ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

So, APRA can do more than just disqualify executives?

NEUTRAL

Q10

Adam Bandt

Getting out of coal in 10 years is just fanciful isn’t it? It’s worth $70 billion dollars to our economy.

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

The sheer dimension of the breaches is one thing, as you said, 23 million breaches worth 11 billion dollars. But it really is much worse than that. Westpac were aware of the risks that some of these overseas payments could be abused, by paedophiles in the Philippines, they were made aware of that. It seems they didn’t care enough to fix a breach when it occurred. What does that say about attitudes in the banking sector towards anything but profits, is that the problem here?

LOADED QUESTION AGAINST THE BANKS

Q11

Adam Bandt

If you did that (got out of coal in 10 years), you would decimate some of those communities. You would put a huge chunk of a hole in the economy.

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

Are you worried that this kind of failure for these kind of sex trafficking crimes and paedophilic crimes could be slipping through any other banks? Are you going to take any steps to make sure the banks take another look at this?

LOADED AGAINST THE BANKS

Q12

Adam Bandt

In 10 years, make that transition (to renewables) without a huge knock to the economy in 10 years?

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

Do you think Australians will be happy if at the end of this, as I say in six months’ time or twelve months’ time, no one’s lost their job over this?

LOADED AGAINST THE BANKS

Q13

Adam Bandt

Why don’t you support the only policy (National Energy Guarantee) that’s even vaguely near the table at the moment?

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

Treasurer, let’s go to the economy more broadly. Is the announcement this week of $3.8 billion dollars of infrastructure being brought forward an admission that the economy has stalled and it needs some stimulus from the Government?

ATTACK

Q14

Adam Bandt

If you joined that Coalition of voices (for the National Energy Guarantee), don’t you think there’d be the votes in the Parliament for a start, for the Government to get it through, they would know that, why not add your voice to it?

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

Then why are we bothering putting out $3.8 billion dollars?

ATTACK

Q15

Adam Bandt

So would you support the NEG if it could get to the table?

NEUTRAL

Josh Frydenberg

You’ve only brought them forward because as you say the economy continues to grow, but it’s pretty sluggish growth. What was it? The slowest growth in GDP in a decade at 1.4%. Pretty slow. Unemployment went up this month. Employment had the biggest monthly fall in three years. Retail sales fell. We haven’t had retail sales this bad since 1990. Things aren’t good.

ATTACK

Q16

Adam Bandt

Do you support the direct election of a Greens leader by the membership?

NEUTRAL

Josh Frydenberg

Do you accept though that households don’t have faith in the economy, because if they did, they would have splashed their tax cuts, not banked them, not paid down debt?

ATTACK

Q17

Adam Bandt

You’ve been trying to do it (make a decision about direct election) for a few years now, what’s the hold up?

ATTACK

Josh Frydenberg

I’m asking you do you accept that that’s a reflection that people don’t have much faith in the economy?

ATTACK

Q18

Adam Bandt

If it came down the side of full membership election, would you support that?

NEUTRAL

Josh Frydenberg

Retail sales are at their lowest point since 1990. Have the Reserve Bank cuts in interest rates backfired? Have they damaged consumer confidence?

NEUTRAL

Q19

Josh Frydenberg

In terms of the rate cuts, economists are starting to factor in a further rate cut. Would that help? Is that a good idea?

NEUTRAL

Q20

Josh Frydenberg

In terms of stimulus, we’ve had the $3.8 billion dollars. There’s been plenty of people calling for you to bring forward the next tranche of tax cuts, which you’re resisting, but you’ve left the door open. When will you decide, what’s going to make up your mind on whether you do bring that forward or not?

NEUTRAL

Q21

Josh Frydenberg

What sort of numbers will you be looking forward to suggest to you and Mathias Cormann that you better bring these (tax cuts) forward?

NEUTRAL

Q22

Josh Frydenberg

The Labor Party is gone, that was last election, they’re gone (the supposed 387 billion of higher taxes), that’s not coming in anyway, that’s not even their policies anymore. Why are you still talking about Labor?

ATTACK

Q23

Josh Frydenberg

Is the Government still committed to lifting the Superannuation Guarantee to 12% by 2025. Is that still a guarantee?

NEUTRAL

Q24

Josh Frydenberg

So you’re committed to that? You think that’s the best plan?

NEUTRAL

Q25

Josh Frydenberg

There’s 175,000 people over the age of 55 on Newstart, they don’t have the jobs, they’re looking for jobs, they’re not there.

ATTACK

Q26

Josh Frydenberg

And how many people have they (programmes to take on people on income support) taken on?

ATTACK

Q27

Josh Frydenberg

Finally, do you back the calls from some of your colleagues for a former Chinese spy to be granted asylum in Australia?

NEUTRAL

In summary, Fran’s interview with Adam Bandt started with 14 attacks on him and The Greens with or without question mark at the end of them. Frydenberg’s interview started with seven neutral questions, followed by four loaded questions against the banks and another neutral one, before she got to her 13th and 14th questions, which could be interpreted as attacks on the Government.

In total, Bandt faced 15 attacks and three neutral questions.

In total, the Treasurer faced 15 neutral questions, 4 loaded questions against the banks, and 8 attacks.

Insiders is the flagship political interview programme on our national broadcaster.

One week it repeatedly attacks a minor opposition party using Government talking points. The next it asks a serious of neutral questions which provide a national platform for the Government to yet again express their talking points.

Something is drastically wrong with journalism in this country.





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