Slim's Pickens: BOM V GOD and another somewhat well-known Queensland tool

In follow-up to his earlier comment, regular contributor, Slim writes:

Staying with the parliamentary performance theme could provide some revelations about the fading career of one who is far less "representative"; a line you may recall in relation to 'swill' and Keating.
John Quiggin has been amused by events during recent Senate Estimates hearings: Perhaps I am more saddened by the discovery of another parliamentary tool, but the religious tool nearly made it all worthwhile.

"The idea that the Bureau of Meteorology is part of a global conspiracy to destroy Australia’s economy impose communist world government (or in some more prosaic versions, to increase itsfunding[1]) sounds like the basis of a bad comedy sketch. But, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, this claim is put forward, in apparent seriousness, by numerous anti-science advocates in Australia (Andrew Bolt, Jennifer Marohasy, and Warwick Hughes are leading examples) and implicily accepted by many others....

Back in October last year, the Senate’s Environment and Communications Legislation Committee agreed to table a letter from Cardinal Pell which quoted heavily from Heaven and Earth to claim there were “good reasons for doubting that carbon dioxide causes warmer temperatures”.

The Director of the Bureau of Meteorology Dr Greg Ayers has now responded at an estimates hearing, demolishing Plimer’s bogus claims and pointing to numerous scathing reviews of his trashy and dishonest book. Ayers is great value, but the real fun in reading the Hansard transcript comes from the frantic attempts of Senators MacDonald and Boswell to stop him talking...

It’s great to see the Bureau taking a leading role in the defence of science. Sadly, some of those who should be speaking out, most notably the Australian Academy of Science, have been missing in action. ...

It’s also amusing to see leading figures on the political right like Pell, McDonald and Boswell expose themselves as gullible fools, along with most of the rightwing commentariat. While not everyone on the right thinks this way (as witness Turnbull’s near-victory over Abbott a year or so ago), the number willing to raise their voices in defence of science remains tiny.

Footnote1. Advocates of the conspiracy theory tend to shift between global communist and grant-grubbing theories, in a manner reminiscent of the (possibly apocryphal) Tasmanian politician who promised voters that, if they supported Federation they would build a glorious new nation under the Southern Cross and get higher prices for their apples."

Quiggin's description of Senator Ian Macdonald as a leading figure of the political right is laughable, of course. But what is hilarious is the Hansard Report between pages 104 and 109.

Cheers, Slim

See also Tim Lambert and Graham Readfearn

Bligh and Fraser sell Port of Brisbane … to themselves

Regular contributor, Dee, prompted me to cross-post this piece from John Quiggin

Bligh and Fraser sell Port of Brisbane … to themselves

According to the Brisbane Times, the Bligh government has just sold the Port of Brisbane to a consortium led by the Queensland Investment Corporation. This must have been a tough negotiation, given that the QIC website states

As a Queensland GOC, QIC’s shareholding Ministers are the Honourable Anna Bligh MP, Premier and Minister for the Arts, and the Honourable Andrew Fraser MP, Treasurer and Minister for Employment and Economic Development

Note: As with the QR sale, it looks as if the government has retained about $1.3 billion of debt in the Port of Brisbane Corporation, which now has no assets, so the net proceeds will be less than half the announced price of $2.3 billion.

I also love one of his tags for the piece - "bonehead stupidity".  It should be well worth following the comments on John's page during the day

The economic benefit in TCC paying Robbie Fowler’s wages

The TCC report (apparently purposely leaked to The Bulletin, before today’s Council Meeting to consider how to meet David Crissafulli’s promise to his mates to bail-out The Fury) speaks some truth and some complete nonsense.

It is unquestionably true that, as the report states, ''Over a period when council is seeking to reduce its operating deficit from the current year estimate of $14.7 million to break even this sponsorship commitment makes the end goal that much more difficult to achieve''

But it is arguably nonsense to claim without any supporting evidence, “…that the money would benefit the city and its residents in two major areas including:


•   Promoting or contributing to economic development of its area or part of its area;

•   Promoting or attracting commerce, industry or tourism in its area or to part of its area”

The Fury is a business – pure and simple. What other business in this town does (or should) TCC subsidise to the tune of $1 million – certainly not mine! (and please, don’t suggest The Cruise Ship Terminal)
Exactly how will the economic development of the town benefit from the subsidy? – Surely not from supporting Spotless to further develop their game-day junk-food franchise (at the expense of local community groups)?

As for attracting tourism to the town (the most often cited reason for public subsidies to sports events such as this and the V8’s) – when was the last time you decided to visit Perth as a result of watching a Fremantle Dockers game at Subiaco on the box?

See also this post by John Quiggin on the subject.

We may all have to pay for this nonsense but I suspect that, as a result, Les and his apprentice will pay at the next Council election.

What future for the Townsville V8's

Given the morphing of the Gold Coast Indy into the GG V8's you have to wonder what the future of the racing dinosaurs is in Townsville – can Queensland support two events?

And with today’s report in the Bully that The Cowboy’s numbers are down by 30% and recent reports of the difficulties that The NQ Fury are having in attracting anyone to their games or even keeping their sponsors, you have to wonder whether the town has reached the limits of its capacity to support professional sorting events.

Makes John Quiggin’s questioning of Government investments in such event’s even more pertinent.