The interesting sound of silence.

[Durin's Bane]

Recently while I was in Asia, I read a biography about Lee Kuan Yew, the first and longest serving Prime Minister of Singapore.

It was a great read, and in it I remember one chapter where he stated that one of the factors in the long term success of his country was the appointment of top calibre public administration. Highly educated people across all industries and sectors, not just political lifers. He advocated remuneration in line with the Private Sector too, to attract the best.

 

[JohnK]

I think Beazley would have made a good PM had he been given the opportunity, and maybe things would have worked out better for the ALP (and arguably the country). Alas he was deemed unelectable by the powers that be.

I think you are right. But we'll never know.

 

[Moody]

Probably the year before we get Sir Tony.

Or rather the year after! Tony Abbott (in the midst of his most moronic week yet) is bigging himself up as a great captain. He must be softening us up for next years' list ....

And I think I understand how the senate voting model was manipulated by the "preference whisperer" to deliver us Ricky Muir with a paltry number of primary votes.

What I still fail to understand is how we also got this pillock as a job lot.

 

[get me outta here]

Just heard an ex pollie on the radio talking about a few things (executions, current foreign minster becoming PM, Prince Phillip), and I was sadly reminded how long it is since I had the pleasure of of a pollie who could talk intelligibly stringing together a number of coherent sentences and convey complex thoughts of a reasoned nature in just a few minutes.

 

[medhead]

Let's throw in this gem from the QLD election. Apparently, a whole 6000 people where referred for multiple voting at the last election. I key LNP issue and one that a number of AFF people have raised. There are 14.9 enrolled voters in Australia. Shock horror 6000 might have voted twice. Very glad that the LNP are sticking to the BIG issues.

 

[get me outta here]

Apparently someone called out for Campbell Newman to run for PM now that he's lost his seat. Brilliant idea!

 

[serfty]

One would think after the QLD result that there would be a new Oz PM by the end of February - possibly not that long. (I'm not sure Bill Shorten hopes such.)

Not that the current incumbent is bad, it's just that he seemed not to be able to appreciate the situation he was faced with after the 2013 Federal election.

He and the newly elected government needed to converse and understand the want's and needs of the elected senate cross bench - work out what they would agree to and what they wouldn't. They had 9 months to do so - it seems they did no such!

If they had reached agreement with the senate crossbenchers, then they could have formalised a budget taking the results of those negotiations into account. The budget would have been passed - rather than the dribs and drabs that were. It would then be apparent that the government was in control of things. Yes, they did get some key regulation through - but not enough.

No - they seemed to simply assume, like king Canute, they could just say it would happen and it would be; well obviously this was not the case - much to several Liberal State premiers chagrin (I don't include Napthine here 100% - he was already screwed by Baillieu inertia ...).

So, announce a "tough" budget without any seeming consultation and see it shot down - mainly in my opinion due to the aforementioned lack of consultation.

Oh, I reckon the treasurer has little time left in that role - not because they have done a bad job (although smoking cigars at the time and p;ace he did was basically stupid politically), but because his 2014 non-consultative (and non enacted) budget plan merely advertised bad stuff without actually having a really chance of being fully legislated.

 

[JohnK]

Funny how in a 2 horse race anyone can be elected to govern if the protest vote is strong enough against the incumbent.

 

[medhead]

The key in your post, serfty, is IF; if they had of worked with the cross benchers. They didn't, that is the failure of their character. Instead we got the born to rule attitude, we have a claim of mandate despite the reality that the voters did not give them the senate.

Funny how in a 2 horse race anyone can be elected to govern if the protest vote is strong enough against the incumbent.

Newman was bringing back Sir Joh in spades. Using the police to silence any opposition, deals for his mates and unchecked development. Anyone who channels the stuff that typified the corruption of Joh is on a hiding to nothing. It is ludicrous to claim a protest vote despite the manifest failures of Newman's policies.

 

[get me outta here]

Turnbull made a good speech snippets of which were broadcast. This is what many think that the Fed Budget did not achieve - and that they failed to 'sell it' is not the main problem, but that it was easily understood to be manifestly unfair.

As Turnbull says, "That means not only must tough decisions be justified, but that the burden of adjustment is not borne disproportionately by one part of the community".

Assessing the Future of the Asia-Pacific - US/Australia Dialogue | Malcolm Turnbull MP

 

[badseed]

Still on a high from last night with the Socceroos win and the Bjelke-Petersen Redux government likely being shown the door in a spanking.

Abbott should be next in line to lose his job, and may take down Hockeynomics with him. I personally hope that he stays on to the bitter end, because the election results will make 1996 and 2007 look like cliffhangers in comparison. I suspect Turnbull as PM could potentially cut through the media cycle and use the opportunity to fundamentally realign the Libs to bring them more into line with say the UK Tories (e.g. enacting marriage equality, putting in place an ETS instead of direct action).

