How else?!
***
Monday, September 27, 2010
Kevin does his bit for the planet
How does our own champion of global warming practice what he preaches? By purchasing this environmentally-friendly, low carbon footprint, modest suburban bungalow in Canberra:
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sydney does transport disruption SO well
As if getting from A to B in Sydney isn't tortuous enough...
Early start tomorrow as I do a day trip to the big smoke. Have found out that my trip coincides with the Sydney Running Festival. How fricking serendipitous. Said festival might be in aid of a good cause, but my view is that roads are meant for motorised vehicles only (call me old-fashioned). Want to raise money for a cause? Try a read-a-thon. Want exercise? The choices are endless - but can you just stay off the roads - especially Sydney ones!
***
Early start tomorrow as I do a day trip to the big smoke. Have found out that my trip coincides with the Sydney Running Festival. How fricking serendipitous. Said festival might be in aid of a good cause, but my view is that roads are meant for motorised vehicles only (call me old-fashioned). Want to raise money for a cause? Try a read-a-thon. Want exercise? The choices are endless - but can you just stay off the roads - especially Sydney ones!
***
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Missed opportunities
Tony Abbott announced his Shadow Ministry today. He clearly doesn't read my blog, more's the pity.
A couple of clangers:
Oh dear: Keeping Peter Dutton in Health. What the - ? All I can say is Dutton must have covert skills and ability that just do not translate across through his media performances. Adding to his difficulties is the fact he is not a doctor, but his two junior shadow ministers in Andrew Southcott and Andrew Laming, are. Good luck with that one!
What the hell was he thinking: Status quo with Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb. For heaven's sake, look, I was listening to Jason Morrison interview former Peter Costello staffer Nikki Savva this afternoon, and both agreed that Robb and Hockey should have swapped portfolios - as do I. Robb has out-performed Hockey at just about every turn, and, if Joe's past performance is anything to go by, I don't think he will be Shadow Treasurer come the next election.
Pay attention: Tony didn't listen to my advice re Bruce Billson, in that I thought he should be relieved of shadow ministerial responsibilities so he could concentrate on holding his ultra-marginal electorate of Dunkley. Will the Libs hang on to Dunkley? Very, very iffy.
All in all, some good appointments, but, as I said, some opportunities missed. The overlooked should bide their time, though - they don't say a week is a long time in politics for nothing.
***
A couple of clangers:
Oh dear: Keeping Peter Dutton in Health. What the - ? All I can say is Dutton must have covert skills and ability that just do not translate across through his media performances. Adding to his difficulties is the fact he is not a doctor, but his two junior shadow ministers in Andrew Southcott and Andrew Laming, are. Good luck with that one!
What the hell was he thinking: Status quo with Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb. For heaven's sake, look, I was listening to Jason Morrison interview former Peter Costello staffer Nikki Savva this afternoon, and both agreed that Robb and Hockey should have swapped portfolios - as do I. Robb has out-performed Hockey at just about every turn, and, if Joe's past performance is anything to go by, I don't think he will be Shadow Treasurer come the next election.
Pay attention: Tony didn't listen to my advice re Bruce Billson, in that I thought he should be relieved of shadow ministerial responsibilities so he could concentrate on holding his ultra-marginal electorate of Dunkley. Will the Libs hang on to Dunkley? Very, very iffy.
All in all, some good appointments, but, as I said, some opportunities missed. The overlooked should bide their time, though - they don't say a week is a long time in politics for nothing.
***
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Bird watching
The Rosellas are fluttering about the backyard again. Their colourful plumage is a welcome sight from the kitchen window after the bare twigs of winter.
I have a bird feeder set up, into which I put a quarter of a cup of sunflower seeds - nothing more - morning and afternoon. Rosellas love 'em.
***
I have a bird feeder set up, into which I put a quarter of a cup of sunflower seeds - nothing more - morning and afternoon. Rosellas love 'em.
***
Happiness is...
Finding a bottle of your favourite Scotch at your local Woollies for under 30 bucks. Mmmmm, lovely!
***
***
Saturday, September 11, 2010
A proposed Shadow Ministry
Today, Julia Gillard has announced her new ministry, with a few surprises.
Tony Abbott has said that he will keep changes to his shadow ministry to a minimum. With that in mind, today, I announce The Right Aussie’s Shadow Cabinet – with just a couple of surprises of my own.
