ABC Radio reports Morris Iemma has told a meeting of his faction that he will resign. He will be succeeded by Nathan Rees, who entered parliament barely 18 months ago as member for Toongabbie.
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244 Comments
hooray.
and…
WHO THE F*CK is Nathan Rees ?
Who the f*ck is Nathan Rees?
He isn’t Morris Iemma LOL
All good as long as that boofhead Kenneally doesn’t move up the order.
Yep, Costa sacked, Iemma resigned, Watkins laying into the Costa and his backers at Monday’s Caucus meeting, by-elections may abound (well, Costa in the Council, so his will be an orderly transfer…). Ree’s has been a Minister almost since he was elected (for Water & Emergency Services). He’s theorteically from the left, but is a cleanskin as far as Carr/Obied/Tripodi etc identification with the public is concerned. And they’ve brought Carmel Tebbutt back onto the front bench (Anthony Albanese’s partner).
Will there be a flow on effect from this? There must be quite a few mandarins whose positions were built on patronage from the ancient regime.
Couldn’t they have waited until after the WA election to have such an ugly brawl? I don’t know how much notice anyone in WA is going to take of this but it can’t help much. It does contribute to the meme that state Labor is falling apart and nees to be gotten rid of.
Carmel Tebbutt is certain to be Deputy Premier.
Whoever runs in the Lakemba by-election is gunna get POUNDED. +20% swing, anybody? There’s a 34% margin there so any sane person’d say it’ll always be safe Labor, but… you never know. Labor seems to have gone to hell in a bad way over there.
John Watkins would have made a great Premier, a thoroughly decent bloke!
The loss of his talents is far more devestating for the N.S.W Government than the end of Iemma!
Good luck to Mr Watkins in his new job with Alzeimers Australia.
As for Mr Rees: the jury is out!
Can the lawyers please hunt down some obscure legal loophole that allows fixed-term governments to be booted out before their time.
Please?
What a joke.
I wouldn’t like to be Costa’s groomsman tonight (”Marriage to the mob goes sour”). But he must have known it was coming. There’s only so much bullying people can bear before they lost their patience (or fear).
He’ll pop up at Mac Bank soon enough - dreadful, dreadful man …
“lose”
Maybe the ALP won’t be reduced to a dozen seats at the next election now…
Whether it was good policy or not (and it seems the majority of the population thought it wasn’t) Labor needs to rid itself of the electricity privatisation policy and leave the Libs with it. Afterall all, the Libs have only said that it shouldn’t be introduced now. Labor needs to say it will not be introduced at all.
Bird of Paradox,
Do you live in the Lakemba electorate?
If yes, why are you predicting +20% swing?
Another triple by-election. After Carr, Refshauge, Egan, and Knowles all resigned in 2005 it’s happening again.
10 MDMConnell - why? Give the new lot a chance. One way or another they will be judged in 2011 anyway. If they continue to fail they’ll be turfed out, if not then a real positive has been achieved even if they lose the next election.
Lets face it, impaling Iemma was needed for Rudd. Having Iemma and Costa arrund when Rudd faces election would have been very tricky indeed.
Have they been arrested yet?
And Nathan Rees could surprise us all and do a wonderful job, but if he keeps the same old deadwood in the cabinet because they voted for him, his reign as premier will be off to a bad start.
Interesting article from the Australian on who’s likely to get what (well, this was pre-Iemma going, but gives an idea of likely portfolio shuffles).
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24298032-12377,00.html
Actually, Sartor in health, Kenneally in environment & Daley in the cabinet couldn’t make it any worse than it already is (although Firth has been good for DECC). Though Kenneally is my local MP and I am NOT impressed…
David Borger would be a good addition to the cabinet, he achieved a lot as mayor of Parramatta.
Gary Bruce@17
I agree re eltting them have a shot at it - Rees & Tebbutt could make a reaaly active and interesting pair. Tebbutt is a good performer, Rees is a cleanskin, and even Eddie & Joe know that some of the deadwood (themselves not included of course!) have to go - Meagher is one and Sartor needs somewhere he can do less damage.
Looking at both Refshauge and Watkins departing before having a go at the top job, its hard not to think that the Carr-Tripodi group has shot themselves in the foot. They are so desperate to cling to power that they eventually sideline the talent that might renew the party in NSW. Its a mindset of “either we’re in control or we’re in opposition”. I can’t help compare this (very unfavourably) to Peter Beatty’s grooming of Anna Bligh for the leadership transition in Qld. Labor has a fair chance of relection there now.
I think it would be a mistake to say that it is just due to the electricity privatisation. That was a symptom of the problem, which still exists. Labor needs to find a leader who will confront the rotten reality of NSW public administration.
MDMConnell @ 10, Malcolm Farr mentions a petition mechanism being discussed by senior Liberals, but does not go into detail as to how it would work.
“There is a move among senior Liberals to petition for an early election, and they would have no trouble getting the names needed.”
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/malcolmfarr/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/nsw_labors_stained_legacy/
I’m reluctant to think that a swing that massive is going to happen. Even if a party is on the nose, rusted on voters in safe seats will be reluctant to defect. Furthermore, from what I’ve heard (at least as a Western Australian), Lakemba’s a classic Labor seat: working class with a strong ethnic culture.
As for what’s proving to be a massive turnover, I’m curious as to how this is going to work out. Labor’s instability concerns me, but the Coalition’s rejection of the power sell-off was utterly political in nature. Imre Saluzinsky says that O’Farrell is taking a risk with his opposition, would you find this to be the case, New South Welshmen?
10: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca1902188/s24b.html
It’s funny that the Right is finally giving in to the Left having the Premiership, but giving it to the new guy, not Tebbutt or Watkins (I think he would’ve been treated the same as Tebbutt if it hadn’t been his resignation that had triggered the coup).
It’s surely a bit of an insult to Tebbutt, considering her resume, to be the deputy to Nathan Rees.
Nathan Rees is taking on a poisoned chalice if ever there was one - in days of old the ALP gave that job to a woman!
According to the SMH - Iemma was forced out because the right would not agree to his dumping Reba Meagher, Kevin Greene and others. Also, Costa has dumped on the state budget - the budget that ‘hadn’t factored in’ electrcity privatisation but obviously had.
So, if Reba and Kevin are ministers next week, there will be ‘Why do you have ministers in your cabinet that Morrie wouldn’t have?’
And who do they blame for a state economy and budget that is stuffed?
It won’t be pretty.
I wondered if Canberra helped give Morrie the shove as he had the potential to bring Rudd down all by himself in 2010.
Socrates above is right - the factional system in NSW is so perverted when the best candidate by far - John Watkins - could not get the gig. As for Refshuage, he was pretty useless. I wonder if Michael Knight ever regrets getting out?
it’s a pity the imploding did’nt happen befote Watkins resigned, he was definatly safe hands, i dont know anything about Rees but Carmel Tebbutt is a good talent and after all she’s got Albanese to turn to for advice and he’s got plenty of political smarts, this is the turmoil that had to happen.
The Liberals won’t be running in Lakemba. The Coalition will probably gain two seats at the multi-by-election so will probably settle for that. They’ll win Oakeshott’s seat and I can’t see the ALP holding onto Ryde. Lakemba will probably turn into an ALP v Greens contest but, like Werriwa, it’s not the sort of place where the Greens could be a serious challenger.
The very little I have seen of Rees, gives me little confidence that he will in any sense be an improvement.
more likely he was told he wouldn’t be getting the nod when Iemma got the can and decided to pack it in early
In Lakemba which is heavily Greek, Asian and Lebanese Muslim, the only way the ALP could lose would be if they endorsed Pauline Hansen pretending to be a Zionist Turk.
If an election were held tomorrow, even Carmel Tebbutt - the only person who may be able to salvage something out of the whole mess - would have to spend a lot of time defending her Marrickville backyard from the Greens.
