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.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Westpac - How to lose friends (and customers)
News today that Westpac, the bank that turns a $17.5 million profit every day of the year, is about to charge its customers interest on their interest. That’s after they it jacked up their variable home lending rate by 45 basis points last December when the Reserve Bank raised its cash rate by only 25 basis points.
Time to switch to a Credit Union I reckon
Time to switch to a Credit Union I reckon
Do you think there might be a problem here?
Queensland police are investigating another death in custody - the fourth in just over a month.
No other state has a record that even approaches this. A problem - I certainly think so!
But please, let's not have a CMC’s probe into the problem - remember that 5 years and 3 months after it stared we're still waiting for their report into the coppers investigation into death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee!!
PS: To keep tabs on the goings-on in the Qld Police force, I recommend John Ray's blog Queensland Police -- With dishonour they serve
No other state has a record that even approaches this. A problem - I certainly think so!
But please, let's not have a CMC’s probe into the problem - remember that 5 years and 3 months after it stared we're still waiting for their report into the coppers investigation into death in custody of Mulrunji Doomadgee!!
PS: To keep tabs on the goings-on in the Qld Police force, I recommend John Ray's blog Queensland Police -- With dishonour they serve
Monday, 22 March 2010
Gratuitous sex
Got your attention with that headline? A bit like the Bulletin's objective with the following on the "news" page of their web site today:
I wonder how newsworthy the women journos at the Bully rate this stuff??
More State election analysis
Further to my earlier post about some of the rubbish the mainstream media is running on the implications of the SA and Tassie elections, the following interesting pieces have come to light this morning:
- ALP strategist (and mastermind of their SA campaign) with some sensible observations about what it might mean federally
- Peter Martin with a fascinating piece “What Rudd and Gillard are stealing from their state Labor colleagues” that I must say rings true to me
- Tony Abbott announces that he’s embarking on (another) a 9-day small target strategy – presumably so that he doesn’t have to answer any questions about his health policy
- Tomorrow’s Essential Research’s poll showing no change in the ALP’s high level of support, with a 2PP outcome of 56-44.
Herbert – could this be the ultimate game plan?
Over the weekend I started wondering again about the ALP’s federal intervention into the preselection for Herbert .
Could it be that this pick has been made in the expectation that the ALP will lose the seat – that the preselection is a give-aways to appease the factions or to settle old debts in the expectation that it in fact won’t be won?
Unless Abbott totally implodes (a distinct possibility but maybe not a probability), history tells the campaign strategists that, in all likelihood, Labor will lose rather than gain seats at the next federal election.
Understandably, parties concentrate their campaign resources in marginal seats and, if the expectation is that seats will be lost, they are concentrated in those seats you marginally hold and not those marginally held by your opposition.
For the record, Anthony Green estimates that the currently Liberal (or is that LNP) held seat of Herbert is marginally Labor (by 0.4%) following the last redistribution. Green also estimates that on the new boundaries, the ALP has to protect 14 seats which they currently hold by a margin of 3% or less.
With the demographics of Herbert changing since the 2007 election and arguably trending to the right over the last decade or more (witness for example the increase in defence force families in the electorate), the seat could be difficult for Labor to win if, as realistically expected, the national swing against them is on come election time.
If I’m right, the ALP’s campaign resources won’t be wasted on seats such as Herbert (they will seek to, for example, protect Maxine McKew in Howard's old seat of Bennelong before taking a punt on Herbert), Mooney will lose, and his last shot in the locker will have been spent (and all party debts to him will have been paid).
Worth thinking about? What do you reckon?
Could it be that this pick has been made in the expectation that the ALP will lose the seat – that the preselection is a give-aways to appease the factions or to settle old debts in the expectation that it in fact won’t be won?
Unless Abbott totally implodes (a distinct possibility but maybe not a probability), history tells the campaign strategists that, in all likelihood, Labor will lose rather than gain seats at the next federal election.
