Scotty from Marketing

[Yenn]

I don't think much of Scottys' supporting the foreign secretary and that other minister, ex policeman and denier of human rights, who call for an independent look into the start of the covid epidemic. It was purely a suck up to USA. Brown nosing to trump.

[old man emu]

Some dodgy operators will siphon off the money, as has already started to happen. Nev

 

Blind Freddy could see that coming.

 

[Old Koreelah]

While we were distracted by the pandemic, our illustrious leader saw a great opportunity to put his mates from the fossil fuel sector in charge of his Covid-19 Commission.

 

https://amp.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/fossil-fuel-lobbyists-call-for-regulation-breaks-during-pandemic-20200512-p54sb3.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit

 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/13/zali-steggall-increasingly-concerned-about-morrison-governments-covid-commission?utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit

[Jerry_Atrick]

Yet, apparently, he has the highest approavla rating of Aussie PMs for a long time.. Something like 66%

[willedoo]

Yet, apparently, he has the highest approavla rating of Aussie PMs for a long time.. Something like 66%

I don't think it means much, Jerry. Personal approval ratings go up and down like a yo yo, depending on what's happening at the time. When he made a goose of himself during the fires, it was way down. With coronavirus, he's back up, helped a lot from what he learned from his mishandling of the fires. A labor voter could be asked the question 'do you approve of the way the PM is handling his job' and give a yes response, yet that person will vote against the government. I'd say the only poll Scotty is concerned with is the two party preferred vote. Public approval with the way the PM is performing his job doesn't matter two hoots if the electorate throws the bums out at election time. Personal approval rating is a thin honour to wear. Ditto with preferred Prime Minister polling.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Guest

[Yenn]

Scomo hasn't really performed well with either the bushfires or covid 19.

His problem with the bushfires was that he was on holiday when a lot of people thought he should have been here. I don't know what good he could have done when he was here. He should have had competent people to handle the job. The electorate seem to expect the PM to run everything, and that is not what he or any other politician can do.

With the Covid 19, he has listened to the experts and acted reasonably, but there has been very little that a PM needs to do. He should just ensure that the experts get the job done and maybe that requires co ordinating with the States, but we should not expect or want the PM to be running things. I reckon they go far better when the politicians shut up and let the professionals do the job. Just so long as those professionals are not bureaucrats.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I agree, @Yenn. Though the big difference is that he didn't seem to listen to the experts in the run up to the bushfire season; there is little he could have personally done, but as leader, he could have made resources available to assist in minimising the impact - much has he has done with COVID-19 - which seems to have worked this time (I know the states have the control over measures, etc.. but he has at least been credited with coordinating things to an extent).

 

@willedoo - I take your point re popularity rating, however, at election time, there is a correlation between popularity rating of the leader and performance - especially in the marginal/swinging voter seats - they are the ones that win or lose elections - generally. Very few voters know who their MPs are let alone the contenders unless that MP has some form of popularity. Rarely, except in the case of independents or outstanding contestant credentials (or unless the leader of he party is contending the seat) do people vote for the specific electorate MP in their mind.. They are voting for the party/leader.

[facthunter]

If the question was something like "Broadly speaking do you agree the PM did the correct thing regarding the Covid19 epidemic so far? I would have to say yes but do I reckon he is a good PM for all Australians? NO and far short of it.. He has been in front of the camera's a lot and the world hasn't come to an end so he must be OK. Not a lot of deep thinking about politics here (in the country ) not here as in "here" in the forum. Nev

[red750]

It's a thankless bloody job and I don't know why anyone would want it. Doesn't matter what you do, there's thousands screaming on social media for your blood and criticising your every turn. Keyboard warriors who have all the answers, but haven't got the guts to get up and do it themselves. I don't know how they get away with it. One of the worst is actually a friend and ex neighbour. In person a nice bloke, but on FB he is relentless. As for the other lot, wouldn't give you tuppence for any of them.

[Yenn]

The reason they do it is because they want control and power.

Some of them think they were born for it. Turnbull for instance. Some of them just long to be the top man, but luckily they don't have enough. Minister for home or whatever, ex Qld policeman. Just imagine what he would be like as PM. Pauline Hanson would be far better.

They could have the power and a higher salary as well if they were in the public service.

[Marty_d]

ex Qld policeman. Just imagine what he would be like as PM. Pauline Hanson would be far better.

While I agree that a donkey with syphilis would do a better job as PM than Dutton, I can't agree that Hanson would be better.

[willedoo]

While I agree that a donkey with syphilis would do a better job as PM than Dutton, I can't agree that Hanson would be better.

Not exactly Dumb & Dumber; more like Dumb & Dangerous. Imagine the result if they bred with one another.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Guest

[Marty_d]

Not exactly Dumb & Dumber; more like Dumb & Dangerous. Imagine the result if they bred with one another.

Thanks for that image, I may never be turned on again.

[willedoo]

Sorry Marty. Some mental images are hard to undo. But it is feasible, even though Mutton would have a lot of explaining to do.

[willedoo]

Now that Scotty FM has abolished COAG and made the National Cabinet permanent, how will that work out I wonder. I could be wrong, but I thought COAG meetings had some sort of accountability. Now anything discussed between the Feds and States at the National Cabinet can be locked away from the public for thirty years if it's deemed confidential cabinet matters.

[facthunter]

Eternal vigilance and preserving democracy? I get uncomfortable when the incumbents start changing the rules. We do have a Constitution covering this, not a CON situation. (I hope) . The reason politicians are not trusted is past and present experience of them. Just look all a round the world..Nev

[nomadpete]

From my armchair, my cynical mind couldn't understand why Scot FM suddenly created a new National Cabinet, when we already had COAG.

