Tag: Politics

Is the Councillor Tier Really Needed?

Their are a number of factors I feel need to be made public as we head towards our new council elections.

To be blunt many ratepayers I have spoke to are a asking why we need to be paying for that level of government at all. Since the sackings the sun did come up and things around the place just seemed to carry on regardless and for those who have repeatedly bleared keep politics out of Council would agree no councillors no politics.

I’m sure our professional public servants have proven they are quite apt in doing their role under the Administrator and I’m sure service delivery is much easier without political or parochial interferences.

The cost factor too cannot be overlooked and do we get the bang for our ratepayers now we have now experienced both sides of the exercise? Those figures would be interesting as for decades councillors have sealed their success on how much ratepayers money the have extorted for their electorate and claimed it as if it was them who were giving the money, creating the them and us mentality.

The elections will proceed with the new ground rules I hope the people elected should perform accordingly with new safeguards of transparency across every division, but keep in mind we are not the only ratepayers who have been caught out by mismanagement. Other councillors in other councils charged so I am comforted that the CCC investigations are still ongoing across the board , but in my mind the jury is still out on the value of the added tier after experiencing Council by Administration Only.

Ideology Stymies Our Economy.

What’s the point of the Reserve Bank dropping the interest rate and the banks treating the exercise in contempt by not passing it on, and this government says naught.

Every month we go through this ritual that once guided our economy and industry and we have turned it into a platform of reasons to do absolutely nothing other than make excuses for our bad performance.

The simple fact is this government is not supposed to be in government and knew the economy was failing under them and wanted the opposition to inherit their debacle. That strategy failed and now they have no idea other than boast a surplus to get the economy going. Their ideology won’t allow it. Trickle down economics is a failure when there nothing to trickle as business hangs on to its money tighter than ever before as we move towards recession status.

The spin about making new jobs while the employment rate is climbing along with balancing the books with net national debt tripling defies common logic.

Keeping the masses on part time, casual is geared to getting rid of red tape where employers can minimise their responsibilities to super and holiday leave, long service by limiting the hours so those factors are minimal, hence struggle street has have 2 or more jobs to make a survive creating the working poor.

Our economy has stagnated with a government with no vision as the Reserve Banks action reflects, and my biggest fear is when governments run out of ideas internally they look to external triggers like Patriotism and conflict to divert attention away from their failings.

How good is That Scomo ?

We Move into Uncharted Waters..

Today the 25/09/2019 saw a change that may influence the way we think about our politics and leaders.

Boris Johnson was ruled against by the courts on his dissolution pf Parliament in England and making them return to sort out Brexit before the exit date or he goes to the polls.

Where the ball bounces their is so ambiguous, and civil disobedience is a option.

Greta Thunberg nailed the ruling class to the cross on climate and made old men in suits cringe about lack of action and Morrison did not attend the Climate Conference pre UN Meeting. He also sided with Trump over China Trade with will impact on our trade and relations domestically and internationally. We are on the verge of recession and this could push us over.

The Start of Impeachment was commenced by the Congress on Trump.

He also stated in the UN that globalisation is a Failure and the world must embrace Patriotism.

All 3 in my mind will resonate across the world and Trumps poking Iran into conflict as a distraction is not out of the question.

Domestically the Trump Base will mobilise in my view and we will witness open conflict in the American streets and Civil Disobedience verging on War is not out of the question.

Trump will have no issues if his people are injured our killed to keep office home or be it overseas.

I cant see an alternative Leader to replace Trump in the Opposition YET but Trumps VP is possibly more erratic than his boss in particularly social consciousness .

We are in unchartered waters..

Our Clueless Government.

If you believe the blue tie spin is on the money you’ve got it right. It’s all about money and the working people of Australia are running a poor second.

No wonder this government was shocked to retain power as that was the last thing it wanted. Forecasters and our own banking regulators were predicting our economy is crashing and all this government could do is hold up its surplus flag as a badge of honour justifying keeping people not only in poverty on New Start but forcing people to have multiple jobs to survive and having the audacity to claim a 4 hour shift is a full time job.

Our nations reputation in the pacific region is in tatters as once our friendly neighbours realise the fact this government is the puppet of the mining and climate deniers and we cannot be depended on as we were in the past. We dropped the ball and China has marched on in endangering our sovereignty.

