| OCTOBER 2008 Pages - Page 26 |
| THIS IS PAGE 26 OF OCTOBER 2008 PAGES - OCT0826 |
NSW LABOR LIES
The Daily Telegraph reports that of 5 major rail projects promised by NSW Labor 10 years ago, none have been completed and 4 have not even
started.
Which makes for quite an interesting comparison with the 3 hospital promises made by former NSW Premier. Morris iemma which we have been
rabbiting on about for 18 months now, the Parkes Hospital , the Forbes Hospital and the Tamworth Hospital. None have been commenced
(despite construction of the Parkes and Forbes Hospitals having been promised to be commenced in 2007, and of course the Tamworth Hospital
was promised by Iemma and Peter Draper to commence before March 2011).
SO how do you ask could they get away with it ?
ONE answer could be that the official Opposition failed to hold the government to account. Maybe the Opposition was not an effective Opposition.
Of course of recent times we have seen the NSW Opposition being effective, for example the Government was forced to rule out changes to the
cancer budget after the contents of a leaked/stolen memorandum was raised in Parliament by Jillian Skinner MP, the Opposition spokesperson on
Health. IT is a great pity that no sooner, they establish their credentials as an effective Opposition, then they will moving in 2.5 years to the
Treasury benches. However, it would be unfair to blame the Opposition for the failure of NSW Labor to build the three mentioned Hospitals.
Responsibility for that must lie squarely at the feet of the local MP's.
The five promised projects identified by the Daily Telegraph are :
The projects were set out in a long-forgotten $14 billion five-year plan unveiled in late 1998, just four months out from an election (remarkably
similar to the promises made for the stated hospitals, which were promised during election campaigns).
Now in another switch of policy on the run, it seems those projects have been ditched by the new Rees administration, in favour of a metro to
Rozelle. Fortunately, it seems the federal government has warmed to financing the Rozelle metro.
Interestingly, Premier Rees has told reporters :
" I understand that people are sceptical - and they have a right to be. That's why I'm doing things differently. I won't make a promise I
can't keep. "
What is interesting about that statement is that Nathan Rees has effectively wiped the slate clean, distancing himself from and accepting no
responsibility for prior promises made by previous Labor administrations, but promising that he will keep any promises he makes (and by corollary
stating he will not make promises - for base political purposes - he can't keep, as Iemma frequently did).
SOURCES :
Joe Hildebrand, Railroaded by 10 years of Labor lies , Daily Telegraph, 27 October 2008.
Alexandra Smith, Andrew Clennell & Linton Besser, Tunnel vision and it's last stop, Rozelle , Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser, New rail plan could be on track , Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser , Macquarie Park the terminus for metro , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008 .
Linton Besser , $2.3 billion black hole , Sydney Morning Herald, 23 October 2008.
ABC News, Sydney metro plan a 'pipe dream' , 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser , Agencies brawl as work costs extra $500m , Sydney Morning Herald, 24 October 2008.
DAVID DALE - AN ECCENTRIC VIEW OF POLITICS
We have a view, based entirely on unscientific evidence, that human beings, despite their sophistication, retain somewhere in their DNA an
instinctive ability to assess people they "like" and people they "don't like". We can't explain it, but the best analogy to the concept we can think of
is when two dogs meet for the first time, and sniff each other before determining the stance they will adopt to the other dog.
When it comes to "eccentrics", we think an eccentric is someone you like, whilst a madman is someone with the same characteristics who by some
quirk of fate ones DNA dictates you don't like.
David Dale has written an article, the thesis being that the function of politicians is to entertain community members, because the real work of
governance can be left to the mandarins. He suggests that eccentrics are the best entertainers. In this regard, he also suggests that new Premier
Nathan Rees, with some of his recent statements, might be on the right track - finally an eccentric at the helm after 3 years of dull and predictable
"leadership" by Morris Iemma.