Watkins supposedly had a huge blowup in caucus last Monday with Costa, that hastened his departure! He’d had a gutful of the whole mess, now he’s got a better job offer to pursue!
It’s a tragedy he never got to be Premier!
Midlandia,
Morris Iemma is very popular in the seat of Lakemba. There was 5.2% swing towards him last election.
He has achieved much for an area that has traditionally been forgotten. I guess that is a perk of being Premier.
The Liberals treat the area with contempt. It is many years since they have even bothered to hand out HTVs.
Even if Labor didn’t hand out HTVs in Lakemba, they would still win handsomely.
But informal would give them a run for their money!
Typical ALP Ploy. Try to bring in fresh faces to try and hide the smell of dog turd. This is what Morris Iemma was. Almost nobody had heard of him when he became Premier.
This may work once but the NSW electorate will not fall for it twice. Nathan Rees and Carmel Tebbutt are not new, they are part of the same hopeless, clapped out bunch of no-hopers that have been running the state for the last few years.
A new face will not change the reality. The state is broke, in recession and has appalling infrastructure. Meanwhile the ALP is just interested in their own jobs.
The Liberals must run in Lakemba. They will not win but a double digit swing will be fun to watch.
Labor’s primary vote will take a massive hit in Lakemba but they’ll still win. Liberals wouldn’t even bother running.
Ryde will be the key contest.
An interesting day. I think Tebbutt in particular could do wonders for the Government. Will have to wait and see what portfolios she picks up.
3- And for the record I think that Keneally is a great local member and minister and you’re the first person I’ve heard say to the contrary. Why the angst?
blackburnsseph,
I gather you’re one of those voting informal!
And 16 - Ben, why the triple? Are you including Port Mac or am I missing something (Costa is a MLC)?
And now we can look forward to the “glowing testimonials”, the “lustrous acknowledgements” and the “triumphal valedictories” … oh, this will be fun.
Morris Iemma, doe-eyed monument to mediocrity?, blinky-blinky puppet leader of a failed government (administered by bullies and jellybacks)? or … misunderstood trier?
Tears and laughter followed by regret, a contract or two and finally, we pray, complete and utter obscurity.
He’ll pop up at St Mary’s soon enough (in a dark coat with the collar high) … piteous, piteous man …
Yeah, I’m including Port Macquarie. Sure, it’s not caused by this, but it will be part of the narrative of the Coalition gaining an extra seat there.
Port Macquarie, Ryde and probally Lakemba?
re: MDMConnell
MDMConnell,
You are obviously have first hand knowledge about the electorate of Lakemba.
Please fill everyone in on what people are saying to you in the electorate.
Regards,
It’s been a big year for elections
-NT urban councils
-Queensland councils
-Gippsland
-NT election
-WA election
-Mayo
-Lyne
-NSW councils
-NT shire councils
-Port Macquarie
-Ryde
-Lakemba?
-ACT election
-Vic councils
A very very very sad day for NSW.
Costa was bad but was actually on to an essential truth - NSW has an unsustainable bloated public sector. He clearly wanted to sell electricity because he could not afford the cost of the public sector.
The NSW unions are desperate to keep their head in the sand and insist on their government ignoring this reality.
The end point is Victoria circa 1992. Costa was actually the last chance to avoid this reality.
The double tragedy is that the NSW Liberals appear to be in real last man standing territory. Some of the better ones have left - ie Peta Seaton and Andrew Tink and it does not seem at all clear the talent bench is going to get replenished anytime soon. One good thing that may come out of this is there will such a tsunami hit the NSW ALP in 2011 that the Liberal majority will actually give them the cojones to do what needs to be done in government.
Woe is NSW.
Ben Raue,
Port Macquarie by-election is set for 18 Ooctober 2008 (nominations close 19/9).
IMHO Ryde by-election won’t be held until after Epping-Chatswood railway opens. The railway is due to open later this year (I assume December). I suspect the by-election will be Feb 2009. I’m sure the ALP won’t be shy in pointing out Barry O’Farrell’s role in trying to stop this line from being built.
Barry @ 40
I am not enrolled in Lakemba and …
Any contributor to this noble blog would know how many boxes to number and …
Have a pretty good idea of who will get their No. 1
#45
Huh?
Yeah, the unions, along with Barry O’Farrell.
All he had to do was give the opposition members a conscience vote, and the privatisation would’ve gone through, which would’ve been the right thing to do for the state.
48 I’m pretty sure they’ll make a day of it on October 18. Feb is far to far away.
O’Farrell is so dumb
yeah we cannot leave the finance of NSW to Costa, Iemma and co. we have the last 12 years of nothing to show for it
But Iemma was gone at the next election at the latest
Now people might get fooled again that Labor had been reform like the last election under Iemma
ESJ is pretty on the money.
Costa, objectionable, rude, arrogant pig of a man that he is, is actually right. The NSW public sector unions need to be kicked.
CityRail is a prime example, so many corruption hearings at ICAC keep finding the same thing, but nothing ever changes.
The fact that the power base in the NSW ALP is Obeid / Tripodi speaks volumes. Both are/were useless ministers and (LEGAL SNIP - PB). Yet they are the ones who have the say as to who is Premier! The NSW ALP is in a sorry state and desperately need some time in the wilderness. The worry is that the Libs don’t seem to hold a lot of promise at this point either.
Rees is a product of the machine. I’m not holding out much hope. His ministerial allocations will be interesting. If proven duds like Meagher and Greene keep important portfolios, we’ll know that he is hopelessly compromised from the start by the need to keep his backers happy.
Totally unPC and all, but Lakemba will most likely stay labor - quite a big ethnic population there abouts. Don’t live there myself, but do my shoppiung there at times.
Well to be fair, in this case they couldn’t agree, so now the Premier and Deputy Premier are both from the left.
Alan Carpenter must be watching the resignation of Morris Iemma with horror. He must be hoping, against the odds I suspect, that there won’t be two new Premiers in Australia.
Good news for Barnett, the ALP brand is on the nose atm thanks Morris. When even Big Kim writes you off, the WA ALP must be on edge come Saturday night.
How long before O’Farrell gets booted by Baird?
Inner Westie {42} couldn’t be any worse than the constant testemonials and knees up the coalition have been dishing up to Howard,it’s been painful to watch their nostalgic kowtowing, at least this well give Rees and Tebbutt time to settle in and show their wares before an election, come to think of it O’Farrell would have been better off passing the legislation and keeping Iemma and his rabble in, he would have been a walk in at the next elextion, now it’s a completely new ball game.
Dovif,
I agree with you on that point.
Earlier this year, Mr O’Farrell was on ABC radio calling for water restrictions to be removed because the dam level was now 50%. He also opposed the building of the desalination plant. He was what he would do about the dam levels. His response was “it rained yesterday”.
I could give plenty more examples but won’t.
IMHO Barry O’Farrell’s own catchphrase will ensure he never become Premier of NSW - “it’s unacceptable”.
Imagine the 2011 election campaign.
ALP advertisement:
picture of Barry O’Farrell
voiceover: “this man wants to be Premier of NSW, hear what he has to say about it”
show video shot of Barry O’Farrell saying “its unacceptable”.
IMHO if the Libs want any chance of winning in 2011, they will dump O’Farrell about a year before the election.
I can’t see anyone in WA caring about what happens in the “Eastern States”. No way does Iemma or Costa influence their vote, any more than Brumby or Bligh does…
Barry O’Farrell 2011
“It’s time to take out the trash”
Gary Bruce (14)
Agree with you about the need for NSW Labor to rid itself of the electricity privatisation policy.
I’ve been scratching my head trying to work out why Iemma went for it so strongly in the first place and then the penny dropped. He was a desperate Premier in desperate straits and the $20 billion from the sale would have given him a lot of moola to try and buy his way out of trouble.
In a way I hope I’m wrong, but with the benefit of hindsight that’s what it looks like to me. It’s hard not to be cynical where politicians are concerned.