The sad fact is this government has no game plan when it comes to a recession other than blaming the trade union movement and our failing regional leadership which leads us to a situation similar to Trumps America on it’s downward spiral of isolationism.

It can’t manage a slowing world economy and its ideology won’t allow it by giving the lower demographics wage increases and living standard incentives which saved us from the last world economy crisis.

If and when the crunch comes this government will do its best to escape the situation it put us in by finding a conflict to support or another distraction and if America is involved we should be worried even more.

Follow the Money.

Again we hear and see America do its best to show the world what not to do in regards to its gun laws but more importantly the acceptance and its ability con its people that one day all will be well and trust us to fix it.

They have successfully dumbed down its population to accept the fact death can come any where any time and its up to you as an individual to protect yourself and family as government find the issue just too hard.

This apathy spreads and I too am not as shocked or incensed today as I was say when Sandy Hook happened so we can assume we too are being dumbed down and that should never occur.

Blame is important and strategic and the gun lobby and its puppets are playing the people the same song after every massacre and anyone who challenges it will never be elevated to a position of influence.

So could this happen here?

We have stricter laws yes but we have the same influences pushing and prodding our politicians to relax them and it would not take much to dilute the legislation in our present political kindergarten where self promoting trade offs are more valued than the national interest.

Personally I feel if limited donations to all political parties and prospective parliamentarians and made all donations “live” we the punters could see who is attempting to buy influence in real time and we can monitor performance with that knowledge and make judgments accordingly.

The Three Stooge Act now Complete

It would be totally inappropriate to describe what has developed a three stooge act.

The three stooges were a deliberate comedy act but what we have been dealt with is far from a comedy.

The team sheet we have been dealt with could not be less impressive in regards to Trump, Morrison and now Johnson reeks of the toxic masculinity of baseball cap wearing thumbs up, “how good is this” antics of coal hugging ,fish kissing and female groping males who’s skills in schoolyard bullying have amplified in their political careers.

These bozo boys are now in charge of our nations and we must ask how we allowed this to happen. Look at leaders, great leaders regardless of political slant that have gone before. Former men and women had charisma,, intellect, and decorum of whom I will not name as a mark of balanced opinion but stand unchallenged at home and worldwide.

This present crew doesn’t make the reserve bench, and in times when leadership, political astuteness and world financial and military astuteness is critical to world peace none of these come equiped as their focus is on internal political survival and popularity stunts.

I’m sure our competitors Russia ,China, and other merging superpowers are watching on with great interest and looking for opportunities to manipulate the present political players and landscape and I live in hope that other world leaders outside this boys club maintain the standards expected to keep us away from world unrest where no one wins.

Keeping Council Under Watch

First rule of the change process is to inform the people involved what is the new direction intended and listen to the usually negative arguments as they usually highlight underlying often personal reasons of why change cannot be achieved. The council debate has achieved in that trumps.

For too long ipswich has been culturally divided by areas and demographics and it’s time we matured into a city of one direction where transparency of the our ratepayers rates distribution should be seen as fair and calculated.

The days of “look at me what I have done in my patch” mentality was highlighted when none of the old councillors allegedly knew what was going on across the entire council and run to their bunkers when the hammer fell. That’s pathetic corporate governance, and undeniable.

As stated by the administrator the new elected councillors will have to have broader skills and adaptability, and as a resident I too have to adjust. From a place where our one streetlight was a cause for a party to a place where our population is increasing that much the infrastructure cannot cope, the days of town and country reluctantly but factually are over. The city expansion and all its ugly traits are here and we not only need good councillors on the ground we need good competent administrators to provide ongoing advice and support across the entire spectrum of our local council areas.

Like it or not, local governments are not stand alone entities and are arms of state governments and when the dust has settled we will still need the oversight of statutory authorities like the CCC and the press freedom and vigilance to ensure we never revert to our previous state of disfunctuallity. .

Some One Had To Fight.

Another person did not make it home after a days work as the toll rises.

Cast your mind back to when this government was screaming for minister resignations when the pink bats issue was the issue yet the rise under their watch goes unspoken.

