Collective amnesia at ministerial level

‘Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he’ [proverbs 29:18] – The so called crisis council being Daniel Andrews, James Merlino, Tim Pallas, Jacinta Allan, Jenny Mikakos, Jill Hennessy, Martin Pakula and Lisa Neville obviously had no vision, no oversight, no responsibility,  no management expertise and it seems no memory as all suffered inexplicable group amnesia over the refusal to use the offered ADF but instead to use private contractors costing millions of dollars and 800 lives.  Failing to act in good faith is a failure to ‘keepeth the law’ with the result being confusion and chaos with no concrete ‘vision’ of returning to normal.   

Once more unto the breach [a second wave of Covid] we are still stuck in minutia by being enveloped in a blame game that is both brain dead and dysfunctional but is still costing innocent lives and billions of dollars.  Please don’t blame others or point to other countries misfortunes because Australia was under control with Covid 19 until Ruby Princess [28 dead] and Andrews quarantine maladministration [800 dead!]. 

This is a ‘management’ issue where elected politicians with little management experience pontificate from on high whilst the visionless minions try to make sense of gross stupidity and criminal mismanagement.  800 deaths and a trillion dollar debt is criminal. 

There is no doubt that the Victorian labor government has been and is responsible for putting Victorians at risk through and by the mal administration of the so called second wave.  Not only though as there is still the ramping up of unsustainable debt, not having a clear vision for Victoria, selling our sovereignty to a rogue power and failing to even make common sense.  Andrews is the self appointed leader of that dysfunction but not the only culprit.  The ‘gang of 8’ comes to immediate mind as a group of senior government people so far out of their comfort zone that collective amnesia has set in - as ably demonstrated at ‘the enquiry’. 

No one is to blame so it seems for 800 deaths and a trillion dollar debt. No, not me, can’t remember, no one told me, my computer crashed, was sick that day, the dog ate the memo, aliens stole the email.  Sadly, these are responsible adults holding down key management jobs yet they come across as 10 year old kids determined to get out of trouble by any obfuscation or fabrication possible.

It’s pathetic but worse it’s ‘adult’ pathetic with known consequences.  Acting in bad faith doesn’t even come close.  Mindless narcissistic drivel but with enormous ramifications for their victims – us! 

It’s easy to devolve to minutia during periods of brain overload, as a matter of fact sometimes necessary to keep our sanity.  But, this is not what we pay our leaders for.  We pay them to actually think strategically.  Simple.  Shouty is not good.

This last week has been all about minutia and finger pointing over small things.  Good television but led by pontificating idiots focused on blame shifting away from themselves.

May I repeat, this current so called second wave has been caused by the collective labor government and bureaucratic affiliates with each identified player adding their useless two bob’s worth.  Let’s focus on 800 deaths and a trillion dollar debt instead of who said what to whom at 3:27pm.  Or, is that too hard?  Simple statistics show huge flaws in management and rhetoric.

It is a management problem!

Andrews has been and is wallowing in a sea of ineptitude.  Not only are his shortcomings on show but it seems all concerned are also wallowing.  This second wave should never have occurred yet it did because of sheer incompetence by a whole gaggle  of politicians, bureaucrats, advisors and public officials.  “I am too senior and beyond reproach”.  Yeah, right.

The solution?  We, the affected, demand Andrews and his cohorts apply some degree of intelligence to fixing the mess they created.  Not only Covid19 but the debt burden and the sale of Victoria to a foreign power.  Can they do this?  No.  They need help in the form of real and proven leaders from all sides of politics.  Think what Don Argus did for Coles Myer after a management import created disaster.  A calming strategic influence – right time right place.

I mean really, a curfew no one wanted or thought necessary [except Andrews], draconian lockdowns the same professionals thought unnecessary and a political ‘roadmap’ which was and is a joke to any business or indeed any thinking person.

I would be happier if it was the same Mexicans who invaded Telstra management and tried to screw the company before an Australian steadied the ship [Thodey]. In that case one could just ship them back to their home hole in the ground but we have an elected Government bent on staying in power by any means.

