Yes, his (Tiffen’s) sadness percolates through. As has been pointed out here, in many postings, they can deal with many issues in ways that avoid grief, yet always seem to choose the most counterproductive and antagonistic measures.
Apparently the ALP’s fund raising has crashed this year by about 2/3 — they are only getting $1.5m as opposed to $4.5m.
The Opposition is upt to over $5m mostly from the resources industry and registered clubs, AHA etc.
Good to know … 😉
Labor or Liberal it makes no difference. Both parties are in the pockets of corporate capital. Vote Green or some strain of democratic socialist if you want to see any difference.
The phrase “applicable to Queensland, unfortunately” suggests that there is something sad about losing an ALP government to a probably talentless Liberal team. There would be something sad if the ALP were actually good at being in government, they aren’t.
The Goss government were in the thrall of business interests that they literally threw away their voter base for the sake of a stupid and environmentally irresponsible tollway which did not get built. The Bligh government could stay in power but for the fact that they too are in the pocket of powerful business interests. They bombed badly on the Travesty Dam project (thankfully) and ‘clean coal’ at great expense to the public and now they have gone ahead with a financially, socially and environmentally disastrous sale of Queensland Rail against the wishes of the electorate and with the use of deception and stealth. You will remember John Quiggin’s arguments against the rail privatisation which Anna Bligh refused to discuss and just issued a media thing rubbishing it.
Why would anyone think the ALP was any better? But wait, people do have more choices if the wish. They could massively vote Green and cause one of the 19C troglodyte parties to form a coalition with the Greens. Then we could see consultative governance and the ‘difficult decisions’ would be properly thought through, rather than bulldozed through. Don’t be sad. You too could have an elegantly hung Parliament – it is gaining in popularity.
Fran said of the ALP, was that in Qld or in NSW?: “they are only getting $1.5m as opposed to $4.5m” – the poor darlings! At least the corporate backers know something. We can expect less rubbishy attack-ads on TV. An even better idea would be to ban corporate funding and to cap electoral expenses. Make them knock on doors and explain their corruption and inaction to ordinary voters – it’ll do them good.
Please sir, can we have an honest election without corporate money tainting the political process.
Given that the Libs are red-hot favourites to win going away, one has to wonder why any significant corporation would want to donate shareholder or private money to them.
John, whilst many will agree with Tiffen’s article there are others who still think the NSW Liberal Party carry a lot of past baggage for associating with Nazis and will not have a barr of them. As for Keneally, well she has my vote for the new Sydney network of high-frequency red Metrobuses is a God send. Thumbs up for Labor.
Willy Bach, much time and effort has been spent over recent times trying to get labor or even thelibs to cooperate withthe Greens.
The worst incident occurred in Tasmania in the late nineties, when Labor and Lib, both sockpuppets for Gunns, responded by gerrymandering the electorate against the Greens.
At fed level there is often much cooperation against the Greens between the two big formations.
Re FB’s comment, read somewhere there is a massive swing in donations to the NSW coalition- they have money at the ratio of about three to one, as to current donations and funds. Come to think of it, Fran must have read the same newspaper item, as she reports this an earlier post.
NSW ALP:
– paucity of ideas
– promotion of mates, not talent
– dogged implementation of failed ideas
– focus on “issues management” ie spin, instead of performance improvement in social services
Not sure that the Libs will be better but their time has come.
boconnor, a close examination of seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly reveals Rural Independents have done well over the years at the National’s expense and expect this trend to continue at the next election. No spin just facts.
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – your party pf choice is doomed for acting like a bunch of right wing zealots. They have betrayed you, supported capitalistic free markets, sided with pro rich policies to increase inequality, reward the pluticrats who are running the show.
Moshie – you have been betrayed, as have all of us. Liberals may be no better. The greens are the only decent party Moshie and where their preferences go is a big question. Unfortunately I would vote green but I dont want one whisker of my vote going to the NSW Labor party.
Bunch of bastards Moshie (and I kinda like you and feel sorry for you that you, and the rest of labor faithful, have been so screwed by the ratty remnants of this party).
@Michael of Summerhill
Thumbs DOWN on Kenneally and Roozendahl (cretins) and thumbs DOWN on NSW labor Moshie – dont delude yourself or Ill have to sign you up to join the other denialists in the insane asylum.
Its worth noting that both Labor and Liberal hate the Greens so much because their is the only vote growing that they (liberal and labor) are actually starting to preference each other to exclude the Greens.
Thats a sure sign they (both Labor and Liberal) are working for a minority of the wealthy and have lost touch badly with the majority in the electorates.
Time Australia woke up and they both go down (Labor and Liberal).n Im counting on people increasing their Green vote. People whinge on and on about the privatisations, the lack of public spending, the higher user pays charges on everything…but let people get up, wake up and change their votes. The sooner the better.
