Antipodean links
The ASIC website has a list of scam companies.
About the CFMEU’s campaign against independent contractors and self-employed people. Which is getting traction in the Federal Labor Government. More.
Noting the problem of inner city creeping nimbyism. About the problems of Oz as a polarised nation, particularly about environmental issues.
An appreciation of the late Sir Ron Trotter.
Polling finds Australians have positive attitudes to refugees, including refugees as migrants: it is boat-arrivals they are not keen on.
About the problem of Muslim crime gangs in Sydney.
The administration of NSW WorkCover can and does destroy small businesses.
Possibly not the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s finest moment:
A MAN declared a white supremacist by police and ruled a possible risk to public safety by a psychiatrist has been granted the right to possess a handgun.
Darryl Potts, who believes there is a Jewish conspiracy to destroy other races, had his AB firearms and probationary pistol licences revoked by police after he expressed "white supremacy views" to officers during an incident involving domestic violence. But, in a landmark case, the Administrative Decisions Tribunal has ruled that, even though Mr Potts might hold extreme and offensive views, that does not mean he is mentally impaired and he is legally entitled to a firearm licence.
Proposal to have MPs “cash out” their perks: if only other employees were allowed to do that …
A Federal Labor MP is having a little difficulty. The Federal ALP really does not want a by-election. Poll finds NSW voters are REALLY determined to punish Labor (which they did). A case of winning one election too many …
The Coalition achieves narrow majorities in both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. Suggesting that big-project arrogance was the Victorian Government’s main liability. Noting that losing Governments run on “Leadership”.
Rumblings in Queensland ALP as polling shows the lowest ever level of support for the ALP (28%). ETU announces it will not be supporting the NSW ALP, even though the State President is head of the ETU:
The pledge by the union follows the decision by 17 MPs not to contest the next election with more expected to announce they are stepping down before the poll.
The governing ALP in South Australia are suffering some internal ructions. The WA Coalition Government is strengthening in the polls.
About Greens as the new DLP. About the Greens economic policies and links with left-unions:
Former Labor senator John Black says the Greens simply do not get economics. He believes the party does not understand its primacy, let alone how a complex machine such as the economy operates. Black runs a social research company. He says the Greens' core demographic has two outstanding characteristics. It is well-off and has liberal arts degrees. "It doesn't have degrees where you have to add up," he says.
Black points to an additional characteristic of many Greens supporters. They work in the public sector and have defined-benefit superannuation.
"They're not slogging it out there in a small business enterprise living hand to mouth week to week, handing out a lot of money to your employees which is fixed and then having to live off what's left," he says "I don't think they've got the slightest idea how a business works, I don't think they've got the slightest idea how a budget works and they're wedded to the public sector unions."
The word "growth" does not appear anywhere in the Greens economic manifesto. Instead, we hear "timely and cost-effective solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges can be achieved by a cohesive industry policy" and are told "sustainable, equitable economic progress is best achieved by government ownership of natural monopolies and new government investment in strategic assets".
Grattan Institute economist Saul Eslake describes the document policy as "an amalgam of policies designed to ensure that environmental issues are given greater weight in major economic decisions" and "old-fashioned left-wing policies [that] used to enjoy widespread support within Labor ranks but, for very good reasons, no longer do."
One other well-known economist is less kind. He call it "hairshirt for the sake of hairshirt."
Prominent ALP figure praises the Victorian Libs for putting the Greens last:
Labor right faction powerbroker Bill Shorten praised the Liberals on election night for taking the stance on preferences which, he said, showed they clearly stand for a conservative view of the world, they are not trying to play political games and work with the far left - a veiled warning to the left wing to allow the Gillard government to get on with its job without distraction.
"They (the Greens) are sort of a dinner party conversation where everyone has a good idea and then its turned into politics," he told ABC radio.
Yes, some of them are a bit out-of-date: I have been slack.
About the CFMEU’s campaign against independent contractors and self-employed people. Which is getting traction in the Federal Labor Government. More.
Noting the problem of inner city creeping nimbyism. About the problems of Oz as a polarised nation, particularly about environmental issues.
An appreciation of the late Sir Ron Trotter.
Polling finds Australians have positive attitudes to refugees, including refugees as migrants: it is boat-arrivals they are not keen on.
About the problem of Muslim crime gangs in Sydney.
The administration of NSW WorkCover can and does destroy small businesses.
Possibly not the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s finest moment:
A MAN declared a white supremacist by police and ruled a possible risk to public safety by a psychiatrist has been granted the right to possess a handgun.
Darryl Potts, who believes there is a Jewish conspiracy to destroy other races, had his AB firearms and probationary pistol licences revoked by police after he expressed "white supremacy views" to officers during an incident involving domestic violence. But, in a landmark case, the Administrative Decisions Tribunal has ruled that, even though Mr Potts might hold extreme and offensive views, that does not mean he is mentally impaired and he is legally entitled to a firearm licence.
Proposal to have MPs “cash out” their perks: if only other employees were allowed to do that …
A Federal Labor MP is having a little difficulty. The Federal ALP really does not want a by-election. Poll finds NSW voters are REALLY determined to punish Labor (which they did). A case of winning one election too many …
The Coalition achieves narrow majorities in both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. Suggesting that big-project arrogance was the Victorian Government’s main liability. Noting that losing Governments run on “Leadership”.
Rumblings in Queensland ALP as polling shows the lowest ever level of support for the ALP (28%). ETU announces it will not be supporting the NSW ALP, even though the State President is head of the ETU:
The pledge by the union follows the decision by 17 MPs not to contest the next election with more expected to announce they are stepping down before the poll.
The governing ALP in South Australia are suffering some internal ructions. The WA Coalition Government is strengthening in the polls.
About Greens as the new DLP. About the Greens economic policies and links with left-unions:
Former Labor senator John Black says the Greens simply do not get economics. He believes the party does not understand its primacy, let alone how a complex machine such as the economy operates. Black runs a social research company. He says the Greens' core demographic has two outstanding characteristics. It is well-off and has liberal arts degrees. "It doesn't have degrees where you have to add up," he says.
Black points to an additional characteristic of many Greens supporters. They work in the public sector and have defined-benefit superannuation.
"They're not slogging it out there in a small business enterprise living hand to mouth week to week, handing out a lot of money to your employees which is fixed and then having to live off what's left," he says "I don't think they've got the slightest idea how a business works, I don't think they've got the slightest idea how a budget works and they're wedded to the public sector unions."
The word "growth" does not appear anywhere in the Greens economic manifesto. Instead, we hear "timely and cost-effective solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges can be achieved by a cohesive industry policy" and are told "sustainable, equitable economic progress is best achieved by government ownership of natural monopolies and new government investment in strategic assets".
Grattan Institute economist Saul Eslake describes the document policy as "an amalgam of policies designed to ensure that environmental issues are given greater weight in major economic decisions" and "old-fashioned left-wing policies [that] used to enjoy widespread support within Labor ranks but, for very good reasons, no longer do."
One other well-known economist is less kind. He call it "hairshirt for the sake of hairshirt."
Prominent ALP figure praises the Victorian Libs for putting the Greens last:
Labor right faction powerbroker Bill Shorten praised the Liberals on election night for taking the stance on preferences which, he said, showed they clearly stand for a conservative view of the world, they are not trying to play political games and work with the far left - a veiled warning to the left wing to allow the Gillard government to get on with its job without distraction.
"They (the Greens) are sort of a dinner party conversation where everyone has a good idea and then its turned into politics," he told ABC radio.
Yes, some of them are a bit out-of-date: I have been slack.