The Labor Years

[old man emu]

I suppose that with a new Party in power in Canberra, we should start up a thread to keep those bastards honest.

 

I've had my first disappointment. It looked like Albo and his mob were going to heed the electorate's disgust with the petty politicking and juvenile behaviour that was the mark of the previous government. But I just noticed a headline saying that the new government blamed the old government for leaving out in the cold without a razoo to pay for rent and food.

 

Hey! Captain Obvious! We knew we were in the shite.  We knew who's lousy policies were a big part of the cause. That's why we voted your mob in. Just shut up and see if you can steer the Ship of State into less rough waters. We know you won't sail into a mill pond, but we'll accept a bit of chop.

[onetrack]

The first thing Albo and his mob had better concentrate on, is our energy security and cost. I've been saying this for years - we need water and energy security as priorities, and Govts need to be addressing these issues as priorities - rather than constantly stepping back and saying, "Oh, we need to leave those areas to market forces". What a load of codswallop, and a copout - allowing outside, mercenary, commercial forces to govern our water and energy security.

 

We are in serious trouble if we don't have guaranteed, secure and moderate cost water and energy supplies - for our businesses and for individuals. In many other countries, the Govt ruthlessly controls food and fuel prices, knowing full well if they let them get out of control, there will be rioting in the streets, and potential civil war.

 

I'm not saying our Govt should operate the same way - but I note that successive W.A. Govts (from 1979) have ensured that 15% of W.A.'s huge gas supplies are reserved for W.A. domestic use (Domestic Gas Reservation scheme).

This has had the benefit of providing a stable and relatively low-cost energy source for all W.A. industry and domestic users - in comparison to the Eastern States gas users, who are now at the mercy of high and volatile gas prices.

 

The W.A. gas industry has never provided any major income stream for W.A., thanks to very generous royalty and taxation agreements for the global corporations who extract W.A.'s gas, and who make large profits from their investments.

In fact, the global corporations who own and operate our gas extraction plants have been on the receiving end of very generous taxpayer subsidies - in the form of "take or pay" agreements. By 2010, these subsidies from W.A. were estimated to have been around $8B for those global corporations. A nice lil' earner, as Arfur would say.

 

The W.A. DGR scheme has proven to be of benefit to all West Australians, and West Australian companies, in that it has provided energy security and sheltered the gas users from the vagaries of international gas pricing mechanisms - which are vague at the very best, and outright scheming and manipulation, at their very worst.

 

Albo's Govt is very shortly going to have to address this looming problem, as East Coast manufacturing is highly dependent on gas that is modest cost, and which must also be a secure supply. Failure to tackle the energy problem can only result in major levels of unemployment and the collapse of a large percentage of East Coast manufacturing which is highly reliant on gas.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-03/gas-crisis-threatens-manufacturers-jobs-and-rising-prices/101114712

 

 

[spacesailor]

As usual, the nat/lib government got out of the fireing line knowing what a mess it had coming .

What would they be saying , if they had won, & now had to fix all those problems. 

I remember that Granville train crash were the liberal party had run the rail line down to ruin & had covered the broken wheel up. Six months before the crash. (  john gorton sould have gone to jail ).

The Labour party took the rap !, then apologized. 

spacesailor

Edited June 4, 2022 by spacesailor
Missed word

[old man emu]

Spacey, Gorton was the Commonwealth Prime Minister. He, nor his Government had anything to do with the NSW railways. However, the Liberals were in power in NSW from 13/5/65 to 15/5/76. Labor got back in on 14/5/76, only 8 months before the Granville rail disaster. What chance did they have of fixing a rundown rail system in eight months? If you want to point the finger of blame  Bob Askin who was Premier for ten years from 13 May 1965 to 3 Jan 1975. Remember "Drive over the bastards!"? If a dog's hind leg was as crooked as Askin, you'd put the poor animal down.

[facthunter]

"Run, run, run, the bastards OVER.. Unsafe railways in NSW  ?? Can't recall when they weren't.  Sinney had the best in Australia originally.  Nev

[spacesailor]

AND !.

Now Are going back to those Old trams of yesteryear.

Should have gone to Trolly buses put up the Ugly overhead wires, but leave the road alone ..

Only half or less the cost of going backwards.

spacesailor

[facthunter]

I'm sure we look to other places all over the world to determine  the suitability of City Transport..  Modern, clean, airconditioned  with level platform access to multiple doors . Fixed rails don't lurch and cut in and out of traffic Move a lot of people and in the centre of Melbourne is free.   Nev. 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Agree, Nev. Safer on many counts. Although the new tram line they put in between Croydon and Wimbledon, which was pretty horrific (7 dead, 50+ injured). For a fast, safe way of getting around the city, nothing beats them, especially in citites with grid-type layouts. Does Melbourne still provide free tram rides on CBD trams?

 

They are a bit slower getting back to the burbs than a train, and I would guess around the same as a bus.  However, I used to take them occasionally when I lived in Glenhuntly and Camberwell as it was a pleasant ride, especially in Spring, Summer, andf Autumn..

 

Also with Aus' weather, more cycle lanes should be the go - where they aren't already. When I rode, even as a 40+ something year old, would beat buses and trams.

Edited June 5, 2022 by Jerry_Atrick

[Jerry_Atrick]

Too late to edit the above post..

 

"Although the new tram line they put in between Croydon and Wimbledon, which was pretty horrific (7 dead, 50+ injured). " should read "Although an accident on the new tram line they put in between Croydon and Wimbledon was pretty horrific (7 dead, 50+ injured). "

[Marty_d]

Can I just say, it's still refreshing to hear "The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese..."  on the radio.  Sometimes they just say "The Prime Minister..." and I think "Oh no, not that f*cktard again..." but then remember that the incumbent has changed.