For those who think privatising electricity is such a good thing, we now have a situation in Victoria where those living in less well off suburbs are paying higher rates for their electricity than those living in the richest suburbs - the explanation from the power companies being that it costs more to deliver the electricity to the poorer suburbs. This is a classic example of why we need governments firmly in control of essential services.
Live feed of Iemma’s press conference
http://media.theage.com.au/?rid=41363
Darn - I hadn’t heard that.
Wonder if ti’s in any way justifiable economically (it’s reprehensible morally).
Two possibilities come to mind:
1. More vandalism makes infratructure more expensive to maintian.
2. Poor people default on thier bills more. Hence they need to pay more to cover the higher chance they won’t pay at all. (That’s similar to the way interest rates work - and one of the unfairiest things in economics).
Anyone who thinks this will have any bearing on the WA election is stretching credibility. Why would anyone thinking of voting Labor in WA look at NSW and think,”Well I won’t be voting for them now.” Big stretch in logic there.
Press conference starting
I suspect there are a few here that are worried this clean out may just save the government. I wouldn’t put my house on it but possible none the less if all of the ducks fall into line.
I’d be packing my bags if I was a Sydnersider and quitting the state. The government is the worst in Australia in living memory and the Opposition is stacked with deadwood. They better bring in some stars through the Ryde and Pt Macquarie by-elections, but one wouldn’t bet on it. O’Farrell’s nonsense re the electricity privatisation was all about politics and nothing about good government, his foolishness went against the very grain of what oppositions are for: to hold governments to account and ensure better decisions are made.
Fixed elections are a tragedy. The honourable thing to do would be for the whole lot to resign on mass and trigger some sort of election.
re: blackburnpseph @ #49
I’ve checked the results from 2007.
Informal finished 3rd with 4.2% of the vote; out polling The Greens, CDP (Fred Nile’s Group), Unity Party, Democrats and an independent Communist Labour League candidate. The Liberal vote was 3 times the informal vote.
Given that the Liberals weren’t able to keep ahead of informal in all booths, than it is quite feasible that informal would finish second in a by-election.
IMHO a margin of 66.5% between Labor and informal is not close.
Resigning as member for Lakemba
If the Libs were smart, they’d focus their attention on winning Ryde and not run a candidate at all in Lakemba.
That way, all of their protest votes should flow through to the Greens (which would have a shot of picking up Lakemba in the circumstances…)
There are local council elections in New South wales within a couple of weeks right? i assume that would have influenced the timing of this? I wonder if this will shelter them from a very poor result.
Yes Scotty: N.S.W local government elections are on September 13, and the ALP was set to do very badly in them BEFORE
Correction: If Iemma hadn’t been punted, Labor was headed for a bad result in the council elections.
I do not get why the ALP should dump the electricity privatisation policy
This ALP government had squandered its surplus and do not have enough money to build electricity generators in the state.
All the other state had sold their electricity generators
We had the same arguments when Qantas, Telstra etc was privatised, and the public is better for it.
The only reason would be under privatisation, union jobs might go. If that is the only reason against the policy, it just shows that unions runs the NSW ALP
Phil,
“3- And for the record I think that Keneally is a great local member and minister and you’re the first person I’ve heard say to the contrary. Why the angst?”
Make me the second. In my dealings with her office, I found them to be lazy and disinterested. I will neither deal with her nor vote for her again. But having a 30% margin will do that sort of thing to a politician.
Maybe I should have told her I was a Catholic. That is about the only thing that seems to get her interest. That and Hillsong.
Piping Shrike where are you?
Seems the depoliticisation of the NSW ALP has faltered?
75 dovif - the unions haven’t won the day because Labor let them, the Libs let them.
Can anyone from NSW answer this please.
During Iemmas resignation speech he spoke about reforming public transport and the need for the “metros” which he was trying to introduce. He also indicated that they represent a break away from the current system. Exactly what are these “metros” and how are they different?
ESJ (81)
How can you “depoliticise” a political party?
Ask Piping Shrike that question Darn not me!
Ahhh Darn, that’s the big question!!!
They seem to be more of a an underground tram system, from what I infer.
I.e running smaller trains more frequently.
But I’ve wondered the same thing myself.
There is a North-West Metro planned (actually more than planned, well into the design phase) running from the CBD to Epping and then onto Rouse Hill in the west of Sydney.
I know a real lot about it because the tunnel between Epping and Cherrybrook runs 38 metres under the end of my (very short) street in Beecroft. But I won’t bore you with details.
The basic idea is to provide a rapid transit service with small trains every few minutes, no timetables and a 40 minute journey from end to end.
It’s a huge project.
At present it is styled a “Metro”, but until May this year was to be a heavy-rail line, with standard suburban trains running along it.
Originally it was only going to run from Epping to Rouse Hill and was supposed to join up with the new and built, but as yet non-operational ,Chatswood-Epping rail link. A brand new station complex has been built at Epping to facilitate the extra traffic, East-West and North-South.
Now that it’s a Metro however, the trains and tunnel sizes will be completely incompatible. So, if you want to travel from the North-West to Chatswood you’ll have to disembark at Epping, go up (or maybe down) a set of escalators and transfer from Metro to heavy-rail (and vice-versa, of course).
The length of track has also been increased, with the connection from Epping into the CBD.
Total cost estimated at $15 billion and counting. Time to completion: 2017 for fully operational.
I just wish they weren’t going to flatten two acres of the virgin bush near us for an ugly concrete surface ventilation/egress complex, and that Hornsby Council actually gave a damn about it.
Garry Bruce
You know better than that, there is the labor conference and the backbencher revote
The Liberals were stupid, but the ALP through the Labor (Union) Convention scuttled it. Iemma did his best to hold on but could not
Kristina Keneally MP is PILF in a Sarah Palin kind of way. Anyone know how old she is.
Live feed of Nathan Rees’ press conference
http://media.theage.com.au/?rid=41363
88 dovif - come off it, Labor presented the Libs with their policy and they squibbed it. 60 members Labor members out of 71 voted in favour - a large majority. How many Libs voted for it? NONE.
Darn,
A Metro is an invisible train that runs on invisible lines through invisible tunnels. It is similar in nature to the invisible Parramatta to Epping train line, the invisible M2-F3 freeway link, the invisible Waterfall to General Holmes Drive F6 link and the invisible Concord to Anzac Bridge M4 link. All of these are projects that have been touted and abandoned by the soon to be invisible Morris Iemma. There are lots of other invisible bits of divided highway up and down the Pacific Highway but some of these are (very) slowly becoming visible.
And I didn’t realise that Bushfire Bill was a NIMBY.
She did grade 3 in 1978. So therefore she would have been born in either 1969 or 1970.
No web site I looked at would give her age or date of birth.
Funny that there never seems to be a problem with giving the age or birth date for males.
Actually Gary Bruce, no one ended up voting for or against it. The ALP bottled it.
Just to put everything into perspective.
I work at Parramatta. I told my (Gen Y age 21) secretary that “Morris Iemma has just resigned”.
She said “Who is Morris Iemma?”
I said “He is the Premier”
She said “Oh, I don’t follow any of that sort of stuff”
ESJ 48
I agree; very similar to my own view. NSW public finances have been in a mess for years. Only the Olympics and then a boom property taxes and mining royalties hid the unpleasant truth. When you consider that the state government has also spent bugger all on infrastrucutre (mostly privately funded toll roads) and has huge liabilities, you really have to ask where does the money go? All voters and taxpayers are the losers from this sad situation.
94 Stephen - Tell Iemma that. He supplied the figures. He must have been talking about caucas. Whatever they were the figures he gave.
re Darn @ #83
Darn,
Here is an explanation.
Metro rail is a high frequency service that uses a dedicated line. The services run at a defined frequency, e.g., every 3 minutes.
Traditional railway services have shared lines with junctions. The services operate on a lower frequency and have timetables.
