The past week has seen both sides of politics trying to outdo each other with their commitment to fairness. Labor wants to scrap Australian Workplace Agreements and introduce a fairer system embodied in Forward with Fairness and Fair Work Australia. Howard responded immediately to make his Work Choices fairer with some 'finetuning' to protect workers on less than $75000. Big Business condemned Labor and we had CEOs of some of our biggest companies saying the sky would fall if Work Choices was scrapped. I have to smile at CEOs who are on multi million dollar salaries pontificating about threats to whole sectors posed by collective bargaining. The just retired CEO of Rio Tinto was the saddest: Leigh Clifford earned $6.7 million last year (about $18,356 a day) bemoaned Labor's union driven agenda. How can these people relate to some 20 year old kid on $14.00 an hour in the retail sector being screwed out of penalty rates?
Of course Labor is not averse to a little fairness bypass as the shafting of the Labor member for Newcastle to make way for ACTU secretary, Greg Combet shows. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!.......fairness....... like beauty it is in the eye of the stubbyholder.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Mateship and Water
Finally the Howard Government comes up with something I totally agree with. They suggest pumping water from the mighty Clarence river in northern NSW over the border to the huge population centres of Southeast Queensland. At the outset I must declare that such a project would have to have strict controls. NOBODY is talking about draining the Clarence DRY!!! To be viable it would be about harvesting the excess water only to the extent that the Clarence's ecology and biodiversity would not be harmed.
But of course as soon as the idea is raised political and self interest jump right in. Consequently there is no way this proposal will get off the ground. The (Labor) NSW government won't countenance a (Liberal) Federal government idea that might be popular in Queensland where votes in the November election will be critical. Then there are the locals who see the proposal as the end of the world and think the Clarence is to be replaced by a large empty drain.
So...... mateship in Australia does not extend to sharing water.
EXCEPT where I live. Premier Peter Beattie is working 24/7 building a pipeline from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast so that water can be pumped from our full dams to Brisbane's near empty dams. Of course this is a stopgap measure that governments excel in and it would be more visionary to be construct a pipeline from the bountiful rivers of northern Queensland. A short pipeline from NSW's northern rivers would be the simplest and most logical but simplicity and logic don't sit well with experts and governments.
FOOTNOTE: I wonder if the guy who cut down the last tree on Easter Island intended sharing the wood with his mates or whether it was for his exclusive use and if so whether he was beaten to death by envious others.
But of course as soon as the idea is raised political and self interest jump right in. Consequently there is no way this proposal will get off the ground. The (Labor) NSW government won't countenance a (Liberal) Federal government idea that might be popular in Queensland where votes in the November election will be critical. Then there are the locals who see the proposal as the end of the world and think the Clarence is to be replaced by a large empty drain.
So...... mateship in Australia does not extend to sharing water.
EXCEPT where I live. Premier Peter Beattie is working 24/7 building a pipeline from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast so that water can be pumped from our full dams to Brisbane's near empty dams. Of course this is a stopgap measure that governments excel in and it would be more visionary to be construct a pipeline from the bountiful rivers of northern Queensland. A short pipeline from NSW's northern rivers would be the simplest and most logical but simplicity and logic don't sit well with experts and governments.
FOOTNOTE: I wonder if the guy who cut down the last tree on Easter Island intended sharing the wood with his mates or whether it was for his exclusive use and if so whether he was beaten to death by envious others.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
David Hicks
So David Hicks has pleaded guilty to providing support for terrorism. Who wouldn't have to just get out of the hell of Guantanamo? For people like John Howard to say this proves what a traitorous bastard he is shows a lack of understanding of what motivates a person to escape horrific conditions. Jail in Australia has got to be a preferable option. The bigger crime is that he had to languish there for 5 years while John and George played political footsies.
I often think how good it would be if we could return to the ancient times where leaders led their armies into battle. The invasion of Iraq with George, Tony and John in the first tank into Baghdad!!! The war would never have got off the ground. They would have said: 'Stuff the oil! Let's get serious about solar power.'
