You may have heard the phrase, much-beloved by corporate types and politicians alike, “in the space”.
During question time this week, the Minister for Social Services, Dan Tehan, in receipt of a Dorothy Dixer from the member for Tangney, Dan Morton, lauded his colleague for having “a keen interest in the welfare space”.
If you keep an eye on reporting of the corporate world the same phrase pops up with monotonous regularity. A bloke who works in a bank is almost invariably described as having a “long history of working in the finance space”.
It’s an annoying phrase, vague and faddish, and I regret having to use it – but I fear I must because there is something deeply, deeply wrong in the Canberra space.
Come yesterday, the crazy-meter was already quivering at the red extreme after government senator Michaelia Cash’s outburst the previous day. It slipped into “dangerously unhinged” when Labor senator Kim Carr reached deep into his Godwin’s Law sack of epithets to refer to Liberal senator James Paterson as a member of the Hitler-Jugend.
Full column here.
another Barnaby mess and cover up. No surprises.
https://www.theage.com.au/environment/sustainability/treachery-leaked-report-reveals-low-river-flow-blamed-on-extraction-20180303-p4z2pu.html
I see Tbull and the Looters gave Tony Shepherd $50,000 in a secret deal-no call for tenders of course. This is the bloke who successfully got rid of Abbott via his horror 2014 budget. Job well done. No wonder Tbull gave him another gig.
Hope Cash keeps her job….she remains another thorn in Tbull’s saddle leading up to the next election. The more deadwood he hangs on to the better for the Opposition.
I think you’ll find that government work can be awarded directly under 80k Bassy. With appropriate justification, i.e. paperwork.
Soapy Mirabella and the architect of WorfkNOchoices on jobs over $200k NO interview process?
Both lost their seats at the last election so they get a higher paying consolation prize.
Not what I said
“Record numbers of Disability Support Pension applicants are having their claims rejected, often against the explicit advice of doctors.” I see the coalition and their supporters again showing their true selves. In the last couple of days there have been several articles in news publications to add More blame and shame to those doing it the hardest to dog whistle up a clutch of wilfully ignorant coalition supporters.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/02/27/battle-benefits-disabled-people-advocates-fight-back-governments-stingy-hostile-social-security-system/
Oh here is an update on all those the cons call rorters. “This week it was revealed that a crackdown on Disability Support Pension “rorters” which has so far subjected 30,056 people to medical assessments, had led to just 135 people having their pensions cancelled – just 0.45%.”
Oh come on Gary. It was being rorted. Needed an audit.
Yvonne. 0.45% of recipients. Less than half of one percent. You are a nasty wilfully ignorant piece of work.
And you are a tool……
You mean people would lie to get money from the government? I’m shocked.
Me too, Dwight 🙄
I demand a crackdown on all the serial rorters in Money-Grubbing House who’re currently taking every red cent they’re NOT entitled to & lining their own pockets with donor $$$ for government favours. Honesty is lost.
Bella, the cons “honestly’ don’t think anything is wrong with nepotism. How would any of them get anywhere is not for their mates.
“But what about this $6.9 billion in cash and $1.15 billion in other contractual benefits Origin received? In its 2009 annual report, Origin books a profit of $7.4 billion on the transaction and a tax expense of $702 million, an effective tax rate of less than 9.5 per cent.” $Cash$ an “unrealised” gain ??? Not in any way shape or form.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/when-a-sale-is-not-a-sale-origin-energys-unreal-unrealised-gain/
JB is correct the clock is ticking faster. No surprises. Give em heaps JB.
https://theconversation.com/our-acid-oceans-will-dissolve-coral-reef-sands-within-decades-86826
Reasonable summation.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/why-the-coalition-conservatives-and-big-business-are-terrified-by-emma-alberici,11255
“The tsunami of wealth didn’t trickle down. It surged upward.
Trickle down economic theory is pure BS.” Warren Buffet
So the Turncoat car crash wants to perpetrate this con in Australia & we’ve always known how Dismayed. By lying to middle & low income Australians & they get away with it cos it’s their usual MO.
Thank-you Ms Alberici, I can’t even imagine how much heat you’re experiencing for your exposure of the truth about these tax cuts.
I see the corporates are desperately attacking Emma A’s article too. Methinks the hounds are frothing at the prospect of their biggest con being seen for the hoax it always was D.
I say Dismayed, re your “clean coal” being an “oxymoron” (Mar 3, 7.54pm), I see that Japan has plans to build 45 HELE coal fired power plants. Apparently they produce half of the emissions of traditional plants.
