Laurie Oakes leaks Gillard allegations
While network political editors muscle for stories and leaks, has Laurie Oakes just landed his second scoop of the campaign?
- Published by David Knox
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Nine News political editor Laurie Oakes may well have gotten his second punch of the campaign after last night revealing that Labor Party leaks had told him Julia Gillard as Deputy PM had argued in cabinet against paid parental leave and questioned the size of the pension rise.
The leaks are said to have come from the pro-Rudd camp.
The PM hasn’t denied the claims.
”I was very pleased to be a member of the Labor team that delivered these two historic achievements. Pensioners and families deserve more support, and this government has given them that support,” she said. ”Cabinet discussions are confidential.”
Last night on Nine News, Oakes said of his latest claim, ”PM, you know this information didn’t come from the Liberals. You’ll need to look a lot closer to home.”
The scoop follows a recent question from Oakes to the PM that she allegedly reneged on a Kirribilli-style deal with Kevin Rudd the night before her challenge.
However, not everyone agrees with the lastest allegation. Former ACTU president Sharan Burrow said Gillard always supported paid parental leave.
”Laurie Oakes must be suffering some sort of relevance deprivation syndrome,” she said.
Former Victorian Premier Joan Kirner dismissed the story as ”absolute rubbish” and said Julia Gillard and Jenny Macklin argued for paid parental leave.
Meanwhile the fight for political might in television news continues, with Seven News rolling out promos featuring Mark Riley. This week The Australian observed “the public is urged through print and TV ads to support someone who is reliable, dependable, well connected, honest and experienced. And that’s just for which political reporter to watch.”
Source: The Age, The Australian
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- Tagged with Nine News, Seven News
28 Responses
I guessing this will be mentioned in the new Nine News promo.
Someone has to ask the hard questions… How many journos end up being default PR agents ???
Oakes, please go way already.
Oh man I could care less Laurie – you are sounding more and more like a giant cry baby every day.
How many other pollies hvae disagreed with policy and then changed their mind? Or just had to accept the outcome? Plenty I’m sure – but oh no Laurie thinks Julia is the only one in the world to have an opposing opinion to their party.
PS I am female and don’t particulary suport paid parental leave either – this does not change my opinion of anything.
She can do no wrong can she…
Wow a politician voicing a opinion then changing their mind, hmm where have I heard that before, oh yeh Work choices is dead and buried…Doh!!
What a beatup how about the real issues being discussed …..
What gets me (apart from Oakes’ meanness and bias) is how it would appear that certain elements of the Labor Party are quite happy to lose this election just to depose Gillard. Mind-bogglingly bloody-minded.
i am heartened by the circumspect points of view on this thread. There is a saturation of media election content – i find that sampling it can be a little overwhelming. I know exactly who i will vote for, but wonder how it must be for anyone deemed a swinging voter. I can only hope they are discerning and will see through beat ups, spin, bias, bollocks and the cult of personality.
Once upon a time, many years ago, Oakes was a decent journo, but he’s been shrill, pompous and subjective for a long time…. Relevance deprivation syndrome? Haven’t heard that before, but it fits! And no, I’m not a voter for either of the two main parties.
Isn’t that’s what’s called a “robust discussion” in cabinet? And who’s to know if the whole think is fabricated? The Australian media are sickening in their grab for any ant-government story.
Even if true anyone is allowed to rethink their position.
Sharan Burrow: ”Laurie Oakes must be suffering some sort of relevance deprivation syndrome.”
Right on, Sharan.
Oakes’ smug smirking is a real turn off. We can all report “news” based on rumours and annonymous “insiders”, real or imaginary. Yes, where is Peter Harvey? PM handling the “leak” very well and showing her backbone in her press conference this morning on ABC24. “Don’t agree with proposals to spend money just to make everyone else happy, until the figures have been run”. Got my vote back Julia. Can the so-called-journalists get off the personal crap like size of her ear lobes, Tony Abbot’s mannerisms, etc. And…the crap about “pensioners don’t vote Labor”. Give us a break.
The two aspirantsfor the top job are so boring that journalists are jumping on anything to spice things up. I don’t mind. In fact keep it coming. Australian working families are bored.
Gee i wonder who Oaks support….Libs..and i wish that little crettin rudd would rack off
I didn’t see the Oakes report, but on ABC News 24 this morning an interviewer asked a Uni student about the storm in a tea-cup dished up by Mr Oakes, the student said Ms Gillard’s stand was irrelevant, what was relevant was the fact that the government did put forward a positive outcome. I agree
Whilst Mr Oakes is reasonbly good at revealing flaws in politicians he absolutely bombed out on this one.
Sounds like some rubbish made up by Rudd supporters to try and discredit Julia and pounced on by that liberal toad Oakes.
From memory, having read the same article in The Australian that you mentioned David, it was claimed that it’s only Seven’s Mark Riley who wasn’t able to contribute to any breaking news so far during this election campaign although same can be said for Ten’s Paul Bongiorno whilst Nine’s got Oakes, Sky got Speers and ABC got Uhlman who each has already contributed to make this election campaign more interesting.
Seven really shouldn’t be trumpeting Mark riley. He might put together a funny package each week for sunday sunrise but as a political correspondent and news breaker, he’s a tool. He gets things so wrong so often. Laurie, on the other hand is ‘da man’ when it comes to federal politics.
“the public is urged through print and TV ads to support someone who is reliable, dependable, well connected, honest and experienced”
Aside from experienced, Laurie Oakes is none of the above. I am sick of his Labor bashing. If he has a source, he should name who it is, otherwise as far as I’m concerned what he says is completeley irrelevant.
Go away Laurie, you are a dinosaur !
Laurie Oakes becomes more cantankerous and unlikeable the older he gets. It’s obvious he doesn’t like Gillard, so I’m sure he’s very happy to act as the channel for negativity from her opponents.
Sounds like K’Rudd’s people are sabotaging their own party to wreak havoc for Julia Gillard. Laurie is just swallowing it all with single mouthfuls! I wish some of the high profile journos like Oakes and that insufferable Andrew Bolt would keep their bias in check, or at least declare their allegiance, or excuse themselves from filing certain stories. Bring Peter Harvey back to political stories.
i dont like Laurie’s style at all. Its always way too nasty.
These are some damning allegations, It’s a shame Laurie is doing this just to make headlines himself these days.
Nine News in Sydney really needs to make the election the Number One story regardless of any other news (unless there is a major catastrophe). To put the election as the second story every other night diminishes their claimed strength – Laurie Oakes.