Terrific Alan. The Press Gallery has a lot to answer for on this one and especially the Murdoch press. I remember sadly how excited we were back in the 1970s when this new paper, The Australian, was first published. A national unbiassed terrific paper. Now it is simply gutter press. I have some policy differences with Julia Gillard but her decision to get Bob Carr on board was brilliant. The poor woman has been subject to the most irrational, intemperate, unprofessional, misogynist treatment by the media and others. Good on her for not cracking under the pressure.

What gratuitous and grovelling article. Gillard, again, was devious and duplicitous through the whole thing. I have no trust in her in fact I trust her to stand back and see what she thinks will put her in the best light.
The author has a hide complaining as Gillard and Co always criticise "Abbott" rather than addressing any critiscism and Tony Abbott certainly gets his share from the Canberra "Pack"!

Now I don't know what to think! The writer is extremely sure of his facts, but how am I to tell who is right and who is wrong? Did Steven Smith object to being pushed aside once again? Did Bob Carr buy a plane ticket and was told that the deal was off? Was there a fuss within the party which the PM finally dealt with?

The writer is very confident, but doesn't tell us why his account of it all is the right one. It might well be, but how are we to know?

Don't expect any retractions by the Australian. It's now busily throwing dust into the air to obfuscate its misrepresentations saying that it was all just a shambolic confusion caused by Labor (no no, not the Australian) and typical of all its decision-making.

Sorry JBowyer, the Australian has become a political trash-rag. Only when the country is rewound to the Howard years will it calm down to doing its proper job again.

Thanks Alan for this exposure of yet another slanderous and misleading propaganda article by The Australian. What you outline amounts to 'telling supposition as fact'. It is also common knowledge that it censors out articles that differs from its own world view.
Something must be done about the media if we are to maintain a robust democracy. Most dosmaying is the pack behaviour; failure of journalists, even in the ABC to properly analyse and take an independent view.

Should not be difficult to legislate for proper press accountablity and no corporate domination of the press. I think it will take some street demonstrations to remind the government that now is the time.

Oh, really?

"Gillard had not been untruthful at any stage."

When asked about this...

"Ms Gillard offered the job to Mr Carr, Labor's longest-serving NSW premier and respected national Labor figure, last week when Mr Rudd resigned to contest the leadership ballot, and before Senator Arbib announced his resignation from the ministry and Senate to create a NSW
vacancy" The Australian, 29th February, 2012

...Ms Gillard said this:

"The story that's on the front page of The Australian newspaper today is completely untrue."

[Reporter: Were you over-ruled though?]

"I've just said completely untrue. I've just said completely untrue." ABC1, Lateline, 29th February, 2012

"Completely untrue", Prime Minister?