If he didn't like how COAG functioned, why not 'fine tune' (reorganise) it?

 

Maybe it has something to do with keeping prying public eyes and ears away from the door?

 

He publicly announced that he didn't like COAG because it only met twice a year and he wanted to meet more often. That's easily fixed!

Oh, and that too many ministers got involved.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Guest

[facthunter]

You have to APPEAR to be doing something and being in charge.( Foreman material) and being very visible especially compared to the Opposition Leader who you make invisible at the same time by dealing him out of the equation even though Her Majesties Loyal Opposition is a normal part of a functioning government in all but ONE PARTY governments who don't tolerate criticism. They have God Emperor type leaders and if you disagree with them it can be risky. In the multi party system being questioned is part of the deal and is NORMAL and accepted unless you want things kept secret for some reason. Nev

[willedoo]

Yes, it looks like all the luvy-duvy Coronavirus partisanship is reverting to back stabbing partisanship and politiking. Scotty FM's plot to have a working group with employers and unions but not the Labor opposition is getting back to the old Scotty we all know. The Coronavirus Scotty is just an illusion; the Libs can't change their basic DNA.

 

The next big thing will be whether they borrow enough cash to inject into the economy to minimise the damage, or whether their ingrained austerity principles push us futher toward deep recession. Time will tell.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Guest

[old man emu]

Good grief!! ScoMo has come down with a serious case of Conservitis-20. Symptoms include driveling from the mouth and a loss of grip on Reality.

 

His latest bit of verbal diahorrea and "off with the fairies" thinking is to stimulate the Economy and provide jobs by granting people $25K to carry out renovations to their homes. Provided, of course that the recipient has invested $150K in those renovations.

 

What a dick! There's a programme on Foxtel called Selling Houses Australia. It's about doing up houses to improve their saleability. One of the rules they work with is that the cost of renovations should not exceed 10% of the market value of the house before the renovations begin. That is a pretty sensible rule.

 

Applying it to ScoMo's plan, the recipient of the grant needs to commit $150 to the work. That means that the pre-renovation value of the house needs to be more than $1.5M. If a person currently has a house worth $1.5M, they either live in the near-city suburbs, of have a McMansion in the outer suburbs. In either case, you'd think that the house was either brand new, or had been renovated before the present owner bought it.

 

Which ordinary family, who has suffered reduced income since ScoMo shut down the country in March, has $150K to throw at a house. More than likely they would be shelling that money out for bread and milk until the country reopens. And where do you find an unemployed builder? Around my way they are all flat out building new housing.

[Marty_d]

Good grief!! ScoMo has come down with a serious case of Conservitis-20. Symptoms include driveling from the mouth and a loss of grip on Reality.

 

His latest bit of verbal diahorrea and "off with the fairies" thinking is to stimulate the Economy and provide jobs by granting people $25K to carry out renovations to their homes. Provided, of course that the recipient has invested $150K in those renovations.

 

What a dick! There's a programme on Foxtel called Selling Houses Australia. It's about doing up houses to improve their saleability. One of the rules they work with is that the cost of renovations should not exceed 10% of the market value of the house before the renovations begin. That is a pretty sensible rule.

 

Applying it to ScoMo's plan, the recipient of the grant needs to commit $150 to the work. That means that the pre-renovation value of the house needs to be more than $1.5M. If a person currently has a house worth $1.5M, they either live in the near-city suburbs, of have a McMansion in the outer suburbs. In either case, you'd think that the house was either brand new, or had been renovated before the present owner bought it.

 

Which ordinary family, who has suffered reduced income since ScoMo shut down the country in March, has $150K to throw at a house. More than likely they would be shelling that money out for bread and milk until the country reopens. And where do you find an unemployed builder? Around my way they are all flat out building new housing.

Exactly. The plan suggested by some other organisation to spend a few billion on building 30,000 new homes for social housing is far more sensible. That would have employed 25,000 people and gone a long way towards addressing the lack of low-cost housing for poor people. Unfortunately it doesn't gel with the PM's belief that god likes rich people.

[old man emu]

Yes, it's a worthy idea to spend money on social housing, but where are you going to get the "25000 people" to do the building? You can't just hand a bloke a hammer and saw and tell him to build a house. You need to be taught how to do it. It's one thing to knock up a chicken coop, but if you want housing to be built properly, you have to have a trained workforce.

 

Unfortunately, government work creation programmes have to be designed around employing people who are unskilled at carrying out the task. It's often their brawn, not brain that is employed. That's how people kept their heads above water in the 1930's. Not that I am implying that persons on these programmes are not intelligent, but if your job has been in the hospitality industry, no one can reasonably expect you to know the nuances of some other industry.

 

Government relief schemes are just for keeping people on their feet until the economic situation changes for the better. But with a bit of thought, not all government programmes need participants to be work horses. There are a lot of care-giving jobs to do.

[Marty_d]

...where are you going to get the "25000 people" to do the building?

The same question applies to their current reno plan. Point being that underemployed builders (if there are any) could get government contracts to build affordable housing. Let's face it, much of the work going into your basic 1 bathroom 1 toilet off-the-shelf new house can be done by second year apprentices under loose supervision from a qualified builder.

Building work is building work, and reno's are actually harder than new builds, so if they're going to throw money at the industry then why not address the housing shortage while they're at it?

[Yenn]

It will go the same way as the well known schemes of the past, such as the roof insulation and school hall schemes.

Far better would be a scheme similar to the state public housing schemes of the past.

[old man emu]

But state public housing only produces ghettos for the socio-economically deprived.