RUNNING OUR COUNTRY

I read the complete weekend Australian this morning [as I do every week for the quality of its journalism and longish articles] – a great balanced view from all sides.  In that was listed all the good things the Lib’s achieved in SA even during a Pandemic which they handled well.  Still, gone, which makes zero sense but people get what they voted for.  Take Victoria for example – Andrews was responsible for the deaths of some 800 people, has been proven to lie and misuse funds and his labor executive all suffered convenient loss of memory about who ticked off on $30m to fund private security.  Yet he still retains some degree of popularity whilst trying to wrongly blame Morrison for his failures.  Go figure – the absolute ‘blame’ stupidity is gob smacking.  Palaszczuk just this week has been shown to be somewhat loose with the facts and WA has damn near ruined its tourist hub for zero reason as covid has arrived anyway and NT leased its port to the Chinese, a move resembling insanity.  Morrison has the spine of a worm destroying his elected representatives lives virtually convicting without evidence [i.e Attorney General] by demoting lest the public disagree and Albanese is seen as the worst possible choice for a person to ‘lead’ our country.  Now we see female Labor senators acting like schoolyard tyrants linked to death and we watch political ‘adults’ from all sides behaving like bellicose 10 year olds.  We have to deal with similar traits in Putin and Xi Ping and they are supposedly world leaders with the red button at their ‘sole’ command.  They continually lie, ignore facts and threaten – in loud offensive voices.  Trying to erase history is but one little example of gross stupidity and the poor little oligarchs suffer through losing their boats.  A crying shame, that.

Along with a few million others, I voted for Hawke and Keating because they were right at the time and their list of ‘liberal’ achievements was and is significant as was their ability to lead and have ALL of us follow.  Which brings us to today and choices.

The world is entering a new phase and we need people who can lead.  There is no side of politics which is 100% up to the job therefore we need to pick from what’s available.  The federal labor party is full of back biting children determined to be talking heads but without substance led by a vitriolic waste of space without an original thought other than to try and denigrate.  Yet, take SA, where that behaviour worked to win but then one has to actually do something when in office.  We will see.  There is a litany of leadership failures headed by McMahon, Whitlam and Fraser.  All sides respected Howard, Keating and Hawke over many years as they disrespected Turnbull and Rudd.  Not many good guys around me thinks.

So where do we sit.  We lost our best hope for an Australian PM respected around the world and by all people and all political parties.  Short of convincing Julie to return we have Morrison who has lots of runs on board and proven ability to act as he did when closing the borders supported by Dutton and Friedenberg just to name 3.  On the other side we have Albanese with zero runs and a team of vitriolic bumsters who only know hate speech.  I think I made it clear that I am not overly fond of Morrison or Dutton or to a lesser extent in Friedenberg for various reasons but as a team taking us through what could be a change in world order, there is no choice.  Liking or not liking is irrelevant, it’s respect that’s important.

Unless we get Julie to return or the ghost of Billy Graham pops in we have Morrison and his party as the ONLY choice.  Anything else is just too dangerous.

So there!

Mismanagement of Covid19

‘The amnesiac [Coate’s enquiry], mismanagement-Andrews’, is out of control with Covid19.

Andrews’ actions propagate the self righteous / self entitled to openly defy public health orders.  These are the ‘covid spreaders’ caring little about anyone outside their own bubble whilst ignoring community responsibility.  Despite being labelled as ‘boofheads’ by the police they continue to ignore simple anti-death measures such as vaccination, masks, distancing and sanitising.  They could be big family groups insular to the health requirements of their community or just dropkicks unable to think past their nose.

Lockdowns are NOT going to create behavioural change in these people because they already have a mental fire wall separating cognitive thought from their chosen path.  Any actions they see as exacerbating a reduction in their precious freedom will only make them retreat further into stupidity.

Walk along Beaconsfield parade in Middle Park any Sunday afternoon during lockdown and watch the mask-less boofheads defiantly strut along seemingly fed by their own brain dead aggressive persona. 

Do I blame them for being angry?  Not really because even a ten year old can see ‘mismanagement-Andrews’ is out of his depth.  That same ten year old could also see Andrews desperately try to shift responsibility by prepending all statements with ‘based on health advice’ and/or emotive fear mongering words such as ‘highly infectious’ as though both of those disclaimers justify his actions.  They don’t.

The answer seems simple in that to stop the virus, stop the spreaders.  This is harder than enforcing an economy wrecking lockdown - which obviously does not stop those covid spreaders as a dropkick entitlement syndrome [DES] is alive and well. 

Mismanagement-Andrews must please take advice from statisticians who would have laughed at ‘the numbers’ he flaunts as justification for lockdowns. Traces of virus in country Victoria locks down the whole state costing millions [didn’t actually exist on retest] and one or two cases locking down a city of 5 million people [statistically absurd].

If it’s true, all we need to do is wear a mask, keep our distance and sanitise – often.  How hard can that be?  Unfortunately testing is ‘after infection’ and whilst vaccination will reduce chances of death it will still allow some spreading and, worse, the virus can apparently live on hard surfaces for an inordinate time.

Therefore the answer seems to be to encourage the spreaders to comply, by stick and carrot, without disastrous mis-management lockdowns penalising the innocent both financially and emotionally.

Firstly the ‘stick’.. If masks are SO important then those deliberately flaunting the rules need to be fined something in the order of $2,000 per offence.  Then, even the idiot can see that perhaps wearing a mask is better than shelling out $2k each time one is caught.  This is not a forever law but a temporary measure only until the virus is whacked.

