Shorten’s paymasters moonlight as journos while workers wait till the midnight hour

Oh come let us adore him! Guardian writer Van Badham tweets, July 17:

If you’re undecided on Shorten, come see him speak in front of a union crowd. He just got a standing ovation at the #ACTUcongress18 dinner and he damn well deserved it. #auspol

Er, journalists were banned! Amanda Meade, The Guardian, July 18:

Reporters … were banned from …. an address by … Bill Shorten (to the ACTU) … for the first time … “It came across as a two-fingered salute to the working media,” … one journalist (said) … “Farcically, the speech was being live-tweeted on social media by delegates but reporters couldn’t write on it until Shorten’s office released the speech at the worker-unfriendly time of 10.30pm.” … (Shorten apparently said) a Labor government would stop the exploitation of … workers.

Will the press gallery boycott the ACTU? David Crowe, Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery president, July 4:

The decision by the government of Nauru to pick and choose the journalists who cover the Pacific Islands Forum is an appalling restriction on press freedom … If one cannot go, none will go.

Will Shorten adopt his paymasters’ policy? ACTU congress, July 18:

Congress calls for … offshore detention centres to be closed … (and) rejects … turning back boats at sea

ACTU supports gender equality! ACTU congress, July 18:

Economic policy is a critical tool that can promote or hinder gender equality … trade policies have both ignored and reinforced the structural barriers that impact women’s ability to compete fairly in the labour market. Structural barriers include the gender wage gap, occupational segregation … and often women’s double burden of paid work and unpaid care work.

ACTU supports gender plagiarism? Cassandra Waters, AFL-CIO report on reducing global gender inequities, March 9, 2016:

Economic policy is a critical tool that can promote or hinder gender equality and broadly-shared growth … trade policies have ignored or reinforced the structural barriers that impact women’s ability to compete fairly in the labour market, including the gender wage gap, occupational segregation and the disproportionate burden of unpaid work. 

Gender equality at Aunty’s Aunty. Evening Standard, July 17:

Former BBC China editor Carrie Gracie has described her fight for equal pay as “worse than breast cancer” … The journalist … (protested) inequalities at the BBC, which she said had a “secretive and illegal pay culture”.

Not very inclusive of antipodean ­minorities? BBC News, July 17:

Political commentator Alex Spence: The actual process by which we have to leave the EU … (takes two years so) it was always going to take this long.

Host Victoria Derbyshire: You say ‘we’. You’re originally from Australia.

Spence: I’m a Kiwi, actually.

Derbyshire: I’m so sorry. Oh, my gosh. Wow. I am so sorry.

Spence: I forgive you.

Derbyshire: How long have you lived in Britain, do you mind me asking?

Spence: I’ve been here for 14 years now.

Derbyshire: Wow, OK. But do you have dual nationality?

Spence: I do.

Derbyshire: Yes, well OK, that’s fine. I was just checking on the ‘we’ bit. Sorry.

Spence: Am I allowed to stay?

Derbyshire: Oh, my gosh. It’s not down to me … Absolutely. Um. OK. So.