This Moshie is why NSW Labor needs to go and NSW Liberals need not be voted in either (they are the same). They are both working for the already wealthy and I am fed up with their higher and higher “user pays” charges, the spin re competition from PPS bringing prices down (when in reality its an attempt to give our hard earned taxes to the already wealthy).
The entire shambles of neo liberal policies of “private better than public” is making me poorer, my kids poorer, the entire middle class and even the upper middle class poorer in Australia because not one in either of these two supposedly “mainstream parties” is implementing policies for the good of the majority in this country.
This is evidenced by the disgrace that ineqality has become in Australia and other once democratic countries. Im not buying the “you too can be a millionaire with hard work and darwinian survival of the fittest genes” BS expounded and shoved down our throats in a daily diatribe of right wing garbage, by the chief mouthpiece of a wealthy elite, Rupert Murdoch.
You can vote for these cretins if you like (liberal and labor) but Im voting for a fairer country and some decent policies and unless either of these two parties tell me they are going to raise the taxes on the rich and regulate the hell out of banks and provide some public services again in health and education and roads and transport
They can dance all they like – they wont get my vote.
This report put out by Citigroup for its wealthy clients sums it up very well. I put it here again in case anyone is considering voting Labor (NO!) or Liberal (same same).
Hello Alice, maybe you should take into account the State’s Business Competitiveness before going off half cocked. Here are a few examples:
· Big business choose to be based in NSW, with 48 % of the top 500 companies by
revenue in Australia based here.
· Sydney is the financial hub of Australia, with 81 % of all foreign and domestic banks
· NSW is the leading Australian state for business investment ($52 billion in 2009-
1012) and more than a third13 of all of Australian businesses choose to be in NSW.
· NSW is the ‘start-up’ State, with more new companies registering in NSW than in
Victoria and Queensland in the year to June 2010.
· Almost 123,000 additional jobs were filled in NSW over the year to October 2010
(seasonally adjusted).
· Over 57% of the State’s working-age population are tertiary educated, the highest
proportion of all Australian States.
· The wide variety of Asian languages spoken in Sydney and NSW has attracted
international firms looking to establish regional hubs of customer service centres in
the Asia Pacific.
· Since 1995 Sydney has won more than 60 domestic and international consumer
and business awards.
· Sydney has a good quality of life – Sydney was rated 10th out of 221 cities in the
Worldwide Quality of Life Index published by Mercer Human Resource Consulting
in 2010 – an attraction for global companies transferring staff to NSW.
· Regional NSW offers business opportunities with a more relaxed lifestyle.
It’s only a matter of time before the “Coalition” will be a Lab-Lib coalition against the Greens. But it would help if the Greens got some more presentable candidates. And I do get the feeling that although everyone loathes Labor (and the electricity privatisation followed by proroguing parliament really was the last straw) still no-one likes or trusts the Libs. They will win entirely by default and their win will be followed by a wave of revulsion when they in some way demonstrate they are worse than Labor. Anyone care to speculate on what they might do?
@Michael of Summerhill
#16 – None of that means anything to the average punter, it won’t win a single vote, that really is a demonstration of being out of touch. I’m with you Alice.
@Michael of Summerhill
half cocked? Me? Moshie – you are dreaming. What this party (NSW Labor) of desperadoes of every vice known to man has sunk to…that they take the privatisation of our electricity assets, in the dead of night like some foul smelling nocturnal skunks (Kenneally and Roozendahl0 and they cant get it through because every director resigns in disgust and so Kenneally and Roozendahl alone, under cover of darkness, appoint people from their spin departments to positions as directors of retail energy??
Jesus Moshie – what are you thinking? A normal placement takes vetting and reference checking and does not happen at midnight with a few signatures and no public service oversight…
Then to stop a transparent investigation., the yank plant cow (Kenneally) prorogues parliament specifically so that no one can hold an inqiry without fearing their evidence is in breach of what (??Private business protection).
Get off my case Moshie. Your party is a dupe, a fake, an ideological disaster zone..you just havent woken up yet.
Then to add insult to injury Roozendahl runs to the US to get a pat on the head from wealthy banks, their ratings agencies and Rupert Murdoch – chief headhunter for post political careers for obedient, compliant, wealthy client serving servants like himself.
Wake up Mosh and find a new party. One with decent politicians and decent policies.
No Ian Milliss, NSW accounts for about a third of the States Gross Products and in 2008-09, the State’s exports of goods and services were valued at more than $65 billion on a balance of payments basis, representing 23% of national exports. And for your information exports of goods and services grew by 1.6% in real terms in 2008-09, despite the global recession.