Secondly the carrot ..   It seems vaccinations are our only long term solution and to that end EVERYONE must get vaccinated.  The carrot to achieve this is ‘the pass’ as has been introduced in France where fully vaccinated people enjoy greater freedoms after proving they have had the jab.  Those not wanting vaccination would not be allowed in restaurants, theatres, planes, etc.  Once again, a simple choice.  Get the jab, protect yourself, protect all those around you and enjoy a free life.  The option for those not wanting to protect our community is to stay at home.  A simple choice really, a choice everyone can understand.  Biden’s rules are similar – come to work but if you are unvaccinated then you must wear a mask, keep 1.5m distance to anyone and don’t travel. 

This can only happen with legislation allowing the police to blitz and fine and by making vaccination easy, plentiful and without grubby reporters selling fear and gloom as they have with AZ.  AZ is saving Britain!

The question is, ‘can mismanagement-Andrews make this happen?’  I hope so but then I doubt it.  His whole amnesiac management team [including health professionals] seem to be going down a different path.  A path of economic fatality and virus eradication failure despite his narcissistic power grab through state of emergency legislation.  I can’t imagine a worse person to hold that power.

The solution is to establish an arms length group of professionals to manage the pandemic with mismanagement-Andrews kept well away from any decision making.

CREEPING ASSUMPTIONS

 There is something intrinsically and inherently wrong with any manager who is responsible for other people’s money failing to take responsibility and validate the spending process.  A manager does not just spend a few million dollars without exact validation from those in charge.  Doing so is criminal. 

With Andrews spending millions of dollars of our money on private contractors in hotel quarantine there can be no ‘creeping assumptions’ as to who actually ticked the ‘spend’ box.  This is not play time, there are millions of dollars of our money seemingly spent for no reason as the ADF were offered for nothing and 800 are dead.

This is not a political statement, it is a comment on the appalling management and consequent mal administration of the hotel quarantine program in Victoria.  Circa 800 innocent people lost their lives as a direct result of that mal administration.

If a manager did that in the private sector they would most probably be charged with fraudulent funds misappropriation but at the very least fired for stupidity.  With Andrews it seems that level of mismanagement is accepted as the norm.  Funds misappropriation and stupidity are accepted.

Politicians are good at getting elected and convincing us lemmings that they are strong, honest, knowledgeable and able.  Remarkably, even in the face of proven disaster contradicting all those attributes, some will ignore incompetence and continue supporting obvious stupidity.  After the Royal Commission into banking many many CEO’s and executives and board members were forced to fall on their sword.  Yet, Andrews survives.  How?

Any acceptance of a ‘creeping assumption’ should immediately trigger replacement of the entire management team for incompetence leading to mal-administration and also trigger civil and criminal investigation leading to charges.  Remember at stake there are millions of dollars and sadly circa 800 lives lost.

This is serious.  Monetary losses alone will top a trillion dollars, many people are dead, there are major issues with decreasing mental health and our country is going backwards thanks to Andrews mismanagement.

Just today NSW and VIC have almost the same number of cases yet NSW is firing on all fronts whilst Vic suffers draconian lockdown measures at the behest of Andrews and his incompetent management team.  For example NSW has a 2sqm rule for outside dining and a 4sqm rule for inside dining.  We have take home only with dining in prohibited!  26 weeks of lockdown for Victoria after Andrews bungled management

The cost to Victoria in lost productivity will be literally trillions.

A new management team is mandatory!

Lock down in Victoria - government in fear

 The Andrews government in Victoria is responsible for some 800 deaths [800 of the 900 for the whole of Australia!], billions of dollars of debt for Victoria and Australia and the bankrupting of thousands of small business.  As every part of ‘Australia’ faced the same pandemic it is indeed obvious that Victoria’s failures were specific to Victoria and Andrews.

Obviously, Andrews and his key advisors [the memory lapse 8 et alia] lacked or knowingly suppressed [for private political agenda reasons as no one in their right mind kills 800 people!] the necessary intellect to construct the correct course of action remembering the rest of Australia was and is fine.

Victoria failed.

Indeed the facts were known and there were worldwide precedents to learn from yet Andrews ignored those facts and the second wave was born out of the mal-administration of hotel quarantine.   Apart from his lack of cognition choosing the wrong course of action Andrews and his so called team couldn’t step back and deal with the outbreak at an intellectual level [thus affecting success] but instead choosing to display a complete lack of actual intelligence with knee jerk ‘rules’ set at random without validation by experts.

Fear had set in.  Fear at government level is dangerous as the action of conation drives knee jerk actions based on that fear rather than intellect driving ‘step back’ thought.  The four modes in this respect are determine real facts, take quick action to halt dysfunction, implement long term fixes and follow through reforming and adapting on the way.  Not rocket science.

The federal government analysed the global situation, closed the borders and set in train the need to quarantine those seen at risk.  The same federal government also offered expert support to enable the states to deal with the quarantine thereby taking care of the first two management issues. 

Australia at this point seemed to be leading the world in decisive action so now it was up to the states to implement and follow through the quarantine process.  People were dying all over the world so the need for urgent action was critical but driven by cognition and intellect.

Victoria failed. 

Instead of implementing successful strategies with the support of the federal government as did the other states, Victoria decided to spend a few more million contracting private untrained security guards to monitor the quarantine process.  The result being some 800 deaths from a 99+% certainty those deaths were the result of maladministration of that private security.  Cognition and intellect had taken a back seat.

Now, fear had really set in but with rampant obfuscation, politicisation and blame shifting.  Those in charge were out of their depth both cognitively and intellectually.  Sheer panic and the fear of being blamed drove Andrews to want to be seen as the saviour instigating knee jerk curfews, travel restrictions et alia all the while the wearing of masks, social distancing and basic hygiene were proven to be the most effective anti-covid measures.  The Andrews lockdown is causing thousands of bankruptcies and significant mental health issues which has and is decimating our state.  No other state has chosen Victoria’s so called remedy because their systems were in place using the federal government’s offered support.  No out of control ego, no empty rhetoric just cognitive action driven by intellect.