A metro rail network uses a number of these dedicated lines.
The metro proposed for Sydney uses automated trains.
Over the last 15 years, metro rail services have been installed in many European and Asian cities.
The proposal for Sydney commences with a service between the North West Suburbs and the City. This is currently in the planning stages.
There is a plan (maybe vapourware) to extend the North West metro to the South Eastern Suburbs (Malabar) at a later date.
The Federal Government has allocated some money to help fund an investigation into a Metro between Parramatta and the City. This one also has the possibility of being extended under the Harbour to Chatswood and then to Dee Why (Northern Beaches).
Here is the NSW Government’s metro website. It still has a picture of the Ex Premier.
http://www.sydlink.com.au/site/page.cfm
Wikipedia has info about quite a few metro railways around the world.
Here is the master page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro
It’s not actually my back yard. It’s one of the last stands of turpentine forest left in Sydney (13ha) and doesn’t need to be pulled down, except to save a few million in tunnelling costs. When there is a perfectly reasonable alternative route under the line of the M2 Motorway, I’m a NIMBY.
And besides, hands up anyone who’s happy to see $200,000 off the value of their property, just so Morris Iemma can win a few votes in a marginal seat 4 electorates away.
It is the final demise of the ‘NSW Right’, remember the glory days of the 1980s when they ran everything?
Gary Bruce
After how much Labor did with the doubling of revenue in that last 9 years, do you trust them with a few billion dollars
Not many in NSW does
Thanks to all who have provided info re the metros. Very informative and much appreciated
If more of the NSW cabinet gets the shove - Reba Megaher or Kevin Greene, there may be a few more by elections out there.
Actually, how deep is the NSW Labor talent pool?
Bird of paradox
Do you know who live in the seat of Lakemba?
Its filled with Arabs
The islamic party of Australia has a greater chance of winner the seat that the Liberal party no matter what the margin
Barry 98
I appreciate that that is the “official” explanation of Sydney NW Metro and not your own view. It is not credible in engineering terms. These are the problems:
- the Metro proposal still avoids fixing city loop station capacity, which is at crisis point and arguably not even safe, let alone efficient.
- at best 10% of the system demadn might be in the NW so building them a metro without fixing the real constraints for the 90% is crazy.
- Both Metros and traditional heavy rail can run at high frequency (eg Hong Kong heavy rail) so there is no inherent frequency advantage to NW Metro.
- NW Metro is a long line, so there is a problem if the automated trains run all the way into the city. That would make it very slow. What is really needed is a local feeder line (all stops) from NW into a major station, then expresses.
- by comparison the private Parramatta proposal was for a fast (express) line out to Parramatta. This would have had a dual benefit - faster services for peopel from Parramatta out and less crowded trains for inner west trains.
91 Gary Bruce Says:
That’s a direct quote out Mo Io’s presser. The party meeja managers been quick of the mark with the talking points memo despite all the distractions this arvo.
Face the facts the electricity privatisation was a bad idea. The people of NSW do not want it. It hasn’t worked anywhere else in the western world. (By “worked ” I mean it benefited the people who actually pay and use the electricity.)
101 dovif - and that proves?
106 Albert Ross - I wasn’t arguing a case for or against electricity privatisation - see 79dovif if you want to debate that issue - I was trying to show that the failure to get that through does not show that the unions run NSW. The Libs snookered that, voting against their own policy.
Steve Annabelle @ 95
Made me laugh there. When your secretary asked “who is Morris Iemma?,” you could have said, simply, “good question.”
(Later, you could have handed her a copy of The Faraway Tree and said, “you might find a reference to him in here.”)
Will anyone think about Iemma in two and a half years time when they go to the polls?
I doubt it.
A week is a long time in politics and O’Farrell has his own issues to address.
Yep, NSW Labor is an absolute sham. It’s all the Liberals’ fault. They should have won the last election. Instead they almost sent Brogden over the gap and then gave us that dork Debman.
Barry O’ Farrell is o.k. but his team is just as utterly useless. Where are all the good people these days?
Dole bludgers look better value. Low pay, keep inflation down, and if they break the law they pay for it. Compare that to some in parliament and most of the management in our public companies. Yep, better value, that’s for bloody sure!
Just saw Rees on an interview on 7 news in Sydney. He promised no more spin to the people of NSW because they have had sh!t upto his back teeth.
Good start. Let’s see what he does from here?
How is at someone from the ALP left can only achieve the highest office when the ship has hit the fan?
Graeme
They join “Centre Unity”
Rees is perhaps what N.S.W Labor needs: a good, hardworking bloke from the Western Suburbs, obviously smart too, and a much better media performer than Iemma!
nsw labor needs to be evacuated asap from state government.
Singe Gun
How will O’Farrell obtain a no confidence vote? 2011 is a long way away.
Progressive at #16 - who cares what NSW Labor needs? What NSW needs is to get rid of this apalling government.
Nathan Rees may be a good man and may stop the spin (but I doubt it). But what is he going to do about the NSW economy? What is someone from the left wing going to do about the bloated public service? My guess is nothing much.
You could be right Steve A.
We want that north-west rail line, I’ll give you the tip.
If we don’t get the north-west rail line, I’m switching to state liberal permanently!
What is immensely amusing is the idea that anything will change under Nathan Rees. NSW Labor cannot and never will change overnight. He is underscored by the same hapless incompetence. There is a $42 billion hole in the budget, but everyone is too busy stabbing Costa for being too rationalist. Money doesn’t come from thin air. It comes from the back of our hip pockets! I, for one, do not want an additional $500 million interest bill that will result from losing our AAA credit rating!
If anything, this entire sham is a perfect reason to change the NSW Constitution and omit fixed terms.
Same strategy seems to be working in Tassie,
http://news.theage.com.au/national/tas-premier-proves-popular-100-days-on-20080901-46zf.html
“Tuesday marks 100 days since the unpopular former premier Paul Lennon resigned, floundering in scandal and with a 17 per cent approval rating.
The May 26 generational change has worked for Labor, according to the latest poll.
According to the pundits, Mr Bartlett, 40, a former IT consultant who entered politics only four years ago has met his many challenges.
Forty per cent of voters agree with the pundits, preferring the “Gen X” leader as premier in last month’s Enterprise Marketing and Research Services (EMRS) poll, seven percentage points ahead of Liberal Leader Will Hodgman.
Labor and Liberal each attracted 30 per cent of the vote in the August EMRS poll, making Mr Bartlett’s personal rating key to Labor’s success at the March 2010 election.”
“Just saw Rees on an interview on 7 news in Sydney. He promised no more spin to the people of NSW because they have had sh!t upto his back teeth.”
No doubt he was advised to say this by his press secretary!
I think the implosion of the NSW Government, the struggle of the WA Government, and the near-defeat of the NT Government, show that Australians feel most secure when they have one colour of government in their state, and the opposite colour in Canberra. I certainly think Howard can be thanked for wall-to-wall Labor state and territory governments, but within a few short years, the trend is likely to totally reverse. From the latest polls, the public seems very happy with Rudd in Canberra, so it’s not an anti-Labor trend per se.
I have a basic belief that every government, from whatever party, needs to be turned over at least every ten years. It stops entrenched political appointments, and a fresh approach to problems.
ESJ,
NSW have had their change of Government. Libs have cocked it up again.
LOL GG, No its Victoria 1992 all over again. It’s just we have a Liberal Party that cant even do mongrel very well.
Have to agree Antonio. It’s just a pity that NSW citizens have to wait yet another 2 1/2 years before they can have their say.
No 124
GG, there is no change of government. It’s the same bunch of dunces running the same dud bureaucracy.
I also fail to see why Carmel Tebbutt is receiving so much praise. Her performance left the education portfolio in a disaster.
ESJ,
Yeah, I have commented on that before.
However, I think it a major strategic error by the Libs not to support the privitisation of electricity which is their policy. Short term political gain over principle. Their problem going forward is that Labor can now say “How can you trust them Libs?”. “They say this is their policy, but this is what they will do”?
