Who is the minister responsible

[tillmanr]

I had a scan of the abc reporting on the new ministerial lineup but couldn't figure out who will govern our future development. Any one know who we need to apply pressure/be nice to?

 

 

[ben87r]

Was Darren Chester pre election, hasn't changed to my knowledge,

 

 

[tillmanr]

Cheers. The government site supports this.

 

 

[old man emu]

Don't just go to the Minister. We should all be writing to our local member to impress on them the value of aviation to the whole country, and not just to the big guys. Whether you local electorate is Big City CBD or beyond the black stump, we need to call attention to the value of aviation to this country now and in the future.

 

The problem that aviation at our end of the scale has is that there are so many needs, and until we can organize ourselves to concentrate our calls on parliamentarians to one problem or need at a time all our efforts will be dispersed.

 

OME

 

 

[ben87r]

Interesting to note, just watching the news and the reshuffle will give us the 2nd largest cabinet in Australian history, largest since Fraser, and still no minister for aviation, let alone transport...

 

 

[Marty_d]

Interesting to note, just watching the news and the reshuffle will give us the 2nd largest cabinet in Australian history, largest since Fraser, and still no minister for aviation, let alone transport...

And the Environment has to share a ministry with Energy. Easy to see where their priorities don't lie.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Interesting to note, just watching the news and the reshuffle will give us the 2nd largest cabinet in Australian history, largest since Fraser, and still no minister for aviation, let alone transport...

Correct Ben, Transport isn't even mentioned in the current Department's name let alone the aviation sector of transport.

 

 

[coljones]

And the Environment has to share a ministry with Energy. Easy to see where their priorities don't lie.

But thousands of ministers standing around looking at the budget "black hole" and beating up on the poor but no-one to fix up the revenue black hole left by Howard and Costello.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Correct Ben, Transport isn't even mentioned in the current Department's name let alone the aviation sector of transport.

America spent vast amounts on transport infrastructure and become a superpower; China is doing the same. Meanwhile, we spend peanuts to patch up our mediocre system, and give budget priority to short-term issues.

 

What a dumb country we have become.

 

 

[Yenn]

Spending peanuts is appropriate for us, our politicians are about as much use as monkeys.

 

Turnbull called the election to make the Lib Nats have a better position and look what happened, They have Buckleys chance of getting anything past the Senate without the concensus of Labor.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Agreed, Yenn. He used to look like a future Great Leader. Instead, he's made a series of silly blunders. Worse, his narrow election survival (it's no victory) ensures that to keep his job he'll have to cave in to right-wing crazies. Not much chance of strong, long term leadership. Perhaps he'll keep the leadership because he's more likely to be able to negotiate legislation thru a hostile senate than some of his hard-line rivals.

 

 

[facthunter]

The plot to cure all with a double dissolution, certainly wasn't a resounding success, was it?. "Small" government now has the biggest Cabinet in history of this country. Barnaby can demand anything now. Their broad CHURCH hasn't elected a reasonable % of women, and the "Conservatives" (so called) are as mad as hell at Mal. The "smiles" for the picture were very forced. The Senate is more all over the place , than ever. Champagne and Canapes? at the Lodge? Humble pie might be more appropriate. If this is the way to do things, just as well they aren't running the RAAus. Then you would have something to whinge about. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how many times our Federal Government system is explained to people, they line up behind the media and simplify it down to whoever is in charge.

 

The Parties run the election campaigns; the Leaders go where the party sends them on a daily basis, and the party sends them there based on their polling, which is a lot more accurate than the few agencies used by the press.

 

While they will usually know who's going to win a week ahead of the election, they never admit it just keep punching.

 

It's way more fascinating than listening to what the politicians are saying, because they are usually giving out the messages needed to repair low counts in particular electorates.

 

Liberal, Labor and the Greens all did a great job this time round, with no weak party.

 

That's not a satisfactory outcome because the government of the day has to continually negotiate with the opposition on every contentious Bill, and you usually see "committee-like" legislation in those years.

 

However, all least all parties have reasonable parliamentary teams to take the load of debating the huge number of issues of the day. If you want to see what the 4000 people do, just look at the Bill count churned out each year.

 

When the pendulum swings in the opposite direction and one team wins in a landslide, there aren't enough losers to work through the massive amount of research necessary to put up compelling questioning of each Bill, so you often get bad legislation.

 

Many Parliaments have worked successfully with a very small majority and a "hostile" Senate.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

The plot to cure all with a double dissolution, certainly wasn't a resounding success, was it?. hasn't elected a reasonable % of women,

It was a success, they are still in power, there is doubt they would have been otherwise further down the road.

 

"% of Women" is bollocks, I don't care who's in there, black, white, man or woman, I want the best people for the job and this point is rather moot in Australia considering we have had a female PM who got there not on being a female platform.

 

But thousands of ministers standing around looking at the budget "black hole" and beating up on the poor but no-one to fix up the revenue black hole left by Howard and Costello.

Enough time has past and Rudd/Gillard were in power for long enough, 2 terms/6 years, to have resolved past issues. Blaming either party for the other's ineptitude is clearly nonsense.

 

In fact it is true that many policy's real effects are not felt until some 5 to 10 years after implementation so you are today feeling some of that ALP term now.

 

 

[facthunter]

You might actually see some debating and negotiating skills, instead of "I move the member be no longer heard", and rely on a speaker like "helicopter" Bronwyn, to "manage" question time. The media just make fun of everyone or show no depth of analysis. They are not capable of it. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

America spent vast amounts on transport infrastructure and become a superpower; China is doing the same. Meanwhile, we spend peanuts to patch up our mediocre system, and give budget priority to short-term issues.What a dumb country we have become.