The only concern we have with David Dale's argument. is the fear he may have confused "eccentric" with being a "westie". After all it is possible
that David Dale spends much of his time sipping lattes in the rarified atmosphere of coffee shops, and because Rees does not have the
characteristics of people Dale normally encounters, Dale assumes the difference is equivalent to eccentricity.
see :
David Dale, Gotta love the guy - even caught in traffic eccentric Rees is looking triffic , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
SPIN ALIVE AND WELL IN NSW
Despite assurances by Premier nathan Rees that his administration will be "spinless", it seems there are members of the NSW government from
the "old guard" who are so addicted to spin, they cannot stop themselves from spinning.
A classic case of spin is where a government announces it is doing something about something which is of no practical consequence and making
a big song and dance about it.
IN this regard, Attorney General John Hatzistergos, MLC has announced the government will most likely amend the Crimes Act to remove a
defence, which according to David Marr has never been relied upon in any known case.
IT seems the real issues confronting NSW will remain firmly in the too-hard basket, whilst the government wastes time and resources and engages
in "diversion therapy" fixing a problem that doesn't exist.
SOURCES :
David Marr, Brush with Henson becomes rush to change porn laws , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
A PRECOCIOUS CHILD
IN NSW the real danger for the Opposition, as it heads towards government in 2011 is not disunity, as Labor and it's supporters are spinning, but
of becoming too predictable and thus seen as "stale". Certainly, at the moment Nathan Rees has a monopoly on unpredictability. Perhaps the
Opposition might refresh, by adopting some of the audacity of Malcolm Turnbull in the federal sphere. Turnbull, has more front than the Queen
Mary, a trait first exhibited when he single-handedly took on the might of the British government (including Theo Simos QC) in the Spycatcher
case and trounced them. IT seems he has approached his role as Opposition leader in a similar vein, with Phillip Coorey reporting he has PM
Rudd spooked and rattled. Alternatively, the Opposition might do nothing, and let Rees' unpredictability become predictable, and thus boring and
stale.
see : .Phillip Coorey , Turnbull succeeding in messing with PM's mind , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
DRAPER RIPS INTO STONER
WHY Peter Draper MP (Tamworth) goes out of his way to make personal attacks on Andrew Stoner, the man most likely to be Deputy Premier
after the 2011 elections is unfathomable. Draper's attacks would likely make it impossible for Draper to work co-operatively with Stoner, and thus
ensure that Draper is left totally out of the loop after 2011. Perhaps Draper has taken too literally the lessons to be learned from the new movie
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.
In one of his latest attacks Draper reports that a myriad of concerned parents have contacted his office, concerned about the impact Stoner's
"shoot him at dawn" comments will have on their children, particularly as Stoner is the Shadow Minister for Education. In his media release Draper
writes :
Mr Draper raised the issue following a number of phone calls and emails from concerned constituents, both sporting shooters and
farmers as well as concerned parents, about Mr Stoner’s comments after he was asked about Federal Liberal MP Alby Shultz support for
Independent Peter Besseling in the Port Macquarie by election......
“Parents were concerned that Andrew Stoner, who is also shadow education minister, would make such comments.”
“As one parent observed, being shadow education minister, Mr Stoner should be well aware that if such threats were made in the
playground, the school would probably be locked down, with the SWAT squad arriving within minutes,” he continued.
IT seems these concerned parents however, were not sufficiently concerned about the behaviour of the actual Education Minister, John Della
Bosca MLC in mid year, who repeatedly broke the law by speeding, indeed doing so so frequently that he lost his driver's licence because of his
lawlessness or when forced to ride a push-bike to work he used unseemly language by telling journalists from the Daily Telegraph where to go,
using the descriptive swear word "f**k", to bother contacting Draper's office. If they did, Draper kept the information strictly to himself, presumably
out of fear of embarrassing the Labor government.
