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JANUARY 2009 Pages - Page 1
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PREMIER NATHAN REES - "A CLASS ACT"
In a class act NSW Premier Nathan Rees MP travelled to a downtown New York hotel, where in an assembly line type procedure, he married his
school yard sweetheart over the Christmas period.
Most NSW residents would find his behaviour bizarre. Not only has the Premier married outside the state, he has married outside his own country.

The argument advanced that he did so to protect his privacy does not hold water. A "secret" wedding could have been arranged in NSW with the
assistance of a trusted marriage celebrant who could have conducted the ceremony in a backyard, a hall or even the Premier's Office on the 40th
floor of Governor Macquarie Tower.

The "fantasy escape" from NSW will be short-lived. On his return to NSW Nathan Rees MP still faces the pressing need to replace 2 ministers who
have gone missing in action.

The tone and pattern for the 2009 administration of Nathan Rees seems established early in the piece. It's a class "act" - but the act is more likely
to resemble farce than comedy.

SOURCES:
Ian Munro, Premier's icy wedding reception , The Age, 8 January 2009.
Janet Fife-Yeomans, NSW Premier Nathan Rees weds in secret New York ceremony , The Australian, 7 January 2009.
ABC News, Premier Rees weds school sweetheart in NY, 7 January 2009.
Alexandra Smith, Former union boss tipped to lead ALP , Sydney Morning Herald, 12 January 2009.
Lisa Carty , Honeymoon over as Rees returns, Sun Herald, 11 January 2009.


SNOUTS IN THE TROUGH
As bystanders and observers of politics in NSW watch with keen interest the death throes of the Labor administration as we approach 26 March
2011, it seems Labor MP's have an intense interest in getting their snouts in the trough, as the opportunity of becoming a minister (with the extra
salary and flow on effects for superannuation) wanes.

Former Premier, Morris Iemma told the Sun Herald :-
"The name of the game is to get onto the front bench where you can shape policy and influence government decision-making … you
can't do that as the Deputy Speaker. It should not count against her and those that might want to mount that argument see the
Parliament as a trough - and therefore if the snout's in the trough, why take it out?".

Of course one of the greatest deprivations of taxpayers' funds was when Iemma himself appointed John Aquilina MP, a non-Minister Leader of the
House and granted him by regulation extra salary.

At the time we called upon the Upper House to disallow the regulation granting that extra salary (along with the extra salary granted to Fred Nile
and the Deputy President Amanda Fazio). No motion was moved to do so. Whilst it is arguable that any motion to disallow the regulation would
have been defeated by virtue of the numbers (Labor + Fred Nile + Shooters), it is also arguable that both Fred Nile and Amanda Fazio would
have been disqualified from voting on the motion, and it would have been disallowed. Whatever be the real answer to disqualification on such a
motion, the simple fact is that Coalition MLC's did not even try (and the Greens informed us they were "too busy" to lodge such a motion). One
wise person once told us " It is better to have tried and failed, than to have never tried at all ".

In any event the coalition have now come out attacking John Aquilina MP for costing taxpayers "too much" for carrying out a job which had
traditionally been carried out by a minister at no cost to taxpayers. We also learn that Leader of the House situation was brought about as a
means of overcoming dual promises for the Speaker's job, as a result of a lack of communication between Sussex Street and then Premier Iemma.

Mark Arbib had promised Aquilina the Speaker's job unbeknown to Iemma, who had promised it to Richard Torbay MP (Northern Tablelands).

Let's just hope that the Coalition's belated criticism of the Leader of the House salary package, is not an indicator, that come 26 March 2011, the
NSW community will simply deliver an Orwellian "Animal Farm" scenario - with one set of snouts being replaced by a different set of snouts in the
trough.

SOURCES  :
Andrew Clennell , Coalition takes aim at jobs for the boys , Sydney Morning Herald, 10 January 2009.
Lisa Carty , Honeymoon over as Rees returns, Sun Herald, 11 January 2009.

