The first cuts at the ABC

Piers Ackerman, back in fighting form after his recent surgery, has noticed some curious excisions by All Bonza Comrades in the transcript of a televised encounter between Tony Burke and Scott Morrison. Apparently $1 billion is an inadequate sum to hire competent stenographers in an election year, the incompetent majority being otherwise occupied as advance persons for the PM and Old Mother Milne. Why those particular deletions? Read what Piers has to say and decide for yourself.

Last night on 7.30 Leigh Sales several times pitched her services as a moderator to guest Tony Abbott, asserting that the national broadcaster was the perfect vehicle for a debate with Kakoda Kevin of the Kush. Abbott politely begged off, saying that quality journalists quiz him every day about this and that, and now average Australians should  get their chance to do likewise. Credit him with keeping a straight face, but he will need to go to Confession after that one, because the polite rejection was surely at odds with thoughts left diplomatically unspoken.

"What, make myself available to the broadcaster that expects its talking heads to have worked as paid liars for Labor leaders? Yeah, right, Ol' Scrotumface and Red Kerry are fair and unbiased! And Tony Jones? Give me a break. Mr and Mrs Virginia Trioli, Fran Kelly, Alberici, Jon Faine, Young Chip, Robyn Williams -- I'd rather share an Oxford Street cab with Peter Slipper."

The Australian's editorial puts it succinctly, as did Senator Abetz at greater length during a recent Estimates session..

(It would have been nice to embed the Abetz video, which has had only 65 views, but the search function Blogger makes available is unable to find it, hence the live link above.)