Labor
HE’S BACK: Tim Holding’s return helps us see what really matters
Victorian Cabinet minister Tim Holding emerged safe after getting lost on a mountain hike.
That doesn’t quite tell the story though does it.
For all those people who knew Tim, whether well or in passing, from the television or from close quarters, his life and death situation was a profoundly confronting situation.
A reminder that even the strongest best prepared people taking on our natural surroundings faces some danger. A reminder that we’re all mortal, no matter how bullet-proof we feel most of the time.
In difficult circumstances, the best and worst of humanity emerged.
The heroes, eighty plus people who braved the elements, taking managed risks themselves to find the missing minister.
His family and partner who, just as all of us were dreading the worst, kept the faith, confident in Tim Holding’s strength, experience in hiking and careful preparations would be sufficient to keep him safe.
The worst were some of the comments on this site, and on the HeraldSun site, and in the mX newspaper who suspended all compassion and decency and launched an attack on a missing person unable to defend themselves.
Stephen Acott, the editor of mX responded to our criticism yesterday as best he could but didn’t explain whether it was appropriate to attack a missing person, without all the facts, without his side of the story and when he wasn’t in any position to defend himself:
Hi Andrew,
As an avid mX reader you would know fully well we don’t indulge in sensationalist journalism, so I was a little surprised to read your reaction this afternoon.
You’re entitled to your opinion and I’m not going to attempt to change it here, but I would like to clarify a few points you raise.
Rent-a-quote know-alls? I simply asked the reporter, Inga Gilchrist, to contact some hiking experts to get their thoughts on a man trekking alone in those conditions. Every single one of them said he was tempting fate (hence the headline, but I’ll get to that in a minute). It’s called journalism. Who do you suggest we should have contacted? Or are you suggesting we should not have contacted anyone – just ignored the biggest story of the day/week/month?
As for Inga being a “city slicker”, well yes she does live just a few kms outside the CBD but Inga is also a fully qualified ski patroller who has provided first aid to skiers on Australia’s ski fields for the past 8 winters. It is with these qualifications in mind I asked her to write the piece you highlight. That doesn’t make her a “know-all”, but it does makes her qualified to offer an opinion.
I’m surprised to see you, of all people, attacking someone for having an opinion. If we removed the opinion from your blog what would be left?
As for reporting on non-politicians who go missing while wandering the mountains alone, I seem to recall Jamie Neal getting a bit of attention in mX (and elsewhere) not all that long ago.
And, given I wrote the headline, I’m very aware of what the headline writer was thinking – he was thinking what most people (judging by the reaction to your post) was thinking: Holding should have known better.
In future I ask you to refrain from calling our journalists grubs. They’re not. It isn’t Inga who should be apologising.
Stephen Acott, mX editor
We’ll go on enjoying mX, they do a great job, I just cannot really imagine how the journalist involved will be able to look Tim Holding’s partner in the eye the next time they see her. We’ll gladly apologise for calling Inga Gilchrist a grub if she apologises to his partner for behaving like one in their darkest hour.
Now that he is safe and sound and will soon be able to explain what happened, we’d be perfectly comfortable with a fully informed discussion of the whole thing and if appropriate criticism. That’s the life he signed up for the day he ran for public office. But when his life was at issue? When his loved ones were waiting to hear? Give me a break. We asked “Have they no sense of decency?” and stand by our question.
We have heard the answer and respect the fact Acott responded but we are not satisfied.
Such a deplorable attack by mX or anyone else could not stand. Acott’s defence was it was only their opinion and that given the firmly expressed and forthright opinions we put about that we should be the last to criticise others.
We’re very comfortable criticising others for their opinions when they’re wrong or ill-informed or attacking someone in this case in incredibly bad taste given the very serious prospect that the subject of their opinionated attack could well have been returning in a body bag accompanied by his grieving parents and partner.
mX has more reason than most to be relieved that Minister Tim Holding emerged unscathed and is expected back at work this week.
This dreadful incident has reminded us what really matters. Family. It was particularly heart-warming to see Tim’s reunited.
We’ll keep fighting for freedom, taking on injustice and doing our thing here. But Tim’s great and unintended gift to us – to all of us – is another very powerful reminder that we don’t have a moment to lose.
Discussion
38 comments for “HE’S BACK: Tim Holding’s return helps us see what really matters”
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Probably a good man and a decent fellow but hes a terrible water minister. North south pipeline disaster, desal plant debarkle ect ect
Good to see Tim back safe and well.
Pity he had to go all that way to see frozen water.
Acott’s response almost sounds as though he’s angry he was found safe! The Gilchrist piece was a turd … he shouldn’t try to polish it. As an editor you would suppose he would have an idea of the prevailing feeling on this story. ‘Most people’ were actually hoping he makes it out okay, not attempting to blame the guy … it’s called empathy.
A debarkle ect ect…?
Hmm. Seems someone is getting their tords wangled. Perhaps a little criticism of some (presumably past) Education Minister might be more in order.
Well said Vex News.
Some of the comments posted have been beyond comprehension.
In politics people make enemies, but to seriously wish ill fortune upon another person, or revel in a dicey life or death situation is truly despicable.
Any one who hoped that Tim might not return to his family, or found his life and death predicament amusing, get out of politics and go and volunteer in a homeless shelter or a hospital and learn some humanity.