Are we to conclude that the parents of Tamworth are concerned about the behaviour of a potential future Education Minister because he used an
expression which was not intended to be taken literally, but was an indication of a severe disagreement, in terms often used by country folk but
are not concerned by the behaviour of the actual Education Minister of the day who exhibits a contemptuous attitude to the rules of the road and
who swears at journalists.
We live in a topsy turvy world I know, but somehow the scenario painted by Draper just doesn't ring true.
Incidentally, we do not take literally the statement by one parent that if a kid used similar words to Stoner in a country schoolyard it would result in
the SWAT team arriving in minutes. Clearly whether the SWAT team arrived at all would depend upon the context the kid used the expression. We
take the parent to be saying he/she viewed the matter seriously.
BUT possibly the concerned parents of Tamworth schoolchildren do take things literally, so that when the former Education Minister told
journalists to 'get f**ked' they viewed it as merely an admonition to journalists to engage in pleasurable activities, and thus of little consequence.
SOURCES :
Peter Draper MP, Stoner’s Irresponsible Gun Comments Upset Parents and Recreational Gun Users , Media release, 23 October 2008.
TENTERFIELD SADDLER
A conference ointly organised by Griffith University and the Institute of Public Administration was held in Tenterfield on 24-25 October 2008.
Called Australian Federalism Rescue & Reform, the conference and roundtable was to :
The costs for attending the various events was :
Friday Conference - $150 ($50 unwaged)
Conference Dinner - $80
Saturday Roundtable - $100 ($30 unwaged)
Parkes Oration Anniversary Banquet - $60.
The Conference and Roundtable were held in the Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts Museum at Tenterfield which was built in the 1870's. It was in
this building that Sir Henry made a speech launching his campaign to forge a national federation.
Those scheduled to speak included : Senator Ursula Stephens, Tony Abbott MP, Cr Paul Bell (Australian Local Government Association) Andrew
Podger (IPAA) Peter Cosier (Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists), Mal Peters (Past President, NSW Farmers Association) Dr Klaas
Woldring, Professor Geoff Gallop (University of Sydney) and Dr A J Brown (Federalism Project, Griffith Law School, Griffith University).
SOURCES :
Eric Parnis, Tenterfield to host federalism conference , Tenterfield Star, 16 October 2008.
ABC News , Federalism experts gather in Tenterfield , 23 October 2008.
QUENTIN RECKONS :
It seems the mindset of the myriads of concerned Tamworth parents who contacted Peter Draper MP outraged over Anderew Stoner's "shoot at
dawn" throw away line, and that of Quentin Dempster, veteran political commentator, are more than just the 500 kilometres or so that physically
separates them, apart. .
Quentin said :
Well what a fuss that caused. Jokes, especially black ones, are apparently unacceptable in the delicate climate of NSW politics.
Barry O'Farrell said it was unacceptable and Alby Shultz told the Federal Parliament the joke represented a threat against his person.
Oh, dear.
Luckily for all, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, ruled that the alleged threat to Alby Shultz's person, while
undesirable, was not a breach of parliamentary privilege. The Speaker observed that in the political environment, it is not unknown for
people to use colourful or exaggerated language which should not be taken literally.
Quentin Dempster, The Fallout , NSW Stateline, ABC TV, 24 October 2008.
Mind you we are not great fans of Quentin. After all, at one stage a few years ago we regularly attended the North Shore Medical Centre at St
Leonards (no we were not seeing Dr Oakeshott who has rooms there), and often passed Quentin as he walked up Berry Road. Not once did he
acknowledge us.
Maybe there are other people who might benefit from consulting some of the medical specialists who practice from rooms in the North Shore
Medical Centre (directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital).
The Daily Telegraph reports that of 5 major rail projects promised by NSW Labor 10 years ago, none have been completed and 4 have not even
started.
