Two things that need to be addressed that were raised at the 13 Dec Melbourne consultation meeting of the ALP Federal Election 2010 Review with Steve Bracks and John Faulkner:
First, concern was expressed that there is no woman on the panel. We must not copy this in the Victorian review. The names suggested n the The Age report this morning are all men.
Secondly, the internet where we have been woeful at the Federal level. Steve said that the review is looking at social media. The web is much more than social media and we need to establish a presence in many facets.
Most of our websites are not user friendly or useful for visitors. Cyber campaigning is not just an arm of PR or media releases. Tweetspins are just one symptom where we got caught out in the Victorain election. It should not just be the province of timid technocrats and green gatekeepers.
As well as commenting here the ALP has a Think Tank website where you can leave your ideas.
I've started a #LaborThinkTank twitter tag as well.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
ALP Federal Election 2010 Review: Melbourne Consultation
Friday, December 10, 2010
Julian Burnside Defends Wikileaks
I've posted a report about Law Institute Victoria's Wikileaks forum in Melbourne on 9 December.
It includes a video of the speech by human rights lawyer Julian Burnside.
Julian Burnside, well known and respected human rights lawyer, has condemned calls by United States politicians and media commentators for the assassination of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He spoke at a forum hosted by the Law Institute Victoria in Melbourne on Thursday 9 December.
He also attacked the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and Attorney General Robert Mcclelland, for their responses to Cablegate
Full post here:
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Climate Cablegate
We're blogging about climate change aspects of the WikiLeaks cablegate at Th!nk4: Climate Change:
Climate Cablegate: Lowering Expectations at Copenhagen
Join us!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Greg Combet: Climate Clark Kent
Greg Combet, Australia's new Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, might look like Clark Kent but politically he is a Superman. As Secretary of the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions) before entering Federal parliament, he won some seemingly unwinnable battles.
Combet and the Gillard government have received welcome support from the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) for placing a price on carbon:
THE government's push for a price on carbon has received a boost from the OECD.More
Its economic survey of Australia says the setting of a price "sooner rather than later" is the "best option for cutting CO2 emissions".
Price on carbon 'is best option'
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Schools Building Program Value for Money
So sad to see Christopher Pyne getting upset. It's a big advance on his bullying but fictional rhetoric about the Federal government's Schools Building Program:
THE man overseeing the investigation into the $16 billion federal schools building program has challenged Coalition criticisms, claiming there is no evidence that value for money has not been achieved.
In evidence to a sometimes-heated Senate hearing yesterday, retired banker Brad Orgill said some state governments had achieved better value-for-money results than some private school systems.
'Excellent' results for schools program
Monday, November 1, 2010
Greens Plot Pragmatic Political Path
My latest post for Th!nk4: Climate Change:
As my early post Australia Revisits Carbon Tax indicated, green politics have become the flavour of the year in Australia. With a State election in Victoria due on 27 November, environmental politics have taken on an engrossing importance.
Swings away from the ruling Australian Labor Party are now the order of the day. Tasmania has a minority Labor government backed by the Greens who have two Cabinet ministers. (I’m tickled by the fact that the Greens leader Nick McKim is Attorney General, making him the Minister for prisons amongst other things).
Opinion polls in Victoria show a large swing with the Greens on 16-19% this week. They received 10% at the election 4 years ago. This time they may win Assembly seats and hold the balance of power. Just as interesting is their current politicking:
Federal Greens leader Bob Brown has left open the possibility of his party entering into a power-sharing alliance with the Victorian Coalition if the election produces a hung parliament.Long gone are the days when The Greens were seen as idealistic purists.
He said in Melbourne yesterday that the Greens had every right to negotiate with either side of politics if it meant getting a better deal for their supporters.
Greens put heat on ALP
More
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Julie Bishop: Still Not Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Heard Julie Bishop being referred to as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition yet again yesterday. It was ABC News reporting on the North Melbourne Grand final breakfast.
Perhaps we can forgive a sports journalist for getting it wrong. Google "grand final breakfast julie bishop deputy leader of the opposition" and a long list of offenders appears:
The Age
Daily Telegraph
Brisbane Times
MTR1377
4BC
Sydney Morning Herald
Ignorance is Bliss! Will the Real Alternative Deputy PM Please Stand Up? (Wednesday, July 21, 2010)
No wonder no one, especially the Independent MPs, takes Warren Truss seriously. Perhaps if they did, Tony Abbott would be Prime Minister, either at the ballot box or the negotiating table.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Labor Minority Government has Logic
If the final result of the Australian Federal election is 72 ALP, 73 LNP, 1 Green, 4 Independents, then logic seems to indicate a Gillard Labor Minority Government.
The three former Nationals (Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor) want a stable government that runs a full term of 3 years. If they go with their ideological home, giving the LNP 76 votes, then one by-election could cause a general election if the other independent Andrew Wilkie does not support the LNP. If they side with Labor then the margin is 77-73 with a one seat buffer.
If the result is 71/74 then the logic reverses with an Abbott conservative government more likely. Lots of counting left in Corangamite. Update: make that Brisbane.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Now for the Nationals Broadband Network?
While we wait for Sharryn Jackson to win Hasluck, a little speculation surrounding the unthinkable alternatives.
Will urban Australia help to fund a country version of the National Broadband Network? a country version of the education revolution?
Who would be the real losers if the $10 billion from the Resource Rent Tax goes west.
Were the mainstream media aware that Nationals and ex-Nationals were likely to decide our political fates?
Was the agreement between the 3 conservative independents mentioned publicly during the campaign? Did any journalists ask them about any wheeling and dealing? (I was out of the country for the 8 days before election night so I missed a bit.)
How many disgruntled voters realised that Warren Truss would be Deputy PM in a coalition government?
How much nasty stuff might still sneak through with Fielding's vote before July next year?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Andrew Robb's Tax-funded Junk Mail
The latest Robb Report is a party political attack on the "Rudd-Gillard government".
We've heard a lot from Robb about wasting taxpayers money. What hypocrisy! The pamphlet has the following:
The material has been produced by Andrew Robb MP using his printing and communications entitlement.
Taxes, in other words!
It's a blatant piece of electioneering that should be paid for with Liberal Party funds. It's irrelevant if other members of parliament from other parties do the same. It's a disgraceful rort. He's right about one thing - there is a need for real change. This blatant propaganda would be a good start.
The part that tickles me most is the pretence of having a local focus. The only local article is one on funding of the Bentleigh Cricket Club under a Coalition initiated Volunteers Grants program.
He's given up taking credit for local schools projects since his miserable attacks on the stimulus program. I posted about this rank opportunism last year: Andrew Robb's Wanton Waste
All mention of these types of projects has been removed from his website. Have to wonder if he still attends the opening of new Science classrooms or the like in Goldstein.
PS Andrew, please stop ignoring our junk mail sign!
