VICTORIA (AUSTRALIA) STATE POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC POLICY AND THE ETHICAL VOID This is a public interest web site, within the Mosaic Portal network of sites, committed to examining, and critiquing, aspects of the performance of Victoria's state government, and its bureaucracies and senior officials. Victoria is a state within Australia. The articles herein are, unless otherwise attributed, authored by Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia. A VOICE MONITORING, AND REFLECTING, SECTIONS OF AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC OPINION Australia's politicians, members of governments, political advisers, senior public servants, members of corporate boards and managers of businesses might consider the commentary below. It is IMPORTANT that you realise that every portal page is jampacked with content that automatically updates, and uses scripting. So turn your active content on or you won't see all of the sites' extensive content. Click to go to the Mosaic Portal network Kevin Rudd's Australia Gillard Queensland Climate Change "We'd all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate." (Kin Hubbard, US comedian) Article: The Corrosion of Australia's Character by Politics and Business Article: The GFC Restoring Trust After Accountability Failures People working in governments in Australia, tend not to listen, usually will not look and too often pretend not to hear anyone who may contradict, or argue with, their beliefs, views, ideologies and fantasies. It amuses, and frustrates me, that the Premier, Ministers, their advisers, the political party strategists, the spinners of lies, and shapers of opinion, have no idea who may be affecting their every day in the office and ultimately their careers and time in parliament and public office. JUST ANOTHER LOT OF LIARS AND MEDIOCRE PARASITES Ted ballieu wanted to be Premier. To win , among others things, he categorically stated many things, among them that there would be no cuts in the public service in Victoria. Is anyone surprised that he now goes back on that? This is a typical tactic where the low grade ethically challenged parasite of the public purse says that thngs have changed and the situation was not clearly known at the time. Of course Ted is not a parasite. He is a dedicated sevant of the people, analtruistic soul who wants to add value to the state and the nation. That he demonstrates the low grade ethical compass that is so common across every government in Australia is just a model trait and necessity of office. People have become so anaethetised to liars, and cheats, in public life that it no longer matters. A BEAUTIFUL MOVE BY THE NURSES CONFOUNDS THE DUMB AND DUMBER Whilst some were calling the Premier names, the Victorian Minister for Health thought he was tough and a brillliant tactician against the ureses. What the government did not expect was that the nurses would resign on mass. What was the Minister's response? A limp, "looking at all contingencies". This foll, like his government colleagues, has been outwhitted. They may not be bright enough to realsie that there is a shortage of nurses. The nurses have demonstrated what mots of the Australian politicians lack - spine and conviction. Why do we retain these mediocre career politicians in public office? Might it be that the average voter could not give a stuff? BEING THRUST INTO GOVERNMENT EXPOSES THE OVERBLOWN RHETORIC OF THE MODERN DAY AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN Leadership is harder than it looks for Premier and Ministers "IN POLITICS, time is currency. As the first anniversary of Ted Baillieu's election approaches, the Sunday Herald Sun today takes a detailed look at how his Government has spent that time. What we find is a year in which the Government has failed to maximise the opportunity it has been given by the voters. In the period since his one-seat election win on November 27, 2010, Mr Baillieu has struggled to make the transition from Opposition. It took months for him to appoint staff to several of his ministerial offices, depriving his ministers of quality advice to assist them with decision-making as they tried to construct the apparatus of government. The rookie Government also spent months dithering on issues such as whether to ditch the former Labor government's flawed myki public transport ticket and unpopular electricity smart meters. And it got itself hopelessly entangled in a damaging scandal when it emerged the campaign to undermine former police chief commissioner Simon Overland was being run out of Deputy Premier and Police Minister Peter Ryan's office." (Extract source: A cautious and erratic opening, by: Staff Writer From: Sunday Herald Sun November 13, 2011) ted ballieu's first speechas Premier lacked dynamism and set his posture as super cautious and lacking in innovation and initiative. He focusde on delivering election promises. What were those promises? They were procedure, process and rules. They were about the standard "ho hum" issues that every half baed politician from labor and liberal has offered the electorate at state, federal and territory levels since the grand change agents and masters of poliics departed the stage. Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. John Howard and Peter Coastello had a one key song - surplus. Similarky Ted ballieu has a one key song but unlike them he cannot get the note to come out loud and strong. It is afozzle and one year is wasted. "SO HOW has the Government performed in its first year? Patchy, to be blunt. Any objective review of the Government's first year - and sensible hard heads within the Government privately acknowledge this - should conclude that it has been a year in which it has not capitalised on the windfall election victory. As one senior Liberal conceded in private recently: "We've struggled with the transition to government." Most new governments enjoy a honeymoon. Some would say that Mr Baillieu's early few months were hamstrung by the floods that had a heavy impact on large areas of northern Victoria. We argue the reverse. We say that rather than distract the Government from its task, the floods actually masked the true extent of the Government's early difficulties. A year on, Victorians still do not know what the Baillieu narrative is. Jeff Kennett rescued the state from economic disaster. Steve Bracks sold himself on the fact he wasn't Jeff. John Brumby tried, but ultimately failed, to sell himself as a builder and a doer." (Source extarct: op cit) Treading along behind the Premier are a bunch of hapless Ministers who themselves are proving not quite up to the task. Ted and friends bulldust pantomine" click here , Kevin Beck, Melbourne 2011) VACUOUS PROCESS SERVERS WITH POOR LANGUAGE AND ARTICULATION SKILLS Lip synchronisating politics and government Predictably the Ballieu coalition government is engaged in an industrial dispute with the nurses in the Australian state of Victoria. Next will come a similar destsructive engagement with the teachers. Human resource management awareness is not a knowledge base grasped by the senior people in the liberal - national party. Yet they claim to be the natural party of business and commerce. Next the Victorian government will engage with the teachers. The routine is the same, time after time, when the political career flunkies get their turn at government. They begin with the conservatives commencing with police, and moving quickly on. It is a play sheet which has long passed its used by date much like the people who are in our parliaments. Minister Davis appeared on ABC television miming his small number of words, whilst some behind the scenes PR parasite, paid from the public purse, puts their hand up his shirt. Perhaps he is not well read? Or is it that small words repeated over and over dull the brain of the recipient audience and they switch off allowing the Minister and his cronies to do as they will. Davis, like Ballieu, Wooldridge, Ryan et al, are puppets of a system that came into politicsa nd cemented its place decades back. A sophisticated "consumer" package built on cloud mind mapping, rules, requiring maintenance including PR, manipulation, words with minimum syllables or incomprehensible managerial diatribe, lies and misrepresentation. The Minister for Health may as well not appeared on ABC television since he had nothing to say except the inane - we are not telecsoping the government's intentions - repeated over and over, ad nauseum, like the broken records he and his career colleagues are. Politics, and government in Australia, has become a side show, to real life, with a permanent organ grinder playing the same tune for the monkeys to dance, and the parrots to mimic, to. Except the monkeys are not getting peanuts. The Minister says that the nurses will put patients at risk, the nurses say they will not. Who do you believe? Well if you believe Davis and his croney mates then you are poor judge. The nurses have no recrd of failing in their jobs, or putting people behind their personal interests. On the other hand politicians have a long record of putting their interests first. The Department of Human Services and the various Ministers of the Victorian government have the dubious mantle of presiding over agencies that haev purortedly failed and children have been hurt or have died as a consequence. Accuse the Minister of being culpable and they are indignant and affronted. Truth makes them smart severely. Predominanly they are liars, cheats and some of them are thieves. They all have an ongoing record, with many many examples, of individual, and systemic failures. The nurses by comparison are saints. Yet Davis sits there presenting process speak as if we are stupid. Believe him and you are indeed gullible. Voting residents of Victoria, who couldn't care less, or think that this government is any better than the bygone, desserve the putrid rancorous governments, and bureaucracies, they get. What did the Victorian nurses do that they have to endure the rancour and insults of parasites living off bloated government, and bureaucratic, systems? It would be far more beneficial to get rid of the most senior bureaucrats in the Victorian Department of Human Services before the Minister even looks at the nurses. Better still, some would argue, get rid of the state government itself. Minister Davis, like the other Ministers in the Ballieu government and the Bracks government before it, cannot articulate real life using all the wondrous features of language. Instead they trot out the functional, political vocabulary, meaningless and convoluted. It has no colour and shade, cannot fire our imagination. It is as stultifying as the purveyors. The KISS principle. However the voters are not the ones who have to use KISS, it is the politician. They need simple instructions. Complex concepts requiring articulation, using expressive and imaginative language is beyond their capacities. Don Watson has written extensively on this peculiar, and now endemic process, he describes their language as weasle words engendering the decay of public language. Minister Mary Wooldridge, when questioned about her department rigging statistics and focusing on process rather than protecting children, similarly engaged in managerial speak. She avoided the questions and offered "look over there" responses which enable those who are challenged by probing questioning can scuttle away from the substance. This is the basic skill that all of the incumbents of governments must master - public process rhote. Public administratoon, and government, is about process and rules. Everything in the coalition world is governed by market process first and foremost and then by the sychophantic structures that are designed and maintained to ensure control and adherence. labor. liberal and national even the Grens and independents play to the same rules and themes though the liberals and labor are more professional whilst the Greens are seriously creepy. Those engaging with government are adopting political speak, and processes, like lemings. We are a state, and nation, in the grip of "created structured process". The bureaucracy, the not for profit sector, local governments, unions, community organisations, business and the activists, all create structure, rules and managerial processes. Never mind that children are hurt and die, never mind that those with disabilities struggle, never mind that occupying public spaces produces no outcomes, never mind that fantasy costs money, never mind anything at all. Process, and rules, allows everyone involved to distance themselves from accountability and responsibility. They allow the very average and worse, like the incumbents of Victoria's parliament, and bureaucracies, to hide in the maze. .This maze is a corrosive and corrupt creation. It reflects the erosion of public life. Someone invents a nice new process that attracts the ecer watching bower birds and it is internalised. It is dressed up as policy snd substance. Very few journalists, and media commentators, challenge this zombie like approach to public life. The Australian newspaper may be an exception. For Minister Davis, Wooldridge, Ryan and Premier Ballieu, et al, there is no right or wrong about the government's stance, policy and manner of ignorant invention, there is the system and the rules. There is the mandate to government as they like until their turn at the public trough ends and they collect their pension and benefits. It is the same in NSW. and the same in Queensland, and every other state and territory in the nation. Unlike the nurses working in VictoriaMr Davis will probably not make any enduring contribution to Victoria's public administration and quality of life. he will however master the methodology. He, as many other people in power in Australia, hides behind the structures and the rules. In this case the Fair Work commission, another legalistic legislative maze created by Julia