TonyRMar 15

SA gov, Malinauskas and Spurrier, have been telling some serious porkies

#auspol
#sapolitics
#algalbloom

"The South Australian government took months to update its health advice after the discovery of a potentially harmful toxin in the state’s disastrous algal bloom, insisting it posed minimal risk to humans."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-16/toxic-algal-bloom-south-australia-government-four-corners/106386884

'Let's not scare South Australians': What the public wasn't told about the toxic algal bloom

The government knew a harmful toxin had been found in its algal bloom, but took months to update its health advice. 

Show threadRaymondPierreL3

@tonyr641
Ahhh, well played #ABC… spin the environmental disaster that this algeal bloom poses days before the polling booths open… well, given that you are so into #BothSideism in you reporting I look forward to some juicy embarrassing titbits on the #Libs, #Nats and #PHON, and any other #IND you can throw dirt at.

I really wish there was some analysis reporting on the #Policies all candidates are taking about because the rest of the msm surely won’t, but I guess that is too much to hope for from mediocre reporting.

#ThisIsNotJournalism. The ABC ought to be about #Informing the public and helping electors to make an informed choice at the ballet box, not about an climate induced and dangerous natural phenomenon that science is hard pressed to contain (as if a policy/legislation could ever eradicate that problem).

What do we have to do to get journalists/editors to do a half decent job of it? Ppffftttt.

Mar 15 at 10:34pmWeb
Show threadTonyRMar 15
@RaymondPierreL3 I wouldn't call lying to the public about the existence of brevetoxin caused by the algal bloom spin. Did you read the full article? The reports of brevetoxin were ignored for a long while, and Spurrier wanted to reword the analysis report to create a softer warning. There was a clear intent to whitewash the potential severity of the event on human health to the public.
Show threadRaymondPierreL3Mar 16

@tonyr641
I don’t mean to minimize the danger to human health. In fact I wasn’t even considering it in terms of my beef with ABC reporting and its ‘both-sideism’ mantra (when it suits them). Or indeed why didn’t the ABC take on the task of ‘investigating’ and ‘reporting’ to the public the danger earlier on (when the bloom was first reported on). Nor was I commenting on SA govt utter failure to keep the public fully informed on all known aspects of the disastrous event.

But yes. I agree. A clear and present public danger which should have been first and foremost in politicians’ mind when informing the public. An example of politics over communal safety which ought not be underplayed.