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Daz, natural attrition in the public service would have reduced the costs the same as cando's large scale redundancies. The reason why the debt hasn't gone down is now large chunks of gov work is being done by private contractors. Turnips are rarely interested at facts they just argue on principle. Like I keep telling you daz, the LNP isn't interested in running the country as much as they are about making a fast buck for themselves by selling off gov assets.

 

 

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Posted
Daz, natural attrition in the public service would have reduced the costs the same as cando's large scale redundancies. The reason why the debt hasn't gone down is now large chunks of gov work is being done by private contractors. Turnips are rarely interested at facts they just argue on principle. Like I keep telling you daz, the LNP isn't interested in running the country as much as they are about making a fast buck for themselves by selling off gov assets.

There ya go again, are we talking politics or vegetables

 

 

Posted
Dazza....What's the cost in damage to the Reef and Tourism long term. All the gas goes overseas and most companies are owned overseas. Glencore pays NO tax here. Adani have an abysmal reputation for environmental compliance and are having trouble getting money , but OK for the QLD government to fund structure for. It's YOUR money Alice. Nev

The fish will get over the minor and temporary inconvenience caused by the construction work being carried out on Curtis Is. The plus side is the thousands of jobs created by CSG

 

 

Posted

ill give you an example of the LNP waste, last year they installed 333 signs in front schools that flash 40.

 

so 1x sign, 2x 4M poles, 1x solar panel, 1x switch, concrete to set poles in.

 

total cost per sign $33,330

 

even a turnip could install that sign for less $2k

 

 

Posted
There ya go again, are we talking politics or vegetables

You sure there is a difference? Between polies or vegetables that is.

 

 

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Posted

You can eat vegetables and are better for it. You get the polies you deserve. They think you are easily fooled and you prove them correct. Nev

 

 

Posted

One of the problems with the "small government/market based" ideology is that it makes some assumptions that in many cases are incorrect and in some cases just unfair. Firstly it assumes that productivity in private enterprise is always higher than that of public service. In some cases this is correct, in a few it's not. However even if it is correct, the pure "saving to the public purse" should not be the only factor to consider, although it seems to be for the incumbent government. How about the level of service? If a previously publicly-owned enterprise is privatised, it is ONLY attractive to a buyer if: 1) the price is a bargain, and 2) the enterprise makes a profit for the shareholders.

 

The government's assumption that the enterprise will be profitable purely because of productivity improvements is false. The new owners take over, rationalise the workforce to "remove the deadwood", but the ones who leave are the ones with years of experience who know the job inside out. They cut too many staff, realise they can't run the service properly, so have to hire new people who need to be trained (by the ones who are left who are over-worked and stressed anyway). Then everyone is under the pump because they're running with insufficient staff, service goes to sh1t, Australian jobs are lost because it's cheaper to get Mumbai to do the call centre work, morale goes through the floor.

 

So the net result: In the short term the government has gained a few hundred million bucks, which it promptly wastes on some half-assed thought bubble program instead of paying off debt like it promised before it got elected; a well-functioning and experienced workforce is gone (the good ones out the door because they saw the writing on the wall, now being re-hired by the government as contractors on far higher rates); half the jobs have gone overseas; service to the customer (the taxpayers who used to own the enterprise) has gone down the toilet; the government is paying Centrelink to the staff who got the arse and aren't the good operators; and the only people benefiting from the whole process are the board and shareholders of the buying company, who are in it solely for the money.

 

That's why Campbell Newman, Jeff Kennett, Tony Abbott and anyone else who thinks offloading government assets to the private sector is a good idea is, in my opinion, just plain wrong.

 

 

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Posted

Conservatives talk about small government and always I keep thinking "if you want it so bad, go live in the Balkans"

 

Even by Newman's goals, his government has failed, its easy being the opposition.

 

B6kMRtKCcAErEJQ.jpg

 

 

Posted

Dumb ADs for dumb people. Who makes that stuff up?. Don't vote for them. It only encourages them. Nev

 

 

Posted

that's from the couriermail newspaper

 

enjoy a nostalgic trip down memory lane, you work it out for yourself

 

 

 

Posted
One of the problems with the "small government/market based" ideology is that....

Having just come back from a busted-ass communist country I'm sure you would enjoy the wonderful alternative to the market economy Marty. And let's be clear this IS the alternative and it has ALWAYS failed. The grinding poverty would save you from fretting about the quirks of Queensland politics or the possibility of ever owning an aircraft.

 

 

Posted

Yes the other point is how would you know what a "small government" country is like Marty, must be getting towards a century ago for Australia? Spending and regulation (size & power) goes up regardless of party - they have the party, not us.

