Abbott in Government

[amaroo]

if she is unfit to do her job 100% effectively it is little more than pointless cost cutting for political gain. She needs to move past cheap political point scoring and realise that she now has a job to do for all Australians.

Oh but nice little pre-election murdoch attack story that says nothing about costs.

I can't see how flying J is going to degrade job performance and having spent the past few weeks researching NYC hotels - I can advise that there are many suites available in 5* hotels well below $1,850/pn mark.

The comparison is legitimate.....labor love spending the "working families" money.

There is no need for ministers, staff, PS to fly F - it's pure waste. Good on her for raising the bar

BTW 23 PS for a two day gig seems WOTT.....can't see many people criticising the cut, cut, cut of waste with this one!

 

[medhead]

I can't see how flying J is going to degrade job performance and having spent the past few weeks researching NYC hotels - I can advise that there are many suites available in 5* hotels well below $1,850/pn mark.

The comparison is legitimate.....labor love spending the "working families" money.

There is no need for ministers, staff, PS to fly F - it's pure waste. Good on her for raising the bar

BTW 23 PS for a two day gig seems WOTT.....can't see many people criticising the cut, cut, cut of waste with this one!

Read the story. She has REJECTED a Suite and wants an ordinary room. IMO that is completely inappropriate for the tasks I expect her to be undertaking in her role. She needs a decent work space in her room. An ordinary room does not provide such space. This has nothing to do with flying in F.

The story you linked said absolutely nothing about class of travel, and mentioned that he wants a suite which seems to be your standard. As such the story contained no comparison whatsoever.

 

[amaroo]

Read the story. She has REJECTED a Suite and wants an ordinary room. IMO that is completely inappropriate for the tasks I expect her to be undertaking in her role. She needs a decent work space in her room. An ordinary room does not provide such space. This has nothing to do with flying in F.

The story you linked said absolutely nothing about class of travel, and mentioned that he wants a suite which seems to be your standard. As such the story contained no comparison whatsoever.

Isn't the article titled - Bishop cancels First Class Trip to UN I think you'll find there are plenty of options to hold meetings....the Libs are cutting cost and leading by example - great to see.

 

[mannej]

Isn't the article titled - Bishop cancels First Class Trip to UN I think you'll find there are plenty of options to hold meetings....the Libs are cutting cost and leading by example - great to see.

I thought it was entitled Cookies Must Be Enabled...

 

[Skyring]

Read the story. She has REJECTED a Suite and wants an ordinary room. IMO that is completely inappropriate for the tasks I expect her to be undertaking in her role. She needs a decent work space in her room. An ordinary room does not provide such space. This has nothing to do with flying in F.

Presumably she will work in the Australian consulate, and as Australia is taking over the rotating chair of the UN, I dare say there's extra office space that comes with that.

Business class is fine for transPacific flights. Qantas will most likely upgrade her to First, anyway.

 

[Skyring]

Oh but nice little pre-election murdoch attack story that says nothing about costs.

Well, try this one.

 

[medhead]

Isn't the article titled - Bishop cancels First Class Trip to UN I think you'll find there are plenty of options to hold meetings....the Libs are cutting cost and leading by example - great to see.

The story is about much more than a headline. That why you need to read the article. I'm talking about what bishop needs to do to prepare for meetings. She needs a decent workspace that is not her bedroom. Not one coughpy little desk. She is going to cost us a lot more that the saving on a suite if she isn't 100% on her game.

Well, try this one.

Umm why? This is about Abbott and his government not the past government. These guys need to stop with the populous point scoring and start to govern. They're not in opposition anymore.

Move on guys the last government is gone. Time to talk about the incoming government, that is the topic of this thread after all. Not sure why you lot feel the need to bring up the last government. He'll my comment made no comparison with the last government, not sure why you seek to distract from the issue at hand.

 

[medhead]

Presumably she will work in the Australian consulate, and as Australia is taking over the rotating chair of the UN, I dare say there's extra office space that comes with that.

Business class is fine for transPacific flights. Qantas will most likely upgrade her to First, anyway.

What in the couple of hours reading she does before going to bed? She'll do that in the consulate? And the early morning catch up before breakfast with her senior public servants, in the consulate? As I said not efficient.

 

[amaroo]

The story is about much more than a headline. That why you need to read the article. I'm talking about what bishop needs to do to prepare for meetings. She needs a decent workspace that is not her bedroom. Not one coughpy little desk. She is going to cost us a lot more that the saving on a suite if she isn't 100% on her game.

It's a great article. All about cost/savings/waste.....it's fantastic we finally have Gov that focuses on these things.

Certainly looks like things are going to be very different at DFAT. The UN and diplomatic events like these are no more than photo shoots/signing events......the wheeling & dealing is done by the Dept staff weeks if not months in advance. The days of turning up & sorting a problem are long gone.......everything is scripted/agreed well in advance.

It's called the coughtail circuit for a reason.

 

[burrco]

What will happen is DFAT will re-negotiate with the Hotel and the two Ministers will still get the suites, but as an upgrade from the standard room. Taxpayer money saved and Ms Bishop gets all the space needed, so those concerned about her welfare can sleep soundly.

