Q & A Bias

Tony Abbott has been roundly criticised by the panellists on Q&A for prohibiting government MPs from appearing on the show. I can see their problem – no Coalition MPs to gang up on and ridicule must make for a disappointing night for them and let’s face it, without them, the whole raison d’être of Tony Jones and his show is negated. As Bolt says;

Q&A was quite boring last night without a Coalition MP on – a bit like the Christian not turning up to the colosseum to meet the lions …

And do spare a thought for the battalions of Twitter front line troops, trigger fingers poised to send of another volley of insane and inane abuse aimed squarely at the  Abbott government. Personally I think it’s a good idea for Coalition MPs to give Q & A the flick.  Most viewers tune in hoping for a gotcha moment engineered by Tony Jones so getting a rational message over to these people is pointless – they are watching for the sport. Someone suggested that by not appearing on the show the Coalition is missing out on getting their message over to a million rural viewers.  That presumes that rural viewers get their politics from Q & A which is obviously not the case. I say starve them of oxygen…let them  remain what they have always  been – a platform for the dissemination of left wing views for the luvvies. By the Left for the Left. Meanwhile, this comment by Ray Martin, appointed to investigate Q & A, bodes ill for any balanced results as he raises his pro ALP colours up the flag pole

“I’d like to see what happened last year, the year before rather, when there was a Labor government. I expect Tony Jones was just as tough on the Labor government as he has been on the Coalition right now. I think a Bex and a good lie down may help at the moment.”

Not so, Ray. He goes on to suggest Barnaby Joyce should have ignored Abbott’s direction not to appear on the show.

“I just think it’s so silly to do it. I would have thought that Barnaby Joyce who wasn’t on last night should have said (to Abbott) look I’m not a member of the Liberal party, I’m a member of the National Party, I can do what I like, and go and do it.”

Nothing will come of the investigation while Ray is involved.  A slap on the wrist at most and “lets move on, nothing to see here” The only answer to the ABCs bias is to not debate the issues with them. I mean to say – who has ever heard of a Left winger being converted and involved in rational debate.