Gillard and her coleagues to mainatin the manufactured governance. Now, instead of engaging in human interaction Ministers, bureaucrats and employers can send it off to a third party and then manipulate the stoty to suit. It is a process of organisation and detachment. An outsourcing of responsibility, and accountability, by those we employ. The political - government process, a commodification much like a product on a supermarket shelf (except we only have the same political content in both cans) generates dishonesty, deception and a cancer that eats at the foundation of the human soul in the state of Victoria and generally in Austrlia. The masters of the process set the agenda and scuttle into the dark when it all goes pear shape. (Kevin Beck, "The Processing and Commodification of Government and Bureaucracy in Victoria and Australia", November 2011 POOR MINISTER FAILED THE ETHICS TEST Peter Ryan tries to explain how it all went pear shaped in his office but it is not his fault. It is a real problem for the leader of a coalition government when the main partner's leading man fails the probity and ethics test as well as the rest of the job's specifications . The Minister for Police, and Deputy Premier, has gotten himself in a terrible pickle through inadequacy and poor attention to the world around him. His staff, and assistant Minister, have all buggered it up and have been found by the state's watch dog (a strange term for people working in oversight roles) to have been very naughty. The OPI says that there may be a need for criminal charges. Poor Peter says it is not his fault and that he is not taking responsibility. As usual Ted has no idea what to say. Poor Ted he struggles wuth complex concepts of integrity, probity and good government. Being Premier should be all beer and skittles. He has no option but to stand by his man. And the Victorian political band plays on while their noses grow longer. Australian politics - "Victorian government's low grade political ethic continues unabated," Kevin Beck, Melbourne Australia, 2011) 2011 DON'T BELITTLE THE MINISTER FOR GAMING... BOO HOO ... MICHAEL O'BRIEN Maybe Ted balliue, Premier of Victoria, is not cognisant of the rulings of the High Court on poliical commentary? I thought that the High Court had rules that there is an implied right to freedom of communication on political matters, in Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills, where the court examined an Australian government law criminalising the "bringing into disrepute" of members of the industrial relations tribunal including prosecution. The other case I believe is "Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth", to do with political advertising. The Australian Constitution, according to the High Court, implies a Constitution a guarantee of freedom of communication on all political matters? Ted appeasr to differ and may see his state power, to legislate, as being absolutea nd above the Constitution? Ted has put up a law that bans anyone from belittling one of his Ministers. "$12,000 fine for insulting Victorian Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien, by: By Peter Rolfe, Sunday Herald Sun, October 16, 2011 12:00AM Proposed law makes it illegal to insult minister, Fines of $11,945 for "abuse, insult", Government says it protects from bullying THE Victorian Parliament is set to pass new legislation making it a criminal offence to "insult" Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien. Fines of up to $11,945 will be given to anyone found guilty of upsetting the minister and his staff under the extraordinary new offence. The Baillieu Government is seeking changes to the Gaming Regulation Act which it says are "reasonably necessary to respect the rights and reputation of the minister and authorised persons". If passed, the ruling will become law. The amendment proposed to the Act will make it an offence to "assault, obstruct, hinder, threaten, abuse, insult or intimidate" the minister or authorised persons exercising "due diligence" in monitoring gambling systems such as pokies." (end of source quote)a Precious little petal he is. He needs Ted to protect him from nasty villians and voters, or anyone who may think and want to call him a dill.... or in some manner engage in threatening words and such... his departmental employees need protection. The fine is a bit stiff, and even if it were to survive a challenge, it is over the top. Ted shows a lack of "punishment fitting the crime" sense. The Bill passed the Lower House last week and is expected to be introduced to the Upper House when Parliament resumes on October 25. Meanwhile Teddy has come up with another great idea, changing the slogan on vehicle number plates. Apart from this innovative gem we hardly hear, or see Ted, proferring anything of substance. He appears to be a backroom operator, like a shy accountant or CEO, afraid of being questioned closeley in case it emerges that he has little innovation. If he wanted to make himself look silly he is working well towards that objective. (Kevin Beck, Melbourne Australia) 2011 EVERY AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO HAVE ITS SLEAZE ELEMENT Ted Ballieu promised much before coming to government. Yet it seems that his parliamentary make up still contains an element of the morally and ethically challenged. "Baillieu under pressure over police leak September 13, 2011 - 2:49PM, .AAP Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu must explain why he continues to have confidence in his police parliamentary secretary, who is accused of leaking confidential information to the media, the opposition says. The Age newspaper reported on Tuesday that parliamentary secretary for police Bill Tilley had leaked information that damaged the reputation of former deputy police commissioner Sir Ken Jones. It is alleged Mr Tilley leaked to the media an email from Sir Ken to his wife, and later apologised to him. Murky waters no clearer over Sir Ken Jones' secret meeting with Baillieu chief of staff James Campbell From: Sunday Herald Sun June 19, 2011 12:00AM "PREMIER Ted Baillieu spent much of his week in Parliament refusing to elaborate on February's secret meeting between his chief of staff, Michael Kapel, and Sir Ken Jones." The labor government under Bracksa nd Brumby's Premiership were ethially and morally challenged and its seems that Ballieu offers no beter level of trust or integraity in his trun at administration. Ethics haas been a casualty of the modern methods of government. It largely occurs where accounatbility is diminished through the sue of advisers and staff who in my view have become little more than parasites on the public purse. They are tasked with carrying out activities that have no relationshiop to public interest at the state or national level. Baillieu backs adviser over secret meeting Melissa Jenkins and Michelle Draper June 6, 2011 .AAP "Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has defended his chief of staff over a secret meeting he had with former deputy police commissioner Sir Ken Jones.... Mr Baillieu defended Mr Kapel on Monday, saying it was normal for a chief of staff to conduct meetings.... "Michael was contacted by Sir Ken Jones..." See article immediately below ... "Promises, promises" Yes it is normal in Ballieu's grotty and tawdry world of politics as it is in all of the governments across Australia. Ethics takes a back seat, it it is in the vehicle at all, corrupted by power, personal and political party interest. 2011 A NEW BROOM, TED BALLIEU PREMIER Promises, promises and pitfalls Ted Ballieu has waited many years to become Premier of Victoria and has achieved his goal. Like all politicians, Ted and the party, promisde much if they are elected. Yet they know little of the practicalities of establsihing their promisesz which are made in isolation of reality, knowledgea nd awareness. One of the most interesting aspects of the ascension to power is the transition. To go from opposition to government. The politicians may be seasoned from previous stints in parliament and even gvernment and so may there advisers. But for some of the advisers the transition can be tortuous. Ted promised an anti corruption commission by July 2011. He will not make the deadline and is more likely not to implement it until well into 2012. Another aspect of modern day politics is the capacity of the incumbents. They are al fabulous at their jobs except when the proverbial hits the fan and something comes out of left field. So it is with Ted ballieu's coalition government. Out of left field comes Sir Ken Jones, the Deputy Commission of Police. THE Baillieu Government's performance in the police leadership debate descended further into farce with a bizarre display from a senior minister. Through a series of vague and bumbling answers to questions from journalists, Attorney-General Robert Clark implied he had met outgoing Deputy Police Commissioner Sir Ken Jones. See the full list of questions Robert Clark evaded below Mr Clark, an MP for 23 years, pointedly refused to answer 14 questions about whether he had met Sir Ken. "Ministers have meetings with individuals on a number of occasions on a private basis and it's not necessarily appropriate that they comment as to whom they have or have not met," he said. The Herald Sun later established Mr Clark had spoken with Sir Ken only once by phone - about an operational police matter - and that the pair had never met in person." (Attorney-General Robert Clark stumbles on phone call to Sir Ken Jones Carly Crawford and Anne Wright From: Herald Sun June 08, 2011) The Premier's Chief of Staff, Michael Kapel, demonstrated the pitfall outline above, not knowing the protocols, efficacy or ethics of being in government and the role of an adviser or Chief of Staff. The modus oeprandi of Mr Kapel employed when in opposition is no longer appropriate, if it ever was, for the new role of a powerful influence in government. "EVERY premier needs a bad cop. For Ted Baillieu, it's his chief-of-staff Michael Kapel, known in Spring Street circles as the great polariser. An adviser who is so hard-headed there is no room for ambiguity: you are either for him or against him..... Baillieu and Kapel are so closely aligned it looks like the Premier doesn't believe he can operate without his adviser. Some advisers are more equal than others and in Kapel's case he has assumed minor iconic status among people who watch Victorian politics." (Premier Baillieu's adviser Michael Kapel survives secret meeting revelation, John Ferguson From: The Australian June 11, 2011) If it is true that Ted Ballieu cannot operate without Mr Kapel then that is a serious question mark on the Premier's competency. Kapel's role is not to try and fix problems, independent of the relvant Minister, or the Premier, that he perceives. (Kevin Beck) "The extent of Sir Ken's dealings with government figures is in the spotlight after revelations of his secret meeting with Premier Ted Baillieu's chief of staff, Michael Kapel. The pair met in February without alerting Peter Ryan, the Police Minister and Deputy Premier. Mr Baillieu found out only when Mr Ryan called him demanding answers. Senior Liberals are hosing down talk of tension between the Premier and his deputy over the affair, describing them as "thick as thieves". (Source, Herald Sun article cited above) In all of the poor management of the issue by the Premier and his advisers one person stands alone demonstrating integrity: Bill Tilly, who stood up for Ken Jones when all others were silent. Bill Tilley is a junior minister in the government. Kapel, and other advisers, should take a lesson but are unlikely to since they exhibit the hallmarks of the interlopers who, having come to the government sphere without actually being elected will usurp the role of Minister and holder of office. I call these people "parasites on the public purse of democracy and government. (Kevin Beck) "The Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services, who served as a military policeman and for 11 years in Victoria Police, has certainly confirmed his reputation as the straight-talking MP for Benambra, which includes Wodonga, Beechworth and Yackandandah." (Sir Ken Jones a man of 'integrity': Bill Tilley, James Campbell From: Sunday Herald Sun, June 12) Bill Tilley naively pondered that he might turn independent causing Mr Ballieu's government to become like the federal - a minority. There was no doubt that Mr Tilley would be brought into line but for a fleeting moment integrity held its head high. "The behaviour of a small number of party apparatchiks, and political leaders, usurp it (democracy and parliament) as their own for their own self interest. The parliaments, and the bureaucracies, are in decay. Public policy is framed, reactive and spun to whatever political message and intent is required for the avoidance of accountability and the maintenance of power." (Kevin R Beck, Australia, 2010, http://kevinrbeckmosaicportal.com/australia.htm) 2011 the end of Labor's reign in Victoria LABOR TRADITION: UNETHICAL IMMORAL CORRUPT OR NOT? PARTIALLY PERHAPS? THE FOUNDATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY IN VICTORIA Some may see the Victorian labor government or the labor party in general an unflattering light. February 2011: Daniel Andrews has taken the mantle of Leader of the Opoposition in the Victorian state parliament. He also proces he is a true blue labor boy as he assumes the moral, and unethical, garb of some who have gone before him or are still present in the parliament. He has stood firm beside his discreditd colleague, the Honourable J. Madden, whom he has appointed to the front bench, thus enabling this political mate to draw a higher level of salary from the public purse. Justin Madden was a very good foot ball player but sadly for the state and the quality of government he proved far less effective as a Minister of the Crown. Hopefully Mr. Madden will still