blog The Murdoch-owned Herald Sun newspaper has uncovered a shocking fact about Greens Communications spokesperson Scott Ludlam: He’s a reader.
Apparently, Ludlam has been buying books and reading them in order to learn things about the world, and then claiming the cost of the books through a parliamentary entitlement set up for the purpose. The article exposing this disturbing fact states:
“Senator Scott Ludlam slugged taxpayers more than $4500 in a year on books and publications including Pornography of Power: Why defence spending must be cut; How to Make Trouble and Influence People, a book celebrating disruptive protest; and The Bittersweet World of Chocolate, billed as a guide to socially responsible chocolate cooking.”
Frankly, we were reluctant to believe the rumours that Ludlam was a filthy book reader. Even though the Senator had previously professed a love of the literature of science fiction author William Gibson, we had thought Ludlam’s enthusiasm for Neuromancer must have been a casual sophomoric flirtation rather than an enduring interest — kind of an imbibe but don’t inhale thing in university.
To discover that the Senator is regularly reading actual books and educating himself about global events … this calls into question everything we thought we knew and believed to be true about politicians. Every rational Australian must call for an end to this shocking behaviour immediately. There is no doubt that Ludlam must take a long, hard look at himself and consider his future in politics. In fact, perhaps a broader, more final solution is needed to this insidious societal curse.
Image credit: David Howe, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported licence
Compare $4500 with the $6,651.96 Abbott charged the taxpayer to promote his own book… which he would have then earned royalties on: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/35544.html
What, you’re telling me Abbott is not only a reader as well, but a writer?? Will this madness never end?
Well as Robert Heinlein once famously stated (in a SCIFI Book no less)
Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands “afterwards.”
And how did this guy become a politician in first place? I thought there was a intellectual barrier you had to be *below* to get those jobs
You forgot to add below “This is a satire article, I mean, who the hell actually reads News Ltd stuff and gives a shit anyway?
I assure you sir, my concerns about the national scourge of book reading are deadly serious.
I love the dedication, Renai =)
Hehe cheers :)
Now we know where the Greens get all those crazy ideas… from reading, and thinking!! Shocking.
Reading is a gateway drug. Thinking is the mental heroin of our society. Once you get addicted to it, you can’t stop, and nothing will ever be the same again. There’s just no way back for people who start thinking. It’s like you can’t stop, and nobody around you is able to help you get back to your normal life. Tragic.
I read four words in succession once, but managed to divert my eyes just in the nick of time before completing the sentence. I felt a bit smarter, and was sick for a few days, but eventually the effects wore off. However just one more sentence and I could have been hooked for life and become a miserable, educated book junkie (or “bookworm” as they are known on the streets).
Needless to say I’m as appalled as you are that one of our own politicians thinks anything is to be gained by wasting money on dirty, stinky, evil books. He should stick to getting his education from A Current Affair and The Australian like members of the LNP.
Truly terrifying. Thankfully, an interest in ethical chocolate making represents an early-stage affliction that has not yet truly progressed beyond the point of no return. This is nothing a good dose of Kardashian news and some good LOLcat videos can’t combat. Someone get this poor, wayward senator a few good links, stat!
That he reads William Gibson is a plus…
I’ve been outed.
I still inhale Gibson.
http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6089/the-art-of-fiction-no-211-william-gibson
I really need to sit down and read that interview.
Ah, the addict confesses his sins. The first step in the healing process begins.
What I want to know is why is a Greens Senator buying books which is leading to more trees being cut down. Surely he’d be buying eBooks for his eReader which is made in a factory which adds to global warming……..
lol just actually read the herald sun article. Seriously they got other Senators to comment on the books.
I’m curious now as to what other Senators have been reading. Surely Scott isn’t the only Senator that can read.
“Surely Scott isn’t the only Senator that can read”
There are rumours Barnaby Joyce has read magazines.
Yeah but looking at girly magazines so that you can call on them to be banned doesn’t count.
well at least he’s buying new books and not sharing used ones with other readers.
Did no one else notice that He read a book with the word Pornography in it!!!.
FILTH!
i’m not going to have time to do much more than crowdsource this one:
http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/parliamentarians-reporting/parliamentarians_expenditure_T27.html
Oh dear. I just found some rather interesting items in there :) Cheers.
I think I found the problem. You didn’t pay for a subscription to the Herald!
Hmm..
Mr Abbott subscribes to Crikey + the Telegraph (and nothing else)
Now that’s two ends of the spectrum – never let it be said that Tony did anything in moderation :)
FALSE
http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/parliamentarians-reporting/docs/T27/ABBOTT_Tony.pdf
260 The Australian 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $312.00
260 The Australian Financial Review 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $709.09
48 Business Review Weekly 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $213.64
50 The Week 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $135.23
51 The Economist 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $331.82
52 The Spectator Australia 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $126.36
6 Government News 24 Jun 10 to 23 Jun 11 $60.00
260 The Sydney Morning Herald 25 Jun 10 to 24 Jun 11 $222.73
Institute of Public Affairs online 25 Jun 10 to 24 Jun 11 $190.00
Quadrant online 25 Jun 10 to 24 Jun 11 $103.64
130 The Daily Telegraph 28 Jun to 24 Dec 10 $132.36
$2,536.87
Thanks for the link ToshP300, which graphically displays the wanton wastage and dirty lurks of grubby politicians, generally!
SO WHAT HE SPENT ON BOOKS!.. Bit of porn Woopee!.. Im more concerned about ASIO spending 2010- $400 Million, 2011- $717 Million, and now a $6 Billion just for a super fortress, let alone their undisclosed 2012 budget, so they can have their ass secure, and quite frankly, i don’t blame them because once the public realise what their up to, they will need the extra security. I personally would kick all the politicians out on the street, but at least the Greens seem to be trying to better Australia, even though they have some faults, they don’t force mandates and laws to milk the Aussie taxpayer without anyone to legally request a spending budget summary like ASIO have. Very Nice, a private company milking us and we have no right to know where our tax $$ are going, and on top, if we happened to be privileged with any such info, even our prime minister, and leak the info, Its Jail instantly for 12 months.. WTF! I personally wish he’d read more into these scams and power plays.. Keep it up Scott, you got my backing, and i’ll even buy you more porn if ya like, just keep up the fight for our Constitutional rights!
Joe Ludwig spent $0 on publications. $0. The man does. not. read.
Ian MacDonald reads just about every newspaper ever printed.
Peter Dutton only buys News Ltd newspapers (as does Mark Furner, which I find surprising, but I guess we don’t have a Fairfax daily in Brisbane).
Russell Trood (Qld Liberal Senator) reads Quarterly Essay, The Economist, Foreign Affairs and has also bought a copy of a biography of Macchiavelli.
Barnaby Joyce reads R. M. Williams’ “Outback” magazine, the SMH, News Ltd, and a few regional papers.
Christine Milne reads New Scientist (aww, bless) and Monthly (not surprised).
Given the Senator has chimed in here and admitted his sins, will he complete the remaining 11 steps of the Readers Anonymous program?
Must have been a slow news day. A reader – Shocking!
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