richard.obrien's blog

In the UK three companies control of 71% of national newspaper circulation and six companies control 81% of regional newspapers. In the USA six companies control 90% of all media, that’s consolidated from 50 companies in 1983. In Australia four companies - News Australia, Fairfax Media, Seven West Media and APN News – are estimated to account for over 90% of media industry revenue in 2015/16.

Batshit crazy, conspiracy-theorist, One Nation candidate Malcolm Roberts was elected to the Australian Senate with 77 first preference votes. He is paid a base salary of $241,130 per year plus expenses.

The CSIRO is the Federal Government body responsible for scientific research and development in Australia. The Federal Government has cut $115 million from their budget, axed 120 jobs (including 100 scientists), and appointed Christopher Pyne as the minister responsible for them.

In a recent television interview government MP George Christensen claimed to be a lifelong Doctor Who fan. According to George his earliest memory of Doctor Who is watching 'The Brain of Morbius' on his grandparents' grainy black and white television.
Like George, I’m a YUGE Doctor Who fan. So much of a fan in fact that I can tell you that George would have watched that show in 1986.

On Thursday last week two men from the Northern Territory appeared in court.

In Darwin, a 58-year-old man who goes by the name of Joe pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

Over the border in Mount Isa, 48-year-old Marshall pleaded guilty to a driving offence.

Introducing Australia’s newest political party - the Laboral Hypocrats.

Are you sick of all the talk of political correctness, feminism, asylum seekers, safe schools and multiculturalism?

So are we!

In fact if we have to listen to one more rant from that right-wing, self-aggrandizing, dickhead Mark Latham banging on about any of those subjects one more time, we’re calling him a taxi.

Just because someone has the right to an opinion – regardless of how misguided, prejudiced or psychologically unstable – doesn’t mean they have the right to be heard.

Belonging to the lesser known genre of Australian films known as the Fish n Chip Western, A Fistful of Rubles is a B-grade farce currently screening in Australian cinemas. It tells the story of Red Hanson and the One Nation Gang, a group of small time hustlers and con-artists who make a living by harassing ethnic and religious minorities, pedaling climate change denial and rustling voters at election time, for which the Australian Electoral Commission pays them $2.62 per first preference vote.

Breaking news: NASA has called a press conference to announce the discovery of a parallel universe. “We have long speculated about the existence of parallel universes”, a NASA spokesperson said, “now for the first time we have evidence”.

Malcolm Turnbull has come a long way since he said the consequences of unchecked global warming would be catastrophic.

Today he leads a government that has cut $500 million from funding for clean energy, gutted the CSIRO, and continues to erroneously blame South Australia's use of renewable energy for power failures.

Turnbull's government remains steadfast in its support for the Adani coal mine and is contemplating a $1 billion loan for the project.

MT: Smashed that little oik Shorten in Parliament today.

Lucy: Did you darling?

MT: Oh yes. Pass the foie gras....do you know what he said to me?

Lucy: What did he say dear?

MT: The chap said I was the most out-of-touch PM ever. Bill Shorten! Fellow can barely tell the difference between a Château Lafite and a Château Mouton, and he calls me out of touch! Well I wasn't having any of that.

Lucy: No dear. There was that Prime Minister during Federation, what was his n....

MT: I'd had a terrible day....the oysters are a bit tasteless tonight.

Dear President Trump,

We in Australia read with dismay that you were rude and disrespectful during a phone conversation with our esteemed Prime Minister Malcolm Trumble. Frankly sir, this reflects very poorly on your understanding of international diplomacy, and in particular your understanding of US-Australian relations.

Australian Prime Ministers have a long and proud tradition of sucking up to US Presidents. Yet not since William Stanley Bruce has this nation elected so consummate a lickspittle as Mr Trumble to be our Prime Minister.