be in public office when the Victorian anti corruption body is created, but somehow I do not think he will be. I expect others to jump ship in case the new investiagive body has a look at their political souls also. Former Minister for Planning Justin Madden is the final public face of the unethical, immoral and perhaps even corrupt Victorian state labor government. All through the latter days of the Brumby labor government he denied that he was aware of the plan to lie about and misrepresent the planning and consultation process for the Windsor Hotel site in Spring Street in Melbourne. "FORMER Victorian planning minister Justin Madden was at a meeting where a plan to run a sham public consultation for the Hotel Windsor redevelopment project was raised, a report by the state's corruption watchdog has revealed. The report also reveals that the author of a notorious ''media plan'' detailing the sham consultation proposal wrote it after a discussion with Mr Madden about the Windsor project the previous day. The findings by Ombudsman George Brouwer cast fresh doubt on Mr Madden's repeated claims that he did not know about the plan to use a fake consultation as a pretext to knock back the $260 million redevelopment." (Source: David Rood and Jason Dowling February 11, 2011, the Age Melbourne) Former Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, maintained his wobbly moral compass, and unethical tendencies, when he notified the people of Victoria this week that he would be leaving parliament. ("Brumby, a Political Career Unguided By A Moral Compass", Kevin Beck, "The Questionable Nature of Australia's labor Politicians" 2010. HEATHER EWART, PRESENTER: Former Victorian premier John Brumby has called it quits, saying it was a tough decision but he felt he could no longer give the 110 per cent commitment needed to continue his career in politics. The announcement came as something of a surprise, as Mr Brumby had recently promised he'd be staying on despite losing the recent state election.... JOHN BRUMBY, FORMER VICTORIAN PREMIER: This morning I've delivered a letter to the Speaker's office, advising that I will be retiring from the Victorian Parliament. I've done that after obviously a great deal of thought but I believe it's the right decision for me, the right decision for the people of Broadmeadows and the right decision for the Parliament. LISA WHITEHEAD: The announcement ended John Brumby's 17-year career in Victorian politics. It comes three weeks after he resigned as leader in the wake of a 6 per cent swing against his government at the polls. JOHN BRUMBY: After 11 years, the people of Victoria felt that it was time to give another team and another party a chance. And as one observer put it to me earlier today, the weight of time took its toll. LISA WHITEHEAD: Despite promises made to his electorate that he would stay on in Parliament regardless of the election result ... " (Source ABC Australia,Brumby bows out Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcast: 21/12/2010) Source: Herald Sun Melbourne, December 23, 2010: "YET another senior politician bows out because the power and glory is no longer his. Another promise broken by Mr Brumby. The going gets tough and all too often the so-called "tough" get going, just as Mr Brumby is going. History continues to prove that once having reached the top of the ladder and been ousted, the commitment by our political leaders to serve the people vanishes, while they happily continue to collect a substantial income, paid for by hard-working taxpayers. Where is courage, commitment, perseverance and faithfulness in politics? Where is true leadership? Sue Carlyon, Kyneton" "Labor warrants kicking at poll VOTERS in the seat of Broadmeadows, you have been treated with unmitigated contempt. The best message you can send to the "chosen" Labor Party parachutist is a metaphorical kicking at the coming by-election." (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad-application/brumby-not-tough-enough-to-stay/story-fn6bn88w-1225975196107) POLITICIANS AND PARTY MACHINE PEOPLE DO NOT LISTEN, DON'T WANT TO KNOW November 2010: One of the most frustrating things about trying to participate in government, and politics, in Australia is being, locked out from the process, disregarded and ignored. This is more irksome if the information, and feedback, commentary and criticism simply falls on deaf ears. They all know better. Well the dynamics have changed and the masters of game theory have had the last laugh again and "I told you so" below, and time and time again by email, by reference to the web sites, and by direct communication. The politicians of labor and liberal are all at risk of losing incumbency. (Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia) November 27, 2010: STATE ELECTION It ends this week Mr. Brumby and cohorts The day dawns humid with threatening skies in Melbourne. The rain will dampen everyone's spirits, I am hearing that people do not want to go out to vote. The $A20.00 fine is no deterrent as they have a jaundiced view of politics and government. My emails have been going out most of the night. This will be another shock, for the political parties. Neither of them (labor or liberal) are respected or wanted. Thus Victoria will enter Sunday close to an even vote, a hung parliament. John Brumby's misery, along with the Greens and independents, will be magnified since the Greens and independent will have no seats in the lower house effectively ending Brumby's reign if labor cannot win another seat. The voters will wait because an enormous number of pre - poll votes have been lodged. Never to win an election in his own right. WHAT ARE THE FACT)RS THAT WILL END LABOR'S TERM? Labor has been unable in ten years to provide stable, reliable and effctive public transport to some 4,000,000 travellers. Labor is a, unethical, corroded and corrupt party poisoning good government at every level and within the individual electorates and has infested local government with unetheical and criminal practice. Ignorant, arrogant and incompetent Ministers in major portfolios who fail their duty of care and trust. Special interests everywhere across the state - the pipeline taking water from central Victoria to the city of Melbourne, a desalination plant being built and no longer required, exposure of the government's spying programme, and misuse, of police and public service, health delivery and a myriad of annoying expereineces for voters Perceptions of the growth of violence where people are afraid to travel on trains and walk on the street, any time NOVEMBER: VOID OF ETHICS AND MORALITY THESE ARE OUR POLITICAL CANDIDATES As electors approach the polls for November 27, 2010 we should all consider if we really want the types of peole we have as leaders in the state parliament and the constituent parliamentary members. The notion of public interest disappeared long ago as the pursuit of the retention of power became the primary objective. The political parties (labor and liberal) have lost their moral right to stand for parliament and should be condemned to their own special place for dishonourable people, they are parastites on the public purse. "Revealed: How the ALP keeps secret files on voters, Royce Millar and Nick McKenzie, November 23, 2010, The Age Melbourne THE ALP has secretly recorded the personal details of tens of thousands of Victorians - including sensitive health and financial information - in a database being accessed by campaign workers ahead of this Saturday's state election. In a rare insight into personal profiling by the major parties, The Age has gained access to the database used by the ALP to tailor its telephoning and door-knocking of individual voters in key marginal electorates. The Coalition has a database capable of similar profiling of voters, but has refused to comment or to divulge any details. Advertisement: Story continues below The Age investigation has revealed how Labor is building profiles of constituents based on its communications with MPs, attendance at rallies, membership of groups, letters to newspapers and through polling and surveys. Staff in MPs' electorate offices are believed to be primarily responsible for collecting personal information dating back up to a decade." (Source: The Age Melbourne) The Attorney General Rob Hulls does not protect the legal rights, and privacy, of citizens but instead degrades the office of the senior law maker in the state of Victoria Australia permitting the corrosion, and corruption, of our democracy by the most poisonous of creatures in Australia, the political cane toads of the Australian labor, and liberal, parties. Premier, and leader of the labor party in the state, John Brumby lost his moral compass a long time ago. The party machine men and women who engage in the above nefarious, and slimy, activities should be shunned. They are bereft of ethical faculties and intellectually stunted. On November 27, 2010 follow the "How to hang the Parliament Voting Guide for Your Electorate (Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia, Political Natures - Cane Toad Genome, 2010.) NOVEMBER: VICTORIA'S ELECTION 2010 The leader of the opposition, Ted Ballieu, seems to be continuously obsessed by irrelevant trivia. A rich man who believed that he coud traverse into parliament without having the abilities to build and create. Like Malcolm Turnbull in the federal government opposition, Ted Ballieu has come from a silver spoon background, and has not had to use energy, without any starting resources, to build something. There are many who, whilst being successful, really live off the sweat of others. They would argue with this premise preferring to spin their existence into one of public service and contribution to society. They both lack credibility in the general electorate and the deep capacities of true leaders. Success in business does not translate easily. Nor does a failed federal representation, and a past secondary teaching experience, as is the case with John Brumby, another hack of the modern factional laboer party system. What will be his legacy?When Premier John Brumby announced that the election had begun, the day before the writs were to be issued, November 2, 2010, ballieu harped that Brumby was trying to avoid clashing with the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Melbourne Cup. Duh! Obvious and big deal Mr ballieu that is your retort and opening shot across the bows? For many years now Mr Ballieu, leader of the opposition in the state parliament, has failed to demonstrate why he should be elected Premier even though the labor party is corrupt, corrosive and unethical, having presided over policies and actions (totally incomepetent government departments) that destroyed life and livelihood. ballieu should have gone in hard and accused Brumby of such incompetence that people died but he did not. People died in the fires in Victoria because the labor Ministers, and their senior bureaucrats, were incompetent and ignorant. No politician resigned and this can be expected when such low grade representatives infest the nation's parliaments feeding like parasites on the public purse for self enrichment and self interest. This is not public service it is public domination by the political elite. Labor is captive to the mad lunatic fringes and to the Greens Party. Lunatics that believe in climate change as a religious experience. Idiots who want to close brown coal power stations in Victoria and condemn the state, and the nation, to the dark ages of economic and social pariah status. If you vote the Greens in, along with labor, then you better move to another more enlightened country where you can live out your life in a developed nation not a hair brained, lead government, that is consumed with self interest and the maintenance of power, in rapture of bullshit ideological beliefs. The liberal and national party colaition needs to get its collective intellectual power together and start arguing the dangers of electing Brumby and labor back in. All they do to date is waffle in garrulous, ambiguous, meandering in tortured circles. Condemn John Brumby, and the Ministers who were complicit, for the failures of office, accountability and responsibility, that killed so many people and ruined lives in Victoria. BRACKS, HULLS AND LABOR WEAK ON LAW ORDER AND SAFETY November 2010: The table next to me in the Williamstown cafe was occupied by five elderly ladies and two gentleman. Among other things they expressed fear about being in the central business district of Melbourne and some of the suburbs, from roaming gangs, drunks and people engaging in random violence. One commented that Premier Steve Bracks and Attorney general Rob Hulls were weak in not getting on board with the federal government's anti - bikie gang agenda. They felt that Hulls had stacked the lower courts with magistrates who gave offenders the benefit of the doubt. The Policve Commissioner, Simon Overland was described as an academic, a person more interested in psychology than zero tolerance. There is fear amongst the citienry about being in Melbourne and all th manipulation of stitistics, the spin and lies put about by the Labor state government will not alleviate that fear and the truth of their beliefs. "Hunt for gang after boy shot dead at Greenfield Park, From: AAP November 03, 2010 9:23AM: Reported in Herald Sun Melbourne http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/hunt-for-gang-after-boy-shot-dead-at-greenfield-park/story-e6frf7jx-1225947072276, POLICE are hunting for a gang of three or four males after a teenage boy was shot dead in western Sydney. The 17-year-old died after he was shot in the chest and neck at Greenfield Park this morning. Police said three to four males, possibly teenagers, knocked on the door of a home on Smithfield Rd shortly before 5am (AEDT) and an argument broke out. Several shots were fired and the teenager was shot several times." (Source: Herald Sun.com.au) Special task force to tackle gang violence, Updated Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:03am AEST Task force Echo will target gang violence in Melbourne. Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland has announced a new task force to tackle gang violence in Melbourne. There have been a number of serious gang-related incidents in Melbourne in recent months, including a machete attack at a city nightclub last November, in which a bouncer's foot was almost severed. Despite the rise in gang activity, Victoria Police last month ruled out bringing back the Asian crime squad." (Source: ABC News, Australia) (Article compilation by Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia) , MASSIVE PRICE RISES FOR FOOD, ENERGY AND OTHER COSTS UNDER LABOR State labor governments are on a destructive path that will cost the nation jobs, careers and livelihoods. Expect massive cost rises if the labor party is allowed to remain in control of state governments. A DANGEROUS POLITICIAN WITH POWER OVER LIFE AND LIMB THE FABULOUS LISA NEVILLE, VICTORIA'S SHOWCASE MINISTER UNDER LABOR PREMIER JOHN BRUMBY A GIFT TO THE OPPOSITION IN THE 2010 STATE ELECTION Why would anyone vote Lisa Neville into an Australian parliament? (Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia) October 2010: "Child protection workers getting out: ABC News, October 21, 2010 The figures indicate a quarter of all front-line workers left their jobs last year. The Victorian Opposition says new figures show nearly a quarter of front-line child protection workers walked away from their jobs last year. The Opposition says documents released under freedom of information laws show 231 workers left, with more than 40 per cent lasting less than 12 months. Spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge says at risk children are suffering. "It's an absolutely massive impact on children when you don't have any continuity of workers, you don't have continuity of decision-making," she said. "The ombudsman has said that children have actually been placed in harm's way as a result of inexperienced and high turnover of staff." Community Services Minister, Lisa Neville, has accused the Opposition of inflating the figures." (Source ABC News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/21/3044063.htm) Girl, 2, took ecstasy in mum's care COMMUNITY Services Minister Lisa Neville says she is unable to say how many times welfare workers visited a family at the centre of a DHS bungle. Ms Neville was responding to the case of a toddler who was taken out of her mother's care after the girl was admitted to hospital for taking ecstasy. The two-and-a-half-year-old girl and two siblings were placed in the care of their grandmother for nearly two years after it was revealed they were living in "filthy" conditions. But the children were returned to their mother's care in March after the department failed to extend a court order. Ms Neville said the three children are well after child protection workers visited the family today. But despite the grandmother writing to the minister in June, Ms Neville was unable to specify how many times the children have been visited in recent months.... The children were returned to the mother in March after she showed a marked improvement. But Ms Neville admitted DHS had messed up by failing to take out a new supervision order after the original one lapsed in June." (Source: Staff writers From: Herald Sun Melbourne, October 19, 2010) (Victoria) Child protection services in crisis UK recruits desert child welfare Child protection in crisis Kids in crisis slip through cracks Mentally disabled women 'raped by carer' "Community Services Minister Lisa Neville refuses to resign after damning Ombudsman's report, Stephen McMahon, Padraic Murphy From: Herald Sun November 27, 2009 VICTORIA'S vulnerable children have been left exposed to pedophiles but embattled Community Services Minister Lisa Neville refuses to step down. A scathing Ombudsman report revealed almost a quarter of abused children were not given case workers. It also found that children had been put in the care of sex offenders or even died while in care. It said that some staff manipulated documents to meet performance targets. ...In an explosive parliamentary question time, Ms Neville came under sustained pressure to resign and in a Herald Sun poll over 85 per cent of voters called for her to go. But, while admitting there is no doubt "short cuts" were taken and that child protection staff can do better, Ms Neville refused to step down or take personal responsibility for the flaws in the system. " "Minister Lisa Neville and government have let down abused children, Comment by Stephen McMahon From: Herald Sun May 26, 2010 IT is a betrayal of trust. The State Government and Community Services Minister Lisa Neville have let down the most vulnerable in our community - abused children. The damning report from the Ombudsman exposes systematic failures within residential and foster care systems that have left already traumatised children open to rape, drug dealing and prostitution. And Ms Neville has form. This is the second scathing report from the Ombudsman in the past six months, laying bare deep-seated problems within the child protection services. Despite repeated warnings, some of the Ombudsman recommendations in 2005 have yet to be implemented. The Department of Human Services is also heavily criticised for its failure to adequately screen carers and, most worryingly, for poor supervision and monitoring of staff." "Department of Human Services 'crisis' over kids on remand, James Campbell From: Sunday Herald Sun May 23, 2010 THE Department of Human Services is under fire over the number of children in its care being locked up in youth justice centres....The claims come as the beleaguered Community Services Minister, Lisa Neville, has defended staff numbers at the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre following an escape of six youths." "Parkville detention centre guards accused of running fight club, By Stephen McMahon From: Herald Sun October 07, 2010 Detention centre "unfit for habitation" Ombudsman calls for its closure Offenders "encouraged" to use violence FIGHT clubs organised by guards have been run in one of Victoria's toughest youth detention centres, according to an ombudsman's report. Whistleblowers claimed corrupt guards also helped offenders smuggle contraband into the jails, stole goods, assaulted detainees, falsified records and slept on night shift...In a scathing report, Ombudsman George Brouwer found that the Parkville centre in Melbourne, which houses offenders aged 10-21, was unfit for habitation and should be closed." "Youth detention centres should be shut down: ombudsman, By Nick Parkin, Updated Wed Oct 6, 2010 1:18pm AEDT, The ombudsman found dirty, crowded conditions at the Parkville Centre. (ABC TV), Victoria's ombudsman has called on the Government to shut down its youth detention facilities, due to unclean, unhygienic and inadequate conditions. In a scathing report to State Parliament, the ombudsman has found the Youth Justice Precinct at Parkville has mouldy and dirty conditions and significant overcrowding." "Victorian minister Lisa Neville blames detainees for the conditions at Parkville. ...Sydney Australia Daily Telgrpah www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...detention.../story-e6freuzr-1225935198782" Blame the victim.... IF LISA Neville can blame inmates for the poor facilities at the juvenile detention centres, will the Health Minister blame patients for filling up hospital beds and increasing the waiting lists? Or sick and injured people for the slow arrival of ambulances? Will the Transport Minister blame passengers for clogging up the trains and trams? Careful Ms Neville, there is an election very soon and blaming someone else for your failings as a minister is not a good look, especially when your government has been in power for so long. ...Pauline Ashton, Maribyrnong (The Age letters, Date: October 08 2010) Neville, a labor party political hack who holds her position how? One can only assume by factional control. Ms Neville demonstrates the lack of ethical leadership and performance criteria under labor Premier John Brumby. Hang the Victorian state parliament at the November 2010 election. (Another compiled article by Kevin R Beck, Melbourne, Australia) HOW DOES SELECTION FOR HIGH OFFICE WORK IN VCTORIA? "VICTORIA's new fire chief was in charge of South Australia's rural fire service when it was slammed by the state coroner. Euan Ferguson has been hired by the Country Fire Authority to replace embattled former chief Russell Rees after he resigned amid scathing criticism of his performance on Black Saturday, especially over the failure to warn communities and for failing to adequately warn people of a bushfire that killed nine people and destroyed almost 100 homes. But Mr Ferguson was in charge of the Country Fire Service in 2007 when the deputy coroner Anthony Schapel found the CFS mismanaged the response to the fatal Black Tuesday fire in Port Lincoln and he withstood continued calls to resign. Mr Schapel found the CFS failed to warn the public when the fire began and did not adequately respond to the fire, which started from a car exhaust spark....... The coroner also found Mr Ferguson did not act on a "significant incident" pager message because he thought the State Incident Controller would have got it and it was the controller's job to respond. Mr Ferguson -- who will start his role on November 15 -- was also the subject of a performance review in 2008 that recommended he should be placed on a formal mentoring program and be subject to key performance indicators. It found he had problems taking directions from government ministers, had a "self-promoting management style" and identified 25 areas that needed "considerable development". But Mr Ferguson told The Weekend Australian yesterday the coroner commended him for his leadership of the CFS, saying it was in "good hands". He said he had learned a lot from Black Tuesday, the coronial inquest and the process of implementing all the recommendations made. Mr Ferguson -- who previously worked for the CFA -- said his experiences would make him best placed to implement all the changes made by the royal commission into Black Saturday." (Source: Euan Ferguson defends his appointment Milanda Rout From: The Australian October 02, 2010 12:00AM) Findings in the matter of Following the Wangary fire, the CFS Chief Officer, Mr Euan Ferguson, ... A report entitled 'Outcomes from the South Australian Country Fire Service Project ... Pursuant to section 25(2) of the Coroner's Act 2003 I am empowered to make ... Go to Corner's Report There is something seriously wrong with the methods of appointment and the processes of accountability under Australia's state governments, particularly in the state of Victoria. Within this web site you will learn about these and see the results. The Premier, John Brumby, seems to be distant from the ethical and moral atributes that define good public service, good governmentand sound processes. In November 2010 the people of Victoria go to election and it is hoped that they discern the two parties are less than exemplary in their offerings and capabilities. MINISTER MADDEN DEMONSTRATES THE ETHICAL VOID OF VICTORIA'S GOVERNMENT Victorian Planning Minister Justin Madden has absolved himself of responsibility for a plot to deceive the public about a multi-million dollar development. Mr Madden has laid blame for the plan squarely with media adviser Peta Duke, who has been dumped from the government's media unit and planning portfolio.... Ms Duke accidentally sent an ABC journalist an email containing a media strategy for dealing with the proposed $260 million redevelopment of the heritage-listed Windsor Hotel in Melbourne. ..... The plan, which Mr Madden says was written by Ms Duke, was to conduct a public consultation on the application, then block the proposal and claim credit for listening to the community. Mr Madden suggested Ms Duke was solely responsible for creating the strategy, without any input from himself or senior staff. "This strategy was not mine," Mr Madden told reporters in Melbourne on Friday." (Source: Madden blames staffer for hotel strategy February 26, 2010, Sydney Morning Herald) Juston Madden repeated this blame game, and snivelling betrayal, before the Victorian Upper House enquiry being conducted during September and October, 2010. Justin Madden's personal career and the government's interests are valued more highly than the career, and reputation, of Ms Duke. There is no doubt that she has questionable values by proposing such an unethical proposal. We are seeing similar values exhibited the case of the former CEO of David Jones and the marketing employee whom he purportedly harassed. Though Madden has not taken to begging through text messages. In Madden's whing that the ideas are not his we see the real persona beneath the facade. The weasel nature of Australia's political calss and their perceptions of self worth over the ordinary person. In the corporate world within Australia, and the most notably the USA, environments which I experience and work in every day, the senior executives generally openly judge themselves to be superior to the mortal employee. They too perate within, and foster, environments of secrecy and mustrust. In Mr Madden's world he operates in isolation of knowing anything nasty or compromising. This is true. The Ministers of Australia's governments know full well that there are games and unethical practices going on and there is a process to isolate the Ministers from accountability. This is a corruption of government that is common place and entrenched. Justin Madden is an example of the quality of our politicians - a political mediocrity in practices, and ethics, that now is embedded within government. Hang the parliaments of Australia. THE