We seem to have entered an eerie twilight zone of political reportage, similar to 2002 in dominance of the Rudd messaging and resulting complete focus on the Opposition’s chaos, but with the added twist of Government not having been in power for that long and most of its major programs half way though or not even started, further muting any attempt at critical discussion by our financially battered fourth estate (other than partisan shouting into the wind from the usuals).

A sign of unexpectedly benign economic times when the Treasurer doesn’t even make the Top 20 politicians covered in the week…or is he just not very interesting? PM also below 10,000 items for the first time since mid January — the doldrums iz here.

Peter Garrett and Nicola Roxon the main ministerial movers, he ensuring us Gorgon regulation will be rigorous, she on private health and e-health.

Talkback as quiet as general coverage, ALP state troubles in NSW and Queensland loom large in a shallow pool.

Rank Politician Talkback
1 Kevin Rudd 197
2 Anna Bligh 139
3 John Della Bosca 104
4 Nathan Rees 88
5 Nicola Roxon 46

I know, I know, I’m cheating, he’s technically still a politician — but was he ever, really? Let us all just remember that “every mother loves her baby and this should be an Australia where all babies are valued equally”. You can’t argue with that. Vale Dr Nelson.

Press Radio TV Internet Total INDEX
Brendan Nelson 118 233 77 73 1,341 125

There’s more on the Media Monitors website.