I often think how good it would be if we could return to the ancient times where leaders led their armies into battle. The invasion of Iraq with George, Tony and John in the first tank into Baghdad!!! The war would never have got off the ground. They would have said: 'Stuff the oil! Let's get serious about solar power.'
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Aussie Values - Good Value??
I just saw an item on TV showing Fred Nile, under a huge banner with the Australian Flag and the words AUSSIE VALUES, calling for a halt to Muslim migration until it can be established that the existing 300,000 Australian Muslims can be vouched for as worthy Aussies. Stone the bloody crows!!! When jingoism, racism and Christian self
righteousness collide they make for a perverse mix.
Then there was the standard 60 Minutes piece which once again talked of Aussie Values being freedom, mateship, patriotism, resilience, optimism (the kind that begets ‘she’ll be right!’). The usual suspects were interviewed: the ex-convict (freedom); the soldier (mateship); the dynastic grazier (resilience and optimism); the migrant (the lot); the flag draped yobbo (patriotism to excess). Once again it was presented as if these values are the exclusive province of Australians. Somewhere in there I guess Aussie Values do reside but it is the misuse of them by anyone from politicians to ordinary people that really gets me. It’s such a copout to use Aussie Values as a weapon in any holier than thou attack on someone whose difference you can’t handle. When you look at the daily examples of ALL sorts of people behaving contrary to the Aussie Values that we all think identify us a Aussies then you realize they are more an ideal than a real thing. The unprovoked bashings, the corruption, the executive crime, the ridiculous salaries that company CEOs get paid, the preference for vested interests, the rip offs and exploitation, the road rage, the obscene defences lawyers mount for vermin, etc. etc etc. all have nothing to do with fair go and mateship and tolerance and all the rest that we think typically characterize Australians. Values are open to all sorts of interpretation, use and misuse. That's what I'm doing here you may say!
righteousness collide they make for a perverse mix.
Then there was the standard 60 Minutes piece which once again talked of Aussie Values being freedom, mateship, patriotism, resilience, optimism (the kind that begets ‘she’ll be right!’). The usual suspects were interviewed: the ex-convict (freedom); the soldier (mateship); the dynastic grazier (resilience and optimism); the migrant (the lot); the flag draped yobbo (patriotism to excess). Once again it was presented as if these values are the exclusive province of Australians. Somewhere in there I guess Aussie Values do reside but it is the misuse of them by anyone from politicians to ordinary people that really gets me. It’s such a copout to use Aussie Values as a weapon in any holier than thou attack on someone whose difference you can’t handle. When you look at the daily examples of ALL sorts of people behaving contrary to the Aussie Values that we all think identify us a Aussies then you realize they are more an ideal than a real thing. The unprovoked bashings, the corruption, the executive crime, the ridiculous salaries that company CEOs get paid, the preference for vested interests, the rip offs and exploitation, the road rage, the obscene defences lawyers mount for vermin, etc. etc etc. all have nothing to do with fair go and mateship and tolerance and all the rest that we think typically characterize Australians. Values are open to all sorts of interpretation, use and misuse. That's what I'm doing here you may say!
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Aaaaaaaah!! Good old Mateship
Another week that showed that good old aussie value mateship in all its glory. Kevin Rudd really got caught out by including ex crims in his mateship circle. Even our mates can get us into strife!! (Howard's mate George Bush has got him into strife over Iraq). Then one of Howard's ministerial mates had to be cut loose so Howard and his cronies, Costello and Abbott could maintain the onslaught against Rudd.
The whole episode, which I'm sure will surface regularly for months to come, illustrates clearly what I've been on about in this blog. Mateship is not always the great thing it is often cracked up to be. Misguided mateship can see mates lead mates into the jaws of hell. Mateship also knows when it's time to pull the plug.
PS Costello's and Abbott's snarling performances in the Parliament probably did them more harm than good. Imagine them with an attack of road rage.