Victoria failed and it’s cost Australia some $14 billion dollars and 800+ deaths.  This so dysfunctional and punctuated by the fact that NSW has more cases than us but is open and thriving.  NSW manages the outbreak whilst we have a dearth of cognitive intellect.

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?

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.

 

LEADERSHIP

Once upon a time there was a man who the world watched with envy as he transformed his patch from just plain broke to one marching towards success.  He was a great leader and people admired him for the dedication he showed to making every post a winner.  Other leaders aspired to garner some of his charisma as they said nice things and longed for photo opps. His record on respect for all was just shoved under the carpet because the world could see what he was doing and how he needed to do it.   Then he invaded Poland.

Fast forward 80 or 90 years and we have another leader, a great leader, a leader immersed in cementing his patch as indefatigably supreme. Just like the previous leader, respect for all was low on the list of priorities as he spread his patch’s control by land grab and economic stealth whilst making others dependant on his endless treasure chest.  The world watched exponential growth, strength and fortitude whilst others sought photo opps.  Unlike the last leader this man was quiet, enigmatic and focused with no shouted rallies or look-at-me antics.  One could say inscrutable.  Then he invaded …

How about yet another leader who espouses narcissism and self along with absolute distain for anyone outside of his narrow thinking - the blond spinnaker man with his finger on the red button but without the intelligence to determine just.   A man without letters from a long line of leaders without letters leading a country already shamed with indeginous genocide and sovereign invasion.

This dysfunction happens because we let it.  Indeed, even on a local level, we have a so called leader who is irresponsible and weak as well as being on a power trip with no one to stop him.  He confuses strength with stupidity, maintenance with strategic growth and public safety with an inability to appear strong. Mouth noise replaces lucidity.  Allowing 10,000 people to protest shoulder to shoulder whilst banning groups of more than 10 people in say restaurants under strict social distancing rules during a pandemic is insane. Pity.  

 What does it take for us to recognise a pattern?

The sad thing is that all the above mentioned men are self promoted leaders seemingly doing wonderful things for their own patches albeit at the expense of anyone who stood in their way.  But, in the end, at the expense of their own patch.  They all self promoted greatness but reality disagreed.

History is full of these people and at all levels of government yet we continually turn a blind eye hoping it will get better.  America is currently imploding where respect has left the building and plague terrorises.  The shallowness of past glories laid bare to reality.  Indeed, a new reality in which ‘others’ seek a foothold through quiet, focused and specific incretion.

So, who are the good guys?  Is it Mr Enigmatic, the blond flyover, the lost premier or perhaps our man from Hill song or is it perhaps just everyone and anyone who actually gives a toss?

The media get away with rabidly stupid comments, statistics and data which a 10 year old could see though - yet people believe.  They want to believe because even someone as dysfunctional as those mentioned above are better than wimp after dodgy after hopeless.

What a day for the human race. Not.

Belt & Road Dan strikes out!

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] …”.

Victoria, 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 $50 billion’s worth of Victoria.

Apart from secret deals with a regime which has, does and is proving on a daily basis to ignore the world in which it sits [HK, Taiwan, S^th China Sea, global trade rules, Australia, USA, et alia] possibly putting our sovereignty at risk and, spending billions of our money on a power trip whilst ignoring funding from the Federal government on independently identified essential infrastructure [East West link] and funding the destruction of heritage properties [Sandringham golf course] and 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 distanced.  All as a “look at me I’m doing something to stop this pandemic all by myself”.  

A laughing stock from Canberra and even from the other states who have not followed his bizarre behaviour.   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.  He even claims to have closed the 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.

We need a return to slightly right centrist and intelligent government.  A government which supports labour initiatives albeit with a dose of reality and professional management. 

Where is the liberal party currently?  Where are the voices of dissent?  I can’t remember anyone with enough presence and basic gumption since Kennett.  Stop this Premier before he destroys Victoria. 

Last thought, how about spending say a billion on solving Victoria’s homeless ‘crisis’ instead of funding level crossing ‘maintenance’ projects.  Priorities are wrong.

Covid, Golf, Archery, Business...

One of the things about being human is that we tend to self preserve.  For example, driving a car we don’t swerve into oncoming traffic or we don’t go too near the edge of a cliff.  This is a given even for the dross but always excepting those fantastic people who put themselves in harm’s way for others - like any person dealing with Covid19 on the front line.

The other axiom about being human is the fact that it enables the ‘bullshit’ meter.  We can tell/feel when something is array or doesn’t meet the common sense test despite that something being touted as true and correct by the pontificators often with an obvious brain / mouth disconnect.

Add Covid19 to these two axioms and the pressure mounts on those charged with preserving our way of life to get it right whilst taking people along with the logic on the way to getting it right.  If that fails then people will ignore any edicts seen as failing the so called ‘pub test’. 

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when we discuss protecting ourselves from Covid19.  Blanket restrictions are easy but will be ignored with the instigators mocked.  But, there are always exceptions – closing our borders quickly was a great move and if there were doubters the Ruby Princess validated that position. 

But, pontificating without substance is a crime against humanity because it treats people as idiots and we are not!  Self preservation and the bullshit meter kick in and we begin to see just how lacking in common sense those in charge are and/or the ‘look at me’ lengths they will go to try and prove they are actually intelligent and doing something.