And, that is a fair observation unfettered by my Labor bias.
Also, if they had supported a major economic reform they would have got street cred and certainly having Iemma indebted to them will have allowed the infighting in the ALP to continue for much, much longer.
Obviusly, as GP pointed out, the econmic problems aren’t going to go away. But, believe it or not, Labor are now in with a fighting chance.
Classic Lib cockup.
Wow GP, what a person can do in a few months, Tebbutt has not been in the ministry since the last election.
How many months was she education minister? Who cut funding for education in NSW?
Twit.
vera @ 122
That may be true to a degree. But for a state than has only had 4 liberal premiers since 1934, breaking even with the liberals is pretty average.
Scotty
true being level isn’t great but they were behind before the leader change
GG,
Disagree with you about the Libs’ stance on privatisation. What you said might be regarded by Labor as a good debating point, but in reality:
- why is it O’Farrell’s job to make Iemma’s life easy?
- why is it good policy to sell assets at a time when it’s hard to find buyers?
To be frank, O’Farrell’s decision of last week is going to be a complete non-event by March 2011.
Dyno,
Paul Keating said, “I wan’t to do you slowly”, re Hewson. Supporting privitisation would not have made Iemma’s life any easier.
Why have a policy if you won’t implement it when you have the opportunity. Every successful politician writes in their memoirs that “be true to yourself” is the recipe for success on the greasy pole of politics.
Time will tell re the next election.
No 130
Don’t try and cover up her responsibility for her portfolio. She opposed Howard’s proposed reforms for greater transparency in schools. She’ll probably do the same again with Rudd (Howard’s plans Mark II: Rudder stamp). Schools are still a mess and being from the left, she is still in the pocket of the Teacher Unions. Shame on her. Tebbutt is as much a failure as Sartor, Meagre Meagher and Tripodi.
It was his job to keep Iemma as Premier until the election
Call an election now and get it over and done with. It will save the good people of NSW from another 2 years of incompetence and infighting.
Dario,
Cruel but fair - maybe you’re right. Wonder what the new boy will be like.
Glen,
We really do need an election in NSW in my view. Fixed terms are an example of “cure worse than disease” I reckon - people get worked up about early elections, but surely they’re not as bad as the kind of enforced paralysis we currently have.
Let’s hope Rees can get the party behind him enough to start governing.
It really is time for state labor to forget about the polls, forget about cheap media stunts, forget about the cover ups, and forget about excuses. They really now have nothing to lose, but to do the job in the next 2 1/2 years.
If they turn it around and Rees turns out to be a fair dinkum bloke and an achiever, then they are in with only half a chance.
Dyno is absolutely correct. Privatisation is a generally held principle of the Liberal Party, but the method by which it is enacted must be sound. Given the uncertainty in the energy market thanks to the economic vandals Rudd, Wong and Garrett, it may never be possible to secure a good price for the assets.
No 134
GG, what does Paul flapping Keating have to do with Iemma and O’Farrell? PJK has an over-heightened sense of self-importance who thinks that crude quips about Liberal politicians suddenly makes him an authoritative commentator on modern Federal politics.
The point to be taken here is that the Nationals were never going to support the privatisation and if the Liberals did, it would have made the Coalition look marked by division and disunity. In the end, the ALP imploded and the Coalition retained whatever scintilla of credibility it still has in the NSW public.
No 140
Fact of the matter is that Rees is going to have to make some seriously tough decisions in the forthcoming months regarding capital works. Costa’s dire image of the fiscal problems cannot be underestimated. I suspect the NW metro will be delayed or cancelled. Surprise, surprise - no wonder idiot Watkins resigned altogether.
It hasn’t been a good day. I’m agreeing with GP
GP
A simplistic evaluation of the Liberals in NSW:
O’Farrell used to be fat and now he is thin.
Controlled by religious fanatics.
Their policy positions are negotiable depending on the opportunity.
Is this a change you can believe in?
No 144
GG, please explain this incessant need to reference religious fanatacism? Where is it? I have not seen it and I am involved in the party.
Krudd is a committed Christian himself.
Wake up mate - come up with some new arguments.
I’d class Rudd as a modest Christian, not a bible bashing crackpot.
re: socrates @ #105
I was giving an explanation of a metro and also description of the Sydney proposal. It was not my intention to include any kind of value assessment in that posting.
IMHO there are advantages and disadvantages with the Metro proposal.
Firstly, I will answer the points you raised. Please note that these are just my views and I not saying you are wrong.
1. City Loop station capacity. I assume you are referring to Town Hall and Wynyard in particular. I have not heard anyone claiming that the North West metro would fix capacity issues at either of these stations. There will obviosly be some changes to Wynyard to allow for the additional platforms and extra volume of passengers. It is my understanding the capacity issues are the number of people on the platforms for Western Line services. Is this correct?
2. At best 10% of demand from North West. I’ve read the same comments in the SMH Letters to the editor. No one railway line carries 100% of the passengers (unless of course there is only one railway line). A North West railway (of whatever type) is to carry passengers that don’t currently use trains. There are other projects currently taking place to upgrade and expand the existing network (track duplications and quadruplications, turnbacks, new South West railway, Epping to Chatswood railway).
3. I agree with you that heavy rail can run at high frequency. When you have numerous lines merging into one, as the CityRail network does, the trains are only running at high frequency on the shared section of track. If the North West rail was built using heavy rail on a track isolated from the rest of the network, then it could also run at high frequency.
4. North West metro would be very slow. The proposal shows a trip time of 44 minutes from Rouse Hill to St James. I’m sure that this is much faster than the original heavy rail proposal and is comparable in time to existing CityRail express services from that far out to the city. (I don’t know if the 44 minutes is feasible).
5. Local feeders to main stations then express. I’m not sure if this means change trains at the main station or the feed train becomes the express. Either way it is adding extra load to a part of the network that is already at capacity.
Here is a quick summary of what I like and dislike about the North West Metro proposal.
Likes:
1. It is separate from other services, so doesn’t get caught up in other network delays
2. More doors allow fast loading and unloading at busy stations
3. Provides large capacity service to the North West
4. Uses a shorter route than the original heavy rail proposal
5. Provides a service to Top Ryde, Gladesville, Drummoyne, Rozelle, etc that wasn’t in the original North West proposal
6. Doesn’t dump the North West traffic onto an already crowded system
7. Screens at stations (if this is included in the final design) to prevent people getting on the tracks
8. High frequency services are more likely to be used than 4 trains per hour services
Dislikes:
1. Stations are too far apart. If people need to drive to a station then they may just drive all the way to their destination. More stations increase travel time so maybe line is too long
2. There should be a station at Barrangaroo, not channelling Barrangaroo passenders through Wynyard
3. People who want to travel between Top Ryde or Gladesville and Parramatta/Western Line have to go via Wynyard or Epping and Strathfield
4. People in North West wanting to access Macquarie Uni, North Ryde business area and Chatswood need to change at Epping. If trains are arriving from North West every few minutes but only leaving for Chatswood every 15 minutes then may have a lot of people on platforms at Epping
5. St James to Moore Park should be part of the North West project, to reduce car and bus traffic in that area during sporting events
6. Reduces value of Bushfire Bill’s home and destroys the native trees
I like the idea of metros and believe that we should be heading in that direction, although the North West proposal isn’t the one that I would favour.
No 146
Frank, name your Bible Bashing crackpot in the NSW Libs. Please do so. It’s all in your imagination. Aside from Mike Baird and Pru Goward, O’Farrell is about as moderate as you can get for a Liberal.
At the end of the day, both parties have their extremes. The stranglehold of unions in the Labor party is also a disincentive to vote for them.
No 147
Barry, good overview, but you forgot the most important issue: the ability, or lack thereof, for the government to fund the $12 billion required for the project.
149
Thanks to the Howard Gvt starving the states of funds.
