G'day there CHRISGAFF1000...

It's good to hear from you Chris, I hope you're OK up there in sunny Qld. Yes, I too like the 'cut of her jib' to borrow an old Navy line (I think - HASBEEN?) she speaks plainly to a point where all can understand her, and she doesn't pretend to be an intellectual either which as another appealing feature about her as well.

Should she and her Party ever become a dominant feature in our national political landscape I believe she'll really put the cat among the pigeons, with both the LNP and Labor Party. Politics in Australia is such a movable feast, one wonders if there exists someone or some group or party can come along and manage to save our sorry souls, and stare down this intractable devisive Senate.

And I couldn't care a fig whether it be the LNP of Labor as long as it's someone with determination and nouce. Another John HOWARD or Bob HAWKE, Paul KEATING, anyone except Messrs TURNBULL or SHORTIN would do?

Hi there STEELEREDUX...

I believe I heard it from MR FAHOUR'S own mouth when He gave his valedictory press conference yesterday ? Thereafter the Press Conference which had been broadcast live on 2GB, there were several opinions voiced, by two of the 2GB broadcasters in the afternoon, both of whom had commented upon Mr FAHOUR'S own statement; that in his own opinion he'd done a remarkably good job during his role at the helm of Oz Post ? I'm not quite sure whether that is what it is you're alluding too?

However I think, what it is you're suggesting, I either misheard, misconstrued or misunderstood, what it was Mr FAHOUR said at his press conference. Alternatively what either or both the two, 2GB broadcaster's had said ? I don't know. But my new default position is thus; whenever we discuss an issue I should accept I've again been proven wrong by you, STEELEREDUX thank you for again kindly correcting my erroneous views.

It was difficult to pay a public servant such a fortune especially in such a shrinking market.

Aus post should be privatised, and the sale price used to build infrastructure that the country really needs.

Hi Shadow, once again I have to correct yet another one of your errors. Employees of Australia Post are not public servants, Post is an autonomous corporation answerable to a board of directors appointed by the share holder. The only government interference allowed is the setting of the uniform postal rate for letters presently $1, as required by the Constitution.

It was a surprise that Malcolm got into a tizzy recently about Ahmen Fahour pay packet, when it was public knowledge for all, was Malcolm asleep on the job again, maybe suffering from the after effects of that $5,000 birthday cake he bought for Julie Bishop at the taxpayers expense, an act of a true socialists. Being a 'free marketer' as you both are, you two should be applauding Mr Fahour for his enterprise in obtaining such a good deal for himself in an unfettered market.

As for sell offs of government enterprise, so many of the juicy plums have been sold, with no perceived benefit to the previous owners, the Australian public. Interesting that the once publicly owned, and very profitable Commonwealth Bank was sold, again can anyone point to the benefits, No! Com Bank is headed by Ian Narev on a wage of $12.3 million, not jumping up and down about that one are we.

"China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been increased to more than $51.5 billion."
That's peanuts as Oz owes $1.9 trillion. Probably Malcolm could sell
the top jobs for heaps and where would Pauline be then , eh.

Paul,

A full time head of an entity is entirely owned by the government that is appointed by the government is by definition a public servant. The entity may be structured differently, but he and all the workers are government employees. (almost certainly why is so unionised)

Secondly, the sale of government owned assets (especially that are no longer be providers of "public goods"), not only provide the government a huge chunk of cash that can be used to build assets that actually are "public goods". And there are very good reasons why the government should not be in direct competition with private companies providing similar services.

Dear Shadow Minister,

It is quite astounding how much you conservative elitists tie yourself in knots trying to spin this.

It is a universal truism that as government monopolies are privatised the remuneration distribution within the organisation shifts with the vast majority of the workforce required to do more for less and upper management receiving skyrocketing salaries.

Both Australia Post and the NBN are classic examples of this.

However there is usually very little benefit to the ordinary citizen and often the result is markedly detrimental.

For you to be claiming that Australia Post operates under public servant rather than private sector rules is posturing and spin.

Tell you what how about you give your best example of where you thought privatisation has worked to benefit this nation.