 

 

Posted
Having just come back from a busted-ass communist country I'm sure you would enjoy the wonderful alternative to the market economy Marty. And let's be clear this IS the alternative and it has ALWAYS failed. The grinding poverty would save you from fretting about the quirks of Queensland politics or the possibility of ever owning an aircraft.

It may surprise you Gnu, but there is a happy medium somewhere between the Tea Party and whatever "busted-ass communist country" you've just been in. (Where is that, by the way?)

 

It is NOT the only alternative to a full-scale market economy. It has been proven time and time again that unregulated market forces, allowed free rein, result in a boom/bust cycle which results in more waste and hardship, not to mention widening the gap between the super-rich and everyone else, than a less-volatile and more regulated economy.

 

Democracy is the best political system of a bad lot available, not plutocracy masquerading as it.

 

Yes the other point is how would you know what a "small government" country is like Marty, must be getting towards a century ago for Australia? Spending and regulation (size & power) goes up regardless of party - they have the party, not us.

(Sources for the below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index).

 

The ranking of countries by Human Development Index (HDI), which is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education, standards of living, and quality of life, has the highest 10 as:

 

1) Norway

 

2) Australia

 

3) Switzerland

 

4) Netherlands

 

5) USA

 

6) Germany

 

7) New Zealand

 

8) Canada

 

9) Japan

 

10) Denmark.

 

If you look at the Government Spending list, these countries are all well and truly in the top half when it comes to government spending as a percent of GDP, with 8 of the 10 being in or very close to the top quarter.

 

Now let's look at the lowest 10 countries by HDI, in other words, these are not places you'd want your kids to grow up in:

 

178) Mozambique

 

179) Guinea

 

180) Burundi

 

181) Burkina Faso

 

182) Eritrea

 

183) Sierra Leone

 

184) Chad

 

185) Central African Republic

 

186) Democratic Republic of the Congo

 

187) Niger

 

Seven of the 10 are in the lowest half when it comes to government spending as a percent of GDP, with 5 of those being well into the lowest quarter. Central African Republic for example, which by HDI measure is the 3rd worst country in the world, has government spending of only 15.7% of GDP. Go small government!

 

What does all this mean? Simple. Statistically if you want to be healthy, happy, long-lived and well educated, go live in a country where the government spends more.

 

 

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Posted

Two topics to avoid politics and religion, you will never win, what seems obvious to one will not be the same for the other.

 

 

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Posted

Depends on how seriously you wish to discuss it, whatever the topic. The 2 you mention are noteworthy. This is first an aviation forum, and should be it's main focus, if you want it to do well. A lot of the other stuff just puts people off, so it's a lose , lose. Nev

 

 

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Posted
that's from the couriermail newspaperenjoy a nostalgic trip down memory lane, you work it out for yourself

 

Jana was hot.

 

 

Posted
Jana was hot.

Years ago I used to work for Channel 9 and from talking to other news crews from around the traps at Ch 10 she was known as "Nonna"....

 

 

Posted
Years ago I used to work for Channel 9 and from talking to other news crews from around the traps at Ch 10 she was known as "Nonna"....

Really? As in this definition from Urban Dictionary...?

 

"An old Italian woman (generally the age of 50+) that is cute and can cook up the most delicious food that you can ever think of. Also speaks in broken english if not Italian. Common phrases that Nonna's say are..."When you come n visit Nonna?" "What did you eat today?' "You be a goodboy now"

 

Nonna: Eyyy Did you eat today?

 

Grandson Alex: I eat everyday Nonna...

 

Nonna: Ok, you a good boy. "

 

 

Is it true that the Dire Straits song "Lady writer on the TV" was inspired by Ms Wendt?

 

 

Posted
Really? As in this definition from Urban Dictionary...?"An old Italian woman (generally the age of 50+) that is cute and can cook up the most delicious food that you can ever think of. Also speaks in broken english if not Italian. Common phrases that Nonna's say are..."When you come n visit Nonna?" "What did you eat today?' "You be a goodboy now"

 

Nonna: Eyyy Did you eat today?

 

Grandson Alex: I eat everyday Nonna...

 

Nonna: Ok, you a good boy. "

 

 

Is it true that the Dire Straits song "Lady writer on the TV" was inspired by Ms Wendt?

Not quite...

 

Her surname is of German extraction ie pronounced "Vent", not "Went".

 

so add her nickname "Nonna" to Vent, and you end up with a "Non event". For a journalist chasing stories???

 

 

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