Also a bit of nitpicking - but there is no Westin Midtown - if Fairfax means the Westin Grand Central - I stayed there in March and the rooms are small & noisy so I suspect this new economy drive will last as long as the one undertaken by the Rt Hon. Jim Hacker MP. One night listing to Warren Truss snoring (or worse - talking in his sleep) in the room next door will have her in a suite in no time.

 

[medhead]

It's a great article. All about cost/savings/waste.....it's fantastic we finally have Gov that focuses on these things.

Certainly looks like things are going to be very different at DFAT. The UN and diplomatic events like these are no more than photo shoots/signing events......the wheeling & dealing is done by the Dept staff weeks if not months in advance. The days of turning up & sorting a problem are long gone.......everything is scripted/agreed well in advance.

It's called the coughtail circuit for a reason.

I didn't say she needed to be working on things immediately relevant to her activities on the trip. But she does need to be working.

 

[Skyring]

This is just bizarre. Who are we to say how the Foreign Minister - who hasn't even taken office yet - should work and sleep and spend her hours before nodding off? Who and how she entertains visitors is none of our business. I'm sure that she - like most recent Foreign Ministers - will do her job as she sees fit.

If she wants to save money, that is fine by me.

 

[medhead]

This is just bizarre. Who are we to say how the Foreign Minister - who hasn't even taken office yet - should work and sleep and spend her hours before nodding off? Who and how she entertains visitors is none of our business. I'm sure that she - like most recent Foreign Ministers - will do her job as she sees fit.

If she wants to save money, that is fine by me.

No one is saying how she should do her job. Why do you have to continue to put on such a ludicrous spin on this? The very simple point is she had a job to do that includes all of those things. I want her to be doing that job at 100% efficiency. I don't believe that she can be 100% efficient in an ordinary hotel room. The cost of her being inefficient in that role potentially costs vastly more than she is going to save.

Here's the question I raised, nothing there to say how she does her job.

"I expect a minister to be performing at their absolute best for Australia. Is this possible if staying in an ordinary room?"

I'll also tell you who I am, I'm a taxpayer and an Australian citizen. She is there to represent me and my country on my behalf and I'm paying for her to do that. I'm her employer, that's who I am.

Yet again we see strange, distracting attacks on anyone who dares to criticise your beloved liberal party. How about objectively addressing the point for a change.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe Julie Bishop is not a precious young thing and can adapt her work preference to make best use of the resources she sees appropriate.

Really medhead, if she was travelling first class and staying in a really expensive suite, you'd be banging on about how their pre election promises of cutting costs were just a falsehood.

Can't win with some no matter what she does. Haters going to hate. Period.

 

[Skyring]

Yet again we see strange, distracting attacks on anyone who dares to criticise your beloved liberal party. How about objectively addressing the point for a change.

My beloved Liberal party? Hardly.

Who am I and who are you to tell the Foreign Minister how to do their job? Seriously.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

What do we think of the statement/essay/dumping that JG has released?

I'd feel 100% more compassionate with her words if she wasn't the one that placed the first knife in the back! Geez, this lady has a terrible memory.....

So how else would she attain the leadership of the party? Nobody willingly gives up the prime ministership. If somebody had had the guts to take on Howard in the dying days of his reign the Liberals might have gotten another term.

I reckon sexism is still rearing its ugly head regarding how Julia Gillard attained the prime ministership.

It takes us back to the old days when women were expected to know their place and not interfere with men's business. You only have to look at how the incumbent prime minister was referred to by Tony Abbott. When Julia Gillard was the incumbent he always referred to her by her first name.

When Kevin Rudd resumed the role it was Mr Rudd or the prime minister. Nor was Kevin Rudd anymore respectful towards Julia Gillard.

Still things are back to normal now, a man is in charge and the girlies are banished for a few more years. How sad that Australia is missing out on different ideas and ways of doing things.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

It's the whinging..........live by the sword kinda thing.

Backstabbing isn't a male exclusive business.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Think about it ... She is probably a CL p1 anyway so that's almost a guaranteed op up to F on a J ticket.

At the hotel she will most likely get an op up too, given she is the most important in their group and the hotel would know its a government guest

Libs get good media and she gets free upgrades. Win win!

 

[Skyring]

Think about it ... She is probably a CL p1 anyway so that's almost a guaranteed op up to F on a J ticket.

MPs are usually awarded CL status as a matter of course. Upgrades may or may not come, but the precedent of a Tasmanian governor is before us, who booked economy class for his travel and depended on upgrades. This worked for a while until his obnoxious demanding of a higher class than he had paid for became too much, and he was removed from office.

 

[Pushka]

Re: Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

I always find it curious that men call sexism in play and women don't!

Did we hear a sob story from Rudd when he was knifed? Nope. Actually maybe there is sexism here - reverse sexism. As a female Gillard gets to vent her tale of woe and Rudd didn't.

Use of the word "girlie" is nasty and I think rather offensive to the likes of Julie Bishop who works hard and doesn't use her gender as an excuse.