Therefore, we are stuck with the labor collective for a while albeit they must accept support from the real adults lest we all sink. Adults who think strategically such as Kennett, Keating, Costello and Gillard.

Oblivion is but a small step when good people fail to act - 800 lives lost and a trillion dollar debt is not political playtime.  When the country divides, political leaders have failed.  Simple, but watch the fools try and shoot the messenger.

It’s a shame that the pandemic response is but one of Andrews failures.  A big one, but just one.

Andrews again!!

 Why am I upset with the Victorian government [small g]?

When Alan Bond was caught and had to answer questions he had inexplicable memory failure yet some time later he came good-ish both physically and mentally.  Go figure.

This current enquiry into the hotel quarantine mal administration also seems to attract similar memory loss .  Chris Eccles [Andrews department head – slight similarity to 1950’s ‘The Goons’] admitted to receiving email re ADF offer yet couldn’t remember passing it on to anyone.  An offer this important just slipped from memory.  If this is the case then he is incompetent in the extreme.  If he did in fact pass it on then the plot thickens.  It is reported that Andrews did get the offer but, inexplicably, also had his own bout of memory loss.

And, if that’s not bad enough, Andrews wants more power through and by the brand new Omnibus bill.  This would allow Andrews to authorise anyone he sees fit to detain [arrest] people whom they ‘deem’ a health risk.  This health risk can be as little as passing someone who is ‘suspected’ of say having COVID19.  Imagine a scene where a few pimply faced untrained so called Andrews authorised health official goons [no similarity to 1950’s the ‘Goons’] arrest people walking around Albert Park lake during their allotted 2 hours of exercise because they happened to pass a person, also walking, who had the temerity to sneeze during hay fever season thereby being deemed to be a health risk.  Perhaps Andrews could re purpose the physically larger tram inspectors, as no one rides trams anymore, with say 10 minutes of training, a few warm handshakes and a special mask covering their identity.  Their kit could include truncheons, spit masks, pepper spray, Tasers and of course cable tie wrist and ankle restraints.  Only the select few would have assault rifles.  To be fair they would have to treat all the same including kids, the disaffected, the weak, the stupid and all gender varieties.  Now the Andrews goons have pounced they would have to do something with the deemed infected.  Enter Gulag 13 which is a razor wire fenced off area on a golf course somewhere [unused as Andrews banned golf] where miscreants are re-educated with electricity to the temples and sent to forced labour [not labor] camps [the new hotel quarantine] for 14 days.  There would be wall to wall photographs of Andrews with thought bubbles – me me me me].  Trite?  Perhaps those of lesser risk could be transferred to nursing homes as they are now nearing empty because past residents have succumbed to the same Corona Virus mal administration.   As someone was reported as saying [paraphrased],’the greatest failure of a public health management event ever!’

The Andrews government is heading towards the above.  He continually seeks more and more power yet has been proven absolutely incompetent and unable to manage.  He has the blood of hundreds of people on his hands as the second wave has been 99.9% caused by hotel quarantine failures.  Would you let a failed bus driver take your kids to school day after day?  Answer, no!  Yet we allow Andrews to remain as the man in charge despite selling us out to a foreign power, bringing in companies owned by that power to control infrastructure, sending us bankrupt and mal administering a simple hotel quarantine which everyone else got right.

Perhaps we Victorians are all evil and we are getting Andrews as punishment for our sins?

Political Leadership?

 

I am staggered at the dearth of leadership noticeably in Victoria and Queensland.  Leadership being defined as an ability to ‘lead’ ALL the lemmings [us] in the exact knowledge that we are on board through and by having confidence in that leader.  This is simple business 101.  The other day the QLD pontificators stopped a single girl from seeing her dying father whilst allowing a funeral for 80 and allowing even more people into the state with ‘money’.   Those double standards by the premier and her health person were and are appalling yet they still fronted the media with their tough talking ‘I am -  me me me’ persona. Sad.

