article which Rick Morton said was an “unethical” and “misleading” defence of one of the robodebt bureaucrats.
Well known both for his robodebt reporting and his forthright views, Morton privately lambasted his editors for commissioning the opinion piece then, when it went ahead, he took to X and his Substack to express his anger.
Wallace wrote that she and many public service officials believed the robodebt findings against the “widely admired former secretary of the Department of Human Services, Renée Leon” were “unjust”.
On Wednesday the website substantially amended the copy and added an editor’s note which said: “This piece was modified on September 25, 2024, to clarify the taskforce’s finding that Renée Leon misled the ombudsman.”
Jensen has declined to comment.
Culture shock
The Australian Financial Review has already parted ways with columnist Rowan Dean, an event which can be attributed to the arrival of a new editor-in-chief in James Chessell.
Now, Weekly Beast understands, Chessell is reviewing the contribution of AFR film critic John McDonald, who was dumped by Sydney Morning Herald earlier this month.
After he was let go as art critic for the SMH, McDonald unleashed on the paper and its editor in his newsletter, saying Bevan Shields “doesn’t know his arse from his elbow when it comes to the visual arts and its institutions”.
He has continued to call on his readers to write to Nine publishing executives and board members and complain about Shields, and has published the email address of the managing director of publishing, Tory Maguire, on his blog.
Meanwhile McDonald’s art reviews were immediately picked up by Seven West Media’s the Nightly.
“I’m grateful for this speedy request, which means I can maintain complete continuity with the art reviews,” McDonald said on his blog.
