Archive
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 4
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| Title: – EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” – – The Campaign Trail – Day 4 – | Author: No-Way José |8th Aug 2013 | |
Policy Issue Debate: [Information on Policy issues you won’t hear during the current Election Campaign.]Previous Policy Issues: [Use links provided to read story in a new window and see relative polling data …]
Day 4 Policy Issue: Government Limit on Borrowings – i.e. Debt to GDP ratio …[EYE-BALL Guru] … [click on Debt/GDP chart image to enlarge in a new window.]
it will be about the economic record under Howard, and the economic record under Rudd/Gillard Governments. If any one did research on economic management from the Government’s perspective it is all after the fact. The Australian Constitution has this to say on how a Government is allowed to manage its finances: See PDF version … see Word Version … On Taxation: [Revenues]
On Expenditires: [Spending]
The Constitution places all expenditure and revenue to be provided for under legislative process – meaning that all current and new expenditure is subject to existing and new laws under the Government of the day. In other words if the Government can pass legislation through the HOR and the Senate, then there is no restrictiveness on any Government spending initiatives, nor taxation revenue collect at its own will. The policy debate wanted is whether these rules should still apply given they were written at a time where Politicians had to get themselves elected, were deemed to be ‘of the people’ and ‘for the people’, and acted frugally when it came to the public purse. Since then society had changed in many ways, the advent of television and the ease in which the politician can reach the masses, and the modern method of the ‘candy store’ giveaways during election campaigns to get elected.. Since the GFC, all we know is that the world is in a debt spiral where new debt is doubling the old debt every four – five years. Obama inherited a 2008 Bush debt of US$7 trillion – five years later the debt is above US$16 trillion. Rudd inherited zero debt, and now we have almost $300 billion of debt, and under Bowen’s new forecasts, likely to be $4-500 billion in the near future. Europe is a basket case where many Nations have worse debt proportions than others and the P.I.I.G.S. have GDP/Debt rations from which they cannot recover if they remain in the EuroZone. Debt is the evil curse the Government’s have embraced to prop up ailing economies. In fact it has been irresponsible economic management and placed future generations in the position none of us want tem to be. Surely the prudent thing to do would be to place restrictions on the Government of the day’s borrowing capacity – force the Government to act responsibly and cut spending via Constitutional change linked to say – the Debt to GDP ratio. What we do know and as it stands now is this:
In a world where the struggle of life is ever increasing through debt explosion, and the Bank’s providing limitless lending to people already in financial trouble, the obvious answer to the question: ‘where will it all end’ … is relatively obvious – ‘badly’. Should not Government’s impose limitations on themselves and run budgets according to economic conditions? The problem is that ‘economic conditions’ is a subjective argument not often agreed to by opposing political party’s. Elections are won and lost on the basis of policies promised and the balancing of the costings for those policies left to balance once in Government. Surely we must know that this is ridiculous and makes us all look pretty stupid in accepting the ‘candy’ handouts with our vote. In a perfect world the onus of responsible ‘economic management’ would come from the Government – but when re-election is on the agenda, or a new Government wants to take control, responsible ‘economic management’ becomes about ‘tagging’ the other guy whilst not getting ‘tagged’ yourself on economic management. In that scenario who do we believe, the $70 billion hole in the Coalition policies promoted by the Government, or the confessed $50 billion hole by the Government? In either case the taxpayers and the electorate are bound to get screwed either way as they have done across the globe for the last 40 odd years. Should the people have a say in how much the Government can borrow during at term of office? How would an economic stimulus package as Rudd instigated in the face of the GFC work if there were limits on borrowings in place? Should a change of strategy against election policies render a Government out-of-order, and be forced to go back to the people to get approval and seek a mandate? One thing is true – Governments have to be made accountable for the mistakes they make in relation to managing the finances of the Nation. The referee who makes the decision of whether the Government has overstepped their boundaries has to be the GG under our current Constitution. Therefore when a GG is selected, are they canvassed on the matter as to whether they would be prepared to out the Government over poor economic Management, and who would they receive advice from if such a decision had to be made? It’s all too hard one might say. But easily fixed if it was legislated that all Government borrowings were restricted as a ratio of GDP. Meaning that if GDP growth stalled, then no new borrowings can be assumed. If GDP growth fell, borrowings would need to be reduced. If GDP growth grew, then the Government has opportunity to enact new expenditure policy. The goal being that the Government is responsible for economic growth and it has to find ways to stimulate that growth away from new Government debt spending. For far too long Government spending has underpinned GDP growth and as a result the World has become a toxic debt explosion waiting to happen – the GFC was a tremor compared to what is still to come. This has been coming for many decades and it is a global problem. Debt got us into the GFC problem, and the only solution Western Governments have been able to come up with in the last five years it to increase their debt exponentially. All with a consequence of future taxpayers being responsible for the repayment of that debt, and the resulting reduced living standards that will ensure. Please take a minute to register your opinion in the Poll below: [EYE-BALL Guru] … Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Anthony Green’s Election Blog: Linked here. Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 3
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| Title: – EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” – – The Campaign Trail – Day 3 – | Author: No-Way José | 7th Aug 2013 | |
| Policy Issue Debate: [Information on Policy issues you won’t hear during the current Election Campaign.]
Previous Policy Issues:
Day 3 Policy Issue: Judicial Appointments: …[EYE-BALL] …
High Court: Appointments to the ‘High Court’ and other Federal Courts are made by the Federal Attorney General. These Federal appointments are then rubber stamped by the GG. The appointments are drawn from a short list, after judicial reviews and assessments, and then decided upon by the Federal Government including the PM and its Cabinet process. The Attorney General announces the appointments after the GG has signed off on them. The current ‘High Court’ structure and appointments is contained in the table below: [linked on-line here.] [Click on image to see all judicial appointment data i.e. Education and Court experience, in a new window.] One of the rules for High Court appointees require mandatory retirement at age 70 – hence the appointment tenure. The spread of appointments of the current Justices is spread as three (3) from John Howard’s era, and four (4) from the Rudd/Gillard era. Two new appointments are due to be made during the next Federal Government term – both were John Howard appointments. Other Courts and tribunals controlled by Federal Government appointment include: [links to the Australian Federal Courts websites provided.] The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is an independent body that reviews a broad range of administrative decisions made by Australian Government ministers and officials, authorities and other tribunals.Administrative Appeals Tribunal The Australian Competition Tribunal was established in 1965. Prior to 1995, the Tribunal was known as the Trade Practices Tribunal. The Tribunal hears applications for review of determinations of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.Federal Court of Australia The Commonwealth Courts Portal is an initiative of the Family Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia and Federal Magistrates Court of Australia. It provides web-based services for clients to access information about cases before the courts.Family Court of Australia Inquires into the amount of royalty payable in respect of the recording of musical works; fixes royalties or equitable remuneration in respect of compulsory licences; arbitrates disputes in relation to the terms of existing and proposed licensing schemes; and deals with applications for the granting of licences.Copyright Tribunal of Australia The Council of Australasian Tribunals facilitates liaison and discussion between the heads of tribunals. It supports the development of best practice models and model procedural rules, standards of behaviour and conduct for members and increased capacity for training and support for members.Administrative Appeals Tribunal The Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal hears and determines appeals from courts martial and Defence Force magistrates in respect of service offences by Australian Defence Force personnel.Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal The Family Court of Australia has jurisdiction over all matrimonial causes and associated responsibilities.Family Court of Australia The Federal Circuit Court of Australia (formerly known as the Federal Magistrates Court) was established at the end of 1999. The court is an independent federal court under the Australian Constitution. The jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court includes family law and child support, administrative law, admiralty law, bankruptcy, copyright, human rights, industrial law, migration, privacy and trade practices. The court shares those jurisdictions with the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia. The objective of the Federal Magistrates Court is to provide a simpler and more accessible alternative to litigation in the superior courts and to relieve the workload of those courts.Federal Circuit Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia began to exercise its jurisdiction on 1 February 1977. It assumed jurisdiction formerly exercised in part by the High Court of Australia and the whole of the jurisdiction of the Australian Industrial Court and of the Federal Court of Bankruptcy.Federal Court of Australia The High Court is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. Its functions are to interpret and apply the law of Australia; to decide cases of special federal significance including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws and to hear appeals, by special leave, from Federal, State and Territory courts.High Court of Australia The Migration Review Tribunal (the MRT) and the Refugee Review Tribunal (the RRT) provide an independent and final merits review of decisions made in relation to visas to travel to, enter or stay in Australia. The MRT reviews decisions made in respect of general visas (e.g. visitor, student, partner, family, business, skilled visas) and the RRT deals with decisions made in respect of protection (refugee) visas.Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal The Social Security Appeals Tribunal is a statutory body established to review decisions made in relation to social security, education or training payments.Social Security Appeals Tribunal The Veterans’ Review Board is an independent tribunal to review decisions made by the Repatriation Commission on claims for acceptance of injury or disease as war-caused or defence-caused, on claims for war widows’, war widowers’ and orphans’ pensions, on assessment of pension rate for incapacity from war-caused or defence-caused injury or disease, and on claims for the grant, or assessment of, attendant allowance.Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The list of Current Federal Judges appointed to these courts are: Judges based in Sydney
Judges based in Melbourne
Judges based in Brisbane
Judges based in Perth
Judges based in Adelaide
Judge based in Canberra
Judges based in Hobart
List of State Courts: [Click to enlarge in a new Window.] All State based Courts Judges are appointed by the individual States Attorney General after the same process is pursued as for Federal Court appointments. The Debate: The system in place for Court Appointments has been in place since Federation and before. If not the Government to make the appointee decision then who. The matter comes to the debate table because of the appointment of Justice Bernard Murphy during the Julia Gillard term as Prime Minister. The AG at the time of the appointment – 13th June 2011 – was Robert McClelland. Nicola Roxon took over the portfolio in Dec 2011. Robert McClelland was involve din the AWU scandal as a lawyer after the AWU sacked Slater and Gordon and transferred their legal work to Maurice Blackburn. Nicola Roxon worked for Maurice Blackburn and it is widely acknowledged that Roxon took over the Gillard AWU file when Gillard was sacked from Slater and Gordon. McClelland introduced into the House a speech about his knowledge of the AWU scandal and Gillard’s involvement. Read the full text of McClellan’s comments – 21st June 2012 – in Hansard here via Andrew Bolt’s blog, or via APH here. There is a 12 month gap between McClellan’s comments and the prior appointment of Bernard Murphy. McClelland was sacked from the Gillard Ministry for supporting Kevin Rudd in his early 2012 Leadership spill. You do not have to be too clever to understand McClelland’s motives for the Hansard comments. What is interesting is that if McClelland knew about Gillard’s AWU scandal involvement, who else knew as well. And – if the numbers of ALP MP’s and Senators were aware of Gillard’s AWU scandal involvement, why was she chosen to become PM with the chequered AWU history there for the media and public to expose? Was the Bernard Murphy a payback by Gillard to hush up his knowledge of Gillard’s involvement in the AWU scandal – the evidence revealed to date had Murphy’s account differing with another Partner’s on the record account, and the transcript of Gillard’s recorded termination interview. As a policy issue – if the PM abuses their office to make judicial appointments who would know? Is there an appeals process for judicial members to appeal their case for a position they feel qualified for and want? The concept of Governments stacking the Courts is theatre stuff … honest and genuine Governments don’t play politics with Judicial appointments, just the same as judicial appointees never bare their political persuasion when passing judgement. That is how it is supposed to work and there are many judgements made that challenge the courts neutrality. The media and other vested interest try time and again to make the case of bias decisions from the judiciary. There is no case law where this has been proven. The Courts are often though of as being the third (3rd) arm of Government, behind the Legislature, and the Executive. [see link here.] Our Court Justices are charged with enforcing the Laws of the Land and as revealed with the High Court’s dismissing the Government’s Malaysian solution to asylum seekers, they are not only required to be seen to independent but they must act independently. Please take a minute to register your opinion in the Poll below: [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Media Stories: … [EYE-BALL] … Amedia story no one is writing about is the Treasury forecasts made in May for the 2013 Budget and the $33 billion hole across the forward estimates made only 11 weeks later. Surely the story we all want to know is how Treasury could have got it so wrong – yet again. Remember the 2012-13 forecast in May 2012 was for a $1.5 billion surplus. It was revised down to $500 million surplus in the mid year estimates and then in Dec 2012 it all came unstuck. As at the May 2013 Finance Department numbers the budget is at $17 billion deficit. So in the space of the time from May 2012 – to Aug 2013 – the Treasury estimates have made errors in excess of $50 billion … how can the Treasury forecast modelling be trusted. The Opposition have every right to have no confidence in handing over their policy’s for costing by Treasury. But the question has to be asked – why have they not used the incompetence of Treasury over the past 2 odd years as the reason. The other news story today worthy of note was the High Court decision on the MRRT challenge from Twiggy Forrest.