In Victoria we have a small p premier wallowing around out of control.  Take for example his latest magnanimous gesture promising financial relief for some Victorians - all about Andrews acting in control.  Not so.  Remember it is on his watch that we even have a second wave – his mismanagement.  Now, he is borrowing money in OUR names in order to give it back to us as the totem top benefactor. We, as a state, will be paying this back for years and years.  The fact that it’s necessary is the real issue.

Whose fault is it that the idiot protestors are so ill informed and defiant of the law with zero respect for seemingly anyone or  anything?  As clearly demonstrated on TV, these people have the collective intelligence of an ant wanting to disrupt rather than discuss.  They believe, just like Andrews, that their opinions rule.   Me me me!  I feel for the police.  They watch the power crazy premiers pontificate, bluster and stare down us lemmings from on high and they think that way of leading and interacting is normal. It’s not.

This pandemic is not of our doing but how we handle it most certainly is.  Problems occur when ego trips up reason, when drivel follows a brain-mouth disconnect and when even the dross of our society show open disrespect for anything.  Leadership has failed when society fragments.  Simple.

There are very few ‘leaders’ around which is why it’s so important for any person in charge to recognise their shortcomings and seek continual and transparent guidance from experts.  All the mouthpiece has to to do then is convey reality.  Not dramatised, or sugar coated but in a way which all us lemmings can understand and get on board.  One shouty protestor yesterday stated quite clearly that there was no pandemic as it was all a government hoax.  Wow!  They will have to live with stupidity for the rest of their lives but the rest of us don’t have to devolve to open mouthed stares and short shuffle walks.

All we need is a leader who actually leads.

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL VICTORIANS RE ANDREWS

 ANDREWS

Rowan Dean [AFR] wrote of Premier Andrews - “.. a cesspit of self indulgent cosmopolitan culture and disastrous financial management.. ” and “… secret deals signed with Beijing overlords …” and “… his bungling treasurer …” .  His opinion of his Federal counterpart was not much better.  “… the scheming eunuch Al-Bo and his insane proclamations which would send Australia into a death spiral”. [paraphrased but not much]

Alas, Victoria has devolved, with this premier in charge, from a debt free prosperous and viable state to one of eye watering debt owed to ‘someone’ who will expect interest and security.  That someone will own some $100 billion’s worth of Victoria.  Yes, nearly a trillion dollars in debt over 7 or 8 years of mismanagement.  We are now the pariah mendicant state.

How about secret deals with a regime which has, does and is proving on a daily basis to ignore the world in which it sits thereby putting our sovereignty at risk [HK, Taiwan, S^th China Sea, global trade rules, the WHO, Australia, USA, et alia].   He is also spending billions of our money on a ‘look at me’ power trip [ for example the subway and level crossings being built by a Chinese company] whilst ignoring offered funding from the Federal government on independently identified essential infrastructure [East West link - $1.2b thrown away].  How about funding the destruction of heritage properties [Sandringham golf course $10m] and destroying an inner suburban golf driving range to build more netball courts without thought of massive parking issues and whilst there is an existing huge netball centre 5 minutes away.  How about proving a lack of rational thought by banning activities during our exposure to the global pandemic such as fishing, golf and archery which are all, by their very nature, social distancing.  All as a “look at me I’m doing something to stop this pandemic all by myself”.  No other state followed suit.  Go figure.

Indeed, he and Victoria are a laughing stock from Canberra and from every other state.   He is on his own in the real world and out of control but out of control threatening our sovereignty, our financial security and our future.  People are dying! He even claims to have closed the country’s borders despite the Prime Minister doing just that.  Perhaps it didn’t occur to him that he CAN’T close ‘national’ borders or claim credit.

