Not a paper I buy often, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph, seems way overpriced at $1 considering its content. However in this mornings addition, the front page 'news' under the banner BOATLOAD OF GOODIES is a story by a real investigative journalist, one Gemma Jones, I don't know much about Ms Jones or her credentials, but upon reading her article I can only assume Ms Jones is a graduate of 'The Joseph Goebbels School of Journalism', I wont bore you with detail of the content of the piece. Firstly came the claim of the luxurious life style asylum seekers are living with references to plasma TV's and DVD players (get it right Ms Jones its Blue-ray these days). Ms Jones peppers the story with cynical references to "welcome gift packs" and "hampers" her words no one else. Then to stir the pot of hate there is reference to "The handouts will anger middle income workers bracing for cuts to private health rebates etc.", an assumption by Ms Jones, but then again Ms Jones wants this anger, no reference to the $5000 a week these poor receivers of welfare earn in their pay packet.Then again Ms Jones may well be a middle class welfare recipient and therefore an expert on what angers such people. Did Ms Jones do any real investigation as to facts, no she like other Murderdock journalists gets all the facts straight from the opposition, in this case immigration spokesman Scott Morrison. I suppose if you are going to be an investigative journalist, its far easier to open an e-mail from some Liberal party hack than meeting with an informer up a dingy back lane at midnight. I think Gemma is in line to win the Joseph Stalin Medal for the best investigative journalist of 2012. What's the motto "plant the seed of hate and watch it grow!" From this I can understand why Australia is in 470th position on the RSF ratings.

In some ways FOI releases have improved but not by much and only vicerally, mainly with trivialities like how much does a bottle of vino cost at the GGs or what was the cost of Paul Keating's decor. This is not to suggest this sort of expenditure is unimportant.

When it comes to the meatier stuff, such as documents relating to influence on governments or broader funding then there is obfuscation and reference to exemptions under the Act - many flimsy at best. And if there is anything that would be embarrassing or suggest mismanagement don't book your holidays just yet. Often simple requests that would involve a quick run-off a report or a bit of photocopying end up being extended over the legally required 30 days.

Graham Y
You are in a feisty mood.

'You should also ask yourself if the correlation holds true why it is that the least intelligent electorates tend to vote left-wing in Australia. '

That is an odd comment, we just had another poster go on about the 'intellectual-Left' on another thread (or words to that effect) or the 'inner city mob', 'the academics', 'chardonnay drinkers' (or is it latte?). Where is your evidence that the Labor electorates are the least intelligent? There are intelligent people across all the three major parties in Australia - an odd statement.

I don't know the demographics or statistics for those who vote for the Socialist Party in Australia, most people vote Labor or Liberal.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee when it comes to essentials. The latest mutterings from both about the private health rebate suggest the Liberals might be leaning more to the socialist for a party that stands for individual responsibility. Both parties are happy to provide bail outs, subsidies and grants for corporate endeavours and failures - is that corporate socialism