AUSTRALIAN MEDIA'S MYOPIA OR TIMIDITY What is the actual measure of the Victorian labor government's real performance? September 2010: "It's about the economy stupid", (President Clinton), has become the catch cry of how the Australian mainstream media assesses the performance of governments in Australia. It does so in a controlled straight jacket of manipulation. The manipulation of the media journalist by vested interests. The Victorian state government's political media staff, parasites (unelected and paid from the public purse) function to distort perception and reality, corrupting the relationmship between the government and the voters. We tacitly accept that political parties own our democracy, and parliaments, by right of sinecure and their personal career aspirations. There is both a perception and a truth, that corrosion, and corruption, is embedded within the Victorian government Ministry, and electoral, offices. "Re:Victoria - State of Corruption, http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/watchdogs-new-law-will-nobble-us-20100913-159a0.html VICTORIA'S chief corruption fighters have confronted Premier John Brumby, warning him that government legislation now before Parliament will undermine their effectiveness and independence. The Ombudsman's office has joined the Auditor-General in demanding Mr Brumby change the legislation because it could make them subject to directions from ministers and oblige them to support "outcomes determined by the minister". (Source: SunRRA Forum: http://www.sunshine.asn.au/component/option,com_fireboard/Itemid,71/func,view/catid,2/id,1136815/) "Opposition and Greens MPs have slammed the Windsor decision-making process as a sham, after a leaked email by Mr Madden's former media adviser suggested conducting fake community consultation." Herald Sun Melbourne,(http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/windsor-hotel and "Staff of Justin Madden suggested faking community consultation, Stephen McMahon and AAP From: Herald Sun February 25, 2010," Corruption hits the headlines, and the local news broadcasts, and then it is gone. The public and the media nmove on. Unethical behaviour and morally questionable behaviour is the norm. What is important then to the media as the ongoing focus and the story? Money ....if the state governments, and the federal, run a surplus all is good. If people get what they want generally they will overlook the failure of the rest of the system and thye cess pool nature of Victoria's government under labor. But do they know what a surplus is? Probably not. They think it is some from of profit. A surplus is measured in a very narrow time period where income and expenditure are compared. It is not a measure of the health of an economy or its capacity. In the case of Victoria, labor Premiers, Steve Bracks and John Brumby, have delivered a balanced budget with surpluses and a stable growing economy. This, according to the experts, is the Raison d'ętre for the re-election of the Brumby labor government in Victoria. But is economy the only measure? The electors, according to some more erudite commentators, are interested, at the state level, in service delivery. Accordingly they may be willing to pay a bit more for better services around health, education and emergencies and policing. They want to walk the streets without fear, live in harmony and security. They want a job and they want their families to be able to afford the basics and quite a few of life's better luxuries. They want child care and education. They want local health services. What in this list has John Brumby delivered? The Brumby government, apparently, has not delivered so the Australian government has seen a need to step in. In amongst the corruption, corrosion and squalour of party politics and questionable administration we may find not much at all beyond the budget surplus. They persist in subsidising a car making industry that should have been allowed to disappear. With the federal government, the labor government is subsidising the manufacture of a hybrid car. Who wants a hybrid car? Not the consumer, so why is the government doing this? Tp placate the unions and those who despite the writing on the wall hang around in the industry. Whole cities, and suburbs, in Victoria depend on car manufacturing. The Victorian government will legislate a stick, under the guise of climate change, to force us buy the hybrid. Victoria has a fragmented, fractured and sub - standard transport system run by a bureaucracy that makes it difficult to buy a ticket to access a bus, traing, tram or ferry, with ease. There is no high spped rail link to one of Australia's busiest airports (Tullamarine in Melbourne) and Avalon Airport, closer to Geelong. A city freeway was built, and the growth corridor to the airport suburbs, and the taxpayer, are both held to ransom by the government - private partnership (PPP). Citylink is by far the best performing (economic return to investors)tollway in the nation. Rail roaded by the Greens and environmentalists, the labor government of Victoria is captive to a very dangerous group of interests. Those who believe in climate change, and in environment, before living and life. They have either scared the politicians or addled their brains. The bushfire that ate a state, and killed 173 people, brought home in stark reality the nature of the Brumby government and its capture by vested interests. Captive to the proposition that it "may never rain again" John Brumby rushed into building a desalination plant (costing billions) requiring power lines and other assorted generation assets to feed its insatiable lust for energy. The cost of producing a litre of water from the plant is astronomical and puts to the test the economic credentials of the government. The Brumby government also created division in commmunities and a new style police state (allowing, and condoning, an Orwellian cooperation, between police, public servants and the private sector who build things, against the citizens who oppose such building) by again ramming through major infrstructure diversionary projects, of vast water volumes, drawn from the food basins of Central Victoria to the city. In September 2010, Victoria was deluged and from drought we turned to major flood. The water storages brim and the rivers over run their banks. When is it that the state might need the treated salt water from the sea? As environmentalists scream for the closure of one quarter of the state's generation capacity and more (Hazelwood and Yallourn power stations) the desalination plant ensures that carbon based power plants will flourish in Victoria. An irony indeed for those who would have us dwell in caves. In November 2010 the people of Victoria will go to the polls. How will they vote, how should they vote? This si the question that will vex the minds of the state politicians, political party strategists and campaigners and a myopic unaware media. Let the game begin. (Author: Kevin Beck, Melbourne, Australia) The day we discovered we had no leaders within the state of Victoria's government, nor in the Victoriam emergency public service departments. It is not clear to me how the Victorian Police Minister Bob Cameron retains his Ministerial portfolio and why the government lead by John Brumby shows no remorse or shame for its dereliction and in some cases corruption of Victoria's governance. (June 2010: Kevin R Beck) Click Here To Read the Bush Fire Royal Commission Report - Click Here A Total Failure of Government and Authority We should accept no more, the substandard governance, the waste and self interest, the disregard for our place in democracy and parliaments. We should no longer accept the failure of Premiers and Ministers, and public officials and servants, to perform and protect, to guard and keep safe. We should no longer accept the corruption and rank behaviour, lack of ethics and domination of our parliaments by the duopoly, labor and liberal. We should no longer accpet the sinscure of patronage in public office. It is time to vote someone else, the Greens and Independents into Victoria's parliament and reshape it forever. IT IS TIME TO CULL THE MEMBERS cartoons courtesy of Sangrea: click Christine Nixon said she would honour her commitment to bushfire-affected communities, ''the people we deserve to be paying attention to''. (Source: The Age melbourne: 10:40AM Thursday Jul 08, 2010) The people of the ravished towns in Victoria are mired in bureaucracy and the failure of the Premier and his appointed administrators as the twons that were destroyed are not being rebuilt to their former glory. In Marysville there is no hotel and no police station. There is a new SES centre valued at $A450,000 and the smiling labor politicians toured the town. The federal member Fran bailey, a liberal, was excluded from attending. This is the quality of the surly politicians at the helm of our governments. We are poorly represented in the parliaments by both major parties. A number of experienced businesman were assisting the twon to rebuild, but the dim witted bureaucrats in charge of rebuilding and the overblown local government bodies made it so difficult that the businessmen have thrown their hands in the air. "AN expert in leadership and prominent Marysville citizen has submitted a scathing critique of Christine Nixon's performance as chairwoman of the Bushfire Reconstruction Authority to the royal commission in the hope that post-disaster recovery in Australia will never be handled as "ineptly" as it has been in Victoria. Black Saturday survivor Nick Jans, the president of the Marysville Bowls Club and a visiting fellow at the Australian Defence College's Centre for Defence Leadership and Ethics, laments what might have been if operations had been led by someone such as ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, public policy dynamo Elizabeth Proust or Major General Peter Cosgrove, with the will to cut through the narrow-minded, bureaucratic plodding that has stymied opportunities and bled community morale." (Source: Bushfire survivor lashes out at Christine Nixon, Kate Legge From: The Australian April 17, 2010) Victoria, a manipulated, and corrupted, democracy under Labor. A parliament that attracts mediocrity in representation, governance, ethics and ideals, eschewing quality of governance in favour of political self interest and factional interests. A state devoid of accountable, ethical leadership. Unless otherwise attributed this content is authored by Kevin R Beck Assessing the political wind, issues, predictions and the mood of voters To the NSW and Victorian Governments, we are coming for you next. looking for the Australian federal election? Click here The utilities of the Mosaic Portal are free to use. It is not about how many people visit my sites it is about how many communications are going out and to where. Contact Counter DIGITS.com Traffic Rank/Reach Promoting information about, and participation in, the nation's parliaments and democratic processes. 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Article Archives About governments, corporations, people and events, research and ideas The day we discovered we had no leaders in the government nor in the public service Click Here APRIL 2010: CONSTANTLY RECURRING THEME IN THE VICTORIAN LABOR PARTY AND BRUMBY GOVERNMENT Every week almost without fail the Victorian labor party and its senior parliamentary members and political staff are shown to have questionable understanding of, or regard, for ethics as they pursue personal power, position, and political agendas, for the maintenance of power and office. The Premier, the Honorable John Brumby, has brushed aside the contemptuous document that opens the door to the murky world of the Ministry of Justin Madden. Beyond the walls of the parliament operates the labor party owned "Progressive Business". The fund raising corporation for selling access, and perahps (perceived) favours, to those who can afford to pay. The annual programme of dinners, breakfasts and special functions clearly links attendance to the presence of the Premier and/or senior decision makers. The organisers who run Progressive Business want more senior politicians and political staff to attend. What does "Progressive Business" precisely mean? It implies a special status and agenda towards doing business in return for cash? Its existence is a constant risk to the labor party and the Premier, John Brumby and the Ministers who attend the functions. Fiona McRae, a so called spokesperson for the Mr. Brumby clearly demonstrated a lack of understanding or regard for perception and ethical standards. She claimed that Progressive Business events were conducted with high standards and strict probity arrangements. (Source: The Age Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday April, 1, 2010, page 1) This is quite simply cant. Probity is a common tool used by politicians, political minders and public servants to distance themselves from accountability and responsibility. Ms Mcrae perhaps might benefit from attending an ethics class "PB has put in place a number of measures to esnure there is confidence in the integrity of the forums and to protect against even a perceived possibility of influence", she said (Source: as above) Is Ms McRae serious? Does she think that we are all gullible and stupid? She should look at waht she said, how do you protect against perception? What an idiotic concept. Progressive Business' whole paltform is about selling access to senior politicians on masse. Ms McRae goes on to pontificate that the Premier Mr Brumby and the Treasurer Mr Lenders were permitted to "take private meetings" with business people who were tendering for government business. (Source; The Age, as above) On what ethical measure is this proposition correct? She obviously has not read codes of conduct regarding the holding of public office. Her whole argument fails on the statements on one man. In November 