Mosh at 16, there fore why is it necessary, in this place of milk and honey, to not only to do vulgar electicity privatisation, but under conditions that have caused parliament to be prorogued presumably to prevent scrutiny of the proposal involved, amid allegation thathe esource is being sold forless than its value?
Paul Walter, I not in favor of privatisation for reasons in June this year Treasurer Eric Roozendaal put out a media report claiming the NSW economy has recorded a massive $11.5 billion turnaround in the past year, with Gross State Product forecasts improving by 3 per cent compared to last year’s Budget. And that the NSW Budget has already returned to surplus – two years earlier than forecast in a $1.1 billion turnaround in 2009-10.
@Michael of Summerhill
#20 – You really don’t get it do you? The NSW ALP could deliver a gold bar to every household in the state tomorrow morning and they would still lose the next election. Quoting statistics won’t make an iota of difference.
No Ian Milliss, unless you can prove otherwise the State economy is on the upswing and for a government that is supposed to be on the nose Labor is doing extremely well.
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – I dont give a damn about their budget surplus when they did it by flogging electricity and lots of assets which is going to see price rises for every household, every business in NSW.
I dont give a damn about their budget surplus. I want the state govt to go into deficit, borrow and fix up the creaking mess they have made of NSW state.
And they can buy the damn income producing assets back that they sold for a song (lotteries, electricity, roads)
I want better transport. I want better health and I dont give a damn if they have to borrow to do it – but they should start by raising taxes on the rich by the amount stupid Keating lowered them. Im not talking 1 percent. Im talking twenty percent – maybe 30 percent.
Then the game is levelled Moshie. Im sick to death of carrying the rich while they get the spoils and profits of our assets we paid for with our hard earned taxes.
Ripped off and you can stick any NSW budget surplus shortly TBA you know where (up their rapidly resigning rectums). Its all fake book accounting done in the dead of night to cover up the real deficit.
22, Glad to read it.
Given likely that your case probably may have some merit, within its own terms of reference, it makes the rest seem even odder with them?
@Michael of Summerhill
#24 – People do not vote solely on the economy, that is one the dumber fallacies of the right.
And OTT but speaking of fallacies of the right (and there is no sandpit), has everyone noticed the bunfight that has broken out at Crooked Timber over the “lump of labour fallacy fallacy”, seems I’m not the only one who thinks it is just used by right wingers as a Harry Potter style incantation to banish unwelcome examiners of right wing sacred cows. Esp see comment #79
Alice, I’m all for better public services and given the chance Keneally might just heed your advice if Labor wins the next election.
@Ian Milliss
You mean the lump pf labour fallacy fallacy – we had that bnunfight here as well Ian. I cant really recall who it was promoting it – Jarrah springs to mind…at this point.
@Alice
Jarrah chanted “lump of labour fallacy” re something then got stuck into me when I suggested that was a fallacy and it went from there, it was a few weeks back.
@Michael of Summerhill
too little too late Moshie. Keneally is a servant to her pro privatisation masters….
@Ian Milliss
Have I got a list of right wing sacred cows? (cows now dead and starting to give off an unpleasant ondour).
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – I dont get it with you…State Labor act like a bunch of decrepit right wing theives and follow a line righter tha right (that is messing everything up and flaming the flanmes of inequality and discontent…) as well as pursuing hookers, boys, deals and mates rates and drink driving, screaming drunkenly at waiters, more drink driving, making deals on real estate from planning laws and developers, more drink driving, stripping, accosting woemn who arent their wives, beating women
Jeez Moshie – you must be mad to even turn up for local grassroots party meetings for this lot.
What do they put in the scones Moshie? LSD?
Moshie – oh I forgot – rorting parliamentary processes and their travel allowances and office allowances (who was that bloke that furnished three investment houses with his office furniture allowance?) we have watched 60% of the party resign to make sure they get their pensions.
Your crowd are finished and I cant even vouch for the next.
Im so cranky about NSW Labor and their decreptitude I must go off and sink my head in the sandpit to block out the lies.
Sorry Alice, but the facts speak for themselves for the NSW State economy is growing and credit must be given where credit is due.
@Michael of Summerhill
ha ha ha – try telling it to the voters Mosh. I never realised until now – there really is something dangerous being put into your scones.
@Alice
Comment #11 on that link is brilliant and hilarious, suggesting that with a bit more computer power all financial market trading would become 100% computerised and could therefore be run entirely as a simulation and speeded up to forecast crises while the results are used to create a completely planned economy.
