The Australian Democrats today said Mr Howard and Senator Coonan knew full well what they were doing with the new media laws, and that they would be pleased everything is going to plan. Quite a few liberal and national politicians who just trusted them with their votes will be surprised at the speed of events. "The current spin is disingenuous. As an experienced Minister, Senator Coonan would have expected immediate media market positioning after the passage of the new media laws. So would Mr Howard," said Senator Andrew Murray, Democrats Corporate Affairs spokesperson. "Unfortunately that habit of treating Australians as gullible is still ingrained - trying to say this market positioning is being undertaken under the old laws and has little to do with the new laws is laughable. "The government have the advantage that coverage of these issues in the mass media was muted prior to the laws being passed, and the populace generally has little understanding of who already owns what and how the media works. So there has not been a popular awakening or strong outcry. "The political plan is to change the market rules so that major media shifts into hopefully more conservative supportive and grateful hands, knowing that a weakened ACCC can do little to prevent greater concentration in the public interest. The fall of Fairfax will be celebrated, as will the further taming of the ABC. "For the vital fourth estate, the democratic consequence is that there will be greater influence from more powerful and fewer players, and less diversity courtesy of the Liberal/National/Fielding alliance. "Australian voters are being slowly boiled like frogs - the obscene practices that advantage incumbent politicians, changes that lessen funding scrutiny and encourage secret donations, laws distorting the franchise, laws reshaping the media - all combine in trying to help entrench the conservative hegemony. "I recognise it is not as easy as that, and loading the dice doesn't always mean you win the game. Many from all parties have understood the threat to our liberal democracy. On media and weaker trade practices laws just one conservative vote made the difference - Senator Fielding's. The idea that he was nave is nonsense. He knew full well what he was doing," concluded Senator Murray.
