Behind your frivolity there's an important message, Is Mise.

>>Let's hear it for The Free Market Economy. Let the market place decide.<<

The major distortion in the ABC case was the presence of vast sums of public money - yours and mine - being funneled into this financial black hole.

It was given, you see, as a "right".

Not as a "right" to ABC, but to their clientele. All ABC did was to observe that this river of gold could be diverted their way, by "tagging" the indirect recipient. Once this was achieved, as has been noted before, all that was necessary to increase revenues and profits was to soak, not the punters, but the government. I.e., us.

A very tidy way to run a business. If the owners had been less greedy, and had not tried to move into more hazardous markets where there were real businesses with real competition, they would still be in clover.

Our money, when handed over the counter to private enterprise, should be accompanied by such a volume of red tape, that no-one could use it as a springboard to unbridled wealth.

Because that is what still rankles - these people were getting filthy rich by having their sticky fingers in our pockets, and relying upon it to continue, without need for justification or effort, indefinitely.

As it is, the cat is now well and truly out of the bag, and no-one will in future be allowed to pull the same stunt - at least, in this particular market. But I'm sure there are plenty more being rorted even as you read this.

The Age http://www.theage.com.au/national/notforprofit-group-offers-to-buy-victorian-abc-centres-20081110-5ld4.html

"A Victorian not-for-profit childcare group has offered to buy up to 40 ABC Learning centres after administrators and receivers were appointed to the troubled company last week.

- Not-for-profit group eyes ABC centres
- Organisation 'well-placed' for purchase
- Interstate centres also on cards

Try Youth and Community Services chief executive Damien Mowlam says the group has spoken with the administrators and receivers of ABC Learning and the Federal Government in a bid to purchase or manage via corporate partnerships between 20 to 40 centres in Melbourne and eastern Victoria."

This is a start, all Health Services need to be provided by NFP's. Too much conflict of interest when private companies are subsidised by our taxes.

Some things just don't work when profit is the primary motive as ABC have clearly demonstrated.

Hasbeen the PMG was like that! no defense some publicly owned things are run a bit like that even now.
But your views are of days long gone, and unions who no longer have that power.
I will forever cry in the dark my mantra, unions there is a difference.
In fact in defense of the union movement, my lifetime movement, clearly say most of the opinions thrown about like yours are uninformed and baseless.
However those miss using union power are the enemy's of unions too.
However one poster says let the market determine child centers, then do we let the market cost education?
Health? fire fighting? police? do we say why pay pensions or even unemployment benefits?
It is you know the economy, lashing women to the sink , is so silly I wonder who does not know the impacts of removing them from the workforce.
And if market sets the price without our help?
Already over priced childcare would be black market at our children's expense.
Some things need to be at least part funded by tax payers.
Building centers in schools, using tax payer ownership to keep end costs down is one way.
Old ideas of mum or dad staying home with the kids would take single parents out of the workforce and on to social security.

Hasbeen the public service of old is not the public service of today

Are you for real? Perhaps you should get out more often.

Let's say there is a hole to dig. 5 workers turn up in three trucks, each armed with a shovel. Two truck loads of 'traffic directing' teams turn up, one supervisor arrives, three lackies armed with brooms, then they hire a paid contractor with a mini excuvator to dig the whole.

Trust me, very little has changed.

Belly
I do appologise for not reading all of the threads, I just don't have time however, if I see what I consider is a good idea I agree with it. I don't care if the idea came from someone who is black or white, male or female, labour or liberal or god help us even the greens.

I am a true nutral person but the reality is that many in the workforce have become acustom to a very un-realistic level of wages in recent years and like it or not this is all about to change. I fear they are not ready for this and won't cope!

Cheers

rechtub with some people it will never be possible to tell them the truth.
I do not expect I can ever convince you your view of unions is from past days not today.
New leadership and directions are taking "some" unions into the future.
The wages you describe are "not" earned on any construction job I serve.
I "truly" am an enemy of stand over tactics from unionists or bosses, and believe me see far more from bosses.
Your description of government workers is just what it is, exaggeration and uninformed.
22 years, that how long I spent repairing or building roads.
Sometimes funds meant we filled pot holes in roads sealed with hot mix , with soil, yes soil.
Do you know some of those workers who stand shovel in hand waiting for you to pass would be dead if they ran in front of you?
Those big teams exist, too many staff too little work, but not forced by unions, some keep more numbers just to justify jobs they them selves do badly.
RTA workers are known to work very long hours because not enough of them exist to get roads open quickly after tragic accidents block them.
Traffic controllers are always contractors, and risk death every day on their factory floor, your roads.
I have no Axe to grind with you, but fair go mate unionists and workers who are not unionists do not have 2 heads they live along side you.
Maybe its their kids who need childcare.
One last point if government workers are so very bad the failure surely is in those who manage them?
Contract out management rolls and you will see who is the problem.

belly, my beef is not with you or the unions but I do struggle with the fact that school drop outs can earn up to $400 a day while our qualified persons often earn less, or why a person who holds a 'stop go sign' earns more that a fully trained butcher or chef.

As for the child care problem, I think Mr rud has put the wheels in motion to ensure that the demand for CC services will decrease dramaticly with his introduction of the paid maternity leave, or more so, the way it is to be funded as fewewer females of child bearing age will be in the work force and this is something I will put money on if these laws stay put as they are today.

I have always had a girl employed in each of my shops however they have both recently left and I can assure you they will not be replaced by other females of similar ages, which I must say is a crying shame but what choice do I and many other small business opperators have?