Bad Press

According to The Australian reporter John Lyons, the Labor Party has gotten some bad press recently, thanks to Kevin Rudd’s senior media advisor Lachlan Harris’ aggressive nature towards the press, women in particular.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23897344-7582,00.html


Reports have come from journalist experiencing intimidation from Mr Harris for writing a story he did not agree with. According to Lyon’s source he threatened to end her career. Another female producer felt humiliated by his response ‘Why are you ringing me to tell me this?’ during a call to update him that she would be taking on the production role.

The Sun-Herald's Kerry-Anne Walsh was told she could expect to", have 100 people ready to roll tomorrow morning to trash you and your paper", if a story she wrote about Rudd was printed.

He has told another person on his mobile ‘I'm on the other line, let me just piss this other call off’, whilst on a call to another female journalist.

During the press junket on Rudd’s tour of US, Europe and Asia, the seating arrangements on the plane, apparently made by the ‘RAAF’; males and females were segregated - men were seated in the front and the women at the back of the plane.

Incompetence has also been claimed, one incident occurring after sorry day had been announced another journalist was told Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin would be doing a doorstop at 11.30 that morning in Melbourne. Ms Macklin’s press secretary was told nothing until two hours before the meeting.

There are reports he has also offended Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; turning his back on Brendan Nelson during his reply to Rudd's apology on Sorry Day and refusing to wear a tie for a meeting with President George W. Bush.

This kind of evidence really speaks for itself. Clearly Mr Harris should not be in this position of power. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable towards anybody, be they male or female. What is of more concern is that he works with the press, people who respond to the public need for freedom of information. You would think that this, intimidation, rudeness and apparent sexism would be a call to sack any other worker from their job, let alone a job with this much exposure. Mr Harris, whose job it is to report to the press about the Rudd government and more to the point - as much as possible make the Rudd government look good - is doing the exact opposite with these abominable practices.