Ian – you are right – it is a funny post (missed it)
So here it is = plus Prof sbook even gets a mention in it at end…
November 3, 2010 at 4:04 pm | #11 Reply | Quote Ha-Joon Chang:
It’s been reported recently that 70% of financial market trading volume is now due to HFT computers. Doesn’t this indicate that with a modest and realistic increase in computer power, that could become 100% ? If so, instead of being real trading, it could just as easily be simulated, providing input to a centrally planned economic apparatus which would not require any highly-paid and risk-manic bankers or hedgies and who could then be redeployed as labourers or hospital orderlies. Such an economy should perform at least as well as the present neolin-neocon one. With another increase in computing power, it could be simulated into the future and thus forecast its own crises, which might enable crisis avoidance – or even 5-year plans which work.
Cant think of a better redeployment of hedgies to posts hospital orderlies.
KK also could do with a stint somewhere (Coles cafeteria and learn the value of a fair exchange?) and Roozendahl…well his placement for post political work experience is a natural…the morgue.
Michael of Summerhill :
Hello Alice, maybe you should take into account the State’s Business Competitiveness before going off half cocked. Here are a few examples:
· Big business choose to be based in NSW, with 48 % of the top 500 companies by revenue in Australia based here.
· Sydney is the financial hub of Australia, with 81 % of all foreign and domestic banks
…
It’s not sufficient to just quote some economic stats. You need to show the specific actions the NSW government has done that has had a positive impact on the economy that, in their absence, would have resulted in poorer economic performance. I would think that is an empty set.
Moreover, it’s in areas of direct government service provision (like public transport) where we should judge the NSW government’s performance. For instance, it had 16 years in power – a golden opportunity to really make a difference to people’s lives and the infrastructure that is built for the future. But, rather than expand and upgrade public transport which would have (a) helped the poor in the outer suburbs of Sydney and (b) contributed to reduced pollution and carbon emissions, it favored roads and private toll ways. A disgraceful legacy.
boconnor, you are correct maybe I should have included some NSW government programs which helped boost economic growth such as the $500 million in transport infrastructure for Country NSW in 2010-11 plus another $90 million in direct support for businesses through the Building the Country Package and the Regional Business Employment Fund, and/or the payroll tax rate cut to 5.5% as an incentive to making NSW more competitive with other Australian states. As for Sydney’s public transport well it is better than O’Farrells one bus policy.
@Michael of Summerhill
Perhaps you should suspect a government that conducts privatisation sales in the dead of night and them slams parliament shut so there is no inquiry Moshie.
Last year, due to ageing electricity infrastructure, Energy Australia and Integral energy customers suffered 8774 blackouts (an average of 24 a day). In some cases businesses endured blackouts lasting up to 64 hours with little hope of compensation.
Equipment faults caused 1622 plus 1283 power outages across both these entities.
16 percent of low income earners, most without dishwashers or air conditioning say they are unable to pay their electricity bills now, yet prices are expected to rise 72% between 2008 and 2013. The number of people now traipsing off to the Energy and Water ombudsman over power bills is rising.
Whats Kristina Kenneally’s answer??
Flog it and walk away. Prorogue parliament and ignore the Obudsman. This from a government that rode the 1996 to 2008 real estate boom and collected windfall stamp duties and land taxes.
This is just electricity and says noting about their massive failures to deal with transport or health infrastructure. It says nothing about their shocking wastage of money on plans and reviews and spin. The only thing they do is tender and sell off with no thought whatsoever to the people of the state of NSW, paying the ultimate price for this disgraceful government.
Alice, my understanding is that the Parliamentary Inquiry will go ahead on the 17 & 18 January 2011 even though there are concerns over specific issues such as commercial-in-confidence matters. Not sure what all the hullaballoo is all about.
‘Commercial-in-confidence matters’ are part of the problem.
Totally agree Ernestine Gross for if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear from ICAC.
My view on 1996 is that Keating knew he’d walk if he lost, hence he did not care how long the ALP would subsequently be an opposition…yet another blight on his credentials.
@Ernestine Gross
Yes they are part of the problem Ernestine. Commercial in confidence provisions in the hands of governments are hiding a multitude of questionable deals done by our governments at every level and they are stopping government dealings being transparent (and they a deliberately deployed to that objective).
lib-lab for the corporatocracy (ministers and party officials duties include regular unreported reports to foreign powers and corporate agencies)
and
greencountry for the messes,sorry,masses.
here we already have the minister for monsanto from the dept of monsanto.
and curtin uni research for monsanto
and monsanto 20%ownership of publicly owned plant reseach
Michael of Summerhill :Totally agree Ernestine Gross for if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear from ICAC.
This is one aspect. But it goes deeper: Commercial interests (speak corporate interests) are given priority over the interests of the public (speak democracy).
While I am opposed to an indefinite commercial-in-confidence regime, you have to have c-i-c during tender to avoid collusion amongst tenderers.
Those offering tenders should know that when once a decision is made, that the criteria and evaluation documents for all the applicants will be made public.