2009 Mr. Alan Blood, whose company bought a gold sponsorship paying $A10,000 ffor a table at last year's dinnner, sat next to the Premier. Mr Blood gave a frank description of the night and exposed the fanciful justifications of Ms McRae, and hypocrisy of the labor party, the senior politicians of the Victorian parliament and, to my mind, the Premier John Brumby who claims that access cannot be bought. So, on that basis, why waasn't Mr Blood's attendance free? My perception is that Progressive Business is the proof of corruption in the Australian labor party, generally, and in Victoria's political system and governmment. The other incidences, such as a media staff member, in Minister Justin Madden's office, putting a proposition to create sham consultation perverting the planning system is just icing on the cake. That these unelected people, including Ms McRae think it is okay to conduct government, and relationships, this way is a reflection on the people above who fail to inculcate and demand ethical behaviour. McRae's probity system seems to be a failure in my case, for my perception is that John Brumby, and many of his political colleagues and the Victorian labor party machine people, do not seem to possess an ethical compass. They are desparate to raise funds, by any means, to fight their presidential style election campaigns. "Whatever it takes", in the words of former labor party federal Minister Richardson. WHO CARES THAT THE BRUMBY GOVERNMENT, AND THE MINISTERS, SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE, IF ANY, AWARENESS OF ETHICS AND MORALITY? March 2010: The labor party has been in power for eleven years as at 2010 and are past their use by date. They were actually past it a few years after they took offce. But the voters take little interests in their government and their democracy. The major parties prey on this detachment and ignorance. Perhaps enough people, hopefully, care enough to vote JohnBrumby, and his corrupt mates, out of government in 2010. Minister for Planning, Justin Madden, has been caught out, and the corruption of the Victorian government, and labor party, is on full display along with their hubris, arrogance and childish, immature ignorance. The opposition parties have convened a hearing to xamine the matter of a staffer of Madden's publishing a tactice to manipulate planning in Victoria. The sattefr accidentally informed the media of the corrupt practices in planning. Now the government is refusing to present the staffer as a witness. Stupidly she refses to appear on the davice of the politically compromisd, and embarrassing first legal officer, Attorney Rob Hulls. If he was a practicing lawyer one ight seek to disbar him. With an arrogance, and hubris, that is galling, the scum permeates like rancid butter on the cesspool that is the Victorian government and the people of the state are relegated to the back seat as observers. We are spoken at by the likes of Neville as if we are stupid and not aware of the power of our parliament. Premier John Brumby, and Ministers Rob Hulls, Justin Madden and Lisa Neville, refuse to submit to the rule of the peoples' parliament in Victoria and attempt to spin a set of their alternative views to a gullible and detached public. Lisa Neville is not all that politically bright as she is wheeld out to tell us a story. She is expendable political capital, a failed Minister, in her own portfolio, and she has the apparent thick skinned stupidity of the intellectually challenged, to stand in front of cameras, and misrepresent the power of a parliamentary committee to subpoena witnesses. Wsa she born stupid or jusr grew into the role and is unable to read the relevant Acts and the Constitution? This is the Minister who feels sorrow for victimised, abused, assualted and murdered, children under her watch. Lisa Neville is representaative of the decline in political talent, ethics and performance that infests Australia's parliaments. A staff member of Minister Justin Madden accidentally published how the the Minister. and the government. manipulate, distort, corrode and corrupt public approval processes. Slip them a few dollars and the government is yours like some group of tarts for hire. They prostitute government in this state. They sell access and patronage. Neville says that the convention is that only Ministers appear before committees. Stuff the convention, because she is stupid, the parliament has the legal power to do what they like and the flakey, unethical Premier, and his Ministers of diatribe, can submit. One gets tired of lies, misrepesentatiosn and hubris. b>Piss off Ms Neville and do the people of Victoria a favour and take your corrupt, unethical and low value, colleagues with you. No one should be subjected to having to look at, and listen to, you on television as you demonstrate your limited capacity for understanding the real power of the parliament. Victoria is not the property of your labor lot. CRUDE, DISHONEST AND UNETHICAL GOVERNMENT, ON PUBLIC DISPLAY February 2010: The Minister for Planning in Victoria, Mr madden, wants us to believe that he is an honest and above board Minister full of integrity and the public good. Unfortunately other factors seem to belie this concocted image. Victoria is like the other labor states, in 2010, a corrupted and corroded, democracy. The state of Australia's moral decay in governments is appalling. Yet the electors sem either oblivious, or ignorant, of this fact. They tolerate dishonest, and unethical behviour, at state government levels as displayed in Tasmania, Queensland and lately in Victoria. What culture pervades our system of democracy to the extent that political staff would deem it acceptable to propose, in writing, strategies of lying, and misrepresentation, and corruption of public consultation and planning processes? Brumby concedes email has damaged Government, By Ryan Sheales, February 26, 2010, Victorian Premier, John Brumby, has demoted the media adviser who accidentially sent the damaging memo to the ABC. (ABC Local: Simon Leo Brown) Video: Email reveals plan to block Windsor development (7pm TV News VIC), The Premier, John Brumby, has conceded a leaked memo outlining plans for a fake consultation process regarding a city development threatens the way Victorians view the Government. The media adviser to the Planning Minister, Justin Madden, drafted the document which outlines plans to deceive the public with a false consultation process about a development behind Melbourne's Windsor Hotel. The adviser, Peta Duke, has now been demoted and moved out of planning. Mr Brumby says the document does not reflect how the government operates. "It may create a perception about process and in order to ensure that there is no perception about process in relation to any development projects in our state, I've decided that she should be removed from that office and she will," Mr Brumby said." (Source: ABC Australia, South West Victoria, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/26/2830806.htm?site=southwestvic) What is the modicum of respect that advisers have for the electorate, the democracy and their own political leaders? The adviser has been demoted. Why only demoted? Well perhaps if the adviser was sacked they might actually tell the media, the public or the parliament why it is that such a document should have been prepared, recokmending such a tactic? For years now this commentator (Kevin R Beck) has queried the ethical cracter of the minister, Justn Madden, involved in other questionable events at local government level in Brimbank. Justin Madden caught in Brimbank Council row Stephen McMahon May 07, 2009 JUSTIN Madden has failed to act decisively after one of his key political staff was outed as a major player in a shocking misuse of power in the Western suburbs. A scathing report by the Ombudsman found members of Brimbank council were downloading pornography on council computers and using taxpayer dollars to buy $900 Mont Blanc pens. A senior member of Mr Madden's staff, Hakki Suleyman, who has a criminal conviction for assault and possessing an offensive weapon, has been found to have exerted significant influence on council matters. The report also made a number of claims about his daughter Natalie Suleyman, a former mayor of Brimbank. Ms Suleyman was criticised for bullying, using threatening behaviour towards staff and using council money to buy herself presents. Despite a finding that Mr Suleyman directly interfered in council affairs, Mr Madden has failed to sever links with his long-time supporter." (Source: Melbourne Herald Sun, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/madden-caught-in-council-row/story-0-1225710430686) The Premier John Brumby I think is also very questionable in his methods of government. This is not how the government operates, bullshit, Mr Premier it is precisely how labor governments in Australia operate, particularly at state government level and definitely in Victoria. Mr Madden would like us to rely on his integrity and accept that he has not in any way curried such behaviour and culture. At the federal level Kevin Rudd is oversighting, and avidly implementing, a destruction of the quality, and ethical base, of the Commonwealth Public Service and ministerial integrity. He blathers on, over and over, repeating the same inane statement - "I am stepping up to the plate". Good, go play baseball in the United States. Political commentators seem to think that the voters are so immune to corruption, and lying, waste and dismal ethics that they will re-elect the corroders of the character of Australian democracy and public service. It is quite sad that we do not value our democracy, government and public service. (Kevin R Beck, Melbourne Australia VICTORIA'S LABOR PART IS MIRED IN CORRUPTION AND QUESTIONABLE ACTIVITIES VOTE THEM OUT STARTING WITH BY ELECTIONS The Premier John Brumby has no more bluff, and feigned, affront to offer us that is credible. Victoria 9Australia) has a body called the Office of Police Integrity, Brumby, Premier of Victoria says that it is a well resourced entity. Victoria has no independent corruption body. If it did iy would have already nailed a great swag of labor loal government members, a large number of politicians, police and public servants. Watch thes miling and smarmy face of the former Premier's Chief of Staff, Tim Pallas, now Roads Minister. can you discern what makes him smile so? Is it the arrogance that comes with ower? Former policemen have made claims about the type of person Tim Pallas is and a number of other people. If Mr Brumby even had an inkling what public interest, etics and quality of governance meant he might actually think what does the general person think of me? He might not like the answer. "Taking aim: the Ashby conspiracy, PAUL AUSTIN, April 8, 2009, "AS CONSPIRACY theories go, Noel Ashby's is a beauty. The now-disgraced former police assistant commissioner is suggesting that the most powerful people in Victorian policing and politics illegally conspired to bring down the strongman police union boss Paul Mullett. We know this because in April last year Ashby, who was subsequently charged with perjury and lying to the Office of Police Integrity, committed his theory to paper. His closely typed, seven-page note, titled Government Knowledge of Inquiry Concerning Mr Paul Mullett, implies that all or some of these people were part of this grand conspiracy. They include former top cop Christine Nixon, former premier Steve Bracks, former Premier's Department secretary Terry Moran and former OPI director George Brouwer. In Ashby's mind, the truth of his theory was revealed in a 15-minute private meeting he had with Tim Pallas in the cabinet minister's office on April 2, 2007. ." (Source: The Age Newspaper, http://www.theage.com.au/national/taking-aim-the-ashby-conspiracy-20090407-9zow.html) One might discredit the former policeman Mr Ashby, but I think that he has decided, since the power collective have stitched him up, he will retaliate. When certain people fall out they turn on each other. Their secrets are exposed and their world is opened up for all to see. watch this space. Regrettably, from experience, I do not trust any labor politician in the state of Victoria, now in government, and particularly I find Minister Tim Pallas, somehow disconcerting and there is something beneath his surface exterior that I cannot discern. As for Premier John Brumby, well he should be voted out of parliament, along with his government. Sadly, for the taxpayer, but very comforting for him, he will collect his public pension because our system in Australia rewards any performance, mediocre or corrupt. he will then probably get a nice seinecure from his labor mates or sycophantic business. VICTORIA'S CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF POLICE REPRESENTS DECLINE IN PUBLIC SERVICE STANDARDS The Australian labor party, under former labor Premier, Steve Bracks, and the current Premier, John Brumby, have been in power since 1999. They, collectively, have built nothing in eleven years. Their legacy is foth and bubble, diseembling bullshit and mesia management. They have been ably assisted by the media particularly the Age newspaper, Melbourne. In the next year, or so, we will get a very expensive deslaination plant and a divisive water pipeline from northern central Victoria. This John Brumby's overall contribution. That is it. No, they have not actually grown the economy in the past decade. John Brumby, and his bureaucracy, has however had a mighty, and lasting, impact. Below you will see how the major public agencies, under Brumby, his Ministers and the key bureaucrats commissioned to protect citizens in this state, failed the people of Victoria, on John Brumby's political watch. Many died, and many others lost their livelihood. Today these decision makers who failed so badly still have their positions. Get rid of them. Captive to the environmentalists, John