A selective roundup by an ex-ABC journalist .. and it favors the ALP and is critical of the coalition .. what a surprise.

It's probably the French newspaper media getting all their information off the wires that gives them their view of Australia, and since most of the print media in Australia are generally pro ALP and anti coalition, no surprise we see a reflection in that.

the newspapers and French journalists quoted would all fit in well at the ABC or The Age in Melbourne. the comment about Rudd speaking Mandarin has differing opinions in France, a country where some were enchanted by Tony Blair giving a speech in French, and others outraged

The references to Rudd's apology .. it was not for 200 years of injustice, it was specifically for the so called "stolen generations", but feel free to exaggerate, they do here as well.

Do you think the French might apologize to the Tahitians, Mauritians, other colonials .. of course not, they are horrified at the prospect that such an act might embolden the inhabitants of France! As all colonies, are part of France! To say such a thing is just ridiculous if you know any French people. Most think it was stupid and unnecessary, as many do here at home.

no mention of the radio or TV media I see .. a friend of mine is a TV compere for news programs in France, he loves it here - was here last month with his whole family, would love to move here and just might.

he see Australia very differently, certainly the views expressed by the author he would find typical of the left .. or as they all want to be called nowadays, in the American way "progressives"

As at home here, we can find just as many views as they do in France - to say this article sums up the French view is just tripe, it's a selective "progressive" view of Australia and not at all mainstream

Merci, Herculee.

"Australians can oftentimes demonstrate
particularly insular perspectives."

Such encapsulation. Brilliant! Ah, the beauty of being moat people. Paid your way on OLO with that one, Herculee.




Thank you, too, Pericles, for this gem:

"... Now on their fifth version, the French
are particularly experienced in establishing
republics, and should be able to give us a
couple of hundred years' worth of advice."




How is it that the world, and particularly the French, while recognising our first contribution to democracy constituted by the Australian, or secret, ballot, do not recognise the second singularly Australian democratic innovation, the secret result? It is because we have been so thoroughgoingly SUCCESSFUL at it! Proof: not even the French know, even though they use Mandriva Linux and their communications security cannot be breached.

Australians all let us rejoice, for we have triumphed over the Fourth Estate! Hencforth we shall only listen to what we want to hear, have printed only what we want to read. We have DECIDED. Get with the programme!

Australia has perfected the ultimate refinement of the coup d'etat. It is impossible to destabilize a nation where nobody knows who is in power.

Its not that, as Australians, we are too inwards-looking. We have saluted the French especially, with respect to matters democratic, only just this last Bastille Day. Act of the Commonwealth Parliament No.110 of 2010, the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Modernisation and Other Measures) Act 2010, received the Royal Assent on 14 July 2010. It permitted, among other things electoral, 16-year-olds to enroll provisionally upon the electoral rolls. More little secret voters. At least a whole cohort's worth, potentially, say around 270,000 of the computer-literate little blighters, and that's only the ones on the island!

Not only are they computer-literate, but young demiAussiecrats can concentrate their birthdates at will! For example, around 47,000 17-year-olds turned 18 in the 22 days between 30 June 2010 and 22 July 2010, the date of the first roll-close for the recent Federal elections.

They can now enroll online, too.

I wonder what the French will make of Abbott's refusal to put his policies to the treasury for costing.

Perhaps they'll think that Ned Kelly has been reborn, one with big ears and perhaps the elusive, tricky skills of Houdini!

Merci for these responses. All appreciated.

Keith, on banning the burka in public, this is not yet law. The Senate will consider it next month. But I think it will go through, so you are right. Agree entirely about Labor’s failure to achieve Indigenous members of federal Parliament. Many ALP members are also ashamed of this and wish to amend it.

No, Amicus, no analysis of radio and TV but agree that would be intriguing. The Oz election was reported here on TV news, to my initial surprise. Just don’t have the technology to study it.

To defend France Soir, Kevin Rudd’s 2008 apology did seek “to bring the first two centuries of our settled history to a close”. He reflected “in particular on the Stolen Generations”. Not exclusively.

Amicus, the surprise abroad at Rudd’s address in Beijing in April 2008 was not that it was in Mandarin but that he dared challenge China over human rights in Tibet. No-one expected that.

Poirot, for reactions from other countries, click here. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/23/how-the-rest-of-the-world-digested-oz-election-2010/ If you can’t open it, I can send it to you.

Agree entirely about the role of the Australian media, Donkey. One difference here is that there is a wider range of outlets from which to choose.

As pointed out by Pericles, the French are now on their fifth republic, and have a constitution not yet fifty-two years old. Moreover, they don't have a constitution that can only be changed by the people, and which has weathered the last 109 years with aplomb. Our convict tradition, which regards the government as the enemy of the people, is the fountain of all our liberties, and referenda that have been supported by both major parties and rejected by the people are one of the most enjoyable parts. The propensity of the French to resort to violence and mayhem, alas seen all to frequently, compares unfavourably in my view to major strikes here in which there is no real violence. After all, it is only 33 years since they stopped chopping people's heads off.

Unfortunately I must concur with the writer that few journalists here could pen a similar piece on French politics, as they seem to find much of local politics incomprehensible. How many chardonnay-sipping journos here have ever written on the real reasons that the republic was thrown out in 1999? Due to the wonderful comprehensive educational system here, many have trouble with basic spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Though essentially I agree with the OP, I don't agree with the motive Donkey outlined in his last paragraph. It's not as insidious as he has identified with the media being motivated for some sense of control. It's about how the media competes with each other to sell "news", and that's by sensationalism.

The media is Shakespearean...much ado about nothing. But who's fault is it if that's what it takes to get our attention? Competing news services will use differing language to make their story (which is the same story on the other 42 channels of crap) sound more sensational and therefore more important to listen to or watch, than another news service.

If Donkey was talking about media magnates and their ability to put governments in and out of office, then I would have to agree with everything he says. But he was talking of media, not media magnates.