Please give your feedback on whether you have confidence in the Treasury modelling and the numbers presented in Chris Bowen’s amended budget forecast: … [EYE-BALL] … Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … The BULLSHIT Measure: The graphs showing the “Bullshit” measure will be updated weekly or there abouts … please if you find a story or media report that reeks of the ‘bullshit’ context, please send a link of the story text via comments section below. General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” – The Campaign Trail – Day 2
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| Title: – EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” – – The Campaign Trail – Day 2 – | Author: No-Way José | 6th Aug 2013 | |
| Policy Issue Debate – Corruption in Politics: …[EYE-BALL] …
Why Not? With the Obeid/MacDonald ICAC revelations, the ongoing Craig Thompson saga that started in 2010, the AWU scandal on the go since the early 1990’s and both still not resolved, and then there is the Peter Slipper affair that goes back to the Howard years – political corruption and the abuse of parliamentary privileges is a big issue for the electorate. The Gillard assist in having the Thompson and Slipper incidents waylaid to allow the Gillard minority Government to stay in power is another issue that reeks of corrupt deals – yet and nobody in politics is interested in seeking the truth or having those deals exposed. The electorate want the debate, they want positive action to clean up the corruption issues and the longer Rudd and Abbott and other candidates hold off on the debate the more disengaged the electorate will become. When the rorting or travel and other personal expenses is excused as in the case of the Opposition Leader, the vested self serving interests that allow these claim error hiccups to go away is not the way these matters should be dealt with. We want the overseas trips for cooking lessons, and Test cricket junkets, the family trip to Tuscany to all stop. We want MP’s to pay for their own lunches and stop dining on the public purse. We want them to use taxi’s, buses and rail to experience the real public transport shortcomings the public are forced to endure. Claiming security needs and time constraints should be restricted to Cabinet Ministers – not backbenchers nor Senators. The first candidate to take a hard-line on political corruption will set a trend that can only drag all the other candidates into the same debate. Being soft on corruption is a great negative to any party or individual … If this be so – then why won’t they talk or debate the issue? Simple really – they are all a part of the problem and because they operate under a self-policing arrangement, they will not advocate for independence of the ‘watchdog’ ensuring expense claim legitimacy. Now that would be an election issue that most voters would be very interested in. Do you agree: [Please vote your interest below.] … [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Media Stories: … [EYE-BALL] … The most honest of all the media stories browsed/read yesterday and overnight was a story by Peter Hatcher from “The Age” titled Both parties peddle a fiscal fairytale … lead in below:
Hatchers story reflects what we all know but political leaders want to take no notice of. Who wins an election with policies that increase taxes … yet that is what is needed. Please give your feedback on tax increases: … [EYE-BALL] … The Day’s Updates – Political Campaign Stories: …[EYE-BALL Guru.]… The obvious clanger of the day is the Opposition’s claim that lower interest rates translates to poor economic management.’ Joe Hockey made the statement in relation to the expectation the RBA will reduce official interest rates to 2.5% when the RBA meets today. This level is a record low for official interest rates and Mr Hockey made the statement that this means that the economy is not doing well. Mr Hockey has not updated his personal website with the text of link to his comments. However, Mike Pasco writing for the SMH posted a story on Mr Hockey’s credentials late last week – linked here – and points out Mr Hockey has some creditability issues as the alternative Treasurer. Searching for confirmed text and video of Hockey making his comment re the lower interest rates mean poor economic management are still eluding search and research requests. Perhaps Hockey has killed the story and the fact that his personal website does not carry the story is indicative. Suffice to say – interest rates go up and down in this Nation in response to the RBA’s view on inflationary pressures. EYE-BALL Guru has made the argument countless times that this inflation targeting by the RBA is in fact one of the major causes of our weakening economy. Interest rates should have been at these levels 3-4 years ago as they were with the rest of our major trading partners suffering under the GFC impact – see Guru charts below: Global Central Bank Cash Rates: – [click image to enlarge in a new window.]
10yr and 2yr CGS v RBA Cash Rate: – [click image to enlarge in a new window.]
Both these charts reflect the RBA’s policy in how Interest rates are used to kill inflation whether there be the threat of inflation or not. The easiest message the Opposition can use on economic Management is to ask the question why mortgage holders have had to pay A$1,000’s in forced higher interest rates compared with our trading partners? Why have offshore investors been allowed to plunder our riches at the expense of mortgage holders? Both these policy explanations would stump the Government – nobody thinks inflation is an issue anywhere across the globe – why is the RBA stuck in this twilight zone where 20 odd years ago, inflation was a problem for all the western world. All political parties are stuck in the mud on this issue and claim the RBA”s independence, just like Treasury – these bureaucrats get it wrong – just look at the $33 billion hole since the MAy ’13 budget. Of course the higher interest rates here influenced the value of the A$ and that higher value had an impact on all our export industries leading to job losses and increased domestic labour costs relative to the rest of the world. The fact that the media nor the political brains of our Nation have not made the connect and acted accordingly gives insight to the how and why we are where we are economically speaking, and in the position of being forced to prop up the car industry and spend taxpayer funds to support ailing export and domestic business’. Mr Hockey and Mr Robb would be a worse alternative to Swan and Wong, now the ALP has The economy will be a big election issue – on management, on spending restraint, and on policy implementation i.e. Gonski, NBN, Disability Insurance etc … but what it won’t be about is who best understands the global market and how Australia is an island in a cyclone tempest where we live and die by the value of the A$ and the export revenues that rise and fall on the back of the stability of the A$. …[EYE-BALL Guru.]… Harry Growl’s Water Cooler Gossip: … [Harry Growl] …
… [Harry Growl] … The BULLSHIT Measure: The graphs showing the “Bullshit” measure will be updated weekly or there abouts … please if you find a story or media report that reeks of the ‘bullshit’ context, please send a link of the story text via comments section below. General Links to Election data and Information: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Party Policy links:
Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Final Comments from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s – “On the Hustings” Day 1 – The Campaign Begins –
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| Title: – EYE-BALL’s “On the Hustings” Day 1 – – The Campaign Begins – | Author: No-way José | 5th Aug 2013 | |
| Welcome to the greatest ego fest ever where the wannabe’s and pretenders to our welfare tell us how good they are, and how much of a difference they will/want/try to make.
None of us really take a whole lot of notice of what is promised, i.e. none of us expect deliverance as history proves, but what can we reasonably expect from these cashed up political parties?History proves that the talk is by far more than the reality … so who and how do we figure out who is the best/worst liar, who has the most believable policy that will make a difference? EYE-BALL’s “BULLSHIT” measure is designed to access every Political Party’s policy bullshit component therein. All the major Party’s have a start value of 40% based on a generalised view on past performances. The exception is the “None of the Above” campaign who aren’t wanting anybody to vote for them – just to not vote for anybody unless you the voter are sure the candidate you do vote for will serve your interests best.
To explain the measure further the following is offered: how much can a candidate/party/leader obviously lie to the public before the public realises that what is offered really is a ‘bullshit’ offer. We acknowledge that most of us are only professional political analysts once or twice every three years … but our instincts are accurate because we always get the Government we vote for.
In addition to the Political Party “BULLSHIT” measure, there is also the Media “BULLSHIT” measure as indicated by the chart below. The Media measure is not hard – News have declared their Coalition bias, and the ABC and Fairfax are ALP supporters. EYE-BALL’s opinions are neutral and are about the only unbiased opinions that will be expressed outside the mainstream media arena. WHO can you trust for your political analysis? Day 1: AEC’s Enrollment Drive: Linked here. Today is Day 1 of the 34 day campaign and the immediate focus of the ALP and the Greens is to get as many un-enrolled electors enrolled … the deadline is seven (7) days and the AEC link to find more information about whether you are enrolled can be found here. [EYE-BALL.] ABC’s Vote Compass: Linked here. A brilliant on-line survey presented by the ABC’s Anthony Green will prove to be an election barometer never seen before. His 30 question survey has gone ballistic this morning with 170,000 people logging on to give their responses. His questions will decide the election issues seen as most important and the major party’s will be keenly seeking Green’s data to help them plan their election strategies. [EYE-BALL] Party Policy links:
Day 1 Campaign Speeches:
Link to the ABC’s 2013 Election coverage:
Snippet Updates from EYE-BALL’s – Harry Growl:
Final Comment from EYE-BALL: This new election commentary page is provided as a service to subscribers and readers during the 2013 election campaign. All and any abusive comments will be deleted without notice. Satire and witty comments are appreciated … and in all seriousness, this Nation is a bee’s dick away from disaster, and if anyone thinks that Rudd or Abbott have the goods to be our PM and lead this Nation away from that disaster, please express your thoughts and reasons in the comments section below. You never know, your comment might just make a difference. |
| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please use/click on your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story. Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Federal Economic Update – A conjuror’s spin –
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Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 17th July – Constitutional Reform – This time it is recognising Local Council. – 5th July – Gone – Ski Part II (Gone is Gonski) – 27th June – Gone-Ski: Prime Minister Julia Gillard – – 24th June – The Ashes – – 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Federal Economic Update – – A conjuror’s spin – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 2nd Aug 2013 | |
| Some have termed it a mini-budget. Unless it is debated on the floor of parliament it is not that. It will not be passed into law until after the election. It contains updated Treasury estimates. The deficit trajectory is now for a fiscal deficit of A$30.1bn in 2013/14.
It is yet another ALP policy statement. Everything that has occurred since Rudd ascended back to the lodge, is another roll of the dice, attempting to reverse the contrarian opinion polls since early 2010. Virtually nothing has received scrutiny through parliamentary processes only trial by media. Each roll of the dice is asking us the electorate to give them another chance. Given the tardiness or lack of merit of the opposition we continue to grasp at any other alternative. That is particularly what the opinion polls are saying. There is no realistic choice. When the budget was passed down in May, I was deeply shocked to find a structural deficit approaching $20bn. I expected a deficit approaching 10bn. Gillard has gone, Swan is gone and so on but Swan is standing again for Lilley, and more. Wong switched camps, and Dreyfus and Burke (it all doesn’t really matter). Hey Bob Carr appointed by Gillard switched horses mid race. The real problem was how do you reverse the structural deficit when GDP is under immense pressure, where cutting government consumption will make things worse? The deficit and government debt prior to last May (at that stage of the economic cycle) was totally inappropriate. Stimulus was required rather than cutting federal government spending. Anyone who said the bleeding obvious, that a recession by 2015/16 is becoming more probable is guilty of talking down confidence. But should you quietly speculate on this bleak outlook, then that is OK because that is called free markets. Not predatory behaviour. Costello did well to put a surcharge on superannuation drawing from future spending rather than current spending in the late 1990’s but it came at a cost. The cost of reversing the policy and compensating in time for the cost, the desecration. Some might even argue the reversal was the seeds of part of today’s problems but I see that as part of the overall stresses created by the ensuing mining boom. There was a major economic policy shift in November 2007 and from there onward. Australia started running substantial fiscal deficits. With every turn of the page, government ramped up consumption. The package today at 1pm AEST is currently all about bank’s deposit insurance and tobacco excise. Each are worthy of careful scrutiny but they are also a major smokescreen. Unemployment has risen. Volumes to export for the major miners are up in coal. A glimmer of hope has appeared for the live cattle trade, with prices stabilising. The AUD has fallen to just below 90, to assist terms of trade. Several sectors of the broader economic spectrum are doing well, as measured through ASX performance. But WA property prices are weak, the mining services sector is sick, the signs are mixed. The problems of major sectors like SPC Ardmona in the Shephardon and Goulbourn valleys are insignificant compared to those like the car industry. On Wednesday morning local radio featured a story of Mark who is sleeping rough on the steps of Parramatta Town Hall. He had a job once , but when he was made redundant he sooner or later found himself on the street. When you couch surf, sooner or later you burn your friends. You outstay your welcome. Surviving on $220 a week is impossible. You can’t afford rent. You can’t save a deposit bond, or an electricity deposit. Vagabonds drift towards Parramatta because of the meal van each night at Prince Alfred Park. Sooner or later all your worldly possessions are moved around in a shopping trolley. The fridge and TV and stereo were hocked to pay bills a long time ago. There is a core group of men sleeping rough in the Parramatta precinct of 40. The aid services are stretched. No one would consider hiring you or giving you a job. You are sleeping rough, and generally considered to be of poor mental health. Definitely dishevelled unwashed and unkempt. Mark was very well spoken, and it was radio, so I can only wonder was it all a political beat up? But the story is indicative of what is really happening out there, of the long term unemployed, how it breeds mental health issues, of those struggling to find hope. Those who know of a better world, but are on the outside looking in. Too often cold and hungry. So today while we speculate on the price of tobacco and the efficacy of bank deposit insurance, both designed to distract from the real issue ie the fall in government incomes (taxes) and the excesses of federal parliamentarians, do we spare a thought for Mark or Mary (the single Mum) or Ralph (the alcoholic) or Beryl (the broken grandma – who hasn’t seen her grandchildren in over a decade for whatever reason). The more I dwell on it, the more I dwell on the speech I made at 7.45am on election day 3 years ago. In 15 minutes those doors will open and we will go into a working frenzy. We will assist the little fella to play his part in our democracy. We are the servants of democracy. Today we are expected to help those little people cast 4000 votes. Each polling assistant is expected to serve 600 local electors, and each declaration officer is expected to help cast 100 votes. Today is the one day in the 3 year electoral cycle when we get to hear from them. We have heard enough of the politicians and all their promises. Today it is the little persons turn. The ones who to get to have their say every 1100 days. We will treat them as the voice of democracy. Etcetra. Within a fortnight of that day as the counting was pointing to a hung parliament, the media was in their speculative frenzy, could we have true bi-partisan cabinet, should we go back to the polls, the futility, the chaos and now nearly 1100 days later, just the void. Today as the Australian Bankers Association threatens how if a deposit insurance tax is not implemented properly, it could jeopardise the core strength of the banking sector – that is a euphemism for the banks who each make roughly 6bn per annum will pass it on to the mortgage sector. 0.05% deposit insurance can be passed onto term deposit rates, but can it be passed on to savings accounts where nominal interest is 0.10% (before outrageous fees). Without going on to tobacco excise, Canberra misses the point. When they talk of Public Service productivity savings of 2.25% (having risen from 1.25% last May – in the forward estimates) it is hollow – it is rhetoric, it is pyrrhic. As a financial planner you talk about discretionary spending. If Canberra be serious about cutting discretionary spending they might start in their own backyard. During this parliament Canberra (the Productivity Commission) awarded themselves pay rises of 30% (according to some 40%). Only weeks ago they were discussing new electoral funding measures. How about cutting parliamentary wages by 10% (make that 20%) and cap parliamentary expenses for the next term at 80% of parliamentary expenses for the current term (about to expire). The flow on to senior civil servants will start a meaningful dialogue. That will really affect discretionary spending. Nextly get tough with the banks. WE ALL DRINK from the same well. Your sector’s health is not beyond that of the household sector or small business. Any bank paying any executive million $ bonuses we are watching! We have levers we will use to curtail your excesses! Why do you charge the destitute silly fees (without decency – yet encourage this deregulated nonsense)? Then comes real change with the public service. This word we use called Productivity is becoming an oxy moron. It is mixed up and abused, with regulation, green or environmental and culminates in red tape. All projects will be affordable. Cost benefit will become a core value embodied in all mission statements. Transport will be affordable and efficient. Taxes and charges must be justified, or eliminated. All types of cash splash will not fall on the household sector or small business. There will be no new taxes in the next 3 years. And it will go on. And On. Don’t forget -This will be implemented by Christmas. Everything we are currently hearing is nothing but spin. The spin of the conjuror. It is that stage of the electoral cycle. It is time to hear from the little fella. But he has no idea what to think. What might I say on election day this year. Argh! Believing in sanity, is itself insanity. |
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Constitutional Reform – This time it is recognising Local Council.
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 5th July – Gone – Ski Part II (Gone is Gonski) – 27th June – Gone-Ski: Prime Minister Julia Gillard – – 24th June – The Ashes – – 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Constitutional Reform – – This time it is recognising Local Council – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 17th July 2013 | |
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| In the foreseeable future it is recognising the Indigenous heritage. The States in Australia started with the Bigge Commission of enquiry into Lachlan Macquarie’s administration. All interesting stuff (see Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bigge)
Van Dieman’s Land was given its own Legislative Council. Ipso facto New South Wales was isolated. Then was South Australia and so on. Over the next 7 decades a process developed amongst many other factors to alter those states as British colonies, then ultimately through federation, the birth of modern Australia occurred, a form of free trade zone and independence from Britain under the title the Commonwealth of Australia. The independence process in some ways took a further 7 decades to finally curtail right of appeals to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This history while for me is fascinating for others it often loses listeners. Too much detail. In federation through the work of Sir Henry Parkes, Alfred Deakin, Edmund Barton and others (Samuel Griffith, John Cockburn, Stafford Bird) an agreement on this federation was cobbled out, and at its pinnacle is the constitution. Once more a fascinating history, where the constitution is really quite boring, great for Insomniacs, and constitutional lawyers. New Zealand and Fiji opted out, while Western Australia only joined at the midnight hour. For these purposes something started in the 1820’s (1819-25) was reversed in 1901, and 112 years later rankling continues. This constitution was something written in the late 1890’s for those times and attitudes and the constitution is very difficult to change. It was intended to be. It is so difficult to change it requires a simple majority in 4 of the states (out of 6), and an absolute majority (carried by 50 plus %). Starting all over without the British input of the late 1890’s makes sense. Every governor in 1890 was a British appointment rather than a local appointment ratified in Whitehall. Back then NSW and Vic were dominant, and their economic interest should not be preferenced over the majority of land (the population minority) ie WA, SA, QLD and Tas. Not to forget the territories (Below – listed as other). A table of House of Representative divisions by state and suburban v rural number 2013.
NB The Federal division of Berowra includes parts of Sydney’s Hills District, Dural, Arcadia up to Wiseman’s Ferry. It is included as regional but would also fit equally as suburban. You might consider NSW has 26.5 suburban seats, Similar occurs in other locales. Adelaide’s North. NSW plus QLD plus Vic (the Eastern seaboard) are 70% of the numbers in the House of Representatives (represented by population, rather than landmass) in 2013, hence the senate being an equalising factor (the house of the States), hence also the requirement for a majority of States required to change the constitution – to protect the minorities. The simple answer is the states are a throwback to Colonial times. In NSW, Farrer, Parkes and Riverina represent the western plains (vast landmass sparsely populated – sheep and wheat), New England, Hunter, Calare and Hume the western slopes (gradually more populated, more densely populated), Eden Monaro both western slopes and coastal, and Richmond, Page, Cowper, Lyne, Paterson and Gilmore the coastal divisions. In the above table they are listed as Rural. Each has a distinct personality. Coastal has more senior citizens. Coastal tends to include dairy and fishing. You can’t put the seat of Richmond in NSW on the Queensland border in the same breath as the seat of Eden Monaro on the Victorian Border. Richmond is tourism and retirement closer to the logics of Gold Coast, yet Eden Monaro represents diary, fishing and a rather different socio demographic (cheese and logging). In Local Government Eden Monaro becomes Bega Valley, Euro – Bodalla Shire, Cooma Monaro and Bombala and a bit more. The two coastal areas of Bega and Euro Bodalla have more in common than the two more alpine regions. Based on that reasoning – of course Local government must be given greater weight in the constitution. Direct economic thought , determination and policy or sovereignty. Maybe that is and should be through department of fisheries or water conservation or whatever? The Snowy Mountains scheme starts in Eden Monaro. Does Macquarie Street in Sydney truly capture their economic interests? Who really looks after the interests of the greater Murray Darling and Riverina region when it crosses into Victoria and SA actually starting in Qld? When you move into Sydney the debate alters. The NSW government wants to create about 10 Super Councils to cover Sydney more akin to what has developed in Brisbane. That means councils of up to 600,000 constituents. In the original (older) Sydney suburbs you have councils with a constituency of 40,000 electors. In the growth areas you have large councils like Sutherland Shire, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Liverpool, Campbelltown or Hornsby while in the St George parish you have Rockdale, Kogarah and Hurstville Councils. Why wouldn’t you merge Waverley and Randwick? We are currently (as always) considering sacking Ryde City Council and appointing an administrator. If it is not Ryde, then it is Randwick, or Burwood or Liverpool and so on. Corruption is endemic. See my post: Where is Ryde City? Where is Rockdale City? Or Randwick City? Blacktown City might be considered a satellite city of Sydney or Parramatta. Campbelltown and Liverpool are satellites. But how many councils are there in greater Parramatta? There is Holroyd, Prospect, Auburn, Baulkham Hills and so it goes. In the NSW Police Local Area Command structure Waverley, Bondi, Randwick and Mascot are all deemed Eastern Beaches LAC. Similarly, Marrickville, Ashfield, Lewisham, Burwood, Strathfield, Flemington and Auburn are all deemed Flemington LAC. 5 (possibly 6) Local Council areas. In Sydney councils administer town planning, garbage collection, civic centres including libraries and that is about it. Town Planning and Development applications are the real grist. Are they really integrated, or too easily corrupted? I truly belief that real reform would be Federal divisions are also local councils. One and the same. The division of Cook is basically the Sutherland Shire. The division of Eden Monaro would be The Sapphire Coast Ward, (Bega council), The Euro Bodalla Ward (Euro Bodalla Shire Council), The Cooma Ward (Cooma Monaro Council) and the Snowy Ward (Bombala Shire). It then follows that Reid would be Drummoyne, Five Dock, part of Burwood, Strathfield, Concord and Auburn. It’s mayor would also be its MHR in Canberra. Its Mayor and deputy mayor would be their MLA’s in Macquarie St. They would sit in Canberra for about 40 days per year, working on the macro level. They would sit in Macquarie Street similarly for about 40 days per year, to discuss more regional issues. Policing, health and education. They would sit fortnightly at Local level, Town Planning, chamber of commerce, local infrastructure, parking etc. Routine DA’s would be routinely passed. Only disputed application would go to council. Other Councillors would always be available. The administration would be the council. The General Manager (or CEO) will be appointed by the council just like in the corporate world, the Board of Directors appoints the CEO. Would this work in the NT seat of Lingiari? In 2010 only 46,409 votes were cast in Lingiari. That part would need special and extra consideration but it is not that different to some others like, Farrer, Kennedy, Durack, O’Connor and Maranoa by way of land mass, Leichhardt by way of remoteness and islands. It won’t happen because it will destroy the traditional parties. Elections would be truly reformed. You vote for 5 councillors in your ward. They select the Mayor, and the Deputy Mayor. You simultaneously elect State MLC’s and Federal Senators. The gate keepers – the houses of review. NSW MLC’s could be weighted to fix disparity of urban v rural. (Qld does not have an upper house at State Level). Without getting too lost on what I believe, what is the real question we are being asked to address come election day. Recognising Local Council? What does that mean? The lack of clarity or specificity of the question, means that like all history precedent, this plebiscite too will fail. When in doubt, just say no. What is bi partisan support? Why is funding so heavily weighted towards the Yes campaign? From our last plebiscite – What is a constitutional monarchy? We are not Britain. Does a democracy need a president? Do you mean a Republic? Australia is a democracy with a vice regal who is essentially ceremonial. Most Mayors in NSW are purely ceremonial. Why is corruption on council so endemic? Why is corruption in politics so endemic? Politics is confusing. Politicians don’t help. Politicians are the problem, they obfuscate and create the crisis. Most tend to believe it is out of self interest. Believing in sanity is itself insanity. The very thought of redressing the indigenous issue in the constitution makes my head spin. In the movie Lincoln much of the story was about enacting the 13th amendment of the United States constitution to outlaw slavery. It was a very deep issue. The movie is thought provoking. Was Abe Lincoln sending America’s sons to their slaughter (mass genocide) to abolish slavery? Or what is “The Amendment”? Should any changes in future to Australia’s constitution be the 1st Amendment and so on? Might it give some greater understanding, specificity or accountability? Believing in sanity is itself insanity! The following is it is a different perspective on glass half full We are the World! When thousands and thousands of people around the earth are celebrating, singing, dancing, ecstatic, drunk with the divine, there is no possibility of any global suicide. With such festivity and with such laughter, with such sanctity and health, with such naturalness and spontaneity, how can there be war?…. Life has been given to you to create, and to rejoice, and to celebrate. When you cry and weep, when you are miserable, you are alone. When you celebrate, the whole existence participates with you. Only in Celebration do we meet the ultimate, the eternal. Only in celebration do we go beyond the circle of birth and death. I Celebrate Myself. Osho Chapter 4. |
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Gone – Ski Part II (Gone is Gonski)
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 27th June – Gone-Ski: Prime Minister Julia Gillard – – 24th June – The Ashes – – 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: Gone – Ski Part II (Gone is Gonski) | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 5th July 2013 | |
| In the last week, much has unfolded. Simon Crean has announced his retirement, so has Greg Combet, Stephen Smith has taken as respectable a retirement as circumstances will allow. Federal ALP has intervened in the NSW State branch. Dead wood is being pruned. Backyard blitz takes on a new meaning.
The makeover is starting to take shape. Tony Burke attempted to resign, and his resignation was not accepted. Tanya Plibersek is still Minister for Health. Jenny Macklin is still there and ministerial positions are musical chairs (deck chairs on the Titanic). Can these weeds be realistically controlled or made useful? What really matters is policy, and why do we forgive them now? They created this mess so why should we believe they will really fix it, can fix it. For a start, this parliament has only run it’s course through the support of amongst others Craig Thomson. Had Thomson been forced to vacate his seat 18 months ago at a by election Dobell would have gone Coalition. Therefore Tony Abbott would be PM today. Windsor and Oakeshott both former Nationals but now independent have played their part. They are both not contesting their seats and that means a notional 76 (tiny majority) to Coalition as things stand. Then comes the question why did Rudd not challenge sooner? If Rudd had have stood last March, he would have had 3 months more to turn things around. As policies change, why did he leave it until there was no apparent parliamentary sittings to debate these shifts in policy. It is left to journalists to get admissions of culpability over matters like the shift in immigration? Why is Rudd scared of the opposition on the parliamentary floor? He keeps taunting Abbott with debate me on Prime Time TV. Abbott is saying I won’t play the game. But at some stage he needs to play the game. He needs to give the electorate time to develop belief in the team he leads. To find any rationality in all that is now upon us we have to go back further in recent history. Exactly how Rudd was overthrown in June 2010 and what were the real motives and who were the real players? When Rudd and Gillard first came together as a leadership team, both were considered young and neither more chance. Rudd was prepared to serve under Gillard but Rudd was the better spokesperson. The ALP was desperate to end the Howard reign. Rudd had no factional allegiances, and Gillard was all things to all people. Rudd due to his diplomatic background won over. Roll on to November 2007, they did the unbelievable, they won. Queensland turned a narrow victory into a massive one because for the 1st time there was a Qld Prime Minister. A golden period ensued. Costello retired. Howard was defeated in his own seat. Some was attributable to Workchoices other decisions were just human frailty. Brendan Nelson was anointed Liberal leader. He said he would have a go. There was no heir apparent beyond Costello. There was Kyoto and Sorry and Rudd was walking on water, metaphorically. Nelson called a leadership contest, he was happy to get out. The Liberal party’s electoral stocks were atrocious. The leadership was given to Turnbull. He wasn’t ready. Then came Godwin Grech and Utegate. Turnbull had no traction. Then came Carbon Tax and Copenhagen. Abbott took over, in a contest that included Hockey. The Liberal party was happy with 2nd best. After Copenhagen Rudd was petulant. He spat the dummy. The fools got in the way. Rudd dropped Carbon Tax cold and switched to a mining super profits tax. Some virtual unknown announced the coup on ABC TV by the name of Paul Howes, of the AWU. By the time that was decided Rudd was the first 1st term prime minister knifed by his own party. Gillard spoke of a good government who had lost their way. Australia was in shock. Leaks were everywhere. All scuttlebutt. What was the truth? Arbib according to Wikileaks had been informing Washington what was really happening. Shorten and Howes were spokespersons. Richardson claimed a part, and implicated the Victorian right. All was based on gossip and leaks. The ALP went ever so close to losing the unlosable election. Gillard formed a minority government. Abbott had brought the Coalition back from the grave. Gillard show her real chameleon persona, she was simply do what it takes. In her words “the Little Doer” in public perception, power is everything. Australia gave her a very good go. Abbott acted as if he was just waiting for government to fall to the Coalition. The broken promise on Carbon Tax was just the beginning. The Coalition played it like a broken record. The shambles that parlayed from there on in was just too hard to believe. HSU, Slipper, more broken promises, parliamentary salary increases, a budget surplus set in stone, oops an $18bn deficit, Eddie Obeid. When it was first announced on Christmas Eve that the guaranteed surplus was abandoned, because jobs matter, the death knoll had rung for the last time. Maybe not, maybe it was the NSW ICAC enquiries into Tripodi, Obeid and McDonald. Nothing will save the Gillard government. Don’t put away that gong too fast. The death knolls just get louder. By the May Budget there was a massive disconnect. Coming from Caucus was this nonsense of a j curve. Sell our positive agenda, harp on about the Coalition negative agenda. But no one is listening. The ALP needed desperately a circuit breaker. The only one was Rudd. Rudd the Dud according to prominent front benchers. They lined up to tell us what a dud he was in 2012. Those who spoke most freely and at length are all gone now. Those that spoke less candidly, knowing how foolish they looked, have survived, just. Gillard had to find a way out, the ALP had to find a face saving exit. Shorten switches to the Rudd forces. Was Rudd guaranteed an open mandate to fix the underlying issues? Please be clear on what issues. We now wait. Intervention in NSW ALP. ASIC claims the banks are gauging on term deposit rollover rates. Hang on ASIC is a government agency but they have been silent for far too many years on the banks not passing on full interest rate cuts. Why is that pitched at the retiree sector rather than the mortgagee belt? Where is Glenn Stevens and the RBA or APRA. Oh investments! Australian Securities and Investments Commission! So Rudd has got a friend, one at ASIC. Rudd does a flying visit to Indonesia. Carbon tax moving to Emissions Trading System. Nothing is firm, not even the election date. Wow this is much more the opening lines of Macbeth than Act V Scene II. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Eye of newt & and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. [Macbeth Act I] What is left? A 2nd string (journey man) Coalition leader. One that is easily labelled negative, and having little by way of policy. A closer run race where confusion reigns. He though he was MacDuff, but it was always Rudd, the understudy who was going to play the part. Where and How will the ALP secure not only seats to counter New England and Lyne, but hold Dobell and Robertson and many many more. I can now believe that some seats like Kingsford Smith will be a stronger majority to the ALP. Garrett has gone. But winning 5 seats is different. Safe seats like Batman or Lalor, Melbourne or maybe even Denison don’t change the scenario. They won’t. They can’t. What will happen is that the Coalition will form government and be on the back foot from day 1. The Greens will struggle to win a senate seat but will still be the balance of power in the Upper House. Going for a double dissolution will not achieve anything. They might well lose the lot. Opposition leader Rudd could well be in a position to take back the government benches. No initiative allowing them to expunge the Carbon Tax will be possible. Only waiting until 2016 will see the Greens finished. It will be very difficult for the Coalition to make any significant difference. The best thing about Shakespeare is that it does have an ending. How surreal! Believing in sanity is indeed insanity. |
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
|
EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Political Double Speak
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 27th June – Gone-Ski: Prime Minister Julia Gillard – – 24th June – The Ashes – – 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Political Double Speak – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 28th June 2013 | |
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hile the dogs may have been called off on Wednesday and tethered or kennelled on Wednesday night, newly installed PM Rudd would do very well to remember what he has been forced to endure during his hiatus. On Yom Kippur; Those of the Jewish faith, rarely vote in person on polling day at a polling station. Saturday is their Sabbath. They can and do vote postal, or pre poll. Postal and pre poll numbers grow at every election. In this modern era of communication most people do not understand why voting takes place only on the Saturday, and do not understand why fines are issued when you fail to vote. Many believe getting your name marked off and going to a cardboard screen and using a blunt pencil to mark a valid voting paper is not just archaic it is beyond pre historic. There are so many diverse opinions, it is hard to condense, but those of the Jewish faith routinely vote pre poll or postal. So do many others. The AEC makes extraordinary accommodations to attempt to uphold compulsory voting. You might find the occasional officer who takes himself just a little too seriously. For every one of those you will also find one equally lackadaisical. The real reason you intend to re address September 14 as polling day is because you intend to get as much mileage from G20 in Moscow on September 7th as is possible, and ideally you would return from Moscow to conduct the official launch of the ALP election launch thereafter. Nothing has changed. On September 21 football finals are at fever pitch. September 28 is worse. On October 5th you not only encounter football finals (NRL) but long weekend in NSW (Labour Day) and Sydney spring carnival horse racing. Any date after that means the scheduled sitting of Parliament in late August will proceed due to the fact that the electoral writs have not been issued. This comes back to going to the polls in August. The electoral writs need 32 (or 33) days. You want to be in Moscow on September 7th and not let Tony Abbott have that honour. If you go in August can you guarantee that? August 3rd means you need to dissolve parliament by July 1st. By Monday you will not be ready. How many weeks do you need to get ready? Hmmm? We are watching you clearly. We know you and the way you work. On Electricity, Gas, GST and Carbon Tax. David Murray said the Carbon Tax was an extremely inefficient tax. I cite him as a respected business leader. I absolutely agree. Too many have forgotten, that GST was applied to electricity and gas in 2001 while not on water and other domestic services such as rates to address the concept of externalities (pollution). No steps were taken at that time with those revenues to force cleaner energy. GST applies to domestic and commercial vehicles. In petrol there is double edged sword in the petrol excise. A small part of domestic budget stress comes from electricity and gas prices. There are other factors. It also manifests in industrial competitiveness. There should be a proper rationalisation. Tony Abbott has promised to not only remove the carbon tax, but have a white paper on tax reform, and move Deregulation out of Finance and put it into Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. To say that the coalition does not have clearly elucidated policies is a furphy. It is more than that, it borders on contempt. We are sick and tired of being told what to think. On the Australian Dollar; The very core of this issue is the inflation target of the RBA. It is always in the too hard basket. In the SPC Ardmona v tinned tomatoes dispute, we are now starting to address tariffs and restrictions again. In the J R Simplot talk of closing canneries in Tasmania the issues are similar. It keeps going, education sector decimated (foreign students), tourism at a competitive disadvantage. Shell closing first Clyde then any thoughts over Geelong. Caltex at Kurnell then at Lytton. Ford and more. Bonds closing manufacturing in Australia. Target and Rivers buying in Bangladesh without any conscience. We the consumer not caring nor knowing what we are buying. Labelling. SPC is owned by Coca-cola. Simplot is American, must I go on. Why is it mandatory for Australian commercial TV to have local content? That extends to BHP Billiton, or Rio. Why are we subsidising production of petrol cars when we export so much gas. Synopsis Cut the double speak. As a child I always laughed in westerns when apache accused white man of speaking with a forked tongue. We are sick of being the play thing of foreign interests, and government being complicit. Ignorance or apathy or base stupidity. Why are 2,000,000 Australian not participating in employment sufficiently? They are unemployed, not participating or want more hours. Basic truth is a very rare commodity. We all must play our part, and our leaders must play their part. Believing in sanity is indeed insanity. |
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Gone-Ski – Prime Minister Julia Gillard
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 24th June – The Ashes – – 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: Gone-Ski: Prime Minister Julia Gillard | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 27th June 2013 | |
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M ate against Mate, State against State – Vale Gillard, Swan, Conroy, Emerson, Garrett, Ludwig, Combet, Windsor & Oakeshott – (who have I missed)? At this point in time Swan, Conroy, Ludwig and Combet remain in Parliament. There is time to fix that. It was fascinating to watch the ten pins line up – it was great to see them fall. It will be interesting to hear TV viewer ratings – Channel 2 v Channel 9 (State of Origin) & State of Origin v Channel Nine Go. For me Laurie Oakes was no match against Leigh Sales & Tony Jones but I did watch the football when Barry Cassidy came on. I was constantly thinking about my previous article “the tears of a prime minister” or “a March early election” and some more. Why didn’t Rudd do this last March and save Australia so much embarrassment? Was it really about Albanese being caught with his pants down at a Marrickville brothel? Hence Crean saying he would run as deputy? By next Monday the opinion polls will be showing on 1st party preference ALP trailing Coalition but only just – however the final result on election night is now too hard to prognosticate. We are now uncertain when the election will be called. Australia is still sick of this ALP machine, insipid – self interested and other soliloquy but Kevin Rudd is a statesman of the first order and makes Tony Abbott look corny. Seeing so many of the fools gone in one fell swoop is pleasing. More than pleasing it is an absolute delight. By next Monday, not only will Krudd have had a chance to build a piecemeal staff, but they will have a chance to put together an advertisement to lampoon the resurrection of Tony Abbott, the crown jester of the Howard frontbench, to Tony Abbott the man of steel (and no policy just negativity) – just steel cutting blades – cutting this and cutting that. Where Julia was fighting back the tears, her petulance continued – her staff should continue. Yeah onya! Windsor broke down. Today who is more pompous and grandiloquent? Grandiloquent is Rudd, and pompous is shared between Gillard, Windsor and ? Will Rudd ultimately be judged as grandiloquent? He still has time to develop his humility. He has earned a dimension to his character from the back benches that will be shadow in history. Yesterday morning I wrote we needed a catharsis. Now we have one. Catharsis by their very nature means creating chaos to effect change. Radical change, an absolute re evaluation. Last night on Lateline Bob Carr started to address policy. “On the boats, times are changed. Those arriving by boat are not humanitarian refugees but economic refugees!” Thank you for finally listening to the constituency. There is Rudd’s trip to China and Gillard’s trip to Indonesia to be addressed. Carr and Bowen could most ably deputise in Indonesia, Rudd will have to somehow save face. Bowen as new treasurer is very well versed in immigration. His offerings mean much. I personally find him a statesman above the average. Bob Carr remains enigmatic. I can’t say much about him beyond he remains a NSW fringe right operator and is very confused and confusing. At times he is deluded and delusional. For example he is only in the Federal senate courtesy of Julia Gillard, yet now he is running with the foxes. Why would you trust him? Penny Wong and Jacinta Collins in the Upper House are some form of balance. The AWU connection is illuminating. Ludwig will not serve in a Rudd ministry. Shorten came out offering support and thereby ended his own credibility and that of Paul Howes. The high moral ground remains the trump of all trumps. A full public investigation of WRA and HSU would guarantee election victory to either side. I first said that at least 12 months ago. I expect WRA will now barely see daylight again. It is the hatchet of all hatchets and will be buried along with others only used if the AWU attempts to resurrect. Gillard is gone. While writing this I needed to go driving. I got to thinking what a waste of space talk back radio is. Rhonda from Katoomba said Gillard is not finished. Gillard has only promised not to contest the seat of Lalor at the forthcoming election. One more, Onya! The people of Australia are seething that they didn’t get to thrash the ALP for this period of evil self indulgence. It was an episode of unbelievable shame upon democracy. Far too many would love to express their opinion through the ballot box. But one shambles would have lead to greater catastrophe. It is thankfully over. The seat of Kingsford Smith is now a bellwether. Heartland ALP formed in 1949 that through time has become marginal. It produced Lionel Bowen of Mooramie St, Kensington, but Kensington is now a border with Wentworth. It also produced Lionel Murphy of Todman Ave, Kensington, The Hills of MacDougal St, and the Brereton’s of Balfour Rd. Daniel Curtin preceded Lionel Bowen. Laurie Brereton succeeded him. In the 64 years only 6 have sat there, all ALP. Traditional areas like Coogee and South Coogee have been taken over by nouveau rich. They are now traditional right wing polling stations. Pagewood is no longer industrial. There are only 2 real contestants for the ALP pre selection to replace Peter Garrett. Bob Carr or Kristina Keneally? I expect to see Kristina get the nod, but am not absolutely sure. The ALP had a margin in 2010 of over 5%. On election night it is worth watching. The Liberal Party has nominated a Michael Feneley. He is Cardiology Director at St Vincent’s Hospital and ran in 2010. The other seat I will be watching is Rankin (and Lilley). I heard Dr Jim Chalmers former Chief of Staff of Wayne Swan is seeking ALP pre selection. Lilley represents one of the few seats where the electorate can punish the Federal ALP. Jim Chalmers represents something similar. Having released a book only a month ago on the destructive internal power struggles, what skin does he have in the game? Labor needs to retain every seat, and cover for New England and Lyne. Rankin is no different to Lindsay. Rankin was first formed in 1984. There have only been 2 sitting members. It is outer metropolitan Brisbane. In 2007 QLD carried the result for Kevin Rudd. First Qld Prime Minister and treasurer to boot. Chris Bowen is no guaranteed ALP retain as the treasurer. At this early stage, I predict the result will be known on election night by about 11pm. Every seat will matter. There will be Coalition 85, Ind 2, ALP 59 with 4 too close to call, due to counting postal and absentee. I can’t think when the election date will be, but if it is not on August 10 or 17 then there is no reason to not wait for September 14. Very importantly the Coalition will need to watch themselves. The funniest quip last night was “if 1993 was the sweetest victory, then 2013 might just be a diabetic attack. I am delighted. Farewell Julia, fare thee well. Farewell Emerson and Swan and Garrett and hopefully later today Tony Burke. And a couple more. Believing in sanity is insanity. |
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Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou. Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – The Ashes –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 21st June – The Senate – – 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – The Ashes – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 24th June 2013 | |
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ver the next 8 months Australia will play England in ten tests, 5 in the UK and then 5 on Australian soil with each set of 5 determining the holder of the Ashes. This is unprecedented. In 1962/3 and 1965/6 England toured Australia 3 years apart but the intervening tour by Australia was in the winter of 1964. The next series in Australia was 1970/71 5 years later. That was about South Africa being boycotted over apartheid. After boycotting South Africa Basil D’Olivera and Tony Greig went onto play for England, Kepler Wessels for Australia. Basically Australia wins the Ashes on Australian soil and holds them for 18 months until they tour England and lose them again and then wait 30 months to regain them on Australian soil. There are many famous exceptions like 1930, 1934, 1989, 1993, 1997 & 2001. During Bodyline in 1932/33 England won in Australia, and the last series in Australia 2010/11 England also won. There are others. For the record Australia has won 123 of the 310 matches (39.67%) England (the MCC) has won 100 (32.25%) and there have been 87 draws (28%). Until the tour of 1989 the honours were essentially even. Slater and Taylor ushered in a wonderful era. What an era it was. Waugh, Waugh, McGrath, Warne, Healy, Langer, Hayden, Gilchrist and Martin. Not to forget Gillespie. The series over its 136 years has led to many a yarn of truth or scuttlebutt and most importantly tradition. Did Lillee and Marsh sell their soul for 30 pieces of silver at Headingly in 1981, and if they did, why were they ever selected again? Or did Geoff Boycott not tour in the summer of 1974/75 because he was a coward scared to face Thommo and Lillee. Then there was Ald. Clem Jones personally preparing that wicket at the Gabba, or the day at the Gabba when wags from Enoggera army barracks all dressed as Arfur Dunger released a live piglet onto the pitch with Botham written on one side Lamb on the other(referring to Ian Botham and Allan Lamb). Indeed why did Jardine, Voce and Larwood never represent the MCC again after bodyline? The greatest honour for a player is to tour on an Ashes tour. More than that travellers and tourists and aficionados base their travel plans around these events like the Balmy Army. My only visit to Lords was a test between NZ and MCC, sadly. I went home at tea time bored. The 1st Test this series is at Trent Bridge, Manchester on July 10 – 14. Strangely the 4th test is held at Durham. Is England now scared to play us at Headingley? In the last series there was the 1st test at Cardiff in Wales and Edgbaston also doesn’t feature in this series. The series (5th Test) concludes at the Kennington Oval on August 25th with the 1st test at the Gabba less than 3 months later scheduled for November 21st. For these upcoming tours there is only apathy. Some think it is over exposure. Who remembers when we go watch the Shield cricket live? We will go and watch Stackie get his century after tea! Over exposure is a contributing factor. So is the silly amounts that players are paid. While writing this article Mickey Arthur South African born Australian coach has been sacked. Cricket Australia has nothing more to say after today’s news conference. For Australia to have a realistic chance in this series, they need bowlers to tie down the English batsmen with line and length. This is what has changed in the last decade. With Glenn McGrath you could count on him containing batsmen. And Warne would spin them out. McGrath had 250 odd test wickets and insisted he was not in the same league as Dennis Lillee. What a top bloke. The very concept of the ashes rings very true today. What can Australia do to re ignite the fire? I personally am hoping. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi! Oi! Oi! I can’t even name our pace attack. It sure beats federal politics |
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – The Senate –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 5th June – Zombies – – 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar – The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – The Senate – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 21st June 2013 | |
| As this parliament goes through it final death throes on the one hand you want to find something else to do, but then you know it will only be hours before there is another storm in a tea cup and some issues actually matter. For me the composition of the new government’s Upper House is everything. Those elected in September take office from July of next year.
The bigger picture is: if the Greens attempt to block the repeal of the Carbon Tax or MRRT, Tony Abbott has promised a double dissolution. Far too easily said, but lacking in any type of real thought therefore strategy. In late September there will be a government in the lower house that will be so swollen they will be allocated seating on the cross benches. The ALP will be so reduced they will have a telephone box caucus rather than a kitchen cabinet. Most portfolios in opposition will go to senior senators therefore the few surviving opposition lower house members will have multiple spokesperson roles. The media will try as they might to dent the new government but most electors will still not be listening. The people have spoken so get on with it. Under two successive half senate elections the Greens will be reduced to a failed party. That will be obvious from the half senate election conducted on September 14. If we try to predict the Upper House result from first preferences then 30% ish is 2 quotas. 42% is 2½ quotas, which will translate into 3 quotas after distributing preferences. To explain; a quota is 1/6th of the electorate or 16.67%. Roughly in each state Coalition will get 2 to 3 quotas. ALP will get 2. Greens with maybe 6% have none. There will be contests in each state for the 5th and 6th spot. The territories are different. Predicting the outcome is just too hard. Julian Assange says that private polling dictates that he might get 28% support across the nation. I do not believe that. Nor do I believe Clive Palmer. Most importantly the Coalition needs to get 60 plus % in each State to have any chance of controlling the Upper House. Ignoring all argument 58% across the country is unheard of. If you then attempt to rationalise the double dissolution effect, each quota is halved therefore 1/12th of the electorate or 8.33% is the hurdle. So that 30% becomes roughly 4 quotas, and 42% becomes roughly 5 quotas, 6% becomes roughly 1 quota with each state throwing up 2 independents on local issues. By way of example, both Katter and Palmer would be first in line in Qld if they have secured approx 5% of the electorate this September. Pauline Hanson with 2% in NSW will still fail, no matter what. Under a double dissolution the Greens will get a second wind. There are many other considerations. If this new parliament does not give policy implementation a very good go, the electorate will be only further disenfranchised. When an election costs approx $100mio every three years, that is an accrued budget cost of $33mio pa and we expect to see some progress for that taxpayer expense. Consider the outcry about electoral funding and think what would the electorate response be towards a double dip by early next year? This new Government will need to work hard, and rebuild the electorate’s faith in representative policy making. I hope and pray they might even listen to the electorate, and start delivering on some real vision. This can include Mr Abbott’s policies like;
There are miles of issues to be addressed. These policies will culminate in a mini budget in about November, and the new government’s first full budget next May, 2014. It is time to get Australia proud of itself once more, and working together as a nation. So let us drop the thought of any double dissolution before 2015. For all we know BHP Billiton might re ignite Olympic Dam expansion project under the incoming coalition government. I said through all the twaddle this week of news, there are some real issues. Yesterday Sarah Hanson Young was electioneering on ABC News 24 morning TV about re listing of the debate in the upper house regarding Australia recognising same sex marriage performed overseas. The motion was defeated soundly. (Some 40 odd to some 20 odd). She was asked will it affect real change. Surreptitiously she smiled, and said she was not confident but we will have to see. She then went on to talk of the danger of the Coalition winning her senate seat in the up-coming elections. As set out above, the Coalition will get 2 to 3 in SA, the ALP 2, and should we get real politicians like Nick Xenophon in the other 1 to 2 positions, then we might expect a much less emotional and less stupid debate that to which we have become accustomed over the last 3 years. At roughly the same time yesterday morning Saul Eslake (economist from ANZ bank) was at pains to describe why he has now changed his prognosis to include a 25% chance of recession from mid 2015. Why all this political correctness? He is at pains to say that we need to start priming the pump now, given 2 successive quarters of negative Gross National Expenditure to March 2013, and by 2015 when 7 major gas infra structure projects go from construction phase to export phase the loss of jobs may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. That includes a projected fiscal black hole of $20bn in 2013/14, outstanding government debt of $300bn, natural stabilisers will hurt the fiscal position, and with unemployment hovering at 6% what hope is there for Consumer and Business confidence? Already the mining services sector is in backwardation. Call it down-sizing, or down scaling whatever. Mining Services Companies are tendering at cost, simply to survive, and attempt to maintain technology, capacity and relevance. Before getting back to the election I must mention Clive Palmer. Good old Clive is saying that all material published by Hedley Thomas in the Australian against him, is factually wrong, stolen and designed to vilify him and promote the Coalition’s prospects in the election particularly in his upper house ambitions of controlling the balance of power in the Senate. Like many others I don’t know what to think of him. He and Katter will get all disaffected right wing support from the combined Liberal National Party. That was the great fallacy of combining Liberal and Nationals. There will always be those who don’t like what the combined ideologies represent. But preferencing matters. Using AEC acronyms, there are essentially 3 types of upper house votes. They are SATL – Single vote above the line, RATL – Random above the line and BaTL – Below the Line. SATL are the biggest group. Over 90% of electors vote SATL. Liberal, National, ALP, Green and so on. There is no preference given, and therefore they can’t be counted or assumed. The next one RATL, they actually determine where preferences go. Most electors think that they like one group, but don’t like who they are giving their preferences to so I won’t vote for them. The elector decides. Not the party. Let us imagine that you were intending to vote for Bob Katter Australia Party. But you heard somewhere he and Palmer had a preferencing deal. The only way your preference flows to Palmer is if you put Palmer second. The only deal made is the suggestion on the how to vote paper, mark KAP 1, UAP 2 and so on. If you were to do say KAP 1 then IND 2 then LNP 3, there is no way UAP gets that preference. If there is no 4, a valid vote, then should your vote not work for KAP, then next considered is IND, then LNP in that order, you remain a 1st preference for KAP despite preferencing continuing amongst other candidates. Thereafter when the six who have received the highest number of preferences are declared successful and duly deemed elected. BaTL are a thing of the past. Assume you don’t like the 2 first candidates for LNP yet you want to vote for LNP candidate 3. You can start your numbering 1 from there and 2 goes to candidate 4 and so on until you have given the required number to be valid. That number is not yet known – probably 10. This is where many votes are declared informal. You have not followed the instructions. If I was to see 1 in candidate 3, and 1 repeated in candidate 4 and nothing else it is unclear. You have not met the minimum number required, but I also have no idea if you are attempting to vote for LNP candidate 3 or 4? If you choose the BaTL method be very careful you don’t put the same number twice. BaTL doesn’t really make the work of the AEC any harder. On election night the polling staff are tired and just want to go home to sleep having started about 7am. They still get it rather correct. All lower house votes are counted first. Only 1st preference is counted. Then again using lower house votes, the most accurate staff preference between ALP and Coalition. It is assumed no independent will feature, unless there is an incumbent, like Tony Windsor in 2010. Hence Wilkie was quite overlooked until the following day, when more analysis occurred at divisional returning office. After 2 party preference comes Upper House voting. They are split into Above The Line and Below The Line and then put into piles of 1st pref. When that is completed and results phoned through, divisional returning office instructs the Polling Place Manager to send the staff home. All ballot papers are then returned to a secure storage for further determination by the Returning Officer. In the case of the upper house that is known some 4 weeks later, 3 at best. In the case of lower house, if it is close then postal votes and absentee (or declaration votes) need to be considered. Counting of Postal votes often takes a week to start, and Absentee (Declaration) votes are even slower. When a candidate has a handsome margin over the next (possibly as low as 2 – 4%), news analysis will concede the result, while the Returning Officer only does that when he is 99.99% certain. In the case of Upper House preferences computer scanning occurs at the Returning Office. They still get it right. The vote on the night is a fair indication of the mood of the electorate, however no one can guess with certainty the last spot in all the states. This September Australia’s fate is in the hands of this senate process. What will occur in the Lower House will be determined by the make up of the Upper House. No one can possibly know how hostile the senate will be towards the Abbott led Coalition at this stage. It is most unlikely the Coalition will control both houses. It is also fairly unlikely Australia will go back to the Polls in the first 18 months. After that it is just too hard to tell. Believing in senaty is indeed insenaty. |
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| Please – if you found this story to your liking and would like to promote it to your social media contacts – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or other icon linked account below – please click your favoured Icon(s) to promote the story.Thankyou.
Have your say where it counts: – contact your Local Federal Representative via the links below and let them know how you feel about this, or any other topic that you feel strongly about – or you can just post a comment below and let off some steam. Links to Australian Parliamentary Website – MP’s
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Zombies –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 1st June – Canberra – and black holes – -30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar = The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Zombies – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 5th June 2013 | |
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The start of the trial of Bradley Manning brings up many thoughts on many issues issues. Wikileaks, state secrets, dishonesty within the military and their government counterparts. In Tuesday’s morning bulletins Denise Brailey was featured with the typical denials from ASIC. See http://bfcsa.com.au/index.php/blogger/listings/deniseb Ms Brailey is currently posting on her website what she claims to be fraudulent loan application forms altered by brokers after they had been signed by applicants. Peter Kell, Deputy Chair of ASIC first said that “there was insufficient evidence”, and then wants to know why “Ms Brailey hasn’t referred the evidence to ASIC earlier”. For more complete and accurate detail please refer to Ms Brailey blogsite. That type of head in sand denial by Kell is so typical. If the banks are writing imprudent loans we could face another sub-prime crisis, this time centred in Australia. The only attitude is to investigate, but instead as always don’t listen but rather shoot the messenger. The old cynical classic joke “Hi, I am from the government, I am here to help you.” Other examples of current head in the sand include;
I could go on with the State Ombudsman, the Telecommunications and Information Ombudsman, the Office of State Revenue, The Legal Services Commissioner, The Dept of Fair Trading, The Office of Fair Work Australia, The Human Rights Commission, and on, and on.
I will personally settle for brain dead, or having no will of your own. Here is Peter Kell’s biography (source ASIC website)
In my most recent post I touched on this, I wrote:
Try this as an example. Try to get an affidavit signed. An Affidavit is administered under both State and Federal Attorney General’s in my case an officer of the Supreme Court of NSW. So I go to the local Magistrates Court. There are signs up everywhere, a volunteer JP service is available at specific times. I take a number and wait and when called I directly ask at the Office of the Registrar if they will witness a document. Answer No! Who are you, a court officer, empowered under the oaths act, what are you, lazy. We are too busy to offer this service. Go next door, to the police station. Hi How long is it. 7 pages with 3 oaths and 4 initials. Look I have real policing work to do. Who are you? “A police Constable”. What are you? “too busy”. Go to the chemist. Hi there I was hoping to get this document witnessed. “Sorry I can’t do it.” When will a chemist be available? “I don’t know.” Who are you” “A chemist employee.” “What are you?” “Not empowered to witness oaths”. Same cuts at a bank or a post office. No! No JP available. A Bank Manager will do, sorry we don’t have managers any more, we have senior Customer Service Officials. Strange part is both my wife and I can witness oaths, but not for one another. It is highly likely your neighbours are able to administer oaths, but you don’t want them to know your business. At any time a District Court is open there are volunteers available to offer a JP service. One day I presented at the Goulbourn St Family Law Court and “Hi there – I was hoping to get this document witnessed”. I was told to walk 2 blocks to the District Court where there are always volunteer JP’s while the court is open. On another occasion at the Queens Square Federal Court I was asked to wait 20 minutes while a JP became available. “Can’t any court official do this?” well – maybe – but please wait. Fact -Any Public Servant of 2 years continuous service can witness a document. So Bradley Manning has been in custody 3 years, awaiting trial, he has pleaded guilty to 9 of the 22 charges, yet the witch hunt goes on, and on. The press tells me, that while guilty he is a humanist. He has actually only tried to highlight US Military breaches of Human Rights in Iraq. I am no expert. Either at law or on Human rights, or in several other professional areas. However I have a piqued sense of social justice, and great capacity to aspire to a more just and interconnected world. A world of less injustice and suffering. If there was a hat being passed around to save either Bradley Manning or Craig Thomson I would be much more likely to donate to Bradley Manning. This brings me to my friends at Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Last Saturday I was shown an E mail from DIAC marked “For-Official-Use-Only”. It was in tiny type [6.5pt sans serif where the other content was in 11pt Calibri] and in red. My natural reaction was “what the heck does that mean?” If I was to publish that communication might I find myself in hot water over some type of sedition? The document contains no state secrets it is simply opinion and process. Security classifications are just simply a tool of these zombies. So as I watch the debate on visas unfold I wonder just how rancid is the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. My mind conjures up pictures of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) and all the hanky panky that they could be up to. If you have never heard of them see https://www.mara.gov.au/ They are every bit as clandestine as the AFP or ASIO/ASIA. You might discover in the first part of the URL [I need to retype as it is locked] DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION ANDCITIZENSHIP [AU] {sic}so what do they do? Issue 457 visas? Take bribes? License those abusing immigration processes? Gina Rinehart can obtain all the 457 visas she wants at the mine approval process and when she doesn’t get her way buy newspapers and TV stations. The big mining companies can hold the economy to ransom by mothballing expansion plans for all types of reasons. But how do the smaller abusers get away with their tripe? Where do you start to even investigate? You rely upon whistleblowers. The likes of Bradley Manning or Julian Assange and maybe now and then programmes like ‘4 Corners’. My only experience with ‘4 Corners’ is when you send them a program suggestion they state, and I quote “Unfortunately this not a topic which Four Corners is currently looking to pursue in terms of a story.” Is that also head in the sand? Around about Easter this year amongst a group of associates who are predominantly from the education sector, one stated “the university system has survived a Liberal government in the past”. The conversation moved on saying that they may well vote for Julian Assange in the upper house. Some remained silent. Upper house voting intentions is the new political interest in the tea rooms. Has the ABC considered how they will survive a coalition government? Their ALP biased reporting has become water off a ducks back. What is the strategy phase post election, particularly when the new government is having a honeymoon? Maybe ‘4 Corners’ will then pursue such a story! After all they are by virtue of funding an extension of the public service. Believing in sanity is itself insanity? Post Script In naming this article considerable thought was given to naming this piece earth worms. Earth worms have no discerned brain or taste. In conclusion the mythical and voodoo concept of a zombie was considered more apt. Earth worms are quite useful in that they return organic matter to soil nutrients. They are very useful as bait when fishing, and birds of prey require them in their food chain. For further enlightenment I add a small poem I have collected along the way.
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Canberra – and black holes –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
-30th May – What is an adequate Contrition? – – 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar = The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Canberra – and black holes – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 1st June 2013 | |
Don’t forget, on this year’s income tax return, to list the names of Members of Parliament and Senators as your “dependants”. The saddest part, in such a joke, is the lack of respect for government (or should that be lack of respect by government). The joke also overlooks the bureaucracy. When Michell and Marquis de Laplace first postulated their astronomical theories in the time of the French revolution were they inspired by Louisien France. It is well documented that bloated civil stipends have been pre-cursors to revolutions that include the French, Meiji and Russian. The excessive taxation of the serfdom, will lead to an overthrow of the ruling class. In the Court of the King Louis’ the civil stipend increased until Bastille. After Bastille, Napoleon seized power. Similar was life under the Shogun in Japan. Ninja protected the Shogunate, and would tax at will passing on up the chain like the Mafia. The ninja class grew and grew, until the Mitsui and Mitsubishi clan (both descended from Daimyo – who had their own ninja) secretly engineered the Meiji restoration to curtail the ever increasing tax creep. The Meiji Restoration was the seeds of modern Japan. Well Russia is a different story, not much, but different. They had these zealots called Lenin and Stalin, who ceased power under the pretence of this German philosopher called Marx, and where Marx manifesto (translated and published by Engels) started with “one day the world will evolve to”. Anyway. They are all dead now. And they start very heated battles just by what they represent. A totalitarian regime. Many social commentators will extend this logic to colonisation, the great wars, 3rd world issues, and terrorism. For me the most fascinating of all the great wars was the 30 year war [linked here]. The allies shifted quite commonly throughout those times, no different to many other similar modern day events which might include our interpretation of the Middle East. It might be our understanding of Libya or Syria. It is claimed that Shi’ite and Sunni crossed secular divide when groups were suppressed during the Iranian and Iraqi War. It is not that dissimilar to the cross benches of Federal parliament, shifting perspective on issues, out of their interpretation of greater good (clouded with self interest). Or the ever ongoing battles between the States and the Federated Government we now know to be Canberra. If you try to plot a time line of any political revolution, you will find similarities to theories of the ebb and flow of space and time that might be deemed big bang. What was there before big bang? What was there before government? Before big bang there was darkness (a black hole?), or there were other solar systems (prior big bangs) emitting matter into black holes that when bloated started a new big bang? So before Government there was corrupt leaders that erupted into a different attempt at democratic ideals. That is this ideal we call Westminster. I have come full circle to Yin and Yang. (excuse the pun) Essentially, in the seeds of accretion lie the genetics of self destruction, while conversely in the seeds of desecration lie the genetics of great positive accretion. Canberra 100 years ago was simply lush pasture land for old wethers and sheep. It is a common joke that it still is; despite the massive development and infrastructure that has been poured in since. (poored in since). Canberra keeps us all broke. In 1928 they completed the old Parliament House. Now the Museum of Democrazy, and National Archive. Then came the War Memorial & Treasury Buildings, National Circuit and Capitol Hill, and the National Library, High Court etc. And it goes on. And on. And on. While Australia started to move on in economic development, Canberra still tries to ride on the sheep’s back. Canberra is the black hole of Australia. Where is that definition again “which gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping.” Would it be gravity as in interplanetary pull, or gravity such as graveyard? Maybe one and the same thing. I definitely fail to register when Canberra shone light upon anything, it more tends to confuse. Canberra has a distinct personality, quite noticeable from other economic zones of Australia. So where did this corruption start in Australia. Most agree proportional representation started on the gold fields surrounding the Eureka stockade. They are all dead too – in the antiquities. But there was corruption in the NSW Rum Corp well before that. Well maybe it wasn’t really corruption at that stage it was just tyranny, often called penal servitude. Much of the rest of the history is pretty well outlined elsewhere. History is littered with often well intentioned people, who simply were uncompromising. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. This uncompromising attitude at times appears as a monster. Over belief. This over belief can display narcissistic tendencies even bordering on sociopathic traits. Best example politicians pay and funding of elections. For further research try Knight Commander and Governor of Victoria, Hotham and his part in the Eureka stockade. The law is the law and it will be enforced, no matter how unjust. Then there are despots. In a scene from some 1920’s or 30’s re production of Charlie “Lucky” Luciano speaking to Vito Genovese “Geez this is a great country”. A euphemism for we are just leeches sucking the goodness out of this country. That is how we perceive someone like Eddie Obeid, or Michael Williamson or several others. Maybe even the PM herself and her part in the AWU scandal. Why has she stopped the long arm of the law from prosecuting Craig Thomson? That is the general believe towards James Ashby’s allegations against Peter Slipper. Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice is intended to be as swift as due process will allow. Then there are dead beats (deadshits in the vernacular or drop kicks). At high school they were without motivation, or day dreamers, they finished the HSC because it was a path of least resistance, and when challenged at University they joined the public service. In time after several attempts they finally graduated into a batchelor’s degree. At University and at work in the public service they learned sycophantic ways and when they passed nepotism they were promoted. Those 3 dimensions tend to sum up the personality of Canberra. They also tend to explain why Canberra is Australia’s black hole. They show how a government through downright stupidity can leave a fiscal black hole of $20 billion and accumulated public debt of $300 billion. They tend to explain Portugal and Spain and Greece. The manifestations are immense. The consequences are dire. What might we do to correct this peacefully? History is not positive, however from above “in the seeds of desecration lie the genetics of great positive accretion.” Believing in sanity is itself insanity. |
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – What is an adequate Contrition? –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 24th May – Simplex – – 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar = The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – What is an adequate Contrition? – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 30th May 2013 | |
| Two stories are flooding the media waves today. Eddie McGuire and his Adam Goodes gaffe, and the bipartisan support for electoral funding.
Both episodes are wrong, public opinion and trial by media have had the proper outcome, but can either be expunged? The concept of (law of) Karma, are difficult for most to understand. Karma can’t be reversed instantaneously. In Buddhist thought Karma is earned over a series of incarnations. I personally struggle with re-incarnation. But I can appreciate such an issue, through my own life, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and history does repeat. Just observing the character, mainly through Collingwood in the AFL and channel 9’s ‘Hotseat’, Eddie McGuire is a big head. Long on self righteousness, and short on common decency and respect. On ‘Hotseat’ his researchers give him answers, and he presents them as if his is an authority. He is never short on grandiloquence and pomposity. The electoral funding issue runs much much deeper, and is not just media kandy. Sigmund Freud stated 80% of our brain is given over to unconscious thought, and maybe 20% conscious thought. He loosely termed unconscious thought anima (maybe that was Carl Jung). That part of the cerebral processes given over to heart pumping, breathing, eating and so on. He caused outrage. I am not an animal, I have manners. My sex drive does not outstrip my capacity for respect etc One of those unconscious thoughts is survival, which as a different layer of the same innate behaviour becomes self interest. When can we act out of greater good, and when do we act out of self interest? If there are 2 oranges and 2 people, when does one choose the inferior one, and how many given the 1st choice would pick the more luscious one. Repeat the same exercise several times, and the person choosing second will accelerate his claims to 1st choice. Most simple self interest. Change the exercise to 2 cars, one sporty and elitist, a picture of desire, and the other 2nd hand, old and beaten but possibly more reliable, cheaper insurance, repairs and other running costs. We now start to develop a different conundrum that is Jung’s work on duality. A different story but expected to bring in complexity and diversity. The varying dimensions. Mark Dreyfus has not covered himself with any glory this week on the electoral funding issue. This government has seen on their watch, accumulated government debt of $300 billion. Worse still this year they have presented a structural deficit of about 20 billion pa, and continue to talk about grand vision that many can’t comprehend, or truly understand, but we can’t afford. Things are going from bad to worse. The wanton and reckless spending continues like a kid in a candy shop. We accept that in Nov 2007 much of the structural surplus was beyond our control, and the welfare mentality was creeping in as the Coalition government set about buying votes. We were lucky, blessed. That too had its antecedents in economic reform of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Call it good Karma. By 2010 the OECD was highlighting we were the envy of the Western world. But the excesses continued. Throw some more money at it. We can afford it we are the envy of the western world! Stop! You have really killed our bounty. Call it bad Karma, or call it the Scottish rite. We are drunk on lavishing ourselves with no regard for tomorrow. The Scottish rite;
In every culture or socio economic grouping it is there, call it the wisdom of the ages. Out there in the ethers. The conscious cerebral knowledge versus the anima. That is what Peter Costello achieved in his 12 budgets. Low key, boring, trim here, cut there, change culture, but don’t leave negative legacy for the next decade. Pay your debts, honour your obligations. It does also mean that some economic sectors like schools are underfunded, while the fashions of the time (financial engineering and health and happiness) bubble. That is the core issue with Gonski. Our cleverest minds are attracted to other than education. The best example of all in government policy over belief is Work Choices. It failed the most critical test of egalitarianism – for the greater good. Market forces entrench the class warfare. Left unchecked and the rot sets in. Bankers paying themselves bonuses of $30 to $110 million for what? While the labourer struggles to pay the rent or mortgage if half lucky, pays his taxes, can’t afford any little luxury, sends his kids to State schools, where the teachers just go through the motions, paying lip service to real education, and the downward spiral goes on unchecked. This labourer drinks excessively punts on two flys, has unmotivated attitudes, bordering on depressive illness and so on. He also is a poor role model to the offspring. The women folk have their own coping mechanism. But I think the point is made. The intervention in Arnhem land is representative of what? Has the coalition really achieved any contrition during their 6 years in opposition? Have they learned (or earned) their Karma. Quite possibly not. On electoral funding, definitely not. They call this year’s budget a fiscal emergency. Yet splashing around another 20 million on pollies, is OK. This comes on the back of the Government paying themselves 30 to 40% pay rises only early last year. How much did that excess contribute to this structural deficit? (2 or 3%?) The game of inches! Who will control the spin merchants and the finance sector? You can’t beat them, just join ‘em! As I too often need to repeat, the coalition will only win this election by default. Not by merit. Have they earned the trust of the electorate through jurisprudence? Is there any alternative? Why is Martin Ferguson retiring? He will be 60 come December. He will be too old to see parliamentary front bench again. So what! Did he marry the ACTU and ALP for richer and for poorer, in good times and in bad. Who will be there post election to pick up the pieces? Another bunch of young former ALP staffers, who have never really had a serious job. They have only learned self interest. Abuse of the union funds, a free ride. Nicola Roxon wants to quit to be a mummy. I would have thought a parliament of wise old owls, wants grand mummies, not pre natal interns. Our elders are washed up in their 50’s. There is no wisdom of the ages. Gillard will be our 7th former living PM. Even by the turbulent times standard of the 1920’s and 1930’s that is something to dwell on. A real merry go round. Going no where! I’ll have a go! I only need a few months controlling treasury to richly endow my circle with untold wealth. In a decade’s time Mark Dreyfus will still be a point of derision. Just like Eddie McGuire is today. Grandiloquent and pompous. An emperor without any clothes. Not only is he QC, his is the Attorney General, and Special Minister of State. (for about 6 months) Full of what-ness, but no real who-ness! According to Mark Dreyfus when interviewed by Tony Jones on Lateline, George Brandis is complicit for breaching security, but if Dreyfus explains how or why, he too will be guilty of the same thing, breaching state secrets. This morning’s media release by Dreyfus, to heap excretia on Tony Abbott, but not answer questions about his part in this fraud. Get real. In the next 7 days, expect Bronwyn Bishop to announce that she too will retire as MHR for Mackellar. She will be the coalition scapegoat for this aborted rort. She turns 71 come October. Jonathon O’Dea state MLA for Davidson, would love for the vacancy in MacKellar to arise. So might Mike Baird, but he has a good job as things stand. What a great idea, Jonno O’Dea. As for Tony Abbott, a real heart felt sorry is only the beginning. Good Karma takes time. Why was it left to Bronwyn to agree to this draft bill? Why did Barnaby claim it had not been discussed in the party room? Why did it fall on Warren Truss to knock it on the head? Believing in sanity is itself insanity! |
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EYE-BALL’s Herman on – Simplex –
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| Links to Previous ‘Herman’ Posts:
– 19th May – The Tears of a Prime Minister – – 24th Mar – An Example of bureaucracy gone mad – – 10th Mar = The Carbon Tax – Post Election … – 7th Mar – Wayne Swan – Please Stop 28th Feb – The Australian Labor Party View – 6th Feb – Corruption – 25th Jan – Anti Discrimination – – 17th Jan 2013 – Atheism – – 12th Nov – Hegemony – 2nd Nov – A March early Federal election – To see more EYE-BALL ‘Herman’ posts: |
Title: – Simplex – | Author: EYE-BALL’s Herman O’Hermitage | 24th May 2013 | |
T he very art of spin means too often the good guy gets painted black. Everything is just a hue.
Socrates said all attempts at logic ultimately collapse on themselves. All rational ultimately becomes irrational. Being in sanity is itself insanity. Over belief. Oscar Wilde said about “Do unto others” how would any other know what I would like done to me? The absolute Socratic of all logic collapsing on itself, the bizarre with a modicum of justification. That may be termed argument. Happiness and success is when one doesn’t rationalise too hard. They expresses thru their eyes what others know to be simple pleasures thereby tapping into the feel good factor (love of existence). Addressing adversity while remaining detached and don’t over complicate or sensationalise. Demanding rationality the ego becomes highly emotional in their own persona. Too often there is no answer. There is no black and white, there are only hues, (or shades). Shades is also a synonym for filters. We wish for our world a greater respect and transparency. A healthy ego without excess pride, arrogance or greed. The capacity to say what you think and then let go. We only see or hear a fraction of what is going on in the varying dimensions. These thoughts have many applications in our world and the varying sectors of our social fabric, the tapestry we call existence. Try Sport. The Sydney Swans won the flag last year, and Melbourne Storm won the NRL Telstra Premiership, Qld won the SOO. Then into the new year, what is left, history, hangovers and individual memories, conjecture and it is time to do it all again. This year the hotshots are Essendon, then Geelong; Storm then Rabbitohs, throw in the Chooks and now there are just contenders. Ben Barba after winning the Dally M is in rehab. And so it goes. Who ran second to Hi Jinx in the cup of 1960? Who cares. Take the car industry. In 1945 Ben Chifley wanted an Australian built car. It was part of the logics post world war II, we could not depend upon the pacific shipping lanes in wartime for supply, it was imperative we had that internal capacity and know how. Chifley negotiated with the British Motor Corporation, and General Motors and Ford. None were that interested. Holden were originally South Australian saddlers who went on to build chassis for motors and drive train sourced from General Motors (Buicks and Chevrolets). It was finally agreed a new joint venture company, called General Motors Holden would stump up pounds 1,000,000 plus technology and the government would add 3,000,000 and by 1948 the first all Australian car was produced at the Pagewood production facility. GMH was so successful that by 1963 Detroit had bought out the Australian Government, and had received dividends way beyond the initial 4,000,000 pound (or AUD8,000,000) so in 1961 Ford decided to build a locally made Falcon for the Australian market. Chrysler joined the rush with the Valiant. The first R model had a dash board sourced straight out of Detroit, adapted from left hand drive to right hand drive. The indicators were back to front. The Japanese car industry was in its infancy. Toyota until 1948 only built trucks. Honda until 1961 only built motor bikes. My friend at school his Dad had bought a Datsun, and we all called it “Jap Junk”. By the time British Motor Corp evolved to Leyland, they too decided to build an Australian car in the P76, and by 1974 were haemorrhaging money. My Dad worked at Holden til 1956 and then BMC til 1962. In the summer of ‘73 I personally was building 16 carbies that were going into the first police pursuit Chargers. They were growth industries. By 1969 the Aussie straight six was exported extensively to the Middle East, much more suited to the dry hot and arid conditions than European or American built offerings. In the Federal election of October 25th, 1969 it was going to be close, and the Liberals were led by John Gorton, and their coalition partner then was John McEwen (black Jack) to his adversaries, and while Gorton promised to smash the monopolies (BHP in steel manufacture & ACI in glass), McEwen gave a blank cheque of protection to Ford and Holden to maintain the Aussie export of cars, still fighting the Pacific War. The Bathurst 500 was the ultimate of car rivalry. Holden stretched the HT to manufacture the Brougham (which in time became the Statesman) to compete in the Middle East against the prestige machs (Mercedes and Rolls Royce). Ford introduced the Landau. Holden imported a 327 cubic inch V8 motor from Detroit while they tooled up a locally built 307. Ford matched them by first importing the Mustang 289 while tooling up in Australia for a 308. Chrysler first had a 269 but smashed them all with a 366, and still couldn’t win Bathurst. (The brakes couldn’t perform as well as the motor, and most cars were out of the race within 100 miles). In history every decision is now seen as simple. The choices get eliminated in history. Just a scintilla of conjecture. Disputing the facts. Yet today as Caltex is closing the Kurnell petrol refinery, Shell will soon not distil petrol in Australia at all, Ford announces a 3 year plan to cease production of the Falcon, choices are not simple, they are complex! Or are they? The above example could easily have been around Bitumen Oil Refineries Aust. Ltd (Boral) or it’s fraternal twin Australia Motorists Petroleum Oils Ltd (AMPOL) and Shell and Caltex and the petrol game. I have skipped the Button plan, the floating of the Dollar, Quantitative Easing and a whole lot more. I want to stay simplex. The government and the AMWU both promise answers into the future for whatever that is worth. There are definitely no easy answers to such upheaval, just worries. It is just far easier to stay with happiness and its causes. All things will pass away. Will the trench war that was WWII ever be fought again. Mounted troopers gave over to trenches to guerrilla tactics, and now to terror and improvised explosive devices. Do the shipping lanes matter? How many key decision makers even understand how the Pacific War was largely fought on supply. None of this affects this year’s return on funds employed or the share indices. The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5 (DSM V) has just been released. The psychiatrist, who led the composition of DSM IV in the 1970’s, is now regretful of his earlier work and scathing on the mental health industry. He says that DSM IV had led to a plague of Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism and Bi-polar diagnosis. All fuelled by the drug companies and their greedy share market returns. The Benzo group of drugs simply don’t work. After 3 months you need stronger doses and they are a terrible addiction. There are border line cases (self harm) who need lithium. There is schizo’s (people who hear voices) and a bit more, but too many depressions just need cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) or other rational arrivals. Psychology only dates back to circa 1900. Once more what causes happiness? Fortune tellers have an unwritten rule of not foretelling of disaster or ruination. It can be self fulfilling. Nostradamus while fun spoke of a pig man flying in a metal horse and dropping a mushroom, while all is interpreted because all written in very obtuse and rarely spoken latin, so that today believers say this was a gas masked pilot flying the Enola Gay and dropping the H Bomb on Hiroshima. Simplex! Believing in Sanity is insanity. |
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