 

THE SECOND WAVE

The so called second wave is all Andrews doing in that he refused to listen to the others who got it right [everyone else], refused to accept help [ADF with contact tracing], refused the bees knees of contact tracing software and instigated draconian ‘look at me’ rules [curfew] which no expert believes will do any good but many believe will exacerbate mental harm.  Now we find out he deliberately misled parliament, the police and health services. History proves just how badly conceived and managed that was - mal administered and mal managed – knee jerk crap from people who shouldn’t be let run a two person tea room. After refusing expert help he spent millions of dollars of our money on private security firms without safeguards or oversight. This terrible management decision by Andrews caused the so called second wave with further losses of billions more dollars for Victoria and Australia PLUS a loss of productivity which will have an eye watering number attached.  Far worse, this has cost hundreds of lives – all as a direct result of Andrews look at me inept management.

He has recently removed support for circa 50,000 tradies [sole traders] and partnerships that don’t employ others.  Obviously he doesn’t believe sole traders or small business are worth saving.

His thinking and statements are truly bizarre.  He has mooted a 9pm curfew [from 8pm] providing we mere lemmings are very very good and he has said restaurants will be allowed to open stressing outside dining and density limits on inside.  A couple of issues therein.  Firstly, this is Melbourne we live in with its very changeable weather so no, outside dining will never replace inside.  Secondly people will have to race through a very early dinner to get home by 8/9pm.  Obviously Andrews does not go out a lot because this will just not happen.

 

WHAT DO WE DO?

Personally I would like to see all those responsible frog marched out of Parliament into their own quarantine centre for say 6 months socialising with all the known Covid19 infected – as they have let happen to others!  And yes, pay for their own hotel room and meals.  However, realistically or lawfully that will not happen and we cannot change Government on a whim as much as I would like to.

But, in the short term, what we can do is change responsibility for critical issues such as anything threatening our sovereignty, spending and anything to do with Covid19 and, for good measure, throw in dealing with homelessness.  Let Andrews run the day to day minutia whilst bringing in a team of proven ‘can-do’ people [those that can galvanise transparent action] to get us back on track - just as in dealing with rogue suburban councils.

The irony of this is that this is what Andrews should have done from the start.  If you don’t have the expertise then, go and get it.  Simple business 101! Don’t pontificate with ‘look at me’ rhetoric whilst the state is haemorrhaging and people are dying.

Harsh?  It can’t get more serious on several fronts.  Andrews needs to admit a problem and bring in the new short term can-do management team.  In this he will be seen as strong, in control and delivering for the people of Victoria as a leader who recognises when to get help.  Reverse narcissism – good! 

Send out a distress call to well proven leaders and experts for help.  How about Keating, Kennett, Costello and Gillard establishing an expert team to bring us back on track.  Wow!  Great people all, bi-partisan and proven leaders.  Just 3 months and we could be seen once again as the state that deals with issues on the front foot, quietly, respectfully and with transparent purpose.

Premier, please lead from the rear – a long way to the rear!

END

Andrews 4

 PREAMBLE:

Very broadly speaking, there are two types of people who deal with planning but from different perspectives and mindsets.  Each has a role to play but rarely do both attributes reside in the one person. 

There are the ‘block’ people who build success by gradual change from the bottom up.  This is the minutia set, the people who are happiest when dealing with individual issues and are critical to the success of basically everything.   Nuts and bolts!  Without their dedication to keeping stuff happening we would not have a world.  Their ‘escape’ is for example ‘science fiction’ where their brains can wax lyrical and expand into the unknown.

The second lot are the ‘jigsaw’ people who can visualise the big picture and how all the bits fit.  There are less of these people because the demand is less.  Dealing with minutia for these people is hard because inherent focus is different.   Their escape is to for example to meticulously clean the golf clubs before challenging the unwinnable [grass].

This gets really hard for sole traders and small business people.  ‘Poiders Plumbing’ is run by a block person happily dealing with minutia but needs to understand and market himself as a jigsaw person in order to thrive.  Wendy’s events business is all about bringing together the many facets of a function to create success but has real difficulty in hands on.  Different people, different jobs.