You know its true.
here here gusface
GG,
I hope for the sake of the state you are wrong. It would just be an unmitigated disaster if Labor won in 2011. Normally I wouldnt attach too much significance to a change of government either way but in this case - they have reached Cain-Kirner levels of incompetence.
Bushfire Bill,
Sorry to hear about your 200k. I will do a similar amount due to the behaviour of Housing Department tenants. Tried to alert clowns like Kristina Keneally and the utterly hopeless Matt Brown to the rorting going on. Brown’s office has gone nearly a calendar year in not replying, despite the glossy promos telling us how they were going to crack down. Iemma has been personally advised but he didn’t feel the need to respond either. NSW Labor is rotten to the core and the alternative is indescribably pathetic. We are both going to be screwed over.
No 150
Dumb argument. The states profited handsomely from Stamp Duty and Land Tax receipts PLUS the GST bonanza. Where did it all go?
13 years of Labor mismanagement, dithering and incompetence is to blame, not Howard.
Time for a new argument mate, it’s getting pretty old.
It is unbelievable that people have not read the constitution to understand the responsibilities of state and federal governments.
GP,
The Liberals in NSW will be seen as serious when they clean out a series of deadwood MPs in safe seats. After all this is the party that still has Wayne Merton and Malcolm Kerr as MP’s
No 151
I can’t believe people are defending the stupidity of the NSW Government. That is what is more shocking than anything else.
They’ve had an innumerable amount of scandals, corruption revelations and other general mishaps, and people still find a way to support the bunch of cretinous dolts.
No 155
The problem is, after more than a decade in opposition, and four year fixed terms; it makes the situation for Oppositions incredibly difficult. I agree there needs to be renewal, but frankly, the first priority is to expunge Labor from Macquarie Street.
154
so the decline in real terms of the states share of the tax pie is a dumb argument.
economics 101 for you.
No 158
Read the constitution mate.
Barry (147)- you seem to know an awful lot.
Do you work in Lee Street?
Gusface, you really should read the constitution. There is nothing stopping NSW from introducing an income tax or a sales tax or a death duty or any amount of revenue raising ideas.
But this is NOT the problem. NSW was swimming in revenue during the property boom and the ALP govt pi$$ed it up against a wall somewhere.
Revenue is only one side of the ledger anyway. How about doing something about the bloated bureaucracy.
You never know GP, maybe Prime Minister Rudd will come to the rescue for the N-W line with the infrastructure fund and not only win the seat of Mitchell at the next election but the next state election for Rees.
Steve
the “pissing up the wall” was actually covering or replacing services/programs scrapped by howard
also the appalling lack of infrastructure planning and the howard backed privatisation of infrastructure support services was disgraceful
pps howard also loaded sysdney up with 400k business migrants without adequate planning etc
and the real & declined under howard
& should be percentage %
The debate about the NW Rail link misses one important point. The switch from heavy rail to Metro conveniently allows the Government to avoid putting RailCorp in charge of it. This outcome would have been very very difficult to achieve in practice if the heavy rail option was pursued. The entrenched culture at RailCorp makes it very difficult to achieve any tangible transport reform, without pulling the whole thing apart and starting again from scratch.
C’mon Steve A, where did NSW government pi$$ up revenue against a wall somewhere???
I’ll tell you where the states money went. In other states funding through unfair GST revenue allocation, and Tip’s surpluses.
re: Generic Person @ #149
Generic Person,
No, that is NOT the most important issue.
The MOST important issue is the risk of a Liberal government getting elected before 2017 and scrapping the project.
Remember what happened when Greiner was elected in 1988. The 60% completed Maldon to Port Kembla railway was cancelled. Coal trains from the Southern Highlands still travel through the Sydney suburban network to get to Port Kembla.
Do you know who was Chief of Staff to the Transport Minister at that time?
No 162
Again, gusface is here trumpeting NSW Labor. Despicable. It’s not Howard’s fault - stop trying to justify the incompetence of Labor. Be honest for once.
Lest I remind you of the Woolongong table of knowledge, Milton Orkopoulos, Cross City Tunnel, repeated cancellation of NW rail line, M5 carpark, M5 East pollution, transport failures, bathurst dr death, royal north shore. I could go on, but frankly, I need not.
You can’t blame Howard, you can’t blame the Liberals. The only people responsible are Morris Iemma and NSW Labor.
No 166
Sorry Barry, but you need money to build things. And furthermore, the NW rail link has been announced and reannounced so many times that it has greater risk of being cancelled by Labor, than the coalition.
You can’t spend what you don’t have. And unless you want the AAA credit rating to be lost and thus pay $500 million a year extra in interest, then I suggest you start studying economics 101.
Centre, how about this as a VERY SMALL example of where the money has been going:
“Iemma has employed a bunch of former Nine Network journalists headed by former news director John Choueifate to boost his sagging image. The well-paid team includes Adam Walters, Dale Paget and Brad Schmidtt. …… The new group adds to Iemma’s already impressive media team: director of communications Glenn Byers and press secretaries Alison Hill, Justin Kelly, Korena Flanagan, Sarah Conway and Sally Davidson.” (Aus)
“so high is Mr Chouefaite’s salary by Government standards that he is said to have had to negotiate it with the head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Robyn Kruk.” (SMH)
That adds up to at least 9 highly paid spin doctors
167
just stating facts sunshine,just stating facts
No 165
Centre, again, another parrot for NSW Labor. They are incompetent and indefensible. The worst government in living memory.
No 170
There’s not a shred of fact in your statements.
No 169
Yep, 9 spin doctors all paid well over 200,000 each. Shame.
Imagine being a spin doctor for Iemma!
No wonder they all demanded so much money.
173
what you think they were worth more,sort your line of argument out.
No 175
1. Read the constitution.
2. Shame on spin doctors. Learn to read.
Generic Person,
I finished my economics studies last semester.
I suggest you go back and re-read my posting at #147. Hopefully you will notice that it is a discussion of various rail systems, not an economics lecture.
Please take particular notice of the last sentence.
The more I keep reading GP, the more I hope Rees makes a success of it.
Instead of having a federal government blowing surpluses on porkbarrelling, political advertising, opportunistic policies, boat people, wars, and tax cuts to the very highest income earners (all this while states struggle for funding), we now have a government that is prepared to invest in the nations infrastructure and public services.
Iemma had it difficult with Howard in Canberra. Rees will have it easier with Rudd.
176
1.what the constitution has wage rates for spin doctors?
2.also witch doctors should learn to read as well
Centre, that’s just crap, you must work in Gov Macquarie Tower.
Re 169, Steve A, I agree. Rees has got to forget about media image and stunts.
But you know as well as I do, that’s hardly blowing the states revenue.
Centre,
We now have a Federal Government that talks the talk, whether they walk the walk is yet to be determined.
But I think we can all agree that it is vital for Rees to be an improvement on Iemma.
By the way (this is a serious question, not a leading one), how big is the NSW Public Service compared to when Carr was elected in 1995?
Centre, your arguments are ridiculous. Before the election, Morris Iemma spent $2.6 million advertising the “State Plan” which was greater than the money spent in developing the State Paln itself.
Dyno its gone up 37%
183 - almost as bad as the 40 million dollars spent on advertising Workchoices.
And then there was the Lane Cove tunnel. You might remember that Iemma paid the owners (Connector) $25 milliion to delay the opening until after the election. I suppose this wasn’t pissing it up against a wall.
ESJ - I take it that’s numbers of people, not $.
What’s the State’s population gone up by, I wonder - 15%?
Steve A, you’re kidding.
The only thing that’s been greater than Howard’s advertising waste was his rear end licking of Dubya. Both records. The latter greater than the former.
ESJ Re 180. Post 178 is true, and you know it.
Centre,
Are you seriously trying to assert that Iemma was a great leader, unfairly felled by the intransigence of the demon Howard?
This is all just a wind-up, right?
