I love my job it’s the work I hate

August 4th, 2005

GetUp! is an online organisation that inspires voters to think up their own campaign ideas and lobby politicians by email and SMS.

In a display of profound ignorance of both the responsibility inherent in holding a public office and what spam actually is, Andrew Robb Liberal backbencher told all voters exactly how he wants his work day to progress and who he thinks is responsible for the terrible botheration that will ensue from GetUp!’s presence.

"?There are hundreds of emails arriving in Senator’s offices. They’re beside themselves, just to clear the screen. They get back to their office from meetings looking for important communications from whoever, and they’re confronted with screen after screen of these emails, in some cases over 200 emails. This is highly irresponsible, this is spam, this is spam."?

"It’s first and foremost, let’s not mince words, it is an anti-Government group and it’s not there to keep us accountable. It’s there to run an alternative policy agenda. It’s a front for the Labor Party, it’s a political front. They’re quite entitled to do it, it’s a free country, but it’s a political front. That’s what it is."

Two points Andrew.
1. The labor party is far too unimaginative for this venture and
2. Politicians cannot possibly expect not to get unsolicited communication including e-mails from their constituents. Such voter concern is not spam.

I cannot think of a better reason for Getup! than the presence of such a lazy, uninformed, unrepresentative politician.

Carers do it tough under Coalition-of-the-Willing HoWARd

July 25th, 2005

“Creating Choice: Employment and the cost of caring”, launched by the Taskforce on Care Costs (TOCC) on 24 February 2005 in Sydney, calls on the Government to improve financial support for carers to give them real choice about working and caring, and thus improve flow on effects for business and the national economy. The report shows more than one in four workers with caring responsibilities have already reduced their working hours due to the high cost of care, and 25 per cent have considered leaving the workforce altogether. Juliet Bourke, Chair of TOCC said

“Forcing people to chose between work and care is not good for workers, their dependents, business or the national economy”.

The report observed that the Government has identified increasing levels of workforce participation as a key strategy for Australia’s future economic prosperity. Bourke said:

“Enabling carers to work to their optimal level will help achieve the Government’s objective of increasing workforce participation. It will increase taxation contributions, reduce government outlays and minimise skill wastage. This is a win-win situation”.

The report observed that the Government’s current financial support for workers with caring responsibilities is minimal, behind international best practice and narrowly focused (ie primarily on young children). TOCC’s survey found that a focus on children neglects the 20% of workers who care for elders and people with a disability. Bourke said

“We encourage the Government to be proactive about supporting workers with caring responsibilities.”

TOCC recommends that the Government:

1. Immediately draft legislation (for consultation) to implement its promised 30% rebate for care costs;
2. Extend the child-care rebate to cover elder and disability care costs;
3. Extend the 30% rebate to a more meaningful level (ie closer to a dollar for dollar rebate) and remove the proposed $4000 cap; 4. Introduce reforms to assist the cost of care in combination with a strategy to improve the accessibility and quality of care;
5. By June 2006 release a public report identifying the steps it has taken to implement the Taskforce’s recommendations.

I hope that HoWARd et al considers this data as he pushes through industrial relations reform with his compliant Senate.

work_life_balance_sign-2.jpg

Image from here

Senatophobia

June 26th, 2005

I am developing a very severe case of Senatophobia or "no-voice-in-Parliament" as the new Senate date looms. I have become more and more anxious as this week has been filled with exit speeches and farewells.

HoWARd’s go softly speech, with his history of lying, just made me more frightened.
It’s real now and I feel like a
kangaroo
in the headlights
of a roadtrain.

Bolt gets Marr-ed

June 19th, 2005

It is worth getting up early on a Sunday to watch the Insiders when Andrew Bolt and David Marr have only Virginia Trioli to separate their egos.
The best insult that Bolt could manage was "the reds on the couch" as he referred to David and Virginia which he delivered last over the closing credits.

Bolt a churlish, arrogant prick.
His feet always rooted into the right-wingery of the turd brown square of the Insiders mat.

…and can’t

June 16th, 2005

HoWARd is showing that he remains incapable of saying sorry or I got it wrong.
He has a Narcissistic personality and is building momemtum for the new Senate.

It seems the best counterpoint to a narcissist is a Green.


Image from here