Journalism: when all other options are exhausted

Imagine my surprise when I saw some actual journalism coming out of MSM coverage of Canberra. Now imagine how absolutely stunned I was to see it coming from Glenn Milne. This is the sort of piece that really makes a difference in understanding how this country is governed. He doesn't just use unexamined quotes to pad out an article, like Jason Koutsoukis or Alan Ramsey, and nor does he use them as intellectual crutches like Josh Frydenberg or Greg Barns. This is examining the facade presented by politicians and contrasting it to the reality behind. This is pinning down the hot air around climate change. This is proper journalism.

Milne knows that what doesn't get funded doesn't get done, and what a government does and doesn't is the essence of governing, and the raw data people will use to hold government to account. This, we need.

I could be unkind and say that Milne has nothing else to do now that he's no longer being handfed morsels of nothing by Peter Costello, but I won't. Long may we see articles like this on how the country is actually being governed. I can forgive silly affectations like "Let me explain" if this is the quality that we can expect from the new Milne: if not, all the more reason to go him because he's capable of the good stuff and yet opts for the same fluff as everyone else.