I share your concerns Michael. I am concerned that we have comments such as “assessing impacts on the competitiveness “, when all the PC provides is analysis of our “customers”? Surely we should compare competitiveness against competitors?

I also shudder when I hear the expression “market based mechanisms”. Yet public funding and tariffs are not part of any market based system. So where are these market based systems we keep hearing about?

The PC seems to have written their “liability exemption” into their report by providing the basis for almost any policy; they give some really good answers to all the wrong questions.

The last time the government spun and cherry picked a policy formulation document was the Henry Tax Review. The jury is still out on that one but I suspect this is heading in the same direction.

This will end in tears.

spindoc,
the wider australian electorate will not comprehend & will continue to be impressed by this kind of spin until the crap eventually hits the fan. Not too far into future I predict.

Spindoc, your observations are right but, to be fair, the Productivity Commission can only report on what it is asked and on this occasion it had no say in what it was asked. Michael

individual, are there wider issues here? That the government does this because it can? Does that reflect poorly on the electorate? If so why do we swallow this rubbish? Should we have an expectation that our media might be a little more informed or dare I say, even critical?

There is something I’m missing here.

Michael, don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming the PC, on the contrary, “tis a thing of great beauty and provides reason for all men and all policies and can forever remain blameless”.

The “Yes Minister” principle No 43 kicked in, never announce an enquiry or report unless you know the outcome.

The terms of reference set those outcomes and the PC has simply responded to them. As individual says, the problem is that we will not comprehend and will continue to be impressed.

Well done Sir Humphrey.

Spindoc,
A yes to each of five of your questions.