Just as examples.  People need an outlet or they will go troppo and disobey.  As far as I understand it, staying at home is a blanket restriction to stop interaction thereby stopping exponential infection.  We have the experts telling us that Covid 19 can live on surfaces we touch and can only spread by close contact with an infected person or off that surface.  1.5 m being the distance of safety and face masks are not necessary.   Therefore, it follows that as long as we sanitise by alcohol or soap and keep 1.5 m apart total isolation is not necessary. Why is this important?  Because the economic damage caused by ‘over the top’ restrictions is haemorrhaging our country.  The exception to this is isolating people returning from a known ‘hot spot’ or identified as possibly infected. 

How about Victorian [only Victoria] golf courses being closed costing millions of dollars in job keeper / seeker and lost revenues.  The way I and most others play golf is in absolute isolation spending far more time in the bushes than anywhere near others or indeed real grass.  With a few simple rules golf can help people avoid going troppo.  For some reason, golf driving ranges were also shut down.  Driving ranges are designed around self isolation with each person in their own bay at least 1.5m apart.  This is a no brainer as it’s basic self preservation against getting your head knocked off.  The people shutting driving ranges down are seen as stupid pontificators avoiding actual thought.

The other activity / sport is archery which was shut down and now suffers from a 10 person per acre edict.  In archery each target is roughly 1.5 m to 2.5 m apart centre to centre with easy changes to separation.  This automatically complies with the 1.5 m rule yet archery was shut down.  Now it seems archery can only have 10 people at one time in a field of over an acre.  Where is the common sense?  Archery is another activity which automatically practices self distancing.  Logical really as no one wants to be shot!  More millions lost.  Now, do we count the number of people on a train, tram or bus to make sure there are just 9 before we jump on? There goes a few more million.

People will self preserve.  Just look at the behaviour of people walking on a footpath.  They will go to great lengths to make sure they keep 1.5m apart.  I do.

The key to people protecting themselves seems to be the 1.5 m separation and fanatical hand washing.  This is easy.  As Patsy from ABFAB said, “I would never have thought my hands would consume more alcohol than my mouth.”

It is imperative we protect ourselves whilst doing stuff such as golf or archery to stop going stir crazy and both make and spend money.  OUR government is not a separate financial entity, it’s our money they are taxing and spending and it needs to be both sourced and judiciously spent.  I reckon our State’s debt alone with our current government will approach $100 billion with a small part being due to Covid19.  The interest alone on these borrowings is eye watering.

If I can make a plea – think through edicts before proclamation because they can be too encompassing remembering we will self preserve and one size does not fit all.  The excuse, erring on the side of caution, just shows a lack of thought.

People will protect their patch given logic and proof.  As they are doing with 1.5m separation and hand washing.

We need to return to normality ASAP for our countries’ sake.   Business and personal activity must be preserved.

Our restaurant is take away only and my wife and I now play extremely competitive table tennis for money [$1] on the dining room table.  The first stops us haemorrhaging too much money and the second keeps brain and reflexes alive.  We went to the driving range yesterday as it’s now open – no change in talent [ho hum] – look forward to scrabbling through the bushes on the course – ‘preserving’ the grass.

Andrews out of control

Our State Government is out of control - again.  Like 5 year olds having found the lolly jar and woofing without thought, the Premier has no fear about ruining Victoria’s heritage or spending what he doesn’t have plunging us once again into massive debt.

The iconic bathing boxes are but a further example of his lack of a history led vision. 

How about Andrews turning an internationally recognised St Kilda ‘go to’ icon into a tram stop.  Acland street has gone and so has the history because some idiot thought it appropriate to build a tram super stop  a hundred meters or so from the already existing super stop outside Luna Park.  This is lunacy and vandalism of our history. 

How about Andrews giving $10m to destroy the last inner Melbourne sand-belt ‘peoples’ golf course being Sandringham.  A public course for over 80 years and what should have been treated as a national icon and lauded as a traditional test of golf.  One of his excuses was that women couldn’t play golf on a normal course and needed a shorter course.  This in itself is sexist and demeaning.  The course should have been treated with respect and with professional grounds people creating excellence.  Not so.  Sandringham golf course is now bulldozed and another slice of our history gone with it. 

How about permits being issued from the State Government at odds with the local council to destroy 2 Victorian mansions at 23 Brighton Road St Kilda and replacing them with 17 by 2 story dog boxes thereby also creating access nightmares .  How about wasting $1.2b of our money by NOT building something being the East West link which will have to be built anyway.  This is lunacy!  And, where is the money coming from to fund all the spending?  This is a big question!!

History proved that Cain / Kirner sent us nearly broke and smashed our international credit rating  – “ Ms Kirner was, of course, a senior member of a deeply dysfunctional government [Cain] which presided over the Pyramid, Tricontinental, State Bank and Victorian Economic Development Corporation financial disasters which undermined the state’s economy and saddled the government with a significant debt burden.” [Australian] – The damage was massive and it seems nothing has changed.

The world wants to impeach Trump before he destroys it.  He is a laughing stock as is Andrews amongst anyone who actually thinks.  Neither are funny.  Perhaps we can impeach Andrews?

How about a proper parliamentary enquiry into ‘our’ finances? 

How about Heritage Victoria actually doing something to preserve our history and planning decisions being transparent before the event? 

How about so called ‘developers’ locked up for frenetic night time demolition of historic buildings? 

How about ‘real’ public debate on contentious issues not just so called consultation ‘after’ the event has been actioned?

Kennett had to rescue us the last time from an out of control government including their unions who were also at their dysfunctional worst.  Think how many tram strikes, power blackouts and sheer angst we had to put up with before Kennett.

Now, who is going to challenge Andrews?

I hope someone will step up.