Even our own CSIRO is working on plans to use them. And you may be surprised to know that CSIRO doesn’t have a reputation of employing morons.
cotc. as usual you show you have NO FN clue. Rudd put up a huge some of money your man abbott removed most of the funding. The best new technology coal fired plant will reduce Emission by 20% at the very most. You are the worst kind of barracker you continue to refuse to accept facts. Stick to your blue rinse brigade carl people like you keep me Dismayed I don’t understand how you and yvonne and milton and other on here choose to be so wilfully ignorant. I guess it is easier for you than to accept reality.You are an oxygen thief. No Surprises.
I see no discussion of turnbull re-nationalising about 25% of the energy sector with “the biggest federal government purchase in living memory – the $6.2 billion buyout of Snowy Hydro” where are screams of protest about the use of Taxpayer money to purchase the states share. There is already more solar planned for installation in the next 2 years than the Snowy 2.0 pipe dream will produce. This will turn into a $15 billion spend of taxpayer funds. There are over 20,000 sites ready to go today for pumped hydro in this country and the coalition choose the worst one. That is before you consider the conflict of interest issues for example the ridiculous “NEG” which still has no actual details.”This is occurring just as he is proposing a new energy market mechanism, the National Energy Guarantee, whose only obvious beneficiaries are Snowy Hydro and existing coal generators.+ Most corrupt government in this Nations history.No surprises.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/will-turnbulls-snowy-hydro-continue-its-war-against-battery-storage-22125/
I say, Mr Insider, that Adolph Hitler chappie still getting a solid “press” some 73 years after the world got rid of the murderous tyrant. Last week in our own Senate with Kim Carr’s remark invoking Hitler, very sordid indeed imho, and see SBS has a new series on “understanding” him Sundays 5.30pm. Goodness me the younger generation wouldn’t even know who he was. Wonder did he really escape to Argentina all those years ago with Eva. He might have even bought a Volkswagen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qcyiTSrOlY
“adolf”
What, ……… not another political “scare campaign” in Tasmania already? Talk about sour apples!
And we’re only just getting over the ever so shameful Mediscare campaign aided and abetted by Getup.
Down here, all are agreed that the best team won, Carl. The ads and so called bankrolling mafe no difference to the outcome.
The ALP claimed they door-knocked 200,000 homes – and they still couldn’t win.
Nobody wanted change. The only change was Green voters switching to Labor and a handful to JLN up north.
The other two were bad losers too. No need to be so vindictive in a concession speech on the night.
Bella: paper here reckons the biggest mistake the Greens made was to team up with the ALP at the time they were in govt. Downhill ever since. McKim and o Connor were perceived as feathering their own nest as they had become an item.
With all due respect B, 50% of Tasmanians must be willing then to lose much of what visitors come to see.
If ‘the best’ is a pack of Fiberals selling the states beauty to the highest foreign bidder, there goes all the hard-won environmental protections. It’s not just Bob who can see the writing on the wall. Very sad. 😔
I didn’t vote Bella. I too feel sad that Tassie is being prostituted to tourism. I have said that here previously.
But it was inevitable that the Libs would win. Forget about the bankrolling stuff. The ALP made an error making pokies the central issue. If they hadn’t they may have pulled it off. I am not sure why the Green vote went to Labor in this state, the origin of the Green movement. That’s something they need to have a big think about. Bring back Bob!!
“Forget about the bankrolling stuff”!
You wish. There hasn’t been a more blatant case of buying an election since the big miners crushed Rudd for having the temerity to try and win something back for the people.
I live here JB. I know what’s going on. Labor stuffed up.
They’re now blaming the Greens for loss of votes oon the NE!
JB – what do you expect would happen when they, incredibly naively and rashly, decided to take on the big boys? I said about 4 blogs ago that it would cost them the election – and it did.
They could have concentrated on other pressing issues like housing , national parks, health etc – and they may well have won – but instead they put the inexperienced White in -who thought she could take on the big end of town.
Even without the big boys, as I pointed out, there were too many businesses that would be sent down the tube – not to mention the clients who like to play the pokies. Long time Labor voters would have voted Liberal for the first time in their lives.
Well theres hardly any point in contesting an election if you cant take on the “big boys” is there?
Just go belly up and let the big boys do whatever they like?
Theres always the next election, and if another one were held tomorrow Labor would bolt it in.
The Libs with blatant arrogance have shown their real face.
If another one was held tomorrow the Libs would win again. white seems determined to stay with the pokies thing. However another strong Labor guy got his seat back (can’t think of his name right now) and I think he will contest the leadership somewhere down the line. I think you will find that he leaves the pokie issue alone.
You clearly do not have an understanding of what is going on here. You would have had to be around for the last 10 years – as I have.
It’s not the little island full o f two-headed people anymore.
I cant say it anymore – the pokies stance lost the election.
There are heaps of other things they could have campaigned strongly on and left the pokies for now. I’m not saying for sure they would have won but they would have had a better chance. My gut feel is they probably would have.