John Quiggin 
Yes, his (Tiffen’s) sadness percolates through. As has been pointed out here, in many postings, they can deal with many issues in ways that avoid grief, yet always seem to choose the most counterproductive and antagonistic measures.
Apparently the ALP’s fund raising has crashed this year by about 2/3 — they are only getting $1.5m as opposed to $4.5m.
The Opposition is upt to over $5m mostly from the resources industry and registered clubs, AHA etc.
Good to know … 😉
Labor or Liberal it makes no difference. Both parties are in the pockets of corporate capital. Vote Green or some strain of democratic socialist if you want to see any difference.
“Equally applicable to Canberra, fortunately. ”
imminent by-election in Dobell.
http://batemansbay.iprime.com.au/index.php/news/national-news/pm-gillard-says-court-mp-valued-member
Federal Labour is NSW Labour
http://www.alpwatch.observationdeck.org/?p=975
The phrase “applicable to Queensland, unfortunately” suggests that there is something sad about losing an ALP government to a probably talentless Liberal team. There would be something sad if the ALP were actually good at being in government, they aren’t.
The Goss government were in the thrall of business interests that they literally threw away their voter base for the sake of a stupid and environmentally irresponsible tollway which did not get built. The Bligh government could stay in power but for the fact that they too are in the pocket of powerful business interests. They bombed badly on the Travesty Dam project (thankfully) and ‘clean coal’ at great expense to the public and now they have gone ahead with a financially, socially and environmentally disastrous sale of Queensland Rail against the wishes of the electorate and with the use of deception and stealth. You will remember John Quiggin’s arguments against the rail privatisation which Anna Bligh refused to discuss and just issued a media thing rubbishing it.
Why would anyone think the ALP was any better? But wait, people do have more choices if the wish. They could massively vote Green and cause one of the 19C troglodyte parties to form a coalition with the Greens. Then we could see consultative governance and the ‘difficult decisions’ would be properly thought through, rather than bulldozed through. Don’t be sad. You too could have an elegantly hung Parliament – it is gaining in popularity.
Fran said of the ALP, was that in Qld or in NSW?: “they are only getting $1.5m as opposed to $4.5m” – the poor darlings! At least the corporate backers know something. We can expect less rubbishy attack-ads on TV. An even better idea would be to ban corporate funding and to cap electoral expenses. Make them knock on doors and explain their corruption and inaction to ordinary voters – it’ll do them good.
Please sir, can we have an honest election without corporate money tainting the political process.
@willy bach
The NSW ALP …
Given that the Libs are red-hot favourites to win going away, one has to wonder why any significant corporation would want to donate shareholder or private money to them.
John, whilst many will agree with Tiffen’s article there are others who still think the NSW Liberal Party carry a lot of past baggage for associating with Nazis and will not have a barr of them. As for Keneally, well she has my vote for the new Sydney network of high-frequency red Metrobuses is a God send. Thumbs up for Labor.
Willy Bach, much time and effort has been spent over recent times trying to get labor or even thelibs to cooperate withthe Greens.
The worst incident occurred in Tasmania in the late nineties, when Labor and Lib, both sockpuppets for Gunns, responded by gerrymandering the electorate against the Greens.
At fed level there is often much cooperation against the Greens between the two big formations.
Re FB’s comment, read somewhere there is a massive swing in donations to the NSW coalition- they have money at the ratio of about three to one, as to current donations and funds. Come to think of it, Fran must have read the same newspaper item, as she reports this an earlier post.
NSW ALP:
– paucity of ideas
– promotion of mates, not talent
– dogged implementation of failed ideas
– focus on “issues management” ie spin, instead of performance improvement in social services
Not sure that the Libs will be better but their time has come.
boconnor, a close examination of seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly reveals Rural Independents have done well over the years at the National’s expense and expect this trend to continue at the next election. No spin just facts.
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – your party pf choice is doomed for acting like a bunch of right wing zealots. They have betrayed you, supported capitalistic free markets, sided with pro rich policies to increase inequality, reward the pluticrats who are running the show.
Moshie – you have been betrayed, as have all of us. Liberals may be no better. The greens are the only decent party Moshie and where their preferences go is a big question. Unfortunately I would vote green but I dont want one whisker of my vote going to the NSW Labor party.
Bunch of bastards Moshie (and I kinda like you and feel sorry for you that you, and the rest of labor faithful, have been so screwed by the ratty remnants of this party).
@Michael of Summerhill
Thumbs DOWN on Kenneally and Roozendahl (cretins) and thumbs DOWN on NSW labor Moshie – dont delude yourself or Ill have to sign you up to join the other denialists in the insane asylum.
Its worth noting that both Labor and Liberal hate the Greens so much because their is the only vote growing that they (liberal and labor) are actually starting to preference each other to exclude the Greens.
