"The Bulletin's chief criticism of Keating is that he is bitter, foul-mouthed, bent on revenge and can't stop talking about the past, which is precisely how Kerry Packer comes across given his flagship magazine - "...loses up to $10 million a year and suffering from a falling circulation (especially when you consider the rorting and giveaways)" - thinks the antics of a reclusive private citizen 10 years out of office is worthy of a cover and 10 pages inside. Crikey could produce 5000 words on The Goanna, Packer's foul-mouth, his ruthlessness and his refusal to engage with society, but we wouldn't be telling you anything that wasn't already out there."
Crikey's Stephen Mayne on the Bulletin's hatchet job of former Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Crikey's Stephen Mayne on the Bulletin's hatchet job of former Prime Minister Paul Keating.
6 Comments:
I'm sure Mayne had such thoughts in mind....
I share them, glad you do, too.
Come back Paul, all is forgiven. Not that you had much to apologise for in comparison to your successor.
Is he the last independent Australian PM?
All is forgiven? Big call, though compared to what we have now...
I can never forget Keating sucking-up to Soeharto. Unforgiveable...
I hated that too, but sucking up to Soeharto was a bipartisan affliction (despite the post facto Howard airbrushing of history) and his conception of the realpolitik of the time required it given the importance of good relations with such a big neighbour.
Me, I'd have preferred a public distancing from Soeharto the man and the regime while still trying to foster trade links, defence ties etc. PK obvioulsy thought Soeharto and his cronies were there for the long haul. He was wrong and it has left a stain on his premiership.
Still, he's miles ahead of the weakness and expediency of the bloke who followed. It is difficult to imagine him curtseying to Bush. Or to Packer, which the big bloke really hated... a first for his bloodline perhaps. And about time. The Bulletin stuff follows reports of Packer installing foot mats at Scone with PKs visage on them. The big man is pretty small when all is said and done. I wonder if he'd have the cojones to debate his nemesis, even on 9 with Ray in the chair. Unlikely I would think.
I miss his capacity to cut thru bullshit. Of course he produced his own, but the quantity and quality of it pales before the industrial strength and quantity of what we wade thru now.
I hear you, and compared to Howard, he actually had a vision, though I didn't agree with much of.
As for Indo and Soeharto, it was certainly bi-partisan, and the real story behind Timor remains to be told. If you havn't read it, check out Clinton Fernandes' Reluctant Saviour (Scribe, 2004). It tells the real agenda behind our intervention... and completely rewrites the accepted wisdom.
Antony, is PK too old to re-enter politics? Can he be drafted? Seeing as how Bomber has vacated the ALP leadership position, someone needs to pick it up...
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