The pokies should be tackled on a federal scale across the nation. It’s too controversial
Nothing wrong with tourism if it is done properly. If you stop tourism you’re ensuring that a large part of the State’s economy is shot to ribbons. Most countries rely on tourism to boost the nations coffers. France is still the world’s most visited country, followed by the US, then Spain. Imagine what would happen if all the French suddenly decided they hated tourists!
You can always offer your services as an advisor but you should note that the Tourism Tasmania Board is comprised of several individuals who have a wealth of experience in eco tourism, hospitality, accommodation providers etc., who undoubtedly know what they are doing.
Maybe I’m biased but I think the tourism industry is one of the most important industries in any State or Territory in Australia and I’ve seen the devastation ( the pilots strike for example) that can occur when the tourism industry comes to a screaming halt. Australia is not in the league of France, Spain etc. but I reckon we do it well and speaking to my relatives and friends in Tasmania it seems that the tourism industry is definitely pulling it’s weight with regard to the economy.
Tasmania is the most sought after holiday destination in Australia. Has been for the last 18 mnths.
Unfortunately infrastructure has not coped with the influx of visitors and people choosing to relocate here. There is now a desperate shortage of housing and rentals in Hobart. Hobart has the lowest availibilty in Australia. Longterm tenants are being evicted as investors choose to convert their investment to lucrative Airbnb. Families are living in tents at the showgrounds.
Everyone who lives here is well aware that tourism is the way to go – but not at the expense of those who live here.
Read the article in the Age Good Weekend magazine (Apple of our Isle)by Gabriella Coslovich dated 24 Feb about the socio economic divide opening up.
Once again, you don’t look at the bigger picture. It won’t be long until the tourists decide that Tasmania isn’t where they want to go and another destination will take it’s place and you’ll be left in peace in your favourite coffee shop. North Queensland is the only destination in Australia that bucks the trends and seems to continually attract visitors. As for your argument about the Spanish and the Italians holding up signs telling the tourists to go away, they’ve been doing that for years and years…..generally when asked to by local media. Even the French locals (who aren’t involved in the tourism industry) dislike tourists, but recognize the value of the money they bring into the area. Your objection to tourism is not a new one. I was brought up in a tourist town and have watched it successfully grow into a viable, quite wealthy area. As I said I’m probably biased but I think tourism has more benefits than disadvantages, the understanding of different cultures for one
Actually the Spaniards have decided they hate tourists taking over their beaches. There are placards up at certain beaches telling them to go away. Likewise the Italians in Rome around the Trevi fountain.
Quite so. Herself should be grateful. If it were not for tourists she wouldn’t be able to get much better than a Nescafe with powdered milk served up in a jam tin with a dry scone in Hobart.
It was great when Tassie was a beautiful simple place. Quality of the coffee never mattered as much JB. It was, and still is, the quality of life that did.
The first time I went to Tasmania JB was as a child to visit my cousins ….I have to confess there’s quite a lot of them. I thought it was an OK place back then . I’ve since been numerous times, still think it’s OK, but a bit lacking in sophistication to put it mildly. They could say the same (in fact they do) about the Northern Territory. Some of them are still there, doing very well, having managed to snap up the real estate for a song and living nice comfortable lives. To each his own I reckon, but not being a real coffee drinker, I reckon there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea, with a biscuit in a nice little cafe in old Hobart town.
Lacking in sophistication? – not any more. That’s what was so lovely about Tasmania 5 years ago. Things have changed.
Boady. One minute you’re banging on about the economic miracle of Tasmania and the next you whinging about paradise lost.
Form your own political party and sue for “tourist exclusion zones.” You could have “Tasmanians only” cafes and park benches.
JB. The economic recovery here is astounding. Actually it’s all thanks to one David Walsh – whose MONA museum put Hobart on the international scene and things evolved from there. His Winter festival has hotels here at 100% occupancy in the middle of Winter. Hobart used to be a ghost town in Winter! I’m a little tired of comments here that clearly are out of touch with the Hobart/Tasmania of today.
Yes, we are concerned that tourism will get out of hand. we do not want helicopters buzzing over the gorgeous Wineglass Bay, an ugly cable car up Mt Wellington, garden paths in our unspoilt wilderness so tourists can trip in and out without changing footwear. w e do not want to become another Queensland. We want to retain the unique and spectacular identity this island has. And yes, whilst eco tourism is important to this economy – it is vital that it is carefully managed. Most Hobartians reckon that sticking an ugly cable car across the beautiful Organ Pipes rockface of Mt Wellington is criminal.
Tasmanians are very welcoming to tourists – they all love it here. we are trying to keep it that way.
No just try hard not to be so bloody condescending – it’s irritating.