Just to be clear, this is my own proposal for a shadow cabinet makeup, and any resemblance with this list to the final annoucement by Tony Abbott is coincidental - but would show he had great discernment - anyhoo ...
I will shift Peter Dutton from Health to replace Ian Macfarlane in Industry and Resources; replacing Dutton in Health and Ageing is Malcolm Turnbull, returning to a shadow portfolio where he shouldn’t cause too much harm (if you’ll pardon the pun.)
Andrew Robb to replace Joe Hockey as shadow Treasurer. To me this is a no-brainer. I think Hockey will be a better fit in Finance, up against Penny Wong.
Sharman Stone replaces Bruce Billson in the Small Business portfolio. This was a hard one because Billson is very capable, and this should not be seen as a demotion; however, his Victorian seat of Dunkley is on a knife-edge, and relieving him of a shadow ministry will free up more time for him to devote to campaigning in his electorate. Ministries and marginal seats do not mix. Therefore, to get Billson back in the ministry, the Liberal Party would do well to find Billson a safer electorate. Geographically, the closest safest seat to Dunkley is Greg Hunt’s seat of Flinders, which would cause a few problems (though probably not for Billson.)
Replacing Sharman Stone in the Status of Women and Early Childcare portfolios is Nola Marino from WA.
Finally, I have removed Tony Smith from Broadband, to be replaced by David Bushby, a Senator from Tasmania, where he can match-up directly with his Labor counterpart.
Let’s see what happens.
***
Tony Abbott has said that he will keep changes to his shadow ministry to a minimum. With that in mind, today, I announce The Right Aussie’s Shadow Cabinet – with just a couple of surprises of my own.
Just to be clear, this is my own proposal for a shadow cabinet makeup, and any resemblance with this list to the final annoucement by Tony Abbott is coincidental - but would show he had great discernment - anyhoo ...
I will shift Peter Dutton from Health to replace Ian Macfarlane in Industry and Resources; replacing Dutton in Health and Ageing is Malcolm Turnbull, returning to a shadow portfolio where he shouldn’t cause too much harm (if you’ll pardon the pun.)
Andrew Robb to replace Joe Hockey as shadow Treasurer. To me this is a no-brainer. I think Hockey will be a better fit in Finance, up against Penny Wong.
Sharman Stone replaces Bruce Billson in the Small Business portfolio. This was a hard one because Billson is very capable, and this should not be seen as a demotion; however, his Victorian seat of Dunkley is on a knife-edge, and relieving him of a shadow ministry will free up more time for him to devote to campaigning in his electorate. Ministries and marginal seats do not mix. Therefore, to get Billson back in the ministry, the Liberal Party would do well to find Billson a safer electorate. Geographically, the closest safest seat to Dunkley is Greg Hunt’s seat of Flinders, which would cause a few problems (though probably not for Billson.)
Replacing Sharman Stone in the Status of Women and Early Childcare portfolios is Nola Marino from WA.
Finally, I have removed Tony Smith from Broadband, to be replaced by David Bushby, a Senator from Tasmania, where he can match-up directly with his Labor counterpart.
Let’s see what happens.
***
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
This election ain't sorted yet, folks
A great perversion of the political process has taken place today in Australia - one not seen in this country for generations.
On August 21, 2010 the people voted for a change of government, as evidenced by the popular vote, the two party preferred vote, the total number of votes, and the number of seats won. Yet, all that pales into insignificance to Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.
Today, democracy was usurped by the opportunism of a couple of self-aggrandising demagogues who have pledged to support a political party ideologically the opposite of more than half of the voters in their own electorates.
Those voters in Lyne and New England have been treated like fools. Listening to the radio and reading blogs today, I get the feeling that Oakeshott and Windsor are going to find out very soon that they have bitten off more than they can chew.
Ms Gillard might have cause for a little worry, as well.
***
On August 21, 2010 the people voted for a change of government, as evidenced by the popular vote, the two party preferred vote, the total number of votes, and the number of seats won. Yet, all that pales into insignificance to Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.
Today, democracy was usurped by the opportunism of a couple of self-aggrandising demagogues who have pledged to support a political party ideologically the opposite of more than half of the voters in their own electorates.
Those voters in Lyne and New England have been treated like fools. Listening to the radio and reading blogs today, I get the feeling that Oakeshott and Windsor are going to find out very soon that they have bitten off more than they can chew.
Ms Gillard might have cause for a little worry, as well.
