‘Mums and dads’ seem to be replacing ‘working families’ as the focus of political concern in Australia. The biggest problem with last week’s hoax media release about Whitehaven Coal, many argued, was its impact on ”mum and dad investors”. The language of mum and dad investors is as widely used as it is meaningless. Gina Rinehart is, of course, a mother of four children. Does that mean she is one of the investors that the commentators and politicians are so concerned about? What about the adults without children who may have lost money? Are we really unconcerned about them or is it just that the emotive language of ”mums and dads” is so attractive to all concerned that its inaccuracy is overlooked?
Related documents
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
Should Australia ban fossil fuel advertising?
A tobacco-style ban on fossil fuel advertising would be a decisive win for Australia – and the climate.
Big profits, but don’t be suckered into thinking mining dominates Australia’s economy
Mining companies love to talk about how much they contribute to Australia’s economy. But really their biggest “contribution” is their profits – and they want to keep more of those.
6 gas facts to help you cut through fossil fuel spin
There’s a lot of misinformation in the debate surrounding Australia’s gas industry. To be clear: the world cannot afford for new gas projects (or any other fossil fuel projects) to be opened if we want to avoid dangerous climate change.