[old man emu]

7 hours ago, Marty_d said:

it's still refreshing to hear "The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese..." 

 

I'd rather be hearing more frequently, "The Minister for .... (announced, commented on, replied to) " . I'm sick and tired of the presidential type of government where the Prime Minister is the only one to speak on matters that Ministers have been appointed to oversee. Even at a meeting of your local sports club, the president doesn't give the reports of the Treasurer, Secretary or sub-committees. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party in the parliament, not the only member of that party there. Business learned long ago that the way to good management is delegation of authority and responsibility. After all, a Minister is the one making the ultimate decisions on matters his Department handles.

[facthunter]

Albanese is not a "Presidential" type of operator. He's a TEAM player and the contingent to Indonesia shows it amply. How the media play it is up to them but rarely, if ever, reflects any reality. Nev

[old man emu]

You've got to feel sympathy for Albo & Co. After suffering through years of Conservative mismanagement, they finally get into Government and the economic sky falls in on them. If they return taxpayers' money to them to try to keep the taxpayers afloat, the Conservatives, who were stuffing their and their mates' pockets with tax dollars, will start squealing like stuck pigs that Labor politicians are all spendthrifts and are destroying the Country. Still, Labor has the experience of leading the country through the tough times and lessening the impacts.

[facthunter]

The "Arrangement" between the NP and the Libs is tenuous and separately neither would command enough votes to be anywhere. It's an alliance that's become more "UNHOLY" than it ever was.. Liberal is not "LIBERAL". It's a neocon pro big business  and corruption thing. and too much controlled by the ACL and the IPA. and big money.  ie Foreign Coal and GAS interests and speculation on WATER.  Nev

[old man emu]

12 minutes ago, facthunter said:

too much controlled by the ACL and the IPA. and big money

According to the AFP, it's the Calabrian Mafia that is doing the controlling. https://www.afp.gov.au/news-media/media-releases/afp-target-italian-organised-crime-and-money-laundering-year-operation Remember Don Mackay from Wagga?

[onetrack]

I don't know how the AFP thinks they're going to nail the Australian Mafia, the Italian Govt pours hundreds of millions into trying to break them and still they operate with impunity. They own most of the Mayors and Govt officials in Italy, and I'll wager they own a lot of important officials here. In Italy, if you don't do what the Mafia say, you're a dead man walking. They're like a Lernaean Hydra, chop off one head, and two more promptly appear.

[facthunter]

Most of the Tours in Europe I've done with a very English sounding name and Mafia connections group. NO plastic motels way  out of Town. Its centre of Rome and on the channel in Venice stuff. Main street in Lyon etc. That's the reality BUT, I don't agree that's the RIGHT way for things to run. Nev

[willedoo]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

The "Arrangement" between the NP and the Libs is tenuous and separately neither would command enough votes to be anywhere. It's an alliance that's become more "UNHOLY" than it ever was.. Liberal is not "LIBERAL". It's a neocon pro big business  and corruption thing. and too much controlled by the ACL and the IPA. and big money.  ie Foreign Coal and GAS interests and speculation on WATER.  Nev

Before the merger to form the LNP in Queensland, the  Qld.Nationals were always the dominant partner in the state coalition, opposite to the federal situation. After a long losing streak, Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg and a few others pushed for a merger, saying that it would cut out three cornered election contests and maximise the vote. It didn't do them much good, as the Coalition/LNP have only held state government for one three year term in almost thirty years. I think their problem is more to do with too many drongos in the party and not enough good policy. I'd exclude Lawrence from that group; he's one of the few from the Qld. LNP that ever made any sense. He's a good bloke as well.

[facthunter]

I've followed Politics since my Mid teens. It was clear to me that having Good Government was the first requirement in any sort of functioning Society.  Capital won't make the necessary planning decisions as it only responds to a situation and spends a lot of effort eliminating competition if left to it's own devices. Maximising profit at any given time is it's aim.. A tribe that PLANS ahead for the benefit of all and isn't divided in itself is going to perform the best..  The WHOLE World is now interdependent.  whether we like /accept it or not. Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

On 03/06/2022 at 9:49 AM, old man emu said:

I suppose that with a new Party in power in Canberra, we should start up a thread to keep those bastards honest.

Good idea.. Although I read it about keeping ALL of the bastards honest...

 

Dutton as leader of the opposition has had his first faux par.. It would appear an allegation about putting party politics ahead of national security..: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-10/anger-at-peter-dutton-disclosure-of-aukus-submarine-negotiations/101140372

 

[old man emu]

Didn't the LNP Government launch criminal proceedings against some people who blew the whistle on military matters?

[Marty_d]

A taste of things to come with Voldemort as opposition leader.  He'll wreck anything he can in his efforts to score political points, and Australia is the loser.

[Bruce Tuncks]

For many years, I have been saying how John Howard sold our gas for 5 cents per litre. ( This was not a published figure, they quoted dollars per petajoule or some such obfuscated figure, but I worked it out, I think ). The contract with china was for 50 years. Again, I think.

I don't think Howard was actually trying to sabotage Australia, I think he was a fool who believed that resources were infinite.

[facthunter]

I keep Praising Dog  that I didn't and don't have John Howard as a neighbour. . AND what use was the free trade deal with CHINA Andrew Robb signed?   Nev

[onetrack]

"How Australia blew its future gas supplies (and has funded dirt-cheap gas for China until 2031)." This is the level of genuises we've had running the country for the last few decades. 

 

https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/how-australia-blew-its-future-gas-supplies-20170928-gyqg0f.html