***
Hold your horses - don't forget Corangamite
The result today of 76 Lab - 74 Coalition, is predicated on the Labor party winning the Victorian seat of Corangamite. However, the AEC have not declared this seat, and the Liberal party candidate is about 700 votes behind with about 2000 to be counted. If the Libs get up in Corangamite then it will be 75 - 75 ... and very interesting!
***
***
Electorates will not forget shameless deserters
Tony Windsor has announced previously that he most probably will be resigning at the end of this parliament. He will, therefore, be able to live with his decision, and take the brickbats from his electorate knowing that he will not need to defend his decision to the voters of New England in three years time.
Rob Oakeshott has a bigger problem. He is relatively young and will be hopeing there is more than three years left of his political career. The people of his electorate of Lyne might have something to say about that. Oakeshott's performance, has, over the past 17 days, been one of the most shameless, vacuous, self-absorbed and vainglorious displays I have ever seen. He spent the better part of fifteen minutes of a news conference this afternoon assailing the nation with the sound of his own voice whilst saying nothing. It took him 10 seconds right at the end to state he was backing Labor.
Democracy died in Australia this afternoon. Why? Well, consider that in 2007, the coalition got 42.1% of the primary vote. Labor's primary vote in 2010 is currently below 38%. Yet Oakeshott and Windsor give their imprimatur to Labor. It is nothing short of a gross subversion of the political process.
If what happened this afternoon in Canberra is not a textbook example of why Australia should adopt a first-past-the-post system of voting, I don't know what is.
UPDATE
Andrew Bolt posts:
This is going to be a cracking parliament. It’s going to be ugly but beautiful in its ugliness.
***
Rob Oakeshott has a bigger problem. He is relatively young and will be hopeing there is more than three years left of his political career. The people of his electorate of Lyne might have something to say about that. Oakeshott's performance, has, over the past 17 days, been one of the most shameless, vacuous, self-absorbed and vainglorious displays I have ever seen. He spent the better part of fifteen minutes of a news conference this afternoon assailing the nation with the sound of his own voice whilst saying nothing. It took him 10 seconds right at the end to state he was backing Labor.
Democracy died in Australia this afternoon. Why? Well, consider that in 2007, the coalition got 42.1% of the primary vote. Labor's primary vote in 2010 is currently below 38%. Yet Oakeshott and Windsor give their imprimatur to Labor. It is nothing short of a gross subversion of the political process.
If what happened this afternoon in Canberra is not a textbook example of why Australia should adopt a first-past-the-post system of voting, I don't know what is.
UPDATE
Andrew Bolt posts:
Oakeshott really is on another planet;
This is going to be a cracking parliament. It’s going to be ugly but beautiful in its ugliness.
***
Oakeshott speaks now
Still waiting for Oakeshott's announcement.
Good grief, he's still waffling on, and on.
This is ridiculous. He's been talking for a good five minutes now and still hasn't announced he will be supporting Labor.
This is idiotic. I think he's been talking for nearly ten minutes, without saying anything.
He eventually (finally) announces he will be backing Labor.
Three years of chaos ensue.
***
Good grief, he's still waffling on, and on.
This is ridiculous. He's been talking for a good five minutes now and still hasn't announced he will be supporting Labor.
This is idiotic. I think he's been talking for nearly ten minutes, without saying anything.
He eventually (finally) announces he will be backing Labor.
Three years of chaos ensue.
***
Katter breaks for the coalition.
One down, two to go.
I think the tally is now 74 -74.
UPDATE
If Oakeshott backs Labor (which is almost unanimously tipped), and Windsor goes for the Coalition, then it will be 75 - 75 and back to the polls.
If Windsor backs Labor (with Oakeshott), then it will be 76 - 74 in Labor's favour.
I don't need to tell you which one I think should happen.
UPDATE 2
It has been brought to my attention that if Katter has come out with his announcement first, and sans his other two amigos, then it almost certainly means that he has broken ranks with Oakeshott and Windsor, and Labor has won.
UPDATE 3
Windsor announces he's supporting the Labor Party. 75 - 74.
***
I think the tally is now 74 -74.
UPDATE
If Oakeshott backs Labor (which is almost unanimously tipped), and Windsor goes for the Coalition, then it will be 75 - 75 and back to the polls.
If Windsor backs Labor (with Oakeshott), then it will be 76 - 74 in Labor's favour.
I don't need to tell you which one I think should happen.
UPDATE 2
It has been brought to my attention that if Katter has come out with his announcement first, and sans his other two amigos, then it almost certainly means that he has broken ranks with Oakeshott and Windsor, and Labor has won.