Today I can fly from Melbourne to Sydney and return for $144.56 - not too mediocre there.

I was at the Gold Coast a couple of weeks back for a conference (cost not much different) and the local media were announcing two new Chinese airlines flying in direct to the Gold Coast each day - so cheap trips to China, not too medicore there.

 

Australian B Doubles have knocked rail for a six for lower door to door cost and faster delivery than trains or coastal shipping - not too mediocre there.

 

The cars we buy are now so cheap in terms of weekly wage, that the old unroadworthy clunkers have virtually disappeared off our roads, not too mediocre there.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...Many Parliaments have worked successfully with a very small majority and a "hostile" Senate.

Agreed, Turbs, but politicians don't let facts get in the way of a good story. During the recent election the disgraceful and very personal Nationals campaign against Tony Windsor relied heavily on the lie that he had somehow let everyone down by supporting the Gillard minority government (which history will show was one of our more successful). The reality is that Windsor correctly predicted that the alternative (Tony Abbott) was not up to the job. It took the Liberals a bit longer to figure this out.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...Australian B Doubles have knocked rail for a six for lower door to door cost and faster delivery than trains or coastal shipping - not too mediocre there...

I agree with much of your reply Turbs, but your truck industry depends almost totally on Government-funded road infrastructure. If, like the railways, they had to build their own tracks, the economics would be slightly different.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I agree with much of your reply Turbs, but your truck industry depends almost totally on Government-funded road infrastructure. If, like the railways, they had to build their own tracks, the economics would be slightly different.

Someone who owns a B Double may be able to quote you the current cost per year to maintain those roads OK, I vaguely remember about $17,000.00 per B Double per year.

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm surprised it isn't more. What is the average mileage per year? 300K? Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

I'm surprised it isn't more. What is the average mileage per year? 300K? Nev

About 600,000 km on Shuttle, 350,000 km single driver - how much do you pay?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Someone who owns a B Double may be able to quote you the current cost per year to maintain those roads OK, I vaguely remember about $17,000.00 per B Double per year.

That's a lot of money, but does it cover the real cost of maintaining and replacing the roads they use?

I am in regular contact with people in the truck business, so I get their perspective. The roads they operate on are often sub-standard. The piecemeal approach to building anything in this country- from roads to houses- keeps the costs up. Too often we see lots of nice new excavators parked at roadworks. All imported, idle for most of the day.

 

 

[turboplanner]

That's a lot of money, but does it cover the real cost of maintaining and replacing the roads they use?I am in regular contact with people in the truck business, so I get their perspective. The roads they operate on are often sub-standard. The piecemeal approach to building anything in this country- from roads to houses- keeps the costs up. Too often we see lots of nice new excavators parked at roadworks. All imported, idle for most of the day.

Probably doesn't cover the maintainers beer I suppose.

Australia has some of the longest roads in the world; we can't economically develop the interior like the US did, so the US has the advantage of being able to afford concrete based roads which last a long time.

 

We manage to put bitumen roads into very low volume settlements by using the flexible pavement system where, whenever a wheel passes over the road it flexes a little, and like flexing a piece of steel, if you do it for long enough it fractures and needs to be rebuilt. Even with the need to rebuild our method is cheaper, and so affordable.

 

In the US they cut the hill grades down to 6%; we can only afford to cut them down to 8%; that's a lot less dirt to shovel out, and gets through winding hill country using a lot less bitumen.

 

The downside for the truckie is he needs to pay for a more powerful engine and more fuel to pay for the increased rolling resistence of the bitumen and gradeability for the hills.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Today I can fly from Melbourne to Sydney and return for $144.56 - not too mediocre there.I was at the Gold Coast a couple of weeks back for a conference (cost not much different) and the local media were announcing two new Chinese airlines flying in direct to the Gold Coast each day - so cheap trips to China, not too medicore there.

Australian B Doubles have knocked rail for a six for lower door to door cost and faster delivery than trains or coastal shipping - not too mediocre there.

 

The cars we buy are now so cheap in terms of weekly wage, that the old unroadworthy clunkers have virtually disappeared off our roads, not too mediocre there.

All our manufacturing jobs sent overseas: Not too mediocre there.

Have a look at the youth unemployment and underemployment figures: Not to mediocre there.

 

What about job security especially for those who have to support a mortgage or be tossed out on the street: Not too mediocre there, but as long as we have cheap airfares, all's well....

 

 

[M61A1]

Probably doesn't cover the maintainers beer I suppose.Australia has some of the longest roads in the world; we can't economically develop the interior like the US did, so the US has the advantage of being able to afford concrete based roads which last a long time.

We manage to put bitumen roads into very low volume settlements by using the flexible pavement system where, whenever a wheel passes over the road it flexes a little, and like flexing a piece of steel, if you do it for long enough it fractures and needs to be rebuilt. Even with the need to rebuild our method is cheaper, and so affordable.

 

In the US they cut the hill grades down to 6%; we can only afford to cut them down to 8%; that's a lot less dirt to shovel out, and gets through winding hill country using a lot less bitumen.

 

The downside for the truckie is he needs to pay for a more powerful engine and more fuel to pay for the increased rolling resistence of the bitumen and gradeability for the hills.

And when you have the CFMEU taking a large chunk of your budget for maintaining roads, you can afford even less. I suspect the utterly ridiculous amount of "safety" people doing FA on every site eat into the budget substantially too. We spend too much on regulation and not enough on actual work.