Senator Andrew Bartlett
Saturday, September 11, 2004
 
It feels like it's been a long week - one with plenty of opportunity for blog bits, but inspiration and availability of a computer never seemed to coincide. It started in Alice Springs and then took me to Orange, Canberra, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne.

Our attempt to draw attention to indigenous issues on Monday in Alice Springs got some coverage on the day, but we'll need to keep repeating it if we're going to get any traction on that issue I think. There still seems to be no broader interest from anyone else in prioritising the issue during this campaign, but we'll keep at it.

The week also had tax auctions, Medicare auctions, and was just heading down the path of further tax incentives for older people when the tragedy in Jakarta intervened.

Pictures of people carrying the damaged bodies of children always gives you pause – as it should. Security and safety was an issue and will continue to be an issue. But it would be good to have some degree of context and perspective in the coverage.

Some media headlines talk about Australia being at war, which doesn't strike me as terribly helpful (or accurate). Another talks about terrorism as though it only appeared 3 years ago in New York, instead of being something that has been around for decades (or longer, depending on your definition). Trying to have rationale public debates in such an environment seems beyond us as a society, which is deeply concerning.

In lighter news, after giving further consideration to a question from a reader, I've decided I was wrong about Stuart McGill. Given who was eventually selected for the Australian team to tour India, it's hard to see any other explanation than he was being punished for taking a principled stand on not touring Zimbabwe.

As a Queenslander who has railed for years about our players getting a raw deal from selectors with a fixation of players from southern states (esp NSW), and even as someone who has been a bit of a fan of Trevor Hohns (also a Queenslander after all) over the years, I can't believe Nathan Hauritz got picked (neither could he from what I read).

Good luck to him and it's certainly not his fault he got selected, but I'm sure every other potential and aspiring Australian test cricketer will have taken careful note and make sure they don't take a political stance on anything in the future.

I’m also engaged in some rudimentary band practice for the brief shows I'm doing this coming Thursday and Friday night in Brisbane and Sydney. I'm aiming to have fun and it’s for a good cause, but I hope nobody is expecting anything too musically enchanting.

I'm only doing 4 or 5 songs, so don't spend all that money expecting a 90 minute show. But Frenzal Rhomb and The Herd will no doubt be good, and all profits go to the Refugee Action Collective.

Thurs 16 Sep- Arena Brisbane
Tickets available from skinnys (07) 32292389, rockinghorse (07) 32295360
ticketek www.ticketek.com.au 131931

Fri 17 Sep- Metro Sydney
Tickets available from the venue phone charge (02) 9287 2000 or online at
www.metrotheatre.com.au & www.ticketek.com.au



posted by Andrew Bartlett @ Saturday, September 11, 2004
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