Fact is they have to make a decision on who to support. The profit of the coal magnates or the Safety of the Workers.

They cut the red tape on industrial laws and regulations, legislated against union protection deeming it as militant so expecting this government to support the CFMEU in its role to protect workers is beyond its political ethic let alone it moral ethic.

Blame however is not one sided. Union and non union workers too have traded off conditions, hard fought conditions by previous workers for the mighty dollars and here too the chook has come home to roost.

This industry and many others need a reset, but it will take workers to wake up the unions have a extremely important role in making sure the family unit is protected when you go to your place of employment and that is about to be challenged on the floor of Parliament.

No other business or company is required by law to protect people and conditions in their industry without any contribution. Unions have role yet the non members still get the benefits the payers have won. . Fair? You be the judge but remember when your in your lunch room, or on holidays or on sick or compensation or pension some one had to fight for you to have that.

Sorry silly me , it’s all about you in today’s society isn’t it?

From Baby Boomer to the Social Elite?

For us early risers it was a pleasure to get up every morning and turn on the radio and get the world news on our much loved ABC and discuss how lucky we were not to be where the nastiest things were happening in the world.

Today I’m more hesitant to even turn on the radio or tv as daily reports of crime, death by guns, knives, gangs, abductions, domestic violence and child abuse, racial hatred pouring out of the electronics, and we have to ask ourselves why or what have we let our society get to this state in Australia.

After the election I’m in the category of the self interested/ money hoarding baby boomer who only cares about me and my immediate family and the franking credits. Me not I assure you, but obviously many are and the reason we got to where we are is we were fortunate to have governments that saw things like superannuation, health care, 9 day fortnight’s, annual leave loading, employment, pension, and many other perks today we take for granted.

Our society was based on helping up those who were less fortunate, ie. returned war service personnel, TPI’s, widowed women and families all of us in the same boat struggling to get their families a feed let alone a house or property, that come later with the housing commission, another social incentive to get us established.

We were blessed wen we look back, no money but things were simple and we made sure our kids got it easier.

Today we have a greedy society all about “ME”. And we look down on people who’s demographic we were. They now born into poverty have a really tough time getting out and crime becomes a choice, never or rarely thought of back then but for some the only salvation to survive.

Increasing jails, fines are fruitless until we can get the social injustices addressed if not everyone will be living in gated communities scared to take your kids to the park or beach.

This idea of this government of giving only the ones who “have a go” help and thinking the ones on New Start or no start will look after themselves or die is actually playing out in our streets daily.

Looking back we got it pretty right in the early part then we forgot from where we come and must ask ourselves where we got it so wrong, and my answer is when greed outweighed our social responsibility.

Media and Public Servants under Attack.

Since the federal election one has to look at history to try and gather what is happening to Australian democracy. When this government entered office the first order of business was to raid union offices, and indite former Prime Ministers. That agenda continued although its leadership changed all with the knowledge of ministers and department heads and all in the name of transparency and in the end with little or no charges but millions of dollars of taxpayers money in the pockets of the legal profession.

Fast forward to the election they weren’t going to win, we find within a day boats arriving which we were told stopped, then even more boats we now know did come and public servants were forced to lie or conceal truth as the politicians blatantly lied about the situation.

We now know we have our parts of navy fleet on blocks for years because we can’t staff it. No public announce there but we have to man submarines somehow as we have committed billions on the never never.

The well managed economy spin has fallen over, the surplus evaporated, as the reserve bank has played is last card to try to kick start a economy, and if the trade war continues we will go into recession, and this government has no idea or plans how to get us out. Good luck with your franking credits but the public servants who knew the real truth are gaged.

But there’s more, these attacks on journalism are a direct result to silence or intimidate anybody who is a threat not to the country but to the government and it has made it clear in all cases it will use military style tactics to stamp out non complying journalists who protect whistleblowers and sources that could expose misdemeanours at all levels of security.

I can’t help thinking that this government set political land mines thinking they would embarrass a incoming government Hence the Chinese Warship surprise, but they are blowing up in their face daily and my real concern is if our ethical media is silenced and our public servants who know the truth are jackbooted out we will be no better that some banana republic under authoritarian rule.

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