Here is a five point plan for our elected Government from the ramblings of a disaffected cook:

It’s neither Liberal nor Labour, it’s Australian and it’s all about people, our people.
There is nothing new about these 5 points but the pontificators and those with a brain mouth disconnect will rattle on at length not knowing when to stop droning and make it happen.
1. VISION .. To borrow and misinterpret part of a well known proverb - ‘without a vision the people perish’ - is about having something to focus on which in turn provides a road-map for all future action. There can be no considered action unless that road-map is clear and that can only happen if we have a vision.
Australia needs a vision which defines us both to ourselves and the world.
Then, the interpretation of that vision is critical otherwise it becomes rhetoric and feeds the shouty dross.
For example, offer and pay the top 50 graduates each year across all disciplines to transparently work together for Australia for a year in an R&D focus to develop our future where we lead the world. This is a ‘vision’ we can all associate with. Think back to the euphoria when we won the America’s cup and you will agree that a singular focus ‘vision’ is life enhancing.
2. EDUCATION.. There is no future without education. This is a simple fact of life and no matter how people argue to spend money on their favourite agenda, it matters squat because, I repeat, there is no future without education.
Every single person must have access to education from kindergarten right through tertiary without being forced to stop eating to pay for it. This is the educational safety net available to all and does not preclude some choosing to pay for private schools on top of the government educational allowance which everyone gets. All people, all walks of life, all abilities, all disabilities - everyone.
3. LIVING WAGE.. A fantastic emotional two word visionary statement as it embodies a myriad of heartfelt concepts. Concepts which people can hang onto. We are a country which makes sure all people are looked after and no one is left to suffer through stupid poverty. At least that’s the theory.
This is not a hard concept to understand as all it means is that if someone is working say 35 hours a week they must be able to make enough to sustain their family and take responsibility for their health and well being without expecting all Australians to prop up their lifestyle including child care. Not in luxury but with warmth, food, a roof, paid appropriate support services and in the knowledge that they are safe. Good word, safe.
The same goes for the pension in that it must also be a basic living wage as must the dole albeit the dole would require work for support as would the pension in a way in that there are many many capable people itching to add value to our country, somewhere?
We live in a 24/7 world with each hour of each day of equal value without religious overtones demanding some days are more special than others. If some people want to make a day special then it’s up to them as individuals and not for Australia to legislate.
Paying penalties is abhorrent as it fails to look at the real issue which is the living wage and it costs jobs. Lots of jobs.
There are many bright people out there who can deal with this actuarial problem and can come up with a number without the attendant crap.
4. HEALTH .. Same story. The safety net allowing all peoples free access to medical care. Once again, safe. Australia has almost got this one licked unlike some other first world countries.
5. HOUSING .. This is the hardest of all because we have a culture grown up around the 1/4 acre block and we are seen as failures unless we have the McMansion plopped fence to fence. This is rubbish and destructive and forces people onto lonely street plummeting towards the working poor. We all want style and comfort in a place we love. Admirable concepts but it should not be driven by size but by architecture, vision and culture.
It is both right and proper in our capitalist democracy that those who can afford it will opt for the McMansion and they will enjoy life. Good.
It is also right and proper that those on the living wage have access to appropriate mid-level housing with style and aplomb in which they also feel safe. Good.
Thirdly, it our duty and responsibility to provide for those whom have fallen through the cracks and are suffering through a lack of warmth, comfort and inclusion. Safe. There’s that word again.
Words but words which can be turned into action through fantastic architecture building housing in which people can leap towards their personal vision and in which there is a culture of inclusion, warmth and safety. Places good enough that the McMansion people would like to move in.
Quite separately, but whilst remaining inclusive, accommodation for those Australia needs to support and make safe. Not ghetto town or disenfranchised sleeping pods but basic accommodation providing a roof, warmth and safety. Break the cycle of homelessness. I could rattle on about the provision of dedicated support services but really with a vision, access to education, a living wage, a health care net and a ‘retreat’ it will take care of itself.
How about offering the top graduates across architecture, mathematics, humanities, psychology, social science et alia the chance to join a team to develop this concept within 12 months to start building in a year. WOW.
So, how do WE pay for this modern marvel?
Don’t waste money on minutia or the unimportant – not one cent. Create an absolute focus without rhetoric or ego driven drivel. This is not hard but requires a desire to create something special for our country. How about an extra billion dollar investment linked to our totally appropriate future fund to be time allocated and controlled by the likes of Keating, Kennett and Costello. Bipartisan with strength of purpose. As I said, WOW

LEADERS [?] DEBATE

There was something prophetic about Sunday night’s ‘leaders debate’ replacing ‘Grand Designs’ on the ABC.  Or at least it should have been.

The media nor the leaders seemed to recognise or understand that here and now in the public arena were two blokes each of whom purported to be the better than the other at leading the political party which would take Australia roaring into the future.

Instead the self absorbed intellectual lightweights asking the questions focused on minutia to which they both should have retorted, ‘Do you know what a leader is?  If you want to know about tax cuts or healthcare go and ask the appropriate minister – I deal with the vision for our country and where we need and want to be – the grand design’.

The trouble is that reporters deal in minutia because that’s their job.  They are not paid to think about the so-called big picture; and it’s so obvious it’s galling.

There was no doubt that the Prime Minister was way ahead of Mr Shorten in this respect albeit he also was dragged down by stupid questions.  This was supposed to be a ‘leaders’ debate, not a portfolio debate.

For example, if anyone cares to remember the ‘I have a dream’ speech by Mr King in 1963, he focuses on a vision and brings everyone along for the ride.  A ‘grand design’ vision so prophetic it and Mr King will live forever.

Now, no one expects that sort of belly fire from either man but we do have a right to expect a ‘grand design’ by each ‘leader’ which we as mere mortals can cling to, believe in and focus towards.

This is standard business 101 and, at least for this little black duck, is mission-critical.  Don’t be dragged down by small people.  I have written many articles about the difference between jigsaw people and block people both of whom are indeed so called mission critical because block people work from minutia up whereas jigsaw people work from the perfect down.

Mr Prime Minister and Mr Shorten, as leaders and jigsaw people, what are your parties’ perfect visions for Australia?

Why are we so stupid? A CONTINUING CONVERSATION

PROBLEM

We dig stuff up and sell it to foreign buyers so they can add value and sell it back.

We sell off our country to foreign buyers so they can profit at our expense.

We sell management rights to others because we are unable and stupid.

Indeed, we sell our heritage to others.

We will eventually be leasing someone else’s country.

Why?

Now, the Premier of Victoria wants to sell the leasing rights for our ports to some management company believing that we are so stupid that we can’t manage the facilities ourselves.

Simple finance 101 says that if anyone is willing to pay megabucks for management rights then they must be able to return a healthy profit on that investment.  Therefore, the question is, if someone is willing to pay for that opportunity then why aren't we reaping the same profit?

Stupid people outsource management because they can’t do it themselves.

Smart people make the most of their assets.

We must be stupid.

RESPONSE

I agree not wishing to be political as I know both parties do it but it was the Liberal party that started it with the sales of government run assets. I have often argued, using the SEC as an example - prior to its sale the profit from the monopoly was ploughed back into maintenance and improvements to the service. Once it was sold off the maintenance was cut and the profits from sales distributed to the shareholders

FOLLOW UP
Unfortunately, Kennett had little choice but to sell off utilities with unions running riot destroying what little productivity we had.  This is easily proven by records - just look at the number of public transport strikes prior to the sales and strikes after.

I also must say that Cain Kirner left Victoria in a very parlous state which forced Kennett to sell off the management rights to get money and protect our credit rating.  This is also easily proven by Records.

Personally, I would have preferred that this hadn't happened but unlike Cain Kirner, Kennett didn't walk around with his head in the sand whilst Victoria was sinking.

In this instance, with our ports, we have another Cain Kirner look alike with Andrews.  He has already thrown away circa $700+ million of our money by 'not' building a 'strategic' link for the future of Victoria which would have already produced thousands of  jobs but instead - has achieved nothing.  This stupid 'retrospective' decision has cost us dearly in terms of international reputation, possible investors and our strategic future.

Now he has to sell our strategic future in Melbourne's ports to fund basic domestic maintenance such as level crossings which have zero to do with the future growth of Victoria.  This Government are fools focusing on minutia, the same as every other labour Government, whilst Victoria loses its future.

Indeed, only stupid people outsource management unless there is no choice.  Kennett had no choice but Andrews does.
 

Andrews has made me-me political promises which he can't keep, is currently achieving nothing and is still making more promises for projects in forward estimates decades away.  He seems to have run our coffers dry and is now desperately seeking money by selling our future to fund basic maintenance, to be seen to be doing something and to try and keep political power.

Where is his vision with basic business 101 strategies leading to our future?

Perhaps I am asking too much of a minutia focussed labour Government.

ANDREWS AND THE EAST WEST LINK - LATEST

In the AFR [Lucille Keen] on Saturday  the 23^rd of May 2015 said it was reported that just last month our Victorian Government paid $339,000,000 just to cancel the East West link with lost sunk costs amounting to $500,000,000.  Add on the thousands of hours of Government time foregone and the $1.5 billion lost from the Federal Government and the problem becomes gigantean remembering this is OUR money he is squandering.

Now infrastructure Australia has weighed into the ‘cancel it at any cost’ decision by Andrews stating that Victoria has lost the opportunity through not building East West to create a traffic plan for a key section of Victoria’s future. Instead Andrews is going to spend money on level crossings in marginal seats.  This is minutia thinking at its worst.  No future thinking, just repairs in marginal seats.

He has no project ready to start right now worth anything in terms of long term strategy and has foregone thousands of jobs and cost us billions through this decision and, he has cancelled the proposed airport link.

Victoria deserved better, MUCH BETTER.

The Honourable D. Andrews – Premier Victoria

It’s a sad fact that our political ‘leaders’ are merely human like the rest of us having all the frailties associated with remaining upright and breathing.  Ambition takes over from reality and commonsense repairs to some other universe.

We all know we can do better just given the opportunity yet somehow the hand stays down when it’s time to be counted.  So what right have we to criticise from the bleaches or worse, from behind some moral curtain from which we only peep to throw another barb but hastily retreat lest someone recognise us.

The simple answer is that we have a duty to support our majority and legally ‘elected’ leaders to do their jobs unless those decisions are so onerous and so far outside of their pre-elected political focus that damage will occur.  It is indeed a truism that if we second guess every decision our elected officials make there is no elected Government; there is only chaos, anarchy and subversion.

The election process works in a democracy unless our leaders create havoc, undermine our collective values, do something which puts us in disrepute or threatens our countries future.  If it doesn’t work then we must say something and be counted for that opinion.  Only in this way can we inform the non vocal majority of dysfunction and create change.

Such an issue has arisen in Victoria with our current Andrews led Government.

This short letter is not political in that it is not aimed at liberal or labour but rather at labyrinthine  decisions which are absolutely against our values and Australian way of life.

Mr Andrews was elected on a bunch of promises, one of which was ‘tearing up the contracts’ on the East West link.  He well knew he was sacrificing thousands of jobs, well knew Victoria was lawfully committed to completion of the project, well knew Commonwealth funding was dependant on completion of that project and well knew he was replacing lawful actions with rhetoric.  He was elected and now we must pay the piper.

There are two absolutely vile actions he has taken which must make every Victorian shudder.  Firstly he threatened to legislate to invalidate a lawful debt which would virtually destroy our system of Government and secondly he has fraudulently refused to return the commonwealth invested capital which was specifically earmarked for the East West project.

As he must have known all this before the election he has obviously treated us [voters] with disdain and must be so affected by political desire that reality took a second rung to common sense.  Like Bracks did over Seal Rocks, which cost us circa $80 million, this is heading for disaster.

The Federal Government has already said [paraphrased], ‘why would Andrew’s believe that the Commonwealth would pay for a contract which he has refused to honour?’ and ‘the Commonwealth wants its money back’ and ‘why would you [Andrews] sacrifice [circa] 7,000 immediate jobs?’ and ‘why would Andrews put any future investment potential by outside money at risk?’ and ‘why would Andrews sacrifice the State’s credit rating?’.

This decision by the Premier smacks of a vocal look-at-me five year old still on potty training throwing a tantrum at his own and everyone else’s expense.  Where is the maturity and where does this leave Victoria? 

This is not a comment on the East West link but a comment on the people associated with the decision process.  These people need to be removed as they are causing damage.

Managing Victoria is the same as running a big company [nee Jeff Kennett].  It must be done through people whilst developing and implementing a multi-future strategy.  Instant business and personal support combined with medium term business development and long term strategic plans we all can understand and support.

Our future is not about fixing level crossings nor fixing pay scales nor appealing to the lowest common denominator.  It IS about recognising and planning towards our future logically and strategically.

It seems all we get from Mr Andrews is a dearth of future whilst watching extravagant spending on what can only be called minutia. 

Fixing past mistakes does not a future make - simple and inescapable logic.

We need to have a premier and supporting Government who have an understanding of future and how to strategise to get there.  Throwing away a few billion dollars on fraud [taking Commonwealth money by deception] is descriptive of Mr Andrews.

Is there anyone who can replace this person who can see and plan towards our future?

Just a couple of thoughts for Mr Andrews’ replacement.

Firstly, our future has one ground rule – ‘DS’.  There is only ONE way out of the dig it up mentality and that is ‘DS’ or developing smarts.  Free education right through tertiary and beyond for everyone who has the smarts but followed by a year of service to think-tank-Australia when our numerous smart people can and will transform our country into a brainstorming cutting edge country away from the ‘let’s dig it up, sell it and have another beer’ mentality.  No HEX for a year’s think-tank – bring it on.

Secondly, I believe there is no other way to bring our indigenous people to that line in the sand other than education.  When our kids know what they are missing they will strive to achieve it.  Simple.

Thirdly, our future is not assured through just fixing past mistakes as this is regressive minutia thinking.  It is about business 101 – developing a strategy through communicated and succinct mission and vision statements leading through communicable strategies to real action plans.

Fourthly, dealing with climate change is also simple – subsidise renewable energy so its selling price is lower than non-renewables and people will make their own financial decision.  Market forces to create world changing shifts in literally months.  Support the good guys and watch the world change with no political crap.

We need professionalism, maturity and a clear businesslike approach.

This is written on no one’s behalf!

ATTACKING OUR WAY OF LIFE

Sometimes it’s very hard not to attack the person behind stupid conduct instead of the conduct itself because, there are times when the extent and gravity of that conduct is so wrong and so abhorrent to our values and way of life, the person themselves must hold responsibility. 

Daniel Andrews, the leader of our current Government, refused to rule out introducing retrospective legislation to invalidate a lawful debt over the East West link for which he knows he is responsible. 

Unfortunately it’s all of us who suffer this conduct because he speaks for us and anything he does reflects on us as a State.

I can’t imagine the degree of ignorance and stupidity it takes to even contemplate this sort of action.  Retrospective legislation is an evil ploy of dull witted people because it is so abhorrent and so against our Westminster system of Government it beggars belief.

Can anyone imagine what this will do to our reputation as a place in which to invest or indeed the effect on our country’s credit rating?

This third world conduct by the current Premier is enough to call an immediate election because it threatens our very way of life. 

He has spent a good chunk of our surplus already and can fund few of his promises - even with forward estimates of 20 years plus. Now add on the costs of an imminent High Court challenge and subsequent payouts for the East West link plus the withdrawing of funding from the Federal Government and we are back to the days of Cain, Kirner, Bracks and Brumby.  Does anyone remember how much Bracks cost us as a State when Hull in his post as attorney general lost the court cases over Seal Rocks including a stupid appeal attempt?  Try $80,000,000 and that’s minor compared to the lawful default costs of East West link. Remember also that the Bracks Government at the time tried to blame anyone but themselves - as Andrews is currently attempting. 

Please, please not again.

Retrospective legislation is evil.  Our system of Government is sacrosanct as it protects us, supports us and makes us the envy of the world – why screw with it?

There’s a good reason our Judiciary is independent.

Regards,

Jon Langevad

CAR INDUSTRY

When do we start taking the initiative and look outside political and media driven doom and gloom? 

When do we start to believe in our own Australian expertise and stop flailing about in discontinuous rage as another ‘foreign’ company withdraws ‘hurt’ when the going gets tough but after profiteering for years on uneven playing fields at the expense of our country?

When do politicians stop trying to assure the yet to be unemployed that they are trying to create new jobs through all sorts of ill-thought-through initiatives to make themselves look important and to be seen as doing something? 

Instead  …..  why don’t we bite the bullet and produce our own cars and other vehicles?

We will soon have 3 newly vacated plants which do and can produce cars.  Why don’t we produce our own world leading new-design taxis, government cars, town cars, military vehicles, scram jets, super tractors, planes, farm bikes, fun cars [Moke-a-like] or any other vehicle which is useful for us as a country and can be sold elsewhere?  And no, don’t call any the Kangaroo or the Wallaby or the bloody Dingo!!

