Tim

CORRUPT AS HELL: A DIRECT ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY Remember when the Albanese regime took $67.6 million of your money and handed it to Nine, Seven, Crikey, The Conversation and others under the laughable name “Journalism Assistance Fund.” The very outlets that exist to hold governments to account as a fundamental part of our democracy. Instead they took the cash. They are now financially dependent on the very people they are supposed to scrutinise. That is not journalism. That is a bought media. For as the saying goes, "He who pays the piper calls the tune." We saw it with Helen Haines. Albanese peddled a dirt file on her — straight to the same media organisations he was already bankrolling. That is not accountability. That is a government using taxpayer-funded media as its attack dogs. Now they are doing it again. Despite a budget in deficit, despite their own spending driving inflation and forcing interest rates higher, the Albanese regime has just handed another $31.5 million to 54 media outlets under what they have labelled as the “News Innovation Fund.” And more than half of that money went to outlets already receiving taxpayer cash under the earlier "Journalism Assistance Fund" The Conversation — a reliably soft, left-leaning outlet — had already taken $1,033,890. They just received another $891,000. How can that not be seen as a reward for turning a blind eye to the most dishonest and deceitful government in our nation’s history. This second round of handouts is far more corrupt than the first. For it sends a message - telling media outlets that the size of their next handout depends on how useful they are to this government. So they go soft. They look the other way. They protect the regime that funds them. For ultimately these are not ‘grants". They function as bribes. And bribes paid for by taxpayer. They are the deliberate purchase of media compliance. They are an open corruption of democracy. This rotten, corrupt, dishonest and economically incompetent Labor regime has turned public money into a tool to silence criticism and reward its friends. It’s just another reason to PUT LABOR LAST on the ballot paper. Every single one of them. The next election is our last chance to save Australia.