As I wrote a while back, Murdoch seems to be sniffing the wind right now and smelling change.
According to Tony Blair's infamous chief media advisor Alastair Campbell (the inspiration for the foul-mouthed Peter Capaldi character in the TV series, "The Thick of It") this is the time that Murdoch will seek to do a deal. So it makes sense for The Australian to pretend to have some sort of balanced coverage while Shorten is being courted.
According to Campbell, Paul Keating was matchmaker for Blair at a meeting with Murdoch and his executives on Hayman Island in July 1995, and eventually the anti-Labour rhetoric eased off just before the UK election in 1997. Campbell indicated some sort of understanding was arrived at between Keating and Murdoch too, as the wheels fell off the Hewson campaign in the 1993 Australian election.
In 2010, Kevin Rudd had fallen out with Murdoch but, as Foreign Minister, dangled the carrot of the $220 million Australia Network in front of Rupert, preferencing Sky over the ABC. News Corp dutifully responded with such ceaseless vitriolic attacks on Rudd's rival Gillard that even now, the mere mention of Gillard's name provokes a Pavlovian reflex of the most foul abuse from regular Murdoch "news" readers.
So I wonder in ten years whether it will be revealed that Murdoch and Shorten were coming to an understanding now.
And I wonder, if an informal deal is struck, as to what would be the hidden cost to the Australian taxpayers and Australian people.