UPDATE 3
Windsor announces he's supporting the Labor Party. 75 - 74.
***
Canberra charade nearly over
The independents purportedly are close to making a decision and will announce something this afternoon.
About freaking time.
These yokels have had more than enough time in the spotlight. My fervent wish is, that after they announce which side they are going to support, that they are never seen nor heard from for at least the next three years. I would prefer longer, of course, but, unlike them, I'm not greedy.
***
About freaking time.
These yokels have had more than enough time in the spotlight. My fervent wish is, that after they announce which side they are going to support, that they are never seen nor heard from for at least the next three years. I would prefer longer, of course, but, unlike them, I'm not greedy.
***
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Christchurch earthquake
I have been meaning to post something about the Christchurch earthquake, but a bad head cold sounds a trite excuse compared to what Canterbury residents are going through right now. Ironic, isn’t it, that in the 2000 years since Christchurch’s partial namesake walked the earth, no one has invented a cure for the common cold, and no one can tell us where the next big earth rattle will happen. Life is weird.
As I wrote in the shared items on the right, Christchurch is one of my top five cities in the world. I first visited in 2004 and was captivated by its charms: its river, its stately buildings, its lively street scene, its very Englishness.
I nearly applied for a job in Christchurch last year, but my precarious financial situation at the time meant that idea went on the back burner. However, were I to ever move across the ditch, Christchurch was always the first place I would have considered making my new home. Buildings might have crumbled since, but my feelings remain the same.
I am saddened at the damage the earthquake has caused, and my thoughts go to all affected residents of Christchurch and Canterbury. If I could get some time off work, I would be on the next plane, to assist where I could, and give a little back to the city that will always have a special place in my heart.
Christchurch is the shining beacon of the south island. At the moment its light has gone out, but I know Cantabrians will stick together to restore their city and their region’s sparkle. It will take patience and time – and buckets of money … some of which I hope makes its way there from the folks on the big, funny-looking island to your west.
***
As I wrote in the shared items on the right, Christchurch is one of my top five cities in the world. I first visited in 2004 and was captivated by its charms: its river, its stately buildings, its lively street scene, its very Englishness.
I nearly applied for a job in Christchurch last year, but my precarious financial situation at the time meant that idea went on the back burner. However, were I to ever move across the ditch, Christchurch was always the first place I would have considered making my new home. Buildings might have crumbled since, but my feelings remain the same.
I am saddened at the damage the earthquake has caused, and my thoughts go to all affected residents of Christchurch and Canterbury. If I could get some time off work, I would be on the next plane, to assist where I could, and give a little back to the city that will always have a special place in my heart.
Christchurch is the shining beacon of the south island. At the moment its light has gone out, but I know Cantabrians will stick together to restore their city and their region’s sparkle. It will take patience and time – and buckets of money … some of which I hope makes its way there from the folks on the big, funny-looking island to your west.
***
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The journey from Abbott to Sainthood
Dennis Shanahan writes today in the Weekend Oz of the rise of an unlikely saviour of the Liberal Party.
The test of Abbott's leadership now rests on how quickly he can fashion a vote of no confidence in a likely Gillard minority government, and get us back to the polls.
If Abbott can do that, and garner enough first preference votes to enable his side to govern in its own right, then his canonisation will be a mere formality.
***
The test of Abbott's leadership now rests on how quickly he can fashion a vote of no confidence in a likely Gillard minority government, and get us back to the polls.
If Abbott can do that, and garner enough first preference votes to enable his side to govern in its own right, then his canonisation will be a mere formality.
***
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wilkie sides with Labor - anyone surprised?
Andrew Wilkie, the Tasmanian Independent (who got elected on Liberal preferences) has decided to back Julia Gillard, making her one step closer to a high tea date with Bill Shorten's mother-in-law.
Wilkie can kiss those Liberal preferences good-bye come the next election.
The three ex- National Party Independents have yet to make up their mind which side they dislike the least. My guess is that Oakeshott will go with Labor, Tony Windsor will go with the Coalition, and Bob Katter won't be able to make up his mind until about April next year.
***
Wilkie can kiss those Liberal preferences good-bye come the next election.
The three ex- National Party Independents have yet to make up their mind which side they dislike the least. My guess is that Oakeshott will go with Labor, Tony Windsor will go with the Coalition, and Bob Katter won't be able to make up his mind until about April next year.
***
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