Which makes for quite an interesting comparison with the 3 hospital promises made by former NSW Premier. Morris iemma which we have been
rabbiting on about for 18 months now, the Parkes Hospital , the Forbes Hospital and the Tamworth Hospital. None have been commenced
(despite construction of the Parkes and Forbes Hospitals having been promised to be commenced in 2007, and of course the Tamworth Hospital
was promised by Iemma and Peter Draper to commence before March 2011).
SO how do you ask could they get away with it ?
ONE answer could be that the official Opposition failed to hold the government to account. Maybe the Opposition was not an effective Opposition.
Of course of recent times we have seen the NSW Opposition being effective, for example the Government was forced to rule out changes to the
cancer budget after the contents of a leaked/stolen memorandum was raised in Parliament by Jillian Skinner MP, the Opposition spokesperson on
Health. IT is a great pity that no sooner, they establish their credentials as an effective Opposition, then they will moving in 2.5 years to the
Treasury benches. However, it would be unfair to blame the Opposition for the failure of NSW Labor to build the three mentioned Hospitals.
Responsibility for that must lie squarely at the feet of the local MP's.
The five promised projects identified by the Daily Telegraph are :
- Fast train to Newcastle,
- Fast train to Wollongong,
- the Bondi Beach extension,
- the northwest rail link, and
- the Chatswood to Parramatta line.
The projects were set out in a long-forgotten $14 billion five-year plan unveiled in late 1998, just four months out from an election (remarkably
similar to the promises made for the stated hospitals, which were promised during election campaigns).
Now in another switch of policy on the run, it seems those projects have been ditched by the new Rees administration, in favour of a metro to
Rozelle. Fortunately, it seems the federal government has warmed to financing the Rozelle metro.
Interestingly, Premier Rees has told reporters :
" I understand that people are sceptical - and they have a right to be. That's why I'm doing things differently. I won't make a promise I
can't keep. "
What is interesting about that statement is that Nathan Rees has effectively wiped the slate clean, distancing himself from and accepting no
responsibility for prior promises made by previous Labor administrations, but promising that he will keep any promises he makes (and by corollary
stating he will not make promises - for base political purposes - he can't keep, as Iemma frequently did).
SOURCES :
Joe Hildebrand, Railroaded by 10 years of Labor lies , Daily Telegraph, 27 October 2008.
Alexandra Smith, Andrew Clennell & Linton Besser, Tunnel vision and it's last stop, Rozelle , Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser, New rail plan could be on track , Sydney Morning Herald, 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser , Macquarie Park the terminus for metro , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008 .
Linton Besser , $2.3 billion black hole , Sydney Morning Herald, 23 October 2008.
ABC News, Sydney metro plan a 'pipe dream' , 25 October 2008.
Linton Besser , Agencies brawl as work costs extra $500m , Sydney Morning Herald, 24 October 2008.
DAVID DALE - AN ECCENTRIC VIEW OF POLITICS
We have a view, based entirely on unscientific evidence, that human beings, despite their sophistication, retain somewhere in their DNA an
instinctive ability to assess people they "like" and people they "don't like". We can't explain it, but the best analogy to the concept we can think of
is when two dogs meet for the first time, and sniff each other before determining the stance they will adopt to the other dog.
When it comes to "eccentrics", we think an eccentric is someone you like, whilst a madman is someone with the same characteristics who by some
quirk of fate ones DNA dictates you don't like.
David Dale has written an article, the thesis being that the function of politicians is to entertain community members, because the real work of
governance can be left to the mandarins. He suggests that eccentrics are the best entertainers. In this regard, he also suggests that new Premier
Nathan Rees, with some of his recent statements, might be on the right track - finally an eccentric at the helm after 3 years of dull and predictable
"leadership" by Morris Iemma.