THE PUBLIC's SERVANTS
Alex Mitchell in an article titled Reward: Plum jobs for wrecking bureaucratic disaster published at Crikey.com on 9 January 2009 has questioned
whether Kevin Rudd PM has taken leave of his senses by appointing 3 "failed" NSW public servants to top spots in the Canberra bureaucracy,
questioning whether they are really up to the job as heads of federal departments. He writes:

Three NSW asylum-seekers have been awarded plum jobs in the Commonwealth public service by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
They are:
* Former NSW Cabinet director-general Dr Roger Wilkins, now secretary of the federal Attorney-General’s Department;
* Former director-general of the NSW Premier and Cabinet Department Robyn Kruk, soon to become secretary of the Department of the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts;
* Former NSW treasury secretary John Pierce, soon to become secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.

We don't have sufficient knowledge to offer any comment, but it is concerning. Either the 3 are superb operatives, in which case it makes one
wonder why the NSW government let them go, or they are second raters, in which case Rudd has indeed taken leave of his senses.

THE SEETHING VIPER's PIT
The seething Viper's Pit (aka as the NSW Parliamentary Labor Party) has abandoned all pretence of acting in the best interests of NSW and very
publicly exposed it's prime concern - self interest.

Apart from the ongoing and destabilising background of Frank Sartor MP (Rockdale) waiting for the leadership of the Party (and therefore the
position of Premier) to fall into his lap, the choice of the 2 replacement ministers represents a distraction from governing NSW to Premier Nathan
Rees, that he needs like a hole in the head.

What is amazing is the fluidity with which allegiances alter. The Terrigals faction, which is largely responsible for farking NSW, is splintering and
the power-brokers of the Terrigals - Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi, are seeing their once iron grip on power slip away.

The showdown - the selection of the 2 replacement ministers will occur soon - and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the end. However,
it is clear Nathan Rees has either lost control, or never really had control, of the government that he leads. Whether he goes into the 2011
election as a lame duck leader, or is replaced before hand is yet to be seen. However, all stops are being pulled out to plug holes in the Premier's
office, which is perceived as being the cause of the Premier's problems.

Meanwhile, the alternative government is going about formulating policy and releasing it to the community. Naturally. it is given very little attention
by the media, who are far more interested in the more exciting antics of the Viper's Pit - as the viper's in the pit turn one against the other.

SOURCES :
Lisa Carty, Sartor tests the water as tide turns on Rees, Sun Herald, 16 January 2009
Imre Salusinszky , Factional split looms in Labor Right, The Australian, 27 January 2009
Imre Salusinszky, Labor at war over cabinet vacancies, The Australian, 26 January 2009
ABC News, I will get the team I want: Rees , 22 January 2009
Lisa Carty , Gadiel demands an end to backroom deals, Sun Herald, 25 January 2009
Alexandra Smith, Iemma caught up in Labor feud , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2009
Andrew Clennell , Taxpayers fund ALP man's move into Rees office , Sydney Morning Herald, 22 January 2009
Andrew Clennell , Federal seat pledge lures fixer to Rees, Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 2009
Barry O'Farrell , Here's a business proposition: cut tax, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2009.
Andrew Clennell , Cut payroll tax to save jobs: Coalition , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2009


EAST SYDNEY HOTEL - MADE MORE FAMOUS

The East Sydney Hotel in Woolloomooloo is famous for being one of the few hotels in NSW which has never had a poker machine in it's premises.
It is a bar which is frequented by locals and the more "arty" type people.

So it was a surprise at about 7pm on Thursday 29 January 2009 to see, as we walked by,2 tables occupied by suited gentlemen. We didn't take
much notice as we walked by until we recognised one of the suited gentlemen as the Premier of NSW. Maybe he was there celebrating the
election of the Terrigals chosen candidates, John Robertson and Steve Whan to the cabinet. However, the Premier was peculiarly out of place at
the East Sydney Hotel and his presence did nothing to rid us of the belief he is the biggest joke ever foisted on the people of NSW.

For God's sake, please bring on Frank  Sartor, MP.

