While the federal government makes threatening noises at Google and Facebook, egged on by legacy media outlets in what will probably be their last great power play, Google has launched a new news service in Australia that will toss a few cents publishers’ way.

It’s called Google News Showcase, but it really should be called Google Boring. Or Google Woke. Google Left. Google Irrelevant. Google Ineffibly Smug. Google We Believe In Free Speech But Are Actually Very Keen On Censorship. You get the drift.

Why?

Well, the marvellous media outlets you’ll find on Google News Showcase are outfits such as that superannuation fraud, The New Daily, the case for less university funding and prime example of the free speech crisis on campus, The Conversation, the shinybums’ Bible, The Canberra Times, the world’s only newspaper that actually carries no news, The Saturday Paper and the larrikin turned Leninist Crikey. Oh yes. Plus, for some unfathomable reason, The Illawarra Mercury.

Google, it appears, is playing some sort of sick joke on us — and clearly doesn’t give a flying fornication what the feds might do.