Hurrah, Red Kerry to disappear from the ABC screens, or at least that is the story. Believe it when I see it actually.

Now all we have to do is get Beattie, & Rudd banned & we may be able to watch our ABC on TV again, without that nauseous feeling creeping into the pit of our stomach.

Dear Hasbeen,

Aaah, but what do we have to do to get rid of
Tony Abbott
and the other Howard stalwarts permanently?
Then the cringe factor would really disappear
from our lives!

What a pity. I love Red Kerry - no matter his own political persuasion, he retained his impartiality and was knowno to grill those on all sides of politics.

We will miss you Kerry O'Brien.

Come on hasbeen, Noddy wasn't that bad.
Must agree though i do hope they find someone better than poor old Kerry. I never found him the labor man all the conservatives complained about, simply thought he was terrible at interviewing. Never seemed to be able to get to the point and didn't that play into the pollies hands.

So Kerry, you are departing. Well, departing the front line at least. Keeping your foot in the ABC camp and reappearing from time to time no doubt.

Good on you O’Brien. At age 65 you should retire and get a life! And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

You done good. Now go and enjoy your retirement.

I’ve been a follower for a long time. Seen you really pack a punch where it counts many times, and also miss a few golden opportunities to nail numbskulls who are talking rubbish.

But overall, bloody good job.

Cheers mate.

Kerry, I will miss your lop-sided smile, and your cheeky questions.

But geez Kerry, don't you think it is time to stop dying your' hair red, and just grow old naturally? :)

Yes suzeonline I think he should grow old without fear.
The thread reminds us both sides see it so differently.
Just like this hung Parliament we should get together.
We however will not
Perception is reality, well not truly but it is divisive.
He never said he was leaving but he is leaving this show.
ABC is my radio/TV but like a very lot from all sides I think it is a bit green at times, and some questioners are, well out their in trying to make a story.
Against conservative radio red necks? too far out in front to see.

Come on Foxy.

I just want to get rid of some annoying hasbeens. I did not ask for Julia to go. I'll even put up with her for a year or more.

You may not like him, but you must admit Tony is prettier, now mustn't you?

Dear Hasbeen,

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder as
you well know. Big ears, and budgie-smugglers,
aren't really a turn-on for me. Neither are
closed minds. (It's a pity that closed
minds don't come with closed mouths).

As for Kerry Obrien? Well that's a different story
alltogether. He's someone I shall miss greatly.
The 7.30 Report won't be the same without his
sharp mind, strong moral compass, meticulous
preparation and long memory. He was a very potent
television interviewer, and as, "The Age," Saturday
25, 2010, tells us, "the quality that sets him apart
is the ability to home in on each subject's Achilles
heel."

His interview with Kevin Rudd, then Prime Minister
John Howard, and then ABC managing director
Jonathan Shier are just three of the best from Kerry.

I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do next.
He's earned it!

Hear hear Foxy.

Foxy
The answer to your question is very very simple.

Get madam Pm and her crew to run an effective, effiecient government, without the massive waste, without the increased taxes and without the continues visits from the boats.

The solution lies fairly and squarely in the hands of your own.

Now, a question for you foxy, Do you think your lot can achieve this?

Now if your answer is NO, then I suggest you get used to TA as, if nothing else, he has managed to highlight just how pathetic our present government was. Almost lost the unlooseable!

Now on the other hand, if your answer YES, then we all win.

Good luck! Our future depends on you and your lot. Show us what you're made of, after all, you continually claim to be the best for the job.

Time to put your money where your mouth is. Carefull about the money bit. Dispite what your lot think, it isn't a bottomless pit! Unless of cause you continue to rape the job creators to fix your stuff ups, but even they have limmits you know.

Once again, good luck!

Oh no. That's the last election the ABC will win. Oh, sorry, the ALP I mean. Good ol' honest Kerry.

Dear rehctub,

Haven't you heard?