THE TERRIGALS FARKED NSW - HAVE THE TERRIGALS NOW FARKED THEMSELVES???

Since the inception of this website we have been unashamedly critical of NSW's ruling faction, the Terrigals, led jointly by Eddie Obeid MLC and
Joe Tripodi MP (Fairfield).

One has to look back at a little history to see the rise to absolute power of the Terrigals to understand it's ultimate demise. Originally formed for
the purpose of self promotion of it's members, it was named the Terrigals because it often met at the home of Eddie Obeid in Terrigal. Bob Carr
understood perfectly the problems that Obeid created for his government. He sacked the overwhelmingly under-performing Obeid from the
Ministry, apparently causing a quite acrimonious discussion in Premier Carr's office. However, whilst Carr may have thwarted Obeid's ability for
hands on the lever participation in the governance of NSW, he could not influence the Terrigal's influence as number crunchers in the Labor
caucus. For whatever reason, the Terrigal's exercised their muscle when Carr retired in 2005 and his replacement was sought. Carl Scully had
every entitlement to believe he should be the replacement Premier, but the Terrigals pulled the rug from out underneath his feet, and installed
"the family man" Morris Iemma as Premier. Perhaps that was done by the Terrigals, just to demonstrate their power and influence in the caucus.

Fast forward to 2007 and the Terrigals pulled the rug out from under the feet of their chosen Premier Iemma, and in an amazing feat of
gymnastics installed Left MP Nathan Rees in the top spot. Given that the Terrigals, and in particular Joe Tripodi and Reba Meagher had spent a
lifetime destroying the Left, this was the most peculiar marriage ever imaginable.

As part of the collateral damage of the Rees coup, Reba Meagher quit politics altogether for reasons which have never been adequately
explained. However, Joe Tripodi received a significant promotion in influence in the new Rees ministry. Frank Sartor was dumped from the Rees
ministry. Whilst the public perception at the time was that Sartor had somehow been tied up in the donations scandals and "over-development",
Sartor was later to claim that he was sacked because he failed to approve certain developments the Terrigals wanted approved.

So gradually the Terrigals were building up a menagerie of disaffected MP's. For example John Aquilina became a part of this menagerie in 2007
when he was dumped as Speaker by Iemma, who had appointed independent Northern Tablelands MP Richard Torbay to the most highly sought
after sinecure of Speaker, with it's extra salary, expansive offices and chafffeur driven cars.

Finally, with the allocation of the 2 ministerial positions, to replace sacked Ministers Matt Brown and Stewart, in the offing, the divisions in the
Labor Party came bubbling to the surface. Finally, some MP's got some back-bone to oppose the power and influence of the Terrigals and joined
by the "disaffected", they are certainly a force to be reckoned with. A new grouping, coalescing around Tony Kelly MLC, and now calling
themselves the Sensibles, will offer a significant, if not fatal, challenge to Obeid and Tripodi. In politics, very much depends on perception. MP's
flocked to the Terrigals because of the perception they exercised power, and it was the route to achieve personal ambitions and a share of the
power in the governance of NSW. Loss of the perception that alliance with the Terrigals will assist in achieving personal goals means MP's will not
flock to Obeid and Tripodi, and others may defect to the new Sensibles faction. Time will tell whether the Terrigals are now farked.

In a strange twist of fate, Left Premier Nathan Rees, was only able to become Premier because he had the support of the Right via the Terrigals.
With NSW being a traditional Right state, and the Left decimated by the Terrigals actions over the past 20 odd years, Rees is left depending on
the Terrigals. One suspects the new Sensibles only need an excuse to install their own Right candidate in the top job.

Frank Sartor is playing a waiting game, hoping to be the "chosen one". After all time is on Sartor's side and he is in a position, to plagiarise Paul
Keating, "to do Rees slowly".

IT's not over till the fat lady sings, and one suspects there may be plenty of tunes played out before March 2011 and the inevitable defeat of the
NSW Labor government.

SOURCES :
Lisa Carty, Emerging Labor faction leaves old leaders out in cold , Sun Herald, 1 February 2009.