The only concern we have with David Dale's argument. is the fear he may have confused "eccentric" with being a "westie". After all it is possible
that David Dale spends much of his time sipping lattes in the rarified atmosphere of coffee shops, and because Rees does not have the
characteristics of people Dale normally encounters, Dale assumes the difference is equivalent to eccentricity.
see :
David Dale, Gotta love the guy - even caught in traffic eccentric Rees is looking triffic , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
SPIN ALIVE AND WELL IN NSW
Despite assurances by Premier nathan Rees that his administration will be "spinless", it seems there are members of the NSW government from
the "old guard" who are so addicted to spin, they cannot stop themselves from spinning.
A classic case of spin is where a government announces it is doing something about something which is of no practical consequence and making
a big song and dance about it.
IN this regard, Attorney General John Hatzistergos, MLC has announced the government will most likely amend the Crimes Act to remove a
defence, which according to David Marr has never been relied upon in any known case.
IT seems the real issues confronting NSW will remain firmly in the too-hard basket, whilst the government wastes time and resources and engages
in "diversion therapy" fixing a problem that doesn't exist.
SOURCES :
David Marr, Brush with Henson becomes rush to change porn laws , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
A PRECOCIOUS CHILD
IN NSW the real danger for the Opposition, as it heads towards government in 2011 is not disunity, as Labor and it's supporters are spinning, but
of becoming too predictable and thus seen as "stale". Certainly, at the moment Nathan Rees has a monopoly on unpredictability. Perhaps the
Opposition might refresh, by adopting some of the audacity of Malcolm Turnbull in the federal sphere. Turnbull, has more front than the Queen
Mary, a trait first exhibited when he single-handedly took on the might of the British government (including Theo Simos QC) in the Spycatcher
case and trounced them. IT seems he has approached his role as Opposition leader in a similar vein, with Phillip Coorey reporting he has PM
Rudd spooked and rattled. Alternatively, the Opposition might do nothing, and let Rees' unpredictability become predictable, and thus boring and
stale.
see : .Phillip Coorey , Turnbull succeeding in messing with PM's mind , Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 2008.
DRAPER RIPS INTO STONER
WHY Peter Draper MP (Tamworth) goes out of his way to make personal attacks on Andrew Stoner, the man most likely to be Deputy Premier
after the 2011 elections is unfathomable. Draper's attacks would likely make it impossible for Draper to work co-operatively with Stoner, and thus
ensure that Draper is left totally out of the loop after 2011. Perhaps Draper has taken too literally the lessons to be learned from the new movie
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.
In one of his latest attacks Draper reports that a myriad of concerned parents have contacted his office, concerned about the impact Stoner's
"shoot him at dawn" comments will have on their children, particularly as Stoner is the Shadow Minister for Education. In his media release Draper
writes :
Mr Draper raised the issue following a number of phone calls and emails from concerned constituents, both sporting shooters and
farmers as well as concerned parents, about Mr Stoner’s comments after he was asked about Federal Liberal MP Alby Shultz support for
Independent Peter Besseling in the Port Macquarie by election......
“Parents were concerned that Andrew Stoner, who is also shadow education minister, would make such comments.”
“As one parent observed, being shadow education minister, Mr Stoner should be well aware that if such threats were made in the
playground, the school would probably be locked down, with the SWAT squad arriving within minutes,” he continued.
IT seems these concerned parents however, were not sufficiently concerned about the behaviour of the actual Education Minister, John Della
Bosca MLC in mid year, who repeatedly broke the law by speeding, indeed doing so so frequently that he lost his driver's licence because of his
lawlessness or when forced to ride a push-bike to work he used unseemly language by telling journalists from the Daily Telegraph where to go,
using the descriptive swear word "f**k", to bother contacting Draper's office. If they did, Draper kept the information strictly to himself, presumably
out of fear of embarrassing the Labor government.
Are we to conclude that the parents of Tamworth are concerned about the behaviour of a potential future Education Minister because he used an
expression which was not intended to be taken literally, but was an indication of a severe disagreement, in terms often used by country folk but
are not concerned by the behaviour of the actual Education Minister of the day who exhibits a contemptuous attitude to the rules of the road and
who swears at journalists.