It's not a question anymore of "You Lot,"
it's a question of "We" working together
to achieve what's best for the nation.

Now, that may come as a bit of a shock
to some who still believe that party
politics is more important than what's
good for the nation - but the message
loud and clear from the voters during
this last election was - work together -
hold the government to account by all means,
come up with better solutions,
and do it constructively - don't simply try
to wreck things.

And that would be a win, win for us all.

Well, I think it's good that Kerry will be taking over Gardening Australia for the next 15 years, taking over from the auld commie that was there.

There are some shockingly bad interviews, and interviewers, on the ABC but particularly on commercial TV, where the idea is to always support the status quo, like in The Oz.

But I hardly see Kazza as being in that camp.

As a 'not-supporter' of either Abbott's camp or Gillard's mob, I have never regarded O'Brien as being politically biased.

It is only the extreme right-whingers who moan about him.

As for expecting any government to 'stop the boats', only a complete idiot would expect that to be a possibility.

It's funny how those who support so-called 'free trade' the loudest,the Coalitionist political right-whingers like Abbott and his goons, do not manage ever to extend the idea to people, there insisting that it's not a 'free world' but a 'closed shop'.

They also seem to think that Andrew Bolt somehow represents 'objective' reporting while Kerry O'Brien is 'biased'.

It's a funny old world.

Kerry O'Brien is still best and fairest on television--not that the commercial media is even in the contest!

He's a communist that blushed every time Jooolia smiled at him.

Hasbeen

>> You may not like him, but you must admit Tony is prettier, now mustn't you? <<

Tony Abbott looks like Voldemort with ears.

Will miss Kerry's irony, direct questions and consistency. Who cares if he dyes his hair or not - many men and women do - it is the character that counts.

As for claiming Kerry is a communist - using your powers of extremist reasoning that would make T.Abbot a fascist.

Dear Houellebecq,
what a shame we can't tee up an interview for you with Kerry on the 7.30 Report. You could interrogate him about his communist sympathies, and give us all a bloody good laugh :-)

Kerry O'Brien a communist?

Does that mean he's a kept man?

I am sure Kerry could see through the wafer thin political veneer of Gillard.

She may be fluent, but she says nothing of any value whatsoever.

And Kerry knows that.

I really do not believe he is suffering 'shock and awe' with her, except perhaps some shock at how badly she has handled everything, from her DEEWR portfolio, to her 'take over', and since the election.

Looks like logic has left the building.

Kerry O'Brien a communist? Gosh we are going from the absurd to the sublime.

Wasn't it Ms Gillard who blamed Kerry for the hung parliament having fared none too well in her 7.30 Report interviews.

Poor old Kerry is set to be the Left and Righ whipping boy - which probably means he gets the mix just right.

Dear Pelly,

Perhaps those accusing Kerry of being a communist
could show him where Stalin is buried,
then Kerry will show them a communist plot. ;-)

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

So who is a better interviewer than Kerry O'Brien?
If his style doesn't suit you, whom do you recommend?

I enjoy watching as well as listening to Kerry. He looks young and sincere and he would still look young and sincere with grey hair. At least he has a hairdresser who knows how to apply henna professionally so it looks natural, unlike a certain prominent politician with an unattractive stripe.

Kerry has supported those who deserved support, and asked the right questions of those who didn't. He let some get away but I challenge his critics to do their own research and interview and see if they can do better.

I hope he isn't ill, and I hope he will relax now that he's earned his pension. I will miss him.

Remember how Little John Howard was fond of saying that the commercials would set the standard of excellence because of 'market competition'? Here are examples of that very high standard, as reported by The Chaser team, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdroRRo2Z1w

Kerry O'Brien should have been paid much more than he was by the public broadcaster, because he always stood head and shoulders above the competition.

Any fair minded person would have to admit that they never heard O'Brien interrupt or talk over anyone from the left, during an interview.