How about this for a scenario for 2011.
The new premier sniffs the wind and realises that electricity privatisation is electoral poison and promises he will never, ever do it.
The Liberals meanwhile plough on regardless and promise privatisation if elected and for their trouble manage to lose the unloseable election.
How ironic that would be, when they could have had it all done and dusted already - courtesy of the ALP - and then blamed it all on Labor at the next election.
It’s unlikely, but if it did happen that way, it would make it very difficult for any party in NSW to ever promise electricity privatisation again.
Where have I implied such Dyno. Refer to my earlier posts.
Centre,
I, like you, found JWH’s advertising waste loathesome. But surely you cannot defend the NSW govt’s patently obvious wasting of taxpayer’s money.
On the one hand you blame JWH for not giving enough money to NSW and then you defend the ALP government when they waste the money they are given.
I just don’t get it. This government is the worst state government NSW has ever seen and Nathan Rees’ good intentions are not going to fix it.
Their last best chance was Costa (D*head that he was). He was only one not drinking the Cool-Aid.
Steve A, I am not defending state labor as my past posts show.
But the truth is that if we had a responsible federal government with a long term vision for the nation, instead of an opportunistic federal government whose only vision extended to the next election, then the states’ jobs would have been easier.
Therefore, Rees will have an easier run with Rudd than what Iemma had with Howard. Hence the extra funding already provided for health for e.g. which would never have been given under the Rodent.
Askin’s government was the worst NSW government.
Centre the fact that you have to refer to Howard as a rodent demonstrates your pathetic partisan rancour. Once again, you can’t help but deflect blame away from Iemma.
It’s not the job of federal governments to run states. Read the constitution.
Let’s just have a look at these two statements -
“This government is the worst state government NSW has ever seen”
Possibly but how do you know this? you have checked all governments before this one? You have used a measurement? What is it?
“Nathan Rees’ good intentions are not going to fix it.”
Don’t tell, don’t tell me, you’ve looked into the crystal ball, right?
Before my time Muskiemp (could have been in nappies)?
What’s also rather ironic in your argument, Centre, is that you support Rudd - who proffered to end the so-called “blame game” - yet here you are blaming anyone and everyone except Morris Iemma and Bob Carr for the parlous state of affairs that is NSW.
196 “Centre the fact that you have to refer to Howard as a rodent demonstrates your pathetic partisan rancour.” Ha, ha, ha, ha. Pot meet kettle.
GP, I enjoy referring to Howard as the Rodent. Actually I like Dessicated Coconut better.
No 197
My measurement would be their record on delivering services and infrastructure. Pathetic on all counts, worst in living memory.
My 93 year old mum, who lives on her own in her own home, had to go to hospital because of a bad knee, as she could not walk nor get out of bed because of the pain. She was taken to Blacktown Hospital where she was kept there for 2 weeks until she was able to walk a little. Now she has been transferred to Mt Druitt Hospital as the Rehab there, is better equipped and and has better facilities for getting her to a state where she will be able to get around.
In each hospital she has been looked after very professionally and taken good care off. Our family have been very happy with her care at these public Hospitals.
202
couldnt agree more -Howard spent like a drunken sailor and like a drunken sailor spent it in all the wrong places
Albert Ross (106) hits the nail right on the head when he says that electricity privatisation has not benefited the consumers anywhere in the western world.
All very nice for politicians who can’t wait to get their hands on the large amounts of money involved of course, but what are they going to do next time they need a large cash injection and there’s nothing left to sell. Then they’ll have to start running their finances properly.
The people of New south Wales are lucky they still have their assets in public hands, while other states have been merrily flogging their’s off. Let’s hope they are smart enough to severely punish any party that wants to try and take them down that path.
Should be - taken good care of.
Good to hear those hospitals are doing O.K. and helping your mum Muskiemp.
Cheers guys, I’m crashing.
Barry (166) if you’re still on board, what happened to the 60% completed bit of the Maldon/Port Kembla railway when Greiner cancelled the project.
Gusface
#204 “couldnt agree more -Howard spent like a drunken sailor and like a drunken sailor spent it in all the wrong places”
Gus , where is th evidence that a drunken sailor spends money in th wrong places , we only hav evidence Howard did so
No 204
Drunken sailor? LOL Funny how you don’t use that barometer when talking about Morris Dilemma, who squandered billions of dollars with nothing to show for it.
Howard delivered billions in tax cuts, billions in infrastructure spending, billions in education spending, billions in health.
The real drunken sailors are the ALP, taxing us to high heaven in Canberra in order to underscore their fallacious claim to fiscal responsibility.
Sorry ron and drunken sailors everywhere-will henceforth hand in my poetic licence
Gus , you could hav left th “and” out to save space
No 203
Oh, and Muskiemp, I watched my grandfather die in Blacktown Hospital.
“Oh, and Muskiemp, I watched my grandfather die in Blacktown Hospital.” Are you blaming the hospital for his death?
Joke of the week - “Howard delivered billions in tax cuts, billions in infrastructure spending, billions in education spending, billions in health.” LOL
Yes, I am blaming the hospital. He received pathetic treatment.
Darn Says:
#205
“Albert Ross (106) hits the nail right on the head when he says that electricity privatisation has not benefited the consumers anywhere in the western world.”
‘benefited’ , generally they do produce better eficiencys , better ’service’ debatable , equal/better ‘maintenance’ very questionable These decisons ar motivated more by short term capital needs & reluctanse to take on debt against short term alternative outlays prioities I remain totally unconvinced there economic modeling corectly measures th diferential costs of funds over longterm nor that they ar outweighted by eficiency gains
Believe th econamic hav played false miirrors & would luv to debate them , with there econamic models in hand beforehand so i could research what they notionaly ‘excluded’ or ‘included’
last par ‘econamic rationalists’
215 Generic Person - What did he die of or should I say how did they kill him?
Ron (217)
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Totally agree.
Muskiemp
I remember long ago when I was a younen and not worried about politics, one night I heard my dad swearing and cursing at the TV. I ran into the loungeroom to see what was wrong and it was news of Askin’s death.
To say my dad agreed with your worst government call would be an understatement, he was telling the TV stuff like “the ### %^$# mongrel c##! not before time, couldn’t of happened to a #$%# nicer bastard”
Hi Vera
two questons
Did your Dad mention Askin and Safron in same sentence together
Hav you been enjoying th Lady & th chorus show…but relaxed
G’day Ron
I don’t remember hearing mention of Safron but no doubt dad would have cussed him as well as he was a pretty good cusser!
And yep, I caught some of the show, bit of a slow day not much of the Lady saw the old bloke on the news, at least he ain’t a show pony, a bit boring like St Kev (well some would say, not me, I reckon Kev rocks.)
but I did see a grab of her Guy making a sppech about had he known what was coming he woulda never let her near the local council. (or something to that effect, got lots of laughs)
Hello Vera
yes , maverick is not a good speeker nor an over convincing one , and never was However th Lady was very convincing in her points not that i agree with alot but my point is her handling of such a huge situation is far better than people here give her credit for , she does hav ‘ticker’
I also not impressed with one dimensional arguments of what happens if McCain dies , well what those posters omitted for “balance” is what happens if oiliness dies…yep war mongerer Biden becomes POTUS & Biden agrees with Bush’s Iraq policy ‘to stay course to ‘win’ ” !!
Now if posters said both POTUS dying scenarios were a reel worry and gave reasons why there VP’s may be a problem , then I say tha is objective , seems th Lady has hit a raw nerve (of course ‘right’ bloggers will be gibving th reverse one dimensional scenario)
I saw Maverick’s 96 yr old mom looking spritely and sharp as a tack today, so I wouldn’t be holding my breath waiting for a young buck of 72 to cark it lol!
Vera
Well they did elect Ronaldo Reagan so age doesn’t stop them , but then they elected dim wit Bush two so intelligence isn’t a factor either !