Understandably, parties concentrate their campaign resources in marginal seats and, if the expectation is that seats will be lost, they are concentrated in those seats you marginally hold and not those marginally held by your opposition.
For the record, Anthony Green estimates that the currently Liberal (or is that LNP) held seat of Herbert is marginally Labor (by 0.4%) following the last redistribution. Green also estimates that on the new boundaries, the ALP has to protect 14 seats which they currently hold by a margin of 3% or less.
With the demographics of Herbert changing since the 2007 election and arguably trending to the right over the last decade or more (witness for example the increase in defence force families in the electorate), the seat could be difficult for Labor to win if, as realistically expected, the national swing against them is on come election time.
If I’m right, the ALP’s campaign resources won’t be wasted on seats such as Herbert (they will seek to, for example, protect Maxine McKew in Howard's old seat of Bennelong before taking a punt on Herbert), Mooney will lose, and his last shot in the locker will have been spent (and all party debts to him will have been paid).
Worth thinking about? What do you reckon?
Election analysis or just plain rubbish?
I was (half-heartedly) getting ready to write a post in response to some of the nonsense that started to appear in the mainstream media yesterday and this morning about the election results in South Australia and Tasmania on Saturday. (This morning’s front-page of Murdoch’s Australian being a doosie! Time and again we have seen that drawing federal implications from state election results is just plain rubbish).
However, this post by Larvatus Prodeo says it all really and saves me the trouble. Cross-posted in full:
However, this post by Larvatus Prodeo says it all really and saves me the trouble. Cross-posted in full:
After the two weekend state elections, it’s likely that two Labor governments will be (re-)formed: a majority government in SA and a minority government in Tasmania with Greens support (unless the Greens flip to supporting the Libs).For some meaningful analysis of the SA outcome and Labor's campaign strategy in particular, I recommend this post from Possum at Pollytics.com
Not that you’d know it from today’s headlines…
The only thing missing is for some muppet to point out just how strong and consistent the Liberal’s election results are across the nation – just look how often they come second!
‘Rudd Faces Anti-Labor Headwinds’ – The Australian
- ‘Libs back from the dead’ – Glenn Milne in The Australian
- ‘Abbott says elections a warning for Rudd’ – ABC.net.au News
- ‘Liberals win the vote, lose the election’ – Adelaide Advertiser
- ‘Liberals hail the fabulous four’ – Adelaide Advertiser
- ‘Liberals ready to share power’ – The Australian
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Worth a read?#2
Springborg couldn't get it right as leader of the Opposition and it seems can't get it right as a pumpkin farmer. (if you're that keen, his original claim is here)
The catholics amongst you are not going to like this story by Christopher Hitchens in Slate.com: The Great Catholic Cover-Up. The pope's entire career has the stench of evil about it. The rest of you probably aren't going to be all that surprised.
Scary America: Meet href="http://murrayhillweb.com/">Murray Hill, Inc., the first corporation to run for Congress in the United States. From RawStory.com
An interesting juxtaposition:
Finally, someone slipped-up at The Bully on Friday
The catholics amongst you are not going to like this story by Christopher Hitchens in Slate.com: The Great Catholic Cover-Up. The pope's entire career has the stench of evil about it. The rest of you probably aren't going to be all that surprised.
Scary America: Meet href="http://murrayhillweb.com/">Murray Hill, Inc., the first corporation to run for Congress in the United States. From RawStory.com
An interesting juxtaposition:
And another interesting juxtaposition:Townsville suppermarkets should be very worried by the second of those stories. Full report here from The Cairns Post
Finally, someone slipped-up at The Bully on Friday
Friday, 19 March 2010
Rupert Murdoch - owner of The Bulletin
Understanding the reach and power of Rupert Murdoch - owner of The Bulletin
Click around to have a look or go to the source at Muckety.com
Click around to have a look or go to the source at Muckety.com
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