The whole episode, which I'm sure will surface regularly for months to come, illustrates clearly what I've been on about in this blog. Mateship is not always the great thing it is often cracked up to be. Misguided mateship can see mates lead mates into the jaws of hell. Mateship also knows when it's time to pull the plug.
PS Costello's and Abbott's snarling performances in the Parliament probably did them more harm than good. Imagine them with an attack of road rage.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Dick Cheney has mates in The Australian
Here is a letter I sent to The Australian that didn't get published.
The Editor
The Australian
The editorial (26/2) on Cheney's visit acknowledges that Bush and Cheney 'did not have a clue what to do next' after Saddam's removal. Instead of saying they still don't and chiding Cheney, it goes on to present him in a favourable light even when that glow includes nuclear possibilities in Iran. It is as if Greg Sheridanial took over and pasted in the tiresome pro Bush/Howard/Cheney sentiments from his Saturday Inquirer interview with the Vice President. The editorial says Mr Cheney is ' indefatigable' and we Aussies should be grateful. Zealous would be a better label and most Aussies now know the price for Cheney's and Bush's zealotry has been far too high. How amazing that this cut and paste editorial appeared opposite the more realistic article by C. Layne entitled Dick Cheney has led America Down the Road To Hell in Iraq.
The Editor
The Australian
The editorial (26/2) on Cheney's visit acknowledges that Bush and Cheney 'did not have a clue what to do next' after Saddam's removal. Instead of saying they still don't and chiding Cheney, it goes on to present him in a favourable light even when that glow includes nuclear possibilities in Iran. It is as if Greg Sheridanial took over and pasted in the tiresome pro Bush/Howard/Cheney sentiments from his Saturday Inquirer interview with the Vice President. The editorial says Mr Cheney is ' indefatigable' and we Aussies should be grateful. Zealous would be a better label and most Aussies now know the price for Cheney's and Bush's zealotry has been far too high. How amazing that this cut and paste editorial appeared opposite the more realistic article by C. Layne entitled Dick Cheney has led America Down the Road To Hell in Iraq.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A Week of Mateship
Wow! What a week! US Vice President, Dick Cheney, came and went. He managed to extract some mileage from John Willimason - true blue is 'standing by your mates'. Well 70% of Australians don't think it's still OK to stand with John Howard and George Bush in Iraq. If only Cheney could see behind the trees and catch a glimpse of the forest.
And what about the gift to Rudd of a staged British withdrawal from Iraq? This just hours after Rudd was being lampooned by Howard's cronies that this was sky falling in stuff. Tony Abbot was the best. He wailed that a staged withdrawal was a staged surrender. When Blair made his announcement, they ran for cover saying the British were relocating, scaling back, adjusting priorities. JESUS!! they think we are dumb! But then journalists like Greg Sheridan and Paul Kelly of The Australian are always garnishing their lightly disguised pro Bush/Howard articles with preumptions that the public at large don't have the insights and real understanding that they have. They looked more journalistically arrogant than usual as they struggled with Defence Minister Nelson's sublime declaration that there could be no victory in Iraq. Nelson even compared the struggle in Iraq to the Battle of Kokoda. Of course this is all manna from heaven for Rudd.
And what about the gift to Rudd of a staged British withdrawal from Iraq? This just hours after Rudd was being lampooned by Howard's cronies that this was sky falling in stuff. Tony Abbot was the best. He wailed that a staged withdrawal was a staged surrender. When Blair made his announcement, they ran for cover saying the British were relocating, scaling back, adjusting priorities. JESUS!! they think we are dumb! But then journalists like Greg Sheridan and Paul Kelly of The Australian are always garnishing their lightly disguised pro Bush/Howard articles with preumptions that the public at large don't have the insights and real understanding that they have. They looked more journalistically arrogant than usual as they struggled with Defence Minister Nelson's sublime declaration that there could be no victory in Iraq. Nelson even compared the struggle in Iraq to the Battle of Kokoda. Of course this is all manna from heaven for Rudd.
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