My point was if people wish to speculate on maverick going tyonda & therefore having thLady as POTUS , then they should similarly speculate in Joe Biden becoming POTUS…with his 20 years proposal to fight in Iraq policy & comment on that
Ron
shhh can’t say things like that about His Oilness, he’s a God immortal will never die!
That Biden bloke looks older than mcCain to me
Have a look at this. note last paragraph
thought the Democrats had it in the bag?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
I don’t know if this lot are reputable or if they are Republican leaning( I’m sure someone will soon let me know)
“The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows the beginning of John McCain’s convention bounce and the race is essentially back where it was before Barack Obama’s bounce. Obama now attracts 46% of the vote while McCain earns 45%. When “leaners” are included, it’s Obama 48%, McCain 46% (see recent daily results).
Both Obama and McCain are now viewed favorably by 57% of the nation’s voters (see trends). However, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is viewed favorably by 58%–a point more than either Presidential hopeful. Forty percent (40%) have a Very Favorable opinion of her.
Vera
“Ron shhh can’t say things like that about His Oilness, he’s a God immortal will never die! ”
appologise , thought this late no one would notise , but tell you we never get said my favourite topic from him…NOT th anti stuff , what does he positviely offer except a NON bush that anyon Democrat will offer
I want to see some trouble spots listed & what he’ll do , so he can be benchmarked later , same domesticaly…otherwise this ‘message’ will go on for 4 years , and after we may say …what reely did change other than NON Bush
“I don’t know if this lot are reputable or if they are Republican leaning”
Vera , slightly but one of two best Other good one is SurveyUSA , there polls jump more due to there methodology Problem in USA polling is samples & guestimating how mmany reely will turn out
thanks Ron, I’ll have look at SurveyUSA tomorrow
“I want to see some trouble spots listed & what he’ll do so he can be benchmarked later”
Maybe we’ll hear what he’s going to do and how and when it will be achieved when they have the debates, we can only hope.
off to have a sleep now, g’night
nite Vera
(yep FA & domestic trouble spots’ benchmarked )
and add , thank goodness Yemma has gone , perhaps some better administration to come
Darn said:
The fact is the people of NSW do not want any more such privatisation. They have seen the results elsewhere and they know it is a “bad thing” for them.
I personally think the Liberals and Nats would be quite relieved that there is no possibility of an early election. There is a good chance that there would be a lot of “good” ie. electable independents putting their hands up in RARAland and in some metro areas. So the Libs might “win” an election but find they are trying to govern relying on a lot of independents - especially in the Upper House.
The results in the upcoming local elections (although WB has studiously ignored them) will be worth studying as bellwethers of the voters’ stomach for non-major party politics.
The other issue is that the Liberals are such a rabble in NSW. There are so many right wing Xtian fundies in the ranks that moderates have no place.
Do not forget that the putative messiah Baird is tainted by strong connections to “The Family”. This is not the sort of politics we need in NSW or Australia although their brand of subversion of democracy is multi-party and dates back to the days of Quakin’ Norman Makin.
Good riddance to the morally bankrupt Iemma!
Still, don’t forget Iemma is merely a stooge for those few running businesses and their wealthy investors, as is the entire right-faction of the Labor party at all levels. Like the Liberal party, the Labor right are more then happy to steal our services and infrastructure and give them away to their parasite mates in the all important microcosm of the Australia business world for kick-backs and back-slaps… for future career prospects… As for “privatisation” of anything, it has in every last instance in Australia led to higher prices for consumers, poorer services and products, and/or massive profit windfalls for the tiny minorities able to invest substantially; this is exactly what privatisation is designed and intended to do! With both major parties of W.A. dominated by amoral prostitutes the only avenue for preventing the crime of privatisation is direct action, as proven by W.A. trade unions; Trade Unions being one of the last vestiges of democratic representation in this country.
Iemma’s failure to steal what belongs to the tax payer demonstrates that Australians do not believe an elected representative ought to dictate according to his or her own whims and material interests, but according to the specific mandates and principles with which they were elected. I hope Iemma’s successor has a greater understanding of this reality, and despite not having been elected will behave in the manner of true Labor values for which we elect that party, else we’d all vote for the party of privatisation; the Liberal party.
It’s good news that Iemma and Costa are gone. However, let’s wait and see what the new team does. There’s no guarantee that they’ll be any better.
“There are so many right wing Xtian fundies in the ranks that moderates have no place.”
Do you realise that a clear majority of State Liberal parliamentarians belong to the moderate faction?
No 232
Once again, the stupid lines about Christian fundamentalism. Hell, even if it’s true, I’d rather some Christian fundamentalists than the pack of idiots running the state now. Why don’t you Laborites ever acknowledge how bad NSW Labor actually is!
B”aird is tainted by strong connections to “The Family”.
“Why don’t you Laborites ever acknowledge how bad NSW Labor actually is!”
That’s the difference between labor and liberal GP.
Labor eventually get rid of their trash whilst the libs let it stay there and fester and ferment.
Looks like the independant for Lyne is getting lots of help.
“Mr Oakeshott had about 700 volunteers handing out how-to-vote cards at booths on Saturday, including state NSW Labor MP, Kerry Hickey, state independent Tamworth MP, Peter Draper, and federal independent New England MP, Tony Windsor.”
http://news.smh.com.au/national/nationals-prepare-to-lose-lyne-20080906-4b0u.html
It looks like the price of no privatisation is going to be a heavy one. I think with Rees we are about to see just what being from the “Left” faction means these days.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/06/2357283.htm
Rees reveals his new cabinet!
SARTOR DUMPED!
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rees-reveals-new-team/2008/09/07/1220725820376.html
That’s good news about Sartor and Meagher. Let’s hope that they are replaced with more competent MPs.
On the downside: Tripodi, Graham West and Kevin Greene survive!
It’s hardly so very surprising, in this modern era, or pretty much any era governments can last only so long before the people find their rhetoric to be tiresome, get accustomed to the good things the government brings and stops really treating them as an achievement but as an expectation, and become less tolerant of the governments perenial shortcomings.
Carr was the longest serving Premier since federation, with Iemma’s re-election it was a new face and the people were a bit more tolerant but ultimately it’s still a labor government. A fifteen year old government is a huge period, if they were to win re-election it would be remarkable twenty year government. In the days of profesional labor and liberal parties which I mark as commencing with the end of Arthur Calwell’s departure the oppositions are too organised and you just accumulate too many slip ups over a long period of time.
The election of Rudd didn’t help either, truth be told is Australians don’t like wall to wall governments. In 1995 under Paul Keating’s prime ministry Bob Carr was elected the only labor premier, in 2002, 5 years after Liberals took federal Mike Rann becomes premier and ever state government is labor. We have this mentality that one will keep the other in line if they are from different parties I think and when both are from the same party we get scared and think they unrestricted.
Really labors win at the last election was lucky at best. The Brogden meltdown and Debnam’s silliness made what should have been libs with a small headstart a neck and neck thing, then the fresh faced Iemma smoothly replacing Bob Carr whom seemed to leave on his own terms and bearing the bulk of labors shortcomings on his shoulder gave Iemma his majority. But now the government is even older, the party leader is much more talented and the previous premier was pushed it seems makes victory for ALP seem impossible. But Nathan and even Morris shouldn’t feel too dissapointed with themselves, they’ve managed to keep the opposition at bay for longer than most governments could dream of and destroyed two electable oppostion leaders in Brogden ad Chiko, by all means now is the time for Rees to roll the dice, who knows what next. Ultimately policy will not deviate that much from the days of old but the campaign manouvres will be interesting, expect him to stack the marginals with celebrities come election time.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/1b-hole-no-time-to-explain-says-rees/2008/09/09/1220857531217.html
oh god! this is the worst government in history of mankind
Dovif does that make Brodgen and Debnam the worst oppositions of all time? Or NSW the stupidest people of all time? Just sussing out your views on how it comes about.