Brumby, failed to discern what would happen if he, and his government, allowed environmentalists to command and direct policy. They have blocked the clearing of debris and fuel in Victoria's forestsLet us not mince words, people died. Let us not demure from being offensive and demanding of those who govern. Can you seruiously allow Brumby and the current labor government of Victoria to remain in office? Can you really allow the senior bureaucrats to remain? Clean them out from public office. The current Chief of Police, Simon Overland, and the other agency leaders, are in charge and they seemingly are unable to manage, and guard, the community. Simon Overland has corruption in the police ranks, and there is a loss of $A48,000,000 on computing systems, public servants have taken free gifts such as tickets to the tennis and grand prix. He may have inherited the scandals from the previous administration but there is no evidence that he actually understands the tenuous nature of his position as the evidence mounts questioning suitability for public office and leadership. There is no evidence that the Police Minister knows what he is doing in the portfolio or is able to administer his portfolio. We live in dangerous times because of the failure of the labor government and the bureaucracy we emply. It is not the Premier, or the Minister for Police, who gaurantee the Chief Police Commissioner's job. The arrogance of Victoria's public service, and their inceompetency knows no bounds. How many more people, children adults, international students, and citziens in general, under any conditons, need to die before we act? The opposition leader, in Victoria's, Ted Ballieu has questioned the competency of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Well he should for the Minister is perhaps a dangerous, and incompetent, politician if he is unable to manage the portfolio adequately. He is served by an incompetent bureaucracy. The Minister enjoys the support of the Premier, John Brumby, who is also dangerous politically, in that there seems to be npo ethical standards or performance demanded of Victoria's public service bureaucracy and managers and as the executive in charge of Victoria, he needs to be closely questioned about the incomptenec of his bureaucracy on Black Saturday, February 2009. The Chief Commissioner of Police, Simon Overland, has suggested that Indian students, in Australis, should dress to look poor and they should live in suburbs that are poor. What is this tell us about competency? He also posed, for pictures, with gay pride marchers dressed as nuns. Simon Overalnd said that this was an extraordinary experience, as he walked with them and was lauded. Poor chap lacks recognition and is easily excited by boys in frocks? This is a serious job where he represents all Victorians, or does he? Does he mean to insult a large element of the Victorian population with his ignorant, and weird comments, and behaviour? John Brumby says that Victora does not need an independent Commission Against Corruption. Rubbish Mr Brumby, the state of Victoria needs one now. The question is why do you not want one? (Kevin R beck, Melbourne, Australia). VIC ROADS - WHERE ARE THE TOURIST DIRECTION SIGNS? Bureaucrats are not known for their creativity nor for developing anything other than regulatory structures. Sometimes they create barriers (inadvertently or otherwise) making it much harder for those among the community who may be pursuing a dream. Bureaucrats have little time for dreams unless of course it is the fantasy of their political masters. Once there were signs on the highway pointing to one man's dream., then in 2010 they were gone. In 2011 it would be good if the bureaucrats put them back. Bernie Dingle, Curator of a Lifetime Dream - The Light Horse & Field Artillery Museum, Nar Nar Goon, Victoria Australia "Remembering All Animals in War." (Commentary by Kevin R Beck: With a passion that is truly awe inspiring Bernie, and Frances, Dingle have built a unique monument, described above at the Light Horse Musaeum web site, to the animals that have failthfully served mankind under the horrific conditions of war. Every nation, on earth, has used animals, particularly horses, to conduct their warfare campaigns and to carry their loads. Failthfully reproduced, with some exhibits, rivalling the Australian War Memorial itself, the Light Horse and Field Artillery Museum can be found on a backroad in country Victoria just one hour from Melbourne central business district by car or bus. When the Victorian government, through its bureaucracy, moved the highway they failed to replicate any signposting to this truly incredible tourist attraction, leaving Bernie, and Frances, to their own fate. This is not surprising given my observation of the attitudes of the self indulgent Victorian state government bureaucracy. They could howvere sign post the various lavender farms and wineries. After all bureaucrats have their own view of what is valuable and important. They rarely dedicate their lives to creating anything of lasting effort do they? The Victorian State Ministers for the Arts and Tourism do not seem to ever demand a quality of consideration, or effort, and I think that this will continue. Other peoples' efforts, blood, sweat and tears, are of little import to the great bureaucrats, and politicians, of Australia's governments particularly the state governments. If the individual were to complain continually and become an annoyaance it is likely that retribution will be the outcome, so the dedicated keep quiet. So you will have to persevere to find the gem that is the Light Horse and Field Artillery Museum. Thus let me tell you how to get to the Light Horse & Artiller Museum. Reference: Victorian (Map book known as the) Melways - 319 D2 Take the Monash M1 Freeway out of Melbourne, towards Dandenong/Warragul. Stay on the freeway to Warragul, going past Berwick turn off and head towards Packenham. Go past the three Packenham exits. Watch for the Nar Nar Goon exit. Take it and look for the Bessie Creek Road arrow on your right, at the round go to your right and follow the signs to Bessie Creek Road. Turn left just before the garage into Bessie Creek Road and go down perhaps three quarters of a kilometre, there you will find the Light Horse and Field Artillery Museum, on your right. THE FAILURES OF LABOR PARTY GOVERNMENT OF JOHN BRUMBY'S (BUMBLY) MINISTERS AND THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT'S CORRODED AND DYSFUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC SERVICE BUREAUCRACIES There is a Minister handling child protection services (Neville) as at December 2009 who is so bland as to be baige. A report came out from the Ombudsman that the children of the state were at extreme risk under the Brumby jurisdiction and the care of the bureaucracy. Watching the Minister's response and facial demanour and tone I thought matbe she was reacting to having no sugar in her tea. "Child protection 'dishonest, dangerous' By Rachael Brown for PM , Posted Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:12pm AEDT Updated Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:34pm AEDT, ABC On Line Victoria's child protection services are in the firing line again today, with two reports accusing the system of leaving vulnerable children at risk. In September, Victoria watched Community Services Minister Lisa Neville under siege after a damning report into failures by her department. There was news of a Gippsland man accused of raping his daughter over three decades and fathering her four children, as well as strong calls for a major overhaul of the state's child protection services. Another scathing report from Victoria's Ombudsman found the system slow to act, under-resourced and at times dishonest. And the state's Child Safety Commissioner released the findings of his review into the death of a toddler in August. He says the system is not coordinated, leaving dangerous gaps. Ms Neville says anyone who reads the report will be disturbed that parents are capable of inflicting this kind of abuse on their children (ABC News) Video: Ombudsman's report slams child protection system (7pm TV News VIC) Victoria's child protection services are in the firing line again today, with two reports accusing the system of leaving vulnerable children at risk. In September, Victoria watched Community Services Minister Lisa Neville under siege after a damning report into failures by her department. There was news of a Gippsland man accused of raping his daughter over three decades and fathering her four children, as well as strong calls for a major overhaul of the state's child protection services. Another scathing report from Victoria's Ombudsman found the system slow to act, under-resourced and at times dishonest. And the state's Child Safety Commissioner released the findings of his review into the death of a toddler in August. He says the system is not coordinated, leaving dangerous gaps. Disturbing abuse Ms Neville says anyone who reads the report will be disturbed that parents are capable of inflicting this kind of abuse on their children. "It's unacceptable to me, as it is to him, that the system has let down some of these children." The report warns almost a quarter of all child protection cases are not allocated a case worker, and says regional Victoria is particularly under-resourced." (Source of extract: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/26/2754949.htm) ,br> Minister Neville inspires suhc confidence in me. Much like having a wet tea towel when facing an Australian bushfire. The governmmet spin merchants at Ministerial level comment, non chalantly, that the Myki system for commuters using a smart card on Melbourne's transport (or not) is two years late and almost three times the estimated cost ($A500M to $A1.35 billion) because multi modal systems technologies are complex. So complex that the government on the qadvice of the wizzards rolled out the system in part for trains only. These magical princes within the bureaucracy are called the Transport Ticketing Authority. Bullshit. Hong Kong has a brilliant multi modal card system that also allows the user to go shopping on the card as well as travel. Why the Victorian system is late and over cost is directly attributable to incompetence at every level of the state government Miisters (poor Lyn Kosky inherited the dog's breakfast from the lack lustre Peter Batchelor, who reading the tea leaves moved on., the failure of the bureaucracy and the contractors and suppliers of services. The Premier John Brumby prefers the tried methods of soin, misreprepresentaation, subterfuge and cover up to delivering quality government. Inurred to major failures of government, the lies and the manipulation, the electors are gullible and disengaged. " So Ms Lynne Kosky, what's your next big move? Matt Johnston From: Herald Sun January 02, 2010 12:00AM Lynne Kosky says public transport costs a lot of money. TAXPAYERS had to pour more money into myki because of a bungle over how many smartcard scanners would be needed for trams, Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky has revealed. The Government also failed to budget enough to run two ticket systems at once while flaws were ironed out of myki. Ms Kosky answered the Herald Sun's questions about the first days of myki, which is almost three years late. Its cost has blown out to $1.35 billion, $350 million over budget. The member for Altona said she did not regret how myki had been introduced, and said: MYKI software was upgraded to allow for future capabilities after the contract was signed, costing us more money. HOLIDAYING Premier John Brumby has not contacted her but other colleagues have offered support." (Source of extract: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/so-ms-lynne-kosky-whats-your-next-big-move/story-e6frf7jo-1225815357560) The state of Australia's state governments might well lead observers, commentators and fighters for good government, to presume that there are qualities possessed by bureaucrats that are more highly valued by Ministers of governments than skill and expertise. perhaps sycophancy, loyalty and a willing ness to obey without query or qualifaiction are more highly prized. Tis notion is not all that radical when we look at the state of public service management and performance. The failure to demand high standards is no more evident in Victoria where senior managers have retained their positions despite a lack of required ability, demonstrated ineptitude and sometimes catastrophic, and deadly, negligence. The opposition parties of Australia's state governments, such as Victoria, might well seek the political scalp of a Minister, deeming that to be their primary role, but they also fail in their publuc duty to enforce standards both within parliaments and when they are in government themselves. What we have in Victoria Australia, is a conglomerate of poor skill and judgement across most sectors of the public service and within the Minsitries of Australia's goverments. There is a gross lack of accountability and decline in ethics. This decline is generated at the top and has permeated beyond government into general Australian society. Our elected representatives, and offficials, act behind our backs, in secret and against our interests cloaking themselves in virtuous righteousness,. They respond with indignation when confronted. They will not resign their office out of personal interest and sometimes self delusion as to their value, capabilities and competencies. (Kevin R Beck, Melbourne, December 2009) " Vic MP cops suspended jail sentence19:10 AEST Thu Dec 10 2009, By Catherine Best A Victorian Labor MP busted for driving while disqualified, will go to the polls next year with a month-long jail term hanging over his head. Upper house MP Adem Somyurek has been slapped with a one-month suspended jail sentence and has also copped the wrath of the premier. The sentence was