The three independents are currently ruminating about who to vote for in the November parliament. All expectations are that they will likely go with Gillard and have only been looking for an excuse to vote ALP as part of the ‘negotiations’ with Abbott.
Well in a final last ditch pitch against Abbott the ABC Online has come up with this ripper of a headline: “Independents stand firm in the face of fear campaign”.
This news content – not meant to be editorial comments – is referring to the Coalition claim that because of the ALP-Green pact a Gillard government would most likely be the most left-wing in Australian history. Instead though of examining the validity of this claim the ABC instead is trying to portray the independents as brave souls battling the evil fearful Coalition:
The Coalition has done away with the niceties in a last-ditch effort to take office, embarking on a fear campaign to win the support of the independents that can deliver it a parliamentary majority.
The claim that the Coalition is on a fear campaign is an argumentative assertion, yet the ABC portrays it as a news statement of fact. Presumably the ABC is hoping to woo the independents and thereby give Gillard a helping hand in forming government.
Even former prime minister John Howard is joining in, warning the Labor Party made a significant shift to the left in signing an alliance with the Greens on Wednesday.
At this point we are all meant to be thinking: ‘what, JH has an opinion!!! Yep, even JH is getting involved, wink wink….’
Some Coalition sources have even told the ABC that they feel they have lost.
The statement above is news worthy? There is that word ‘even’ again. All round a fairly grubby article, both in content and tone.