They would also have to admit that they never heard an interview of someone from the right where he did not interrupt, & or talk over them.

Don't you remember the tears in his eyes during the election night when Keating lost? Anyone who could cry for Keating must be left of Khrushchev.

Hasbeen that is just not true. Kerry O'Brien was ferocious during his interview with Gillard during the campaign. He was very good at pushing a point when a question was being avoided and was quite the dog with a bone, when interviewing Gillard.

Anyone who thinks Paul Keating was a leftie must be off with the proverbial fairies. Keating was very much from the Right faction and hardly a friend of the Left with his privatisation and globalisation mania.

Too funny Hasbeen. Tell us another joke.
;)

Quite so Pelican.... as for Kruschev.... being 'to the left' of him is like being 'to the left' of Abbott and Co... not very hard at all.

Of course, if you accept that the ALP is a turgid rightwing mob of no hopers, then it might be said that O'Brien did only interupt rightwingers, but only because there is no such a beast as a 'left wing' politician in Australia.

Or perhaps we need a thread that identifies the 'real' leanings of our pollies, at least from the eye of the beholders in our deluded and disillusioned voterland?

There's no doubt he's a communist.

'Hasbeen that is just not true. Kerry O'Brien was ferocious during his interview with Gillard during the campaign.'

Oh come on! Ferocious? Every interview I saw he was red faced and smiling after one of Julia's girly chuckles.

And let's not forget not once, but twice in an election broadcast he confused the ALP with the ABC. Freudian slips.

Jooolia is a communist too...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12355425471

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/archive-shows-radical-gillard/story-e6freooo-1111114585020?from=mostpop

Baron Julia!

A leopard doesn't change its' spots.

Except me. I used to be a left winger. Then I got tired of all that Chardonnay and lattes and chattering, so I switched to midfield. Now I'm pretty much a goalkeeper.

"Now I'm pretty much a goalkeeper"... funny, I'm sure that should be start with a 'w'.

Houlley
You are just stirring the pot.

I remember thinking I was a Communist for a short nano-second during my youth, that does not mean I am a Communist now.

If you used to be a leftie then you were probably the only one left (pun intended).

'I remember thinking I was a Communist for a short nano-second during my youth, that does not mean I am a Communist now.'

Thank you for that brave confession pelican. Denial is not a river in Egypt.

I bet you feel so much better having gotten that off your chest. It's something most OLO members have long suspected. Just like a drug addict thinks about drugs every day, I've no doubt you pine to sneak a look at that Chairman Mao poster behind your bedroom door.

No wonder you jump so stridently to the defence of communist Kerry.

Maybe there is a support group for recovering lefties. Can anyone suggest a 12 step program?

Houlle, one can't help but bite.

What is brave about making such a confession. Having been raised in a Liberal voting (anti-Labor) family, when I was about 15 I pondered on how anyone could be dumb enough or misguided enough to vote Labor. Is that a brave confession too?

Point is we think all sorts of things in our youth and that is how we get to where we are now. Malcolm Turnbull once thought he would join Labor in fact many in the ALP would probably fit right into the Coalition.

If you do find a 12 step program please join as methinks your past left leaning is causing some sort of identity crisis and now you see red under the bed wherever you go.

:p

Dear Pelly,

"All governments tend towards totalitarianism.
The road to the left leads through the
caring-supportive-human-welfare society
administrated by a bureaucratic compassion industry.
The end result is the pocket-money society in
which the government takes all our money and then
returns some of it in the form of the social wage.
The road to the right is signposted with such
slogans as "private enterprise" and "freedom of choice."
The end result is another pocket-money society in
which wages are adjusted to the lowest level the
market will bear without civil disturbance."

(Dennis Pryor, "Political Pryorities: How to get on
top of Australian Politics.").

Very true Foxy. Or pocket-money to bail out banks and other corporates or to stimulate the economy. We have certainly made a noose for ourselves.