We live in a topsy turvy world I know, but somehow the scenario painted by Draper just doesn't ring true.
Incidentally, we do not take literally the statement by one parent that if a kid used similar words to Stoner in a country schoolyard it would result in
the SWAT team arriving in minutes. Clearly whether the SWAT team arrived at all would depend upon the context the kid used the expression. We
take the parent to be saying he/she viewed the matter seriously.
BUT possibly the concerned parents of Tamworth schoolchildren do take things literally, so that when the former Education Minister told
journalists to 'get f**ked' they viewed it as merely an admonition to journalists to engage in pleasurable activities, and thus of little consequence.
SOURCES :
Peter Draper MP, Stoner’s Irresponsible Gun Comments Upset Parents and Recreational Gun Users , Media release, 23 October 2008.
TENTERFIELD SADDLER
A conference ointly organised by Griffith University and the Institute of Public Administration was held in Tenterfield on 24-25 October 2008.
Called Australian Federalism Rescue & Reform, the conference and roundtable was to :
- examine the practical implications of restructuring in public health, education, water and local government;
- evaluate the progress of current reforms; and
- identify the institutional changes needed to ensure our federal system works better, not just next year but many years down the track.
The costs for attending the various events was :
Friday Conference - $150 ($50 unwaged)
Conference Dinner - $80
Saturday Roundtable - $100 ($30 unwaged)
Parkes Oration Anniversary Banquet - $60.
The Conference and Roundtable were held in the Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts Museum at Tenterfield which was built in the 1870's. It was in
this building that Sir Henry made a speech launching his campaign to forge a national federation.
Those scheduled to speak included : Senator Ursula Stephens, Tony Abbott MP, Cr Paul Bell (Australian Local Government Association) Andrew
Podger (IPAA) Peter Cosier (Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists), Mal Peters (Past President, NSW Farmers Association) Dr Klaas
Woldring, Professor Geoff Gallop (University of Sydney) and Dr A J Brown (Federalism Project, Griffith Law School, Griffith University).
SOURCES :
Eric Parnis, Tenterfield to host federalism conference , Tenterfield Star, 16 October 2008.
ABC News , Federalism experts gather in Tenterfield , 23 October 2008.
QUENTIN RECKONS :
It seems the mindset of the myriads of concerned Tamworth parents who contacted Peter Draper MP outraged over Anderew Stoner's "shoot at
dawn" throw away line, and that of Quentin Dempster, veteran political commentator, are more than just the 500 kilometres or so that physically
separates them, apart. .
Quentin said :
Well what a fuss that caused. Jokes, especially black ones, are apparently unacceptable in the delicate climate of NSW politics.
Barry O'Farrell said it was unacceptable and Alby Shultz told the Federal Parliament the joke represented a threat against his person.
Oh, dear.
Luckily for all, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, ruled that the alleged threat to Alby Shultz's person, while
undesirable, was not a breach of parliamentary privilege. The Speaker observed that in the political environment, it is not unknown for
people to use colourful or exaggerated language which should not be taken literally.
Quentin Dempster, The Fallout , NSW Stateline, ABC TV, 24 October 2008.
Mind you we are not great fans of Quentin. After all, at one stage a few years ago we regularly attended the North Shore Medical Centre at St
Leonards (no we were not seeing Dr Oakeshott who has rooms there), and often passed Quentin as he walked up Berry Road. Not once did he
acknowledge us.
Maybe there are other people who might benefit from consulting some of the medical specialists who practice from rooms in the North Shore
Medical Centre (directly opposite Royal North Shore Hospital).
| IF SOLVING ALL THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS BECOMES TOO MUCH FOR PREMIER NATHAN REES - MAYBE HE CAN TRY HIS HAND AT BEING A LUMBERJACK He already has a flanelette shirt so that's a great start !!! |
| OR MAYBE A STINT AS A MOUNTAIN COWBOY |
| OR JUST TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE |