Thankfully one of the least productive uses of resources on a national scale, a federal election, will soon be over. As usual the government of the day amazingly comes up with a whole range of great ideas that it failed to come up with during the previous 3 years and the crowd trying to gain power, attempt to convince us that they could do better.
Entries Categorised as 'Politics'
A tall poppy is cut down: Gillard could bloom awhile.
July 20th, 2010 · 5 Comments
Strange things happen to Australian prime ministers. One (Harold Holt, 1966-67) disappeared while swimming near a Melbourne beach; speculation says he may have been eaten by a shark.
Farewell Rudd, Gillard takes power and the palace coup.
June 27th, 2010 · 25 Comments
Amazingly Kevin Rudd is no longer the Prime Minister of Australia and lost his position without a single vote being cast. Does this mean the days of the Government borrowing and wasting money are over or is Julia Gillard going to be an even bigger spender than Rudd? What a week, and worst of all Wayne Swan is representing Australia at the G-20 meeting in Toronto in Canada!
Pink batts, a revived Federal Opposition and an election year.
February 17th, 2010 · 21 Comments
I have not focused on the Australian political landscape for a few months but the recent tragic deaths of 4 people installing home insulation as part of the Rudd Governments spend-a-thon, has reminded me of the dangers of a government obsessed with poll numbers and popularity.
China’s Harmful Economic Policies
December 19th, 2009 · No Comments
It’s time to start getting tough on Beijing. No, this is not a rant about China’s alleged lack of human rights. When China has something as evil as Abu Ghraib and Bagram we might have a right to complain. Nor am I complaining about China’s lack of something called democracy. Would China’s one child policy have survived in a democracy?
The madness of King Malcolm and the Emissions Trading Scheme.
November 27th, 2009 · 16 Comments
From the moment the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) concept was floated I had an uneasy feeling about it and unlike a lot of recent anti-ETS converts, I have voiced my opposition to this legislation for many, many months. Simply put, I don’t see the logic in trying to help the planet with a tax.
The Telstra break-up smoke screen and the NBN.
September 16th, 2009 · 36 Comments
If you think that the Government’s plan to break-up Telstra is aimed at giving consumers a better deal then you are thinking just the way they want you to. The real reason the Government wants Telstra weakened is so that it’s poorly planned National Broadband Network (NBN) has an easier path into the broadband market.
Wasteful government spending & Wayne Swan on the defensive.
September 5th, 2009 · 31 Comments
I am often critical about the media because they simply do not dig beneath the surface of issues and raise tough questions with the Rudd Government. So I was pleasantly surprised when I watched Leigh Sales on ABCTV’s Lateline raise some awkward questions for the Federal Treasurer. Questions that he could not or would not answer, and that also had him visibly rattled.
A Ruddy clever idea and aliens above Australia!
July 28th, 2009 · 4 Comments
It appears that somewhere above Australia there is an alien spaceship transmitting a beam across the continent that makes Australians incapable of rational thought. Few people seem to question how the nation will repay billions of dollars in debt nor do they seem to question what the Government is spending their money on.
Rudd Watch: Has Kev07 delivered as promised?
July 21st, 2009 · 21 Comments
The Rudd Government still holds a commanding lead over the Opposition according to opinion polls and Kevin Rudd himself enjoys a high popularity rating. But what has Rudd and his team actually delivered to the Australian public in terms of completed projects or successful outcomes?
Is there a Federal Opposition in Australia?
June 29th, 2009 · 17 Comments
We all know the theory of how our Westminster flavoured form of democracy is suppose to work. We the people vote, the votes are counted and we end up with one of the two main political groups running the country. To make sure the group that wins the election and forms government does not get out of control, the losing side is suppose to keep an eye on things and be ready to take over if the people decide to make a change at the next election. But clearly things are not working that way in Australia at the moment.
Wasteful spending, poor planning and extreme socialism.
June 14th, 2009 · 42 Comments
For some time I have been saying that the Government’s economic stimulus spending spree will be wasteful, poorly directed and do little to make Australia a more competitive economy. If this is not bad enough the chances are the reckless spending by the Rudd Government may also stir inflation again and cause more problems for the Australian economy than the global financial crisis ever did.
Rudd Economics 101: When in doubt spend like crazy.
May 20th, 2009 · 34 Comments
It appears that finally the Australian media and by default the wider public are starting to worry about Rudd’s mountain of debt. At first many Australian’s were quite happy to pocket their Government handouts in some crazed belief that is was magic money that would not have to be repaid some day or at least, not by them. But perhaps the latest Federal Budget has finally got people thinking as opposed to living happily in ignorance in the Matrix.
Federal Budget 09: A confusing mix.
May 18th, 2009 · 34 Comments
I guess the word confused would best describe my reaction to the Federal Budget handed down by the Government last week. I was expecting some tough decisions to be made so that Australia could emerge from this recession in fairly good shape, but instead the Budget had no clear direction and it seems the Government is hoping that by throwing money at major infrastructure projects that it can appease the public until China saves the day.
Federal Budget 2009: The Yes Minister preview.
May 11th, 2009 · 6 Comments
Lights, camera, action! It is almost time for another budget from the masters of spin and we are all invited to watch the drama unfold. The 2009 federal budget will be one of the most eagerly awaited budgets in years and the key question for me is: why is the Government talking up the need to borrow and spend one moment and then in the next breath, warning us that we all need to share the pain because the Government has to reign in spending?
You spin me right round Swanny. (like a record baby)
April 28th, 2009 · 14 Comments
Although hardly qualified for anything to do with number crunching, Wayne Swan has in all fairness become much more confident over the last 18 months in his role as Treasurer. But sadly he is still hooked on manipulating data and his forecasting skills appear as good as Marie Antoinette’s, who once told her husband that the noise outside the palace was just some party goers who would soon be heading home.
The tax review, health reform and Rudd fatigue.
May 7th, 2010 · 74 Comments
Well the Government’s response to the Henry Tax Review has been released and even Ruddites like David Koch from Kev07’s public relations program “Sunrise”, seem annoyed by the way the report is basically being shelved. Suddenly the business media has woken up to the fact that Rudd and Swan are economic dills, but as reader’s of this blog will be aware I have been warning about what these two would do to the economy for years.