Four Corners
Australia is a proud and beautiful country. The people are warm, progressive, well-educated and known across the globe for their outstanding hospitality. It is no wonder that Australia ranks No 2 on the global human development index.
This is why the world watched in shock last year when we became aware of the horrific circumstances that Australia’s live export industry was willing to supply animals to Indonesia.
While Animals Australia’s investigation and the subsequent award-winning ABC Four Corners program generated outrage across Australia, the images of Australian cattle being eye-gouged, kicked, whipped and tortured created a similar outpouring of rage across the globe. The vision that we had of Australia as an ethical and forward-thinking nation changed in that moment.
Continue reading "Aussie shame on animal cruelty cruels world efforts" »
I’m in a chopper flying low over the cattle yards of one of the biggest live exporters in the country. This cattle station is almost the size of a small European country. We’ve spent the day constructing new cattle yards about an hour’s dusty drive from the homestead - in one of the ‘near paddocks’.
It’s a long way from somewhere in the Top End, Northern Territory. The cattle here are tough. Brahman cross shorthorn. Their sweet faces and floppy ears belie their true grit; surviving on red-brown grass in 45 degree heat and semi-wild conditions.
These are the same breed of cattle shown in the vision aired on Four Corners on Monday night. Intelligent beasts being flayed and tortured - sickening images. Now we’ve all been whipped into a frenzy over it. We want to lash out. Like an animal running blindly with emotion we are bound to trip over. Banning the live meat exports to Indonesia makes as much sense as Chicago’s Prohibition laws: good intentions but disastrous results.
Continue reading "Don’t blame the cattlemen for Indonesia’s cruelty" »
Latest 2 of 119 comments
View all comments-
George says:
Sure thats why we are already importing people on 357 visas to work in our meatworks cause your good old Aussie who is so badly done by, is out of work! Read more »
-
smith says:
timor leste, sumatran elephant and tiger, bornean orangutan, tropical rainforest and its inhabitants, mei 98 riots, bali bombing, and now aussie’s cattles. I think in the future the list will go on. This country has a long history of ignorance and violance; probably a final solution is indeed needed for… Read more »
Tonight marks the swansong for Kerry O’Brien on the 7:30 Report. It’s a sad day for us all.
The 7.30 Report is quintessential viewing for anyone with a remote interest in current affairs.
It’s the last bastion of a genre that’s been bludgeoned to death and is long past its halcyon days of 60 Minutes (the Jana Wendt era) and A Current Affair (the Jana Wendt era).
Continue reading "There’s something about Kerry (O’Brien)" »
Latest 2 of 87 comments
View all comments-
rod fellows says:
Jeez you lot! You talk of his “interviewing” prowess. This little jerk knew and showed NO comprehension of the basis of decent, objective ‘interviewing. The first rule is that you NEVER ask a leading question. O’Brien, and all of the ABC reporters that I have seen of late, look like… Read more »
-
acotrel says:
Chonggy, when you’re right, you’re right! I simply cannot beieve that conservative voters cannot recognise the risk in Tony Abbott! That ideology they’re smoking must be really strong stuff? Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@GreenJ how dare you even suggest such a thing. I'd love to blog from their traning session though about what a pack of toffs they are
RT @kellieconnolly: @penbo @antsharwood Not judging Hackett but to set the record straight again I had been asking 9 for a redundancy and left on good terms
Feisty piece by @antsharwood leading http://t.co/5WsLF5Pf on how ch 9 can punt spiteri connolly rowe but not the delightful grant hackett
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Is there a nicotine patch strong enough for this?
Ok. I am not a leading expert in world’s best practice on prisoner rehabilitation — my experience…
A great win by Webber, but it sure as hell wasn’t sport
This morning I joined millions of other Australians in accelerating, braking, swearing and spilling coffee…
Fighting Assad one strongly worded statement at a time
This weekend’s massacre in Houla, Syria, is one of those stories that invites but doesn’t…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
Latest 2 of 163 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment