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The Forum > Article Comments > The first year > Comments

The first year : Comments

By Leon Bertrand, published 26/11/2008

What has the Rudd Government done in its first year in office? Here is a summary ...

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“The record shows that in terms of policy, it has so far made a lacklustre start.”

It is not only a lack-lustre start, but a terribly wrong direction of basic policy has been set in train.

I’m talking about a boosted immigration rate and an increased baby bonus, both designed to increase our already substantial rate of population growth, when surely it is patently obvious that it is high time to achieve a stable population, so that we might have some chance of living sustainably on this arid continent.

Where did this very large boost to the already ridiculously high immigration rate come from? It happened very quickly after Rudd gained power, but he didn’t even mention any such thing in the months leading up to the election and certainly had no mandate for such an action.

I am a little dismayed that Leon Bertrand missed this very important point in his otherwise very good article.
Posted by Ludwig, Wednesday, 26 November 2008 9:54:22 PM
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AJFA and SHADOW MINISTER

Your utterances prove my point about uninformed opinion.The use of epithets like "bureaucrat"only demean OLO and many of its participants. How do you know what I, or any other "government employee" have done? For my own, at one stage I was director of a "think tank" that had 18 leaders from all sectors and numerous working parties. Its outcomes included the establishment of a technology park, a science museum, many applied research centres, to name a few. The point is that we consulted widely, gained information and gathered consensus on the way, which enabled effective implementation.

What do you suggest that we do instead? Run a dictatorship where information gathering and due process are ignored in favour of spontaneous action? Where is your evidence that the government's processes are a sham? Did you attempt to participate in the processes? I did- I went to briefings,I asked questions, I wrote submissions- and do you know what?- some of my recommendations have been adopted, even though I have no "connections" to the decision makers.

OLO is a great forum for furthering informed opinion in a democracy. Perhaps it should be called "Informed On Line Opinion" and submissions filtered accordingly. Then again, perhaps we need displays of unbridled prejudice to remind us what the alternative mode of government was, and could be again.
Posted by Jedimaster, Thursday, 27 November 2008 9:47:33 AM
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Yes its our first year & Australian Cities need to drink recycled water:

Kev here,

Look, its come to our attention that the people have become aware that we are immigrating 500,000 people a year(457s etc included) into a drought stricken continent.

In order to dispell the rightfull rumours of our incompetence we propose to force you to drink each others wee so 'we' can keep the $better $immigrant genetic stocks coming, increase Labor's power base, stress elderly dead-wood into early retirement and death, build the Nation, collect all that extra loverly GST & implicit death taxes and boost property demand, values and stamp duty revenue.

Cities need to drink recycled water in order to grow the ECONOMY: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24714985-12377,00.html

After out first year you've all got used to being treated like excrement so now you can bloody well drink it!

Oh and by the way. Its no use voting for the other mob. They'll do the same thing.

From here on its IMMIGRATE for GST & Externalise the costs. Its all the way with LABOR and labour youse will in the name of Buildying the Nation and a perpetually growing a Howard Rudd economy.

Today Australia, Tomorrow Japan and then ... who knows.
Posted by KAEP, Thursday, 27 November 2008 1:19:00 PM
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Jedimaster,

You say "Where is your evidence that the government's processes are a sham"

The internet filtering
The alco pops tax
The bank deposit guarantee
etc.

Think tanks for generating ideas are wonderful, as you can then cherry pick the ideas that support what you were going to do anyway and present a facade of participation.

The new IR laws are the most industry unfriendly for decades, and about as union biased as possible without getting a massive back lash. So much so for small mom and pop businesses who cannot dismiss or retrench anyone without a legal run around.

When the financial crisis is hitting, to fetter industry so badly is mind numbingly bad policy, and goes against all the submissions by industry.

I can see the trend of labor + power = deficit + unemployment starting again.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Thursday, 27 November 2008 1:45:09 PM
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"Where is your evidence that the government's processes are a sham?"

Jedimaster, I cannot believe you have asked that after I discussed Fuelwatch, Grocerychoice and the Bracks review. Did you read what I said at all? If you did not, please refer to my previous comment.

As for your talk of me having a dictatorship instead of a bureaucratic model of endless consultation, inquiry, commission, forum and summit, that is a straw man argument. It's clearly not a situation of either/or.

Obviously there requires a balance between process and outcomes that ensures that actions are taken, but with minimal risk that they are wrong or misconceived. To many, it seems quite clear that the Rudd Government leans too heavily towards process. Again, Fuelwatch, Grocerywatch, Grocerychoices and all of Rudd's other inquiries which have not resulted in real solutions are all clear evidence of this.

Were the processes you particpiated in under the Rudd Government's term? What did you propose, and what was done about it? Was your idea passed into law or otherwise implemented? Because if you are referring to the 2020 Summit, I haven't heard of any follow up on any of the ideas.
Posted by AJFA, Thursday, 27 November 2008 3:35:51 PM
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AJFA
You said "Jedimaster, I cannot believe you have asked that after I discussed Fuelwatch, Grocerychoice and the Bracks review. Did you read what I said at all? If you did not, please refer to my previous comment."

I have been given to understand- through experience, consultation, reading and reasoning- that a "discussion" comprises a comprehensive presentation of facts and the alternative interpretations of the causes and the possible outcomes that may arise from those facts based on individual preferences and values. You have not presented ANY facts, let alone a comprehensive set of facts from which reasonable conclusions can be reached. You have merely referred to a government policy or program and given an unsubstantiated opinion.

Your approach reminds me of the "Argument" sketch from Monty Python:
http://www.jumpstation.ca/recroom/comedy/python/argument.html

"Man:An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.

Other Man:No it isn't!

Closer reading of this sketch perhaps provides the answer:

"Man:I came here for a GOOD argument!

Other Man: AH, no you didn't, you came here for an argument!

Man: An argument isn't just contradiction.

Other Man: Well! it CAN be!"

- In the same vein, I came to OLO for GOOD opinion, not just opinion
Posted by Jedimaster, Thursday, 27 November 2008 7:28:09 PM
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