Murdoch met with Seven West proprietorKerry Stokes…… “Malcolm has got to go,” he told the Perth billionaire.

_(This abuse of power by media barons is appalling.There is strong case for Bill Shorten to propose a Royal Commission into this unacceptable abuse of power and the general failure of our main stream media on issues such as climate change. The health of our democracy is at stake John Menadue)

_

We’re not obsessed, honest! Butwe returnhere to the matter of News Corp v the government ofMalcolm Turnbull, an issue taken distantly mainstream by Nine’s political editorChris Uhlmannduring the “form of madness” that overran Canberra three weeks ago.

Uhlmann (who barely two years ago was considered theGenghis Khanof the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; and one of several reportersChris MitchellofferedDennis Shanahan’sjob to) lashed Holt Street for “waging a war against the prime minister of Australia” and Sky News for “turning Liberal-National Party voters into One Nation voters after dark” (presumably much like_The Age_is turning Labor voters into Greens voters over breakfast). Cue spirited avowals of impartiality, independently arrived at, from a conga line of marquee News Corp talent. “At not one point has_The Daily Telegraph_or_The Australian_newspaper advocated for any change whatsoever,”Sharri Marksonintoned.

In this context, bear the following in mind:Rupert Murdochwas in Australia the week Turnbull was toppled. The Sun King and the Crown Prince of Point Piper spoke by telephone before the Liberal leadership was spilled on August 24. The media proprietor denied his empire was campaigning for the PM’s ouster, besides_The Australian_. “Boris [nickname of the paper’s editor-in-chiefPaul Whittaker] is the only one”.

But only days earlier, Murdoch met with Seven West proprietorKerry Stokesand implied the very opposite. “Malcolm has got to go,” he told the Perth billionaire.

Stokes, whose interests extend well beyond media into mining services and energy, pointed out that a change of Liberal leadership meant a certain change of government next year. “That means we getBill Shortenand the CFMEU.

KRM was unswayed. “They’ll only be in for three years it won’t be so bad. I did alright under Labor and the Painters and Dockers; I can make money under Shorten and the CFMEU.” Problem is, it won’t be for three years, and it’s liable to be very f—ing bad.

So no campaign then? Has Murdoch the Elder forgotten Labor’s last stint on the Treasury benches?Ray Finkelsteinring a bell?Stephen Conroy’sPublic Interest Media Advocate? He’ll certainly want to forget Turnbull’s removal of cross-media ownership restrictions, handing the Murdochs full control of Network Ten fully wrapped with a bow on top untilLachlan MurdochandSiobhan McKennasnatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But how could that be their fault?!