On the coverage last night all the Libs could muster for an explanation was that they were 'a good government who perhaps didn't explain themselves well'. Keep thinking that way guys and you'll be out of a job.

 

[Moody]

One would think after the QLD result that there would be a new Oz PM by the end of February - possibly not that long. (I'm not sure Bill Shorten hopes such.)

Not that the current incumbent is bad, it's just that he seemed not to be able to appreciate the situation he was faced with after the 2013 Federal election.

He and the newly elected government needed to converse and understand the want's and needs of the elected senate cross bench - work out what they would agree to and what they wouldn't. They had 9 months to do so - it seems they did no such!

If they had reached agreement with the senate crossbenchers, then they could have formalised a budget taking the results of those negotiations into account. The budget would have been passed - rather than the dribs and drabs that were. It would then be apparent that the government was in control of things. Yes, they did get some key regulation through - but not enough.

No - they seemed to simply assume, like king Canute, they could just say it would happen and it would be; well obviously this was not the case - much to several Liberal State premiers chagrin (I don't include Napthine here 100% - he was already screwed by Baillieu inertia ...).

So, announce a "tough" budget without any seeming consultation and see it shot down - mainly in my opinion due to the aforementioned lack of consultation.

Oh, I reckon the treasurer has little time left in that role - not because they have done a bad job (although smoking cigars at the time and p;ace he did was basically stupid politically), but because his 2014 non-consultative (and non enacted) budget plan merely advertised bad stuff without actually having a really chance of being fully legislated.

Good analysis ..... apart from the highlighted text. You must own the world's best rose-coloured glasses!

 

[browski]

Delicious dilemma for the Libs.
On balance, you'd think Strop is favoured to retain his position as PM.

With such an unpleasant supporting cast of idealogues, it would be oblivion to make a change.

Morrisson: Evil
Pyne: Nasty
Hockey: Dumb
Bishop J: Dumber
Cormann: wrong house, wrong accent
Andrews: appears undead
Ruddock: is undead
Bishop B, George Brandis, Greg Hunt: ..........OK, OK....you get the idea.

Turnbull: most capable of reasoned and complex thought, great communicator, charming................just has the small handicap that his own party members utterly despise him.

With the cartoon characters above, the smart money would seem to favour the incumbent so I'm putting a lazy $50 on Strop; although Barnaby at $81/1 is worth a $2 bet if only to show-off the betting slip at social events.

Tony Abbott
1.80
Julie Bishop
2.85
Malcolm Turnbull
4.00
Scott Morrison
9.00
Mal Brough
21.00
Joe Hockey
34.00
Christopher Pyne
51.00
Greg Hunt
67.00
George Brandis
67.00
Barnaby Joyce
81.00
Andrew Robb
101.00
Peter Dutton
101.00
Warren Truss
251.00
​

 

[Moody]

Bizarre situation where Labour wants TA to stay and keep aiming the blunderbuss at himself, and the Coalition would like to see the back of him but saw what happened to the last mob who tried that.

I missed the Press Council speech - are the strings back in place?

 

[UP4014]

Bizarre situation where Labour wants TA to stay and keep aiming the blunderbuss at himself, and the Coalition would like to see the back of him but saw what happened to the last mob who tried that.

I missed the Press Council speech - are the strings back in place?

It would seem the best thing for Bill Shorten is for Tony to stay as PM, with Hockey as Treas and the Libs to keep telling us all they are a team behind Tony.

 

[medhead]

Abbott is the best leader the ALP has ever had.

On a serious note I've digested Abbott's speech. Especially the line about not wanting the chaos of the past. Given that chaos was mostly caused by the deposed Rudd, it sounds like Abbott is threatening to destabilise to create chaos if he is deposed. That's not a good look. It exposes another judgement flaw in using that line.

In other news I had to have a bex and a good lay down after I restrained my natural urge when seeing poodle Pyne prancing (illegal) across the road in front of my car on the weekend. His kids were with him, I see them as innocent even if Pyne himself believes they were born with the sins of the father.

 

[medhead]

Seems the Australian is trying to distract from the rumblings about the PM. Front page story about a potential challenge for the actu leadership. Yeah ok. Like who gives a damn about the actu leadership?

Perhaps the Oz should also report about the leadership of the largest closed shop union in Australia, the AMA.

 

[Pushka]

So much for DrRon and I criticising Abbott for the "soft target" of the Sir title for Prince Phillip. It's just been cited as a reason for calling the leadership spill next week. .

 

[Hvr]

And the spill is on for next Tuesday 11 Feb. Could these be the last days of the failed Abbott government?

Liberal MP spill motion threatens to end Tony Abbott's time as Prime Minister

 

[DC3]

I will agree that the best outcome for the ALP is that TA remains as thePM.