Month: November 2021

Interview with Denis Muller – Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

Conversation Article: Is Morrison gaining a reputation for untrustworthiness? The answer could have serious implications for the election

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been in the media lately over his reputation of being loose with the truth. And with a federal election looming how will his reputation play out in the media? RTR’s Allan Boyd caught up with journalism guru Denis Muller to discuss…

The reputation of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been under fire recently after accusations of lying by French President Emmanuel Macron over a failed submarine contract.

This was immediately backed up by ex-PM Malcolm Turnbull, who told journalists that Mr Morrison had lied to him often – saying: “Scott has always had a reputation for telling lies.”

Even Morrison’s media supporter Andrew Bolt recently called Morrison a fake and a fool.

Indeed, topics on which Morrison has made false or incorrect statements are rife across current media…

So is Morrison gaining a reputation for untrustworthiness? And does this bring into question the incumbent PM’s integrity as the government rolls into the theatre of an upcoming federal election…

To discuss this, I’m joined by Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne – and all-round media guru Dr Denis Muller.

 

Further reading: A dossier of lies and falsehoods – How Scott Morrison manipulates the truth – Crikey

Australia is locking up a record number of people. Our detention rate has grown steadily since the 1980s and is now around its highest level in a century.

According to research by the Australian Productivity Commission there are over 40 000 Australians in prison. And many more flow through the prison system each year.

And it is expensive.

Imprisonment costs around $330 per prisoner per day and – on average – costs taxpayers about $120,000 per prisoner per year.

That’s about $5.2 billion in total.

However, as imprisonment rates have increased by about 25% in the past decade – the rate of offending has dropped 18%.

Put simply, crime is down, but more and more people are being locked up.

So how can it be that we have less crime but more people in prison?

It’s the conundrum at the heart of a recently released Productivity Commission research paper entitled Australia’s Prison Dilemma.

Joining me now is Stephen King – Adjunct professor at Monash University – and Commissioner with the Australian Productivity Commission…

Why is it that so many people are being locked up, yet crime rates appear to be dropping?