Thats a sure sign they (both Labor and Liberal) are working for a minority of the wealthy and have lost touch badly with the majority in the electorates.
Time Australia woke up and they both go down (Labor and Liberal).n Im counting on people increasing their Green vote. People whinge on and on about the privatisations, the lack of public spending, the higher user pays charges on everything…but let people get up, wake up and change their votes. The sooner the better.
This Moshie is why NSW Labor needs to go and NSW Liberals need not be voted in either (they are the same). They are both working for the already wealthy and I am fed up with their higher and higher “user pays” charges, the spin re competition from PPS bringing prices down (when in reality its an attempt to give our hard earned taxes to the already wealthy).
The entire shambles of neo liberal policies of “private better than public” is making me poorer, my kids poorer, the entire middle class and even the upper middle class poorer in Australia because not one in either of these two supposedly “mainstream parties” is implementing policies for the good of the majority in this country.
This is evidenced by the disgrace that ineqality has become in Australia and other once democratic countries. Im not buying the “you too can be a millionaire with hard work and darwinian survival of the fittest genes” BS expounded and shoved down our throats in a daily diatribe of right wing garbage, by the chief mouthpiece of a wealthy elite, Rupert Murdoch.
You can vote for these cretins if you like (liberal and labor) but Im voting for a fairer country and some decent policies and unless either of these two parties tell me they are going to raise the taxes on the rich and regulate the hell out of banks and provide some public services again in health and education and roads and transport
They can dance all they like – they wont get my vote.
This report put out by Citigroup for its wealthy clients sums it up very well. I put it here again in case anyone is considering voting Labor (NO!) or Liberal (same same).
Vote to destabilise both of them.
http://rwer.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/citigroup-attempts-to-disappear-its-plutonomy-report-2/
Hello Alice, maybe you should take into account the State’s Business Competitiveness before going off half cocked. Here are a few examples:
· Big business choose to be based in NSW, with 48 % of the top 500 companies by
revenue in Australia based here.
· Sydney is the financial hub of Australia, with 81 % of all foreign and domestic banks
· NSW is the leading Australian state for business investment ($52 billion in 2009-
1012) and more than a third13 of all of Australian businesses choose to be in NSW.
· NSW is the ‘start-up’ State, with more new companies registering in NSW than in
Victoria and Queensland in the year to June 2010.
· Almost 123,000 additional jobs were filled in NSW over the year to October 2010
(seasonally adjusted).
· Over 57% of the State’s working-age population are tertiary educated, the highest
proportion of all Australian States.
· The wide variety of Asian languages spoken in Sydney and NSW has attracted
international firms looking to establish regional hubs of customer service centres in
the Asia Pacific.
· Since 1995 Sydney has won more than 60 domestic and international consumer
and business awards.
· Sydney has a good quality of life – Sydney was rated 10th out of 221 cities in the
Worldwide Quality of Life Index published by Mercer Human Resource Consulting
in 2010 – an attraction for global companies transferring staff to NSW.
· Regional NSW offers business opportunities with a more relaxed lifestyle.
It’s only a matter of time before the “Coalition” will be a Lab-Lib coalition against the Greens. But it would help if the Greens got some more presentable candidates. And I do get the feeling that although everyone loathes Labor (and the electricity privatisation followed by proroguing parliament really was the last straw) still no-one likes or trusts the Libs. They will win entirely by default and their win will be followed by a wave of revulsion when they in some way demonstrate they are worse than Labor. Anyone care to speculate on what they might do?
@Michael of Summerhill
#16 – None of that means anything to the average punter, it won’t win a single vote, that really is a demonstration of being out of touch. I’m with you Alice.
@Michael of Summerhill
half cocked? Me? Moshie – you are dreaming. What this party (NSW Labor) of desperadoes of every vice known to man has sunk to…that they take the privatisation of our electricity assets, in the dead of night like some foul smelling nocturnal skunks (Kenneally and Roozendahl0 and they cant get it through because every director resigns in disgust and so Kenneally and Roozendahl alone, under cover of darkness, appoint people from their spin departments to positions as directors of retail energy??
Jesus Moshie – what are you thinking? A normal placement takes vetting and reference checking and does not happen at midnight with a few signatures and no public service oversight…
Then to stop a transparent investigation., the yank plant cow (Kenneally) prorogues parliament specifically so that no one can hold an inqiry without fearing their evidence is in breach of what (??Private business protection).
Get off my case Moshie. Your party is a dupe, a fake, an ideological disaster zone..you just havent woken up yet.
Then to add insult to injury Roozendahl runs to the US to get a pat on the head from wealthy banks, their ratings agencies and Rupert Murdoch – chief headhunter for post political careers for obedient, compliant, wealthy client serving servants like himself.
Wake up Mosh and find a new party. One with decent politicians and decent policies.