Tim is a young man with a life to lead regardless of what others might make of his politics.Thank goodness he made it back safely
His Mum said on National News that he was fit and well equipped. Something that only a proud mother would know.
What’s his mother got to be proud of???
Dark Horse is an ill equipped miniature pony, methinks.
A Lord Farquard of the equine kingdom.
Herald Sun has got it right – for $600 he would have saved taxpayers $100,000 in rescue bills by carrying an EPIRB.
He should now pay for the cost of his rescue as politicians and Ministers must be held to a higher standard.
The Herald Sun is indeed correct. He could have saved the taxpayer $100,000 buy carrying a $600 EPIRB.
He should now pay for the cost of this rescue because MP’s must be held to a higher standard.
Herald Sun has got it right – for $600 he would have saved taxpayers $100,000 in rescue bills by carrying an EPIRB.
He should now pay for the cost of his rescue as politicians and Ministers must be held to higher standards.
Great PR stunt by Holding.
Will he now pay the taxpayers the $100,000 it cost for his rescue?
Stupid fuck gets lost, slips down a mountain and now he`s a hero.No different to that pommy prick who got lost in the blue mountains,wasted everyones time and then fucked off back to London with a 100 grand.And dickheads like this are in Parliament!
Another hurdle in my political career, sadly he survived.
to the anonymous,
Have the government ever charged anyone for their rescue?
The government do their best to ensure every single person’s safety in the society disregard whether that person is being minister or not!!! This is how it makes Australia a place to live.
Do you have a problem for the government to ensure ur safety? Or should they charge you heavily for this??
What a great PR stunt.
Worked out by his journo. partner who saw Tim holding the poison chalice Water Ministry.
Chantelle I do have a major problem with taxpayers money being spent on idiotic scum.
LOL.
Its funny, when u cant win an argument about ur favourite politician, you turn to sex ‘fascinating’. Typical of how ‘low you will go’….pathetic
Tim Holding is the Arnold Horshack of Victorian Parliament.
Who cares if a fuckin Victorian lives or dies? Australia is much bigger than you.
Eighty people to rescue one f@#kwit.If 60 minutes pay him money for his story,will he pay back taxpayers money for being such a cock or will he keep it like the pommy prick that got lost in the blue mountains.
“We’re very comfortable criticising others for their opinions when they’re wrong”
An opinion can’t be wrong. That’s what makes it an opinion.
–> Problem, Solution…. Taxation.
It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here.
Never have I heard so many incidents in the Australian Alps as reported by the media this year.
So… Hidden Agenda time.
Problem… Create the illusion that hikers and skiers are “tempting fate”, and out of “governmental responsibility” find a solution.
Solution… Mandatory taxation. Either “Sign in” and pay, PLB mandation, or restrict usage for “layman tourist use only”(as is already occuring along the Murray river). Government makes money, has better control of what you can and can’t do, has a better data-collection ability. These are all the simplest of Big Brothers goals.
I highly doubt that an ex reservist can “get lost” or for that matter stuck. Sitting their and waiting to flash a torch. This is a setup from start to finish, from hiding his tracks in the first place (it would have been very easy to find an accidental 100m slide… the question is if he was covering his tracks so that the incident can occur as planned)
….there is too much coincidence, a girl sprains her leg and needs rescue, and now this. C’mon conspiracy is too light a word for what is a much more devious and outright devilish manipulation of the weak minded.
No matter how good you are,you should never go alone into the bush. But thank heavens he’s safe, that’s the main thing.
Oh sorry, just thought this story might be about me *blush*.
Pity Holding missed the Health and Safety rally outside the parliament today. There was a message for him that some workers risk their lives for others every day of the week. Are you listening Minister?
He should pay the $100,000 rescue costs. Ministers and MP’s must be held to a higher standard.
Good to see he is safe but what an idiot! He broke every rule of bushwalking and showed his complete inexperience. Very irresponsible of him to not only put himself through this, his family but most of all the tax payer.
He was a reservist in the army and they dont teach you any real survival skills, he is an amateur bushwalker and is no different to your average mum and dad who would go trotting down a bush path once or twice a year.
So why do we pretend that it was his skills that saved him? It was is stupid arrogant view of the world that got him in this mess and real workers who got him out of it.
I cant wait to hear soon how he met his creator behind a burning bush and was told to “go forth and fornicate the rest of the State”
Very nice swipe at Bernie Finn in his press conferece.
No doubt a future Premier.
‘The hardest steel is forged in the hottest fire’ … Holding is as tough as they come.
By the way … when did all these sick ghouls in the cheap seats learn how to type? Cretins.
he hasn’t got the judgement to be premier, as proven by going alone without an epirb. sadly his name recognition has now gone through the roof, which improves his chances
a noneity, a drab man with little principles other than his own self promotion – typical labor
His swipe at Berfin was GOLD!
Why isn’t VEXNEWS covering the bid of Mehmet Tillem to be ALP State Secretary? Have Conroy and Shorten fallen out over Tillem vs. Nick Reece? Rumour in Spring St is that LU will soon unite at the Premier’s command, leaving Conroy out in the cold. Where is VEXNEWS on this????
Life or death? Rubbish.