In management there is a dysfunction line when people cross the boundary between minutia and jigsaw - either way.  A great manager decides to ‘roll up his sleeves’ and get stuck in.  A noble cause?  Not really.  It may be therapeutic for a while but his mindset is in a different place and it will not work long term.  But, every now and again, devolving to minutia is a defence mechanism to stop us going crazy.  Going the other way, the minutia person enters an expanded universe over the line and is immediately uncomfortable because there is no one-thing on which to focus.  Again, it will not work.  Everyone has heard the expression, ‘promoted to a level of incompetence’.  Well, this can be a reason why.

This dysfunction rears its ugly head when we look at our elected representatives coming from all walks of life expected to cement our collective future in a changing world.  They love the election because they can pontificate at length about single issues pretending they are in control.  Not so.  The ‘look at me’ syndrome is born of shouty people who would be better served by a job within the bureaucracy.  Shout long enough and people will believe. 

An expression used a lot by people who are basically out of control is ‘we are working hard’ but all they are really saying is that they are in fact out of control and having to work harder and harder to keep their collective heads above water.

The in control person says, ‘We are achieving our published goals and, this is how we are doing it’.

In charge, but wallowing around without a clear and communicated vision and subsequent plan does not cut it.  It confuses the block people trying to action anything and it confuses those who need to know.

ANDREWS:

When a crisis hits all the management flaws come to the surface.  Good times management is relatively easy as all is tickety boo and we ignore small issues because in the big picture they don’t really matter.  ‘She’ll be right mate’.  And, for the ‘lucky country’, this axiom has worked for years and years.

Now we have an axiom contradictor in the form of a virus threatening and indeed changing our way of life.  The pressure is on and merely ‘working hard’ is insufficient.

Andrews ‘roadmap’ delivered yesterday as a plan to beat the contradictor was inept because it had no vision other than ‘please God may the virus go away if we are all good little boys and girls’.  There was no vision of a future other than a return of sorts to pre-Covid.  He delivered same in his shouty voice and stare down manner trying to be seen as in control.

Yet we know, he was responsible for the mal administration causing this second wave, huge monetary losses and hundreds of lives.  He is out of control and has been for the last 8 years.  An elected representative out of his comfort zone but refusing to do what all good managers do, seek advice from experts, develop a vision people can identify with and take transparent action to achieve that future.

Hard?  Of course it’s hard.  It’s hard in good times let alone during a crisis.

Victoria has a tough road to follow to get out of the world perception that we are the out of control pariah mendicant state.  We need a mantra which can both lead and enthuse. If I may quote from Robin Sharma - “I am more than I appear to be, all the worlds strength & power rests inside me.” A great line which could also serve Victoria well as we bolt out of this crisis.  Victoria - "I am more than I am being quiet, determined, respectful and focussed." 

This is the sort of focussing vision we need to be supported by a bunch of real goals thrusting us into the future.  Not a minutia led ‘level crossing maintenance’ objective but real visionary stuff.  The sort of vision Keating, Button and Howard had, combined with the strength Hawke had to galvanise a nation, the financial smarts of Costello and the CEO Premier showcased by Kennett.

What we have is quite different.  We have a minutia led Premier trying to focus on just one thing being to eradicate the virus.  It happened on his watch and he is responsible for the mal administration costing billions of our dollars and many many lives.  He needs to fix it.

But is he capable?  Obviously a minutia / block thinker trapped in a jigsaw thinking job.  So, no he is not capable.  Worse, he has refused to recognise obvious shortcomings and get appropriate help.

None of us can claim to be the absolute fund of all knowledge but the better of us recognise this and seek support.  The more serious the matter the more this is critical.

Obviously, my opinion of Andrews is not very high as it relates to the job he is not doing.  But it doesn’t mean there is not a way out.  Andrews needs to cede management control for Covid 19 to an expert team removed from government – as good managers who know their limits do.  He also needs to develop a vision for Victoria which people will gladly follow.  He needs to communicate a positive ‘carrot driven’ plan to extract ourselves from Covid normal to be seen globally as a dynamic state dealing with pressure.  He also needs to develop a set of long term goals people will flock to.  Then he needs to action those goals through transparent plans communicable to us mere lemmings.

Basically, business 101.

We don’t have basic business ‘101’.  We have people trapped in the wrong job.