No Ian Milliss, NSW accounts for about a third of the States Gross Products and in 2008-09, the State’s exports of goods and services were valued at more than $65 billion on a balance of payments basis, representing 23% of national exports. And for your information exports of goods and services grew by 1.6% in real terms in 2008-09, despite the global recession.
Mosh at 16, there fore why is it necessary, in this place of milk and honey, to not only to do vulgar electicity privatisation, but under conditions that have caused parliament to be prorogued presumably to prevent scrutiny of the proposal involved, amid allegation thathe esource is being sold forless than its value?
Paul Walter, I not in favor of privatisation for reasons in June this year Treasurer Eric Roozendaal put out a media report claiming the NSW economy has recorded a massive $11.5 billion turnaround in the past year, with Gross State Product forecasts improving by 3 per cent compared to last year’s Budget. And that the NSW Budget has already returned to surplus – two years earlier than forecast in a $1.1 billion turnaround in 2009-10.
@Michael of Summerhill
#20 – You really don’t get it do you? The NSW ALP could deliver a gold bar to every household in the state tomorrow morning and they would still lose the next election. Quoting statistics won’t make an iota of difference.
No Ian Milliss, unless you can prove otherwise the State economy is on the upswing and for a government that is supposed to be on the nose Labor is doing extremely well.
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – I dont give a damn about their budget surplus when they did it by flogging electricity and lots of assets which is going to see price rises for every household, every business in NSW.
I dont give a damn about their budget surplus. I want the state govt to go into deficit, borrow and fix up the creaking mess they have made of NSW state.
And they can buy the damn income producing assets back that they sold for a song (lotteries, electricity, roads)
I want better transport. I want better health and I dont give a damn if they have to borrow to do it – but they should start by raising taxes on the rich by the amount stupid Keating lowered them. Im not talking 1 percent. Im talking twenty percent – maybe 30 percent.
Then the game is levelled Moshie. Im sick to death of carrying the rich while they get the spoils and profits of our assets we paid for with our hard earned taxes.
Ripped off and you can stick any NSW budget surplus shortly TBA you know where (up their rapidly resigning rectums). Its all fake book accounting done in the dead of night to cover up the real deficit.
22, Glad to read it.
Given likely that your case probably may have some merit, within its own terms of reference, it makes the rest seem even odder with them?
@Michael of Summerhill
#24 – People do not vote solely on the economy, that is one the dumber fallacies of the right.
And OTT but speaking of fallacies of the right (and there is no sandpit), has everyone noticed the bunfight that has broken out at Crooked Timber over the “lump of labour fallacy fallacy”, seems I’m not the only one who thinks it is just used by right wingers as a Harry Potter style incantation to banish unwelcome examiners of right wing sacred cows. Esp see comment #79
Alice, I’m all for better public services and given the chance Keneally might just heed your advice if Labor wins the next election.
@Ian Milliss
You mean the lump pf labour fallacy fallacy – we had that bnunfight here as well Ian. I cant really recall who it was promoting it – Jarrah springs to mind…at this point.
@Alice
Jarrah chanted “lump of labour fallacy” re something then got stuck into me when I suggested that was a fallacy and it went from there, it was a few weeks back.
@Michael of Summerhill
too little too late Moshie. Keneally is a servant to her pro privatisation masters….
@Ian Milliss
Have I got a list of right wing sacred cows? (cows now dead and starting to give off an unpleasant ondour).
Yes I do.
http://rwer.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/23-things-they-don%e2%80%99t-tell-you-about-capitalism/
@Michael of Summerhill
Moshie – I dont get it with you…State Labor act like a bunch of decrepit right wing theives and follow a line righter tha right (that is messing everything up and flaming the flanmes of inequality and discontent…) as well as pursuing hookers, boys, deals and mates rates and drink driving, screaming drunkenly at waiters, more drink driving, making deals on real estate from planning laws and developers, more drink driving, stripping, accosting woemn who arent their wives, beating women
Jeez Moshie – you must be mad to even turn up for local grassroots party meetings for this lot.
What do they put in the scones Moshie? LSD?
Moshie – oh I forgot – rorting parliamentary processes and their travel allowances and office allowances (who was that bloke that furnished three investment houses with his office furniture allowance?) we have watched 60% of the party resign to make sure they get their pensions.
Your crowd are finished and I cant even vouch for the next.
Im so cranky about NSW Labor and their decreptitude I must go off and sink my head in the sandpit to block out the lies.
Sorry Alice, but the facts speak for themselves for the NSW State economy is growing and credit must be given where credit is due.
@Michael of Summerhill
ha ha ha – try telling it to the voters Mosh. I never realised until now – there really is something dangerous being put into your scones.
