One of Scott Morrison’s closest political advisors is Nine Entertainment Chairman and former federal Treasurer Peter Costello and one of Scott Morrison’s biggest critics is former federal Liberal Party leader John Hewson who was sacked this week as a columnist by the Nine Entertainment owned papers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
John Hewson’s criticism of Scott Morrison is a lot more damaging to Morrison’s reputation and credibility with voters than most critics because Hewson is a former Liberal Party leader. And with Hewson having a national platform such as The SMH and The Age papers and their websites would have made Hewson one of the top targets for Morrison’s hit squad who work behind the scenes daily trying to manipulate the media.
It must be noted that Hewson “resigned his Liberal Party membership in 2019, having been a critic of its policy direction for a number of years, particularly on climate change.” (Click here to read more) But Hewson’s resignation from the Liberal Party would make him more credible with many voters which means his articles in The SMH and The Age would be even more damaging to Morrison and his re-election prospects in the coming federal election later this year or early next year.
Peter Costello’s and Scott Morrison’s close relationship helped Morrison get elected Prime Minister
Peter Costello is so close to the Prime Minister that he advises him on his personal political strategy: The SMH reported in 2016 in an article titled “Scott Morrison’s relentless rise to power“:
“On the evening of September 14, 2015 Tony Abbott’s prime ministership was hanging by a thread. Abbott had made Morrison a last-minute offer to join him on a leadership ticket and to take over Joe Hockey’s job as Treasurer. Hunkered down in his Parliament House office over a home-made curry, Morrison gamed his next move with his close friend David Gazard, a former Howard and Costello staffer, while Costello offered advice over the phone.” (Click here to read more)
The point is that Peter Costello and Scott Morrison are not just friends because as political supporters they are in effect in business together and Costello has skin in the game to see that Scott Morrison continues as PM which helps explain why Nine Entertainment helped the Liberal Party raise over $700,000 at a fundraiser held at Channel 9 in Sydney in 2019. (Click here to read more)
It is also well known that Peter Costello intervened when another Nine Entertainment business, Radio Station 2GB, tried to sack Alan Jones a couple of years ago and Costello made sure Jones’s contract was renewed. Jones was eventually sacked about a year later after one too many scandals and Costello couldn’t save him. So, what is the chance that Peter Costello has sent word down the line to get rid of Scotty’s critic John Hewson to help Morrison before the next federal election? I would say it is certain because you do not sack a columnist with a strong following for no reason which John Hewson seems to agree in his tweet below.
John Hewson tweeted on Twitter the below message on Saturday (17/7/21): (Click here to see on Twitter)
I then Tweeted the below message: (Click here to see on Twitter)
Many others also criticised John Hewson’s sacking which forced the below response from The SMH’s editor Lisa Davies who tweeted: (Click here to see on Twitter)
Lisa Davies is a compulsive liar. Does anyone really believe that they sacked Hewson because the SMH is “committed to refreshing and diversifying our rotation of columnists, especially in line with our pledge for 50/50 gender balance.” Who else have they sacked because they are “refreshing and diversifying” their columnists? Who else have they sacked because they are male?
Is it legal to sack somone because they are male? With Lisa Davies’ public admission it looks like John Hewson has an open and shut case for unfair dismissal or breach of contract or maybe a claim in the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Then James Chessell, who is Executive Editor – The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times & WAtoday, decided to get involved with the narky response below: (Click here to see on Twitter)
Last year the politicisation of news at Nine’s The Age paper in Melbourne became so bad staff leaked the story to The Guardian who reported:
Journalists at the Age express alarm over increasing politicisation and loss of independence
Close to 70 journalists from the Age have expressed their “alarm” over what they say is the increasing politicisation of the Melbourne newspaper under executive editor James Chessell.
In a letter to Chessell, and fellow Nine executives chief digital and publishing officer Chris Janz and Age editor Alex Lavelle, the journalists said they were worried about maintaining the “proud reputation and independence” of the paper because editors were putting pressure on reporters “to produce particular angles”. (Click here to read more)
What happened with John Hewson is another example of the government trying to control the media via their friends such as Peter Costello. And Costello’s position as Chairman of Nine Entertainment is a disgrace and shows how corrupt Costello and the other Directors of Nine are.
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