I am really sick of the prevailing oh-woe-is-me attitude where we import expertise [because we are so backward, stupid and don’t have any talent] only to find the imports are wanting [EG. The Mexican triumvirate at Telstra or multiple managers at Coles Myer or several Australian icons currently in trouble with imported management].

We have sold our soul to foreign manufacturers who can’t manage a decent profit other than the ‘incentive fees’ we pay them [Ford worldwide a couple of years ago].  And, we accept foreign management just because they are foreign and must therefore be much better than us.

This is utter bullshit!

Abbot and Shorten – how about working together with an Australian collective spirit and foster/create/allow the creation of something special?

We are really that good!!

Yes?

How about starting by immediately enforcing Australian only isles at supermarkets?

Mr Tony Jones and the producers of Q&A …

I have said for some time that Q&A should be required viewing for anyone over 15.  However, it seems that the power of the 'lowest common denominator' talk show is starting to take over from intelligence.  Tony, on Lateline I thought you were a trifle arrogant and self serving but you positively shined on Q&A.  No joke.  As a host and moderator you were great.  But now it seems that your personal biases and perhaps Q&A's producers are letting the side down. 

You have an opportunity to delve into and debate real issues of national strategic importance yet you succumb to drivel such as the $1k Prime Minister Abbot repaid.  Unfortunately, it took an international guest to tell you the story was and is unimportant.

Tony, you and Australia are better than this.

It is up to you to steer the discussion away from minutia and curb most of your guests predication to talk forever, but in a manner showing respect and one which befits a moderator in Australia’s most important ‘discussion’ show [as distinct from talk].

Tony, please remove your personal labour predilection and indeed the labour parties mandate to focus on simple minded issues AND remove both parties desire to air 5 second cheap shots.  Last Monday you were rude to MP Hunt accusing him of ‘political diatribe’ yet when Ms Ellis and Ms Benjamin rattled on about very little and without focusing on the point you said nothing.  Why?  It also was indeed obvious that Mr Sheridan had lost it with both you and Ms Ellis because she was virtually out of control and you did nothing.  His was the voice of reason where, as moderator, you should have stopped Ms Ellis.

Indeed, Mr Shorten was also the voice of reason a couple of weeks ago.  He had to put you in your place when you tried to involve his mother in law.  I have a lot of respect for Mr Shorten and his ability to focus on important issues without distraction on minutia.

Mr Jones I am a liberal voter who worries about Prime Minister Abbot as our representative on the world stage but as a country we must support both him to move into his ‘statesman’ role and his /our government to succeed.  It IS NOT your role to either try to create news or to give voice to stupidity or to create sedition through unrest and biased coverage.

It IS your role to bring Q&A back to THE pre-eminent ‘discussion’ show focusing on matters of national importance rather than ‘talk show’ minutia.   Sure, address the current issues but leave the unimportant to commercial channels. 

You decide the questions which will be asked and answered - so please let’s raise the bar.

Good discussions,

Jon Langevad.

ASIC / FOS / TIO / ACCC / CCMC

There is a tendency for all the regulators and interventionists to hide behind 'the – must be followed - process' and from a complainants of view it is frustrating.  I have read the various acts and try to understand the respective charters as 'regulators etal' and I try to understand each department not wanting to get involved in single disputes.

However, it IS those single disputes which seem to point to systemic and endemic issues.

ASIC have taken some flak recently about not acting on vital issues. [Commonwealth Bank] when early intervention could have saved millions.

The cases I have reported to ASIC [and are current] against banks all revolve around banks ignoring provisions of ASIC, ACCC, ACL and CCMC.  These issues are both systemic and endemic and effect millions of people.  Yet ASIC do nothing.

The inclusion of 'unfair terms and conditions' by the banks is prevalent, with them relying on obviously illegal clauses breaching many acts telling their customers they must comply. This is gross misrepresentation.  It’s actually worse because they will not put anything in writing rather relying on call centre staff to issue verbal threats which the customer is not allowed to record the conversation.  Dodgy?

Secondly, they ignore provisions of the NCCP particularly at S72, S88 and S89.  ALL the banks with whom we deal ignore the law yet ASIC don't do anything.

Lastly, I have a case against nab at FOS waiting for determination with nearly 2 years of 'must be followed process' by FOS.  ASIC, CCMC and ACCC refuse to become involved until FOS make a determination.  This is stupid when there is an obvious dysfunction and where a combined approach could expedite the matter and create systemic change.

In our current  case, nab have clearly breached legal requirements and continue to do so at our expense and I dare say at the expense of a few hundred thousand other so called 'customers'.

Yet ASIC seem reticent to do anything instead relying on its own 'must be followed process'. 

With one particular case at FOS for nearly two years you can imagine what I think of their process.  I have been quite direct.

ASIC's website indicates it will take action yet it doesn't happen?

Change does NOT take years – people take years to create change.  There wouldn’t be private enterprise if we took years to make a decision. 

May I suggest a little bit of strategic change management within the regulators etal would benefit our society.  Delays cost money and effect people’s lives in a very dysfunctional manner and - life is indeed finite.  Unlike FOS, TIO, ACCC, ASIC and CCMC the rest of us do not have years to wait for someone to do something. 

Presuming we are going to keep having requests for intervention, and maybe at an increasing rate, we need to create the changes necessary to expedite quality solutions.  Strategic change, resource allocation and people with the desire to protect society from illegal acts in an appropriate time frame.  People who don’t mind pursuing the wrongdoers – publicly and quickly.

Process is only a tool to create action – it is not a change agent in itself or an excuse for not doing anything.

Jon Langevad