@Alice
Comment #11 on that link is brilliant and hilarious, suggesting that with a bit more computer power all financial market trading would become 100% computerised and could therefore be run entirely as a simulation and speeded up to forecast crises while the results are used to create a completely planned economy.
Ian – you are right – it is a funny post (missed it)
So here it is = plus Prof sbook even gets a mention in it at end…
November 3, 2010 at 4:04 pm | #11 Reply | Quote Ha-Joon Chang:
It’s been reported recently that 70% of financial market trading volume is now due to HFT computers. Doesn’t this indicate that with a modest and realistic increase in computer power, that could become 100% ? If so, instead of being real trading, it could just as easily be simulated, providing input to a centrally planned economic apparatus which would not require any highly-paid and risk-manic bankers or hedgies and who could then be redeployed as labourers or hospital orderlies. Such an economy should perform at least as well as the present neolin-neocon one. With another increase in computing power, it could be simulated into the future and thus forecast its own crises, which might enable crisis avoidance – or even 5-year plans which work.
Cant think of a better redeployment of hedgies to posts hospital orderlies.
KK also could do with a stint somewhere (Coles cafeteria and learn the value of a fair exchange?) and Roozendahl…well his placement for post political work experience is a natural…the morgue.
It’s not sufficient to just quote some economic stats. You need to show the specific actions the NSW government has done that has had a positive impact on the economy that, in their absence, would have resulted in poorer economic performance. I would think that is an empty set.
Moreover, it’s in areas of direct government service provision (like public transport) where we should judge the NSW government’s performance. For instance, it had 16 years in power – a golden opportunity to really make a difference to people’s lives and the infrastructure that is built for the future. But, rather than expand and upgrade public transport which would have (a) helped the poor in the outer suburbs of Sydney and (b) contributed to reduced pollution and carbon emissions, it favored roads and private toll ways. A disgraceful legacy.
boconnor, you are correct maybe I should have included some NSW government programs which helped boost economic growth such as the $500 million in transport infrastructure for Country NSW in 2010-11 plus another $90 million in direct support for businesses through the Building the Country Package and the Regional Business Employment Fund, and/or the payroll tax rate cut to 5.5% as an incentive to making NSW more competitive with other Australian states. As for Sydney’s public transport well it is better than O’Farrells one bus policy.
@Michael of Summerhill
Perhaps you should suspect a government that conducts privatisation sales in the dead of night and them slams parliament shut so there is no inquiry Moshie.
Last year, due to ageing electricity infrastructure, Energy Australia and Integral energy customers suffered 8774 blackouts (an average of 24 a day). In some cases businesses endured blackouts lasting up to 64 hours with little hope of compensation.
Equipment faults caused 1622 plus 1283 power outages across both these entities.
16 percent of low income earners, most without dishwashers or air conditioning say they are unable to pay their electricity bills now, yet prices are expected to rise 72% between 2008 and 2013. The number of people now traipsing off to the Energy and Water ombudsman over power bills is rising.
Whats Kristina Kenneally’s answer??
Flog it and walk away. Prorogue parliament and ignore the Obudsman. This from a government that rode the 1996 to 2008 real estate boom and collected windfall stamp duties and land taxes.
This is just electricity and says noting about their massive failures to deal with transport or health infrastructure. It says nothing about their shocking wastage of money on plans and reviews and spin. The only thing they do is tender and sell off with no thought whatsoever to the people of the state of NSW, paying the ultimate price for this disgraceful government.
Alice, my understanding is that the Parliamentary Inquiry will go ahead on the 17 & 18 January 2011 even though there are concerns over specific issues such as commercial-in-confidence matters. Not sure what all the hullaballoo is all about.
‘Commercial-in-confidence matters’ are part of the problem.
Totally agree Ernestine Gross for if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear from ICAC.
My view on 1996 is that Keating knew he’d walk if he lost, hence he did not care how long the ALP would subsequently be an opposition…yet another blight on his credentials.
@Ernestine Gross
Yes they are part of the problem Ernestine. Commercial in confidence provisions in the hands of governments are hiding a multitude of questionable deals done by our governments at every level and they are stopping government dealings being transparent (and they a deliberately deployed to that objective).
lib-lab for the corporatocracy (ministers and party officials duties include regular unreported reports to foreign powers and corporate agencies)
and
greencountry for the messes,sorry,masses.
here we already have the minister for monsanto from the dept of monsanto.
and curtin uni research for monsanto
and monsanto 20%ownership of publicly owned plant reseach
This is one aspect. But it goes deeper: Commercial interests (speak corporate interests) are given priority over the interests of the public (speak democracy).
While I am opposed to an indefinite commercial-in-confidence regime, you have to have c-i-c during tender to avoid collusion amongst tenderers.
Those offering tenders should know that when once a decision is made, that the criteria and evaluation documents for all the applicants will be made public.