handed down by a magistrate this week after Mr Somyurek was caught talking on a mobile phone and driving while disqualified in March. He was fined $300 and will have to be on his best behaviour for 12 months or face a month behind bars..... A repentant Mr Somyurek briefly fronted the media to apologise and explain himself, but refused to resign. He said his licence was suspended after racking up demerit points for speeding and mobile phone offences but he was unaware he was disqualified when police pulled him over. The MP was given the option in early February of a three-month licence suspension or six months probation, with the risk of losing his licence if he broke the road rules. But he forgot to nominate his penalty and was pulled over two weeks after the deadline. "I didn't know that my driver's licence was suspended when I was driving," he said.... Mr Somyurek, a member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region, has been re-endorsed by the Labor Party for preselection at the November 2010 election." (Source: Nine News Australia, http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=982242) "Victorian Police Minister under pressure, Samantha Donovan reported this story on Saturday, December 12, 2009 08:06:00, ELIZABETH JACKSON: The Victorian Police Minister is under pressure from the Opposition after it was revealed that two major drug cases may be in jeopardy. A senior manager at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre was suspended earlier this week following an Ombudsman's report highlighting failings in the way drugs were stored at the centre. The ABC has now reported that the manager, Cate Quinn, had an affair with a corrupt detective several years ago. Samantha Donovan reports. SAMANTHA DONOVAN: This week, the Victorian Ombudsman raised serious concerns about the way drugs were recorded and stored at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre. The Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Simon Overland, immediately stood down the head of the facility's Drug and Alcohol Branch, Cate Quinn. She's now under investigation for serious misconduct. The Police Minister, Bob Cameron, said he was confident that no court cases had been affected by the problems." (Source: ABC, AM, http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2009/s2769825.htm) "Cases in doubt after forensics manager stood down, Posted Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:00pm AEDT Two major court cases next year could be affected by the suspension of a senior manager at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre. Cate Quinn was stood down from her role as the head of the centre's drug and alcohol branch yesterday after a scathing ombudsman's report highlighted serious concerns with how the laboratory stores and records drug exhibits. She is now being investigated for misconduct over the poor management practices highlighted in the report and could face disciplinary action. The ABC has learned Ms Quinn was due to give expert evidence at two major drug cases next year, in her capacity as head of the branch. She is now unlikely to be able to provide that testimony." (Source: ABC News, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/11/2769706.htm?section=justin) "Doubts on DNA evidence let convicted rapist walk free, Milanda Rout From: The Australian December 08, 2009 12:00AM EVEN at his lowest point, when he was locked in his cell at Victoria's Loddon Prison, trying to take his mind off the next six years he would be spending there, Farah Jama always believed the truth would clear his name. The then 21-year-old had gone from finishing his Year 12 exams at a school in the northern suburbs of Melbourne to being charged, convicted and sentenced, solely on DNA evidence, for the rape of a 40-year-old woman found unconscious at a nightclub. "I knew that the truth always will come out one day, everybody will see that I am innocent," he said yesterday after being freed on bail two weeks ago. "I used to work out, . . . trying to keep my mind busy but sometimes, you know, you always going to think I haven't done this, why I am here." Yesterday the Court of Appeal quashed his rape conviction, after he spent 18 months in jail, after prosecutors admitted forensic officers had bungled his DNA sample and they could not "exclude the possibility" of contamination. This case is the latest in a string of examples where DNA testing by authorities has been proven to be flawed, leading to chief crown prosecutor Jeremy Rapke last month ordering all criminal cases involving DNA in the last five years to be re-examined. The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine yesterday announced it had launched a investigation into the case, hiring retired Supreme Court judge Frank Vincent, but still maintained "the contribution of any particular factor to the wrongful conviction is a matter of speculation at this point". The "substantial miscarriage of justice", as described by prosecutors, comes days before an expected damning Ombudsman's report is to be tabled in state parliament about the state of Victoria Police's internal forensic services." (Source: The Australian Newspaper, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/doubts-on-dna-evidence-let-convicted-rapist-walk-free/story-e6frg6nf-1225807975752) " Secret files on protesters given to desal consortium, PAUL AUSTIN, December 5, 2009 SECRET police files on people protesting against Victoria's $3.5 billion desalination project are being made available to the private consortium building the plant. Under a deal struck by the State Government in a bid to ensure the project is finished before Melbourne runs out of water, Victoria Police has agreed to hand over photos, video recordings and other police records to the international consortium AquaSure to help it ''manage'' protests and potential security threats. Anti-desalination protesters, civil liberties advocates and the State Opposition last night condemned the move as an unacceptable invasion of privacy and a dangerous assault on the democratic right to protest. The Government signed a memorandum of understanding with Victoria Police and AquaSure on August 28, designed to protect the site at Wonthaggi as well as the electricity supply to the project and new pipelines from the plant to Cardinia Reservoir. The 20-page document states that Victoria Police ''will release law enforcement data'' to AquaSure, which is made up of international and local companies Degremont, Suez Environment, Thiess and Macquarie Capital Group. The memorandum says: ''Law enforcement data may take the form of any text, images, audio and video, may be stored on computing devices, in hard copy, or on other storage media, and includes (but is not limited to) data related to individuals, aggregated data, written reports and correspondence, memoranda, police diaries, official notebooks, running sheets and other data repositories.'' The Age understands similar agreements have been struck on other Government-backed projects such as the Grand Prix at Albert Park and the pipeline to bring water from northern Victoria to Melbourne. The Department of Sustainability and Environment, which signed the desalination memorandum with Victoria Police and AquaSure, last night confirmed such agreements were common for major projects." (Source: The Age Newspaper, Melbourne, http://www.theage.com.au/national/secret-files-on-protesters-given-to-desal-consortium-20091204-kb29.html) Grand Prix posts $40 million loss AAP - October 15, 2009, 2:42 pm, (Victorian) Taxpayers have again picked up the bill for Australia's Formula One Grand Prix after the motor race posted a $40 million loss in 2009. In its annual report released on Thursday, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation blamed the effects of the global financial crisis for a drop in ticket sales, despite a boost in corporate sponsorship. The 2008 Grand Prix also suffered a record $40 million loss, funded by the Victorian government. The report says the corporation was not immune to the financial crisis but had anticipated its impact and adapted plans "to manage the conditions encountered". Victorian government revenue from the event remained steady at $40.2 million, a slight increase from the previous year. The race was this year run as a twilight program to cater for European fans. (Source: Yahoo! 7 Sport, http://au.sports.yahoo.com/motorsport/news/article/-/6222308/grand-prix-posts-40-million-loss) "Police IT managers 'wasted millions', SARAH-JANE COLLINS, November 13, 2009, The Age Newspaper (melbourne Australia) A SCATHING report on Victoria Police's information technology services has found the program was badly mismanaged, $39 million over budget and ethically compromised. The report says senior managers in the police IT division accepted gifts from IT companies, including tickets to the AFL grand final and the Australian Open, and that correct financial management procedures were rarely followed. Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said the report was an embarrassment to the force. Ombudsman George Brouwer's investigation found that since 2004 a lack of oversight, shoddy record-keeping and conflicts of interest had led to bungled contract decisions and the waste of millions of dollars. Among the items of waste was the leasing of a rural communications tower with nothing inside but an empty cupboard, costing $81,000 over four years. Mr Brouwer also identified repeated breaches of rules that govern the awarding of contracts, and a $39 million budget shortfall due to dodgy deals Mr Overland said Victoria Police had accepted the findings. ''Essentially we weren't paying enough attention,'' he said. (Extract: The Age on line: http://www.theage.com.au/national/police-it-managers-wasted-millions-20091112-icf9.html) Really Commissioner, you don't say. And what is his plan? He has created "a policy to wrap the draft policy" which cannot be wrapped until the SSA (a Victorian service oversight agency) does a study of who else is wrapping policy whilst not paying attention in the state of Victoria. The Minister says that the former Police Commissioner only told him about this before last Christmas so the goevrnment kept if all secret. The state governments of Australia, lead by NSW and Victoria, are termites, and parasites, on our systems of government. What did the Minister do about it? Well that is for us to find out and the answer can be assuredly not that much. John Brumby, and his Ministers, are such wonderful managers of our governmment and the Victorian public service management, is shown by other material in this web site to be a stellar lot. They spend millions on advertisements telling us how wonderful they are. Sadly for Victoria, the Ted Ballieu opposition lot, on the other side of parliament house, are so inept that they cannnot fathom these things out, are listening to their own drivel, basking in self perceptions of their talents, rather than carrying out forensic analysis and questioning. WHY DENIGRATE TED BALLIEU (LIBERAL LEADER) BECAUSE HE IS BLAND? WHY NOT FOCUS ON COMPETENCIES? September 2009: Surprise, surprise, key maps integral to the enquiry of the Victorian Bush Fire Royal Commission have gone missing. These maps may well have compromised the senior managers of the Victorian Department of Sustainability and the Country Fire Authority, in the performance of their jobs. They may have made some in the public service and the government culpable. John Brumby has reappaointed the senior management of the two agencies before the findings of the enequiry. In this regard I believe he is unfit to be Premier of Victoria. Of course we have no mechanism to indict him for such arrogance, stupidity and hubris. Did these maps disappear by the hand of the senior management of the Public Service and the direction of (shadow controllers of the Victorian labor party) the government, who knows? On balance I thin they did. Would this government, under Premier John Brumby, be corrupt enough to orcehstrate that? On balance I personally believe yes. I personally believe that the Premier John Brumby is unethical and immoral in his Premiership and as a leader of an Ausralian government. I personally believe that the Victorian labor party is corrupt. Yet the media judge the Opposition leader, Ted ballieur, the leader of the liberal national party on shallow, and spurious, measures. They are not delivering the people of Victoria an impassioned defence of democracy and critique of the government. Why? Because, in my opinion, the greater number of practitioners in the Australian media are narrowly educated, inexperienced and in some cases stupid. John Brumby is a mediocre leader, and yet he, and the Victorian government, get away with corroding demorcacy and government in this state. It would, in my opinion be better to elect Ted ballieu for his qualities, yet unknown and yet unexpolained than to continue with the corrosion and corruption of thie Brumby mediocrity. Vote the labor party out at the next election. (Kevin R Beck, owner of the Mosaic Portal on the web) MORE DEGRADATION OF DEMOCRACY UNDER LABOR August 2009: Where are the mentors of ethical amd moral behaviour in government and corporations across Australai? How will the up and coming young flyers learn such things if there are no examples to go by? As the Premier of Queensland struggles to show that her government is not corrupted, by banning lobbysists and success fees and a lot of smoke and mirrors, the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby travels along blithely describing the practice of business paying $5,000 for a meeting with Ministers of the labor government as "speed dating". He thinks that buying access is a sign of a healthy democracy. I think the Premier John Brumby is ethically challenged in his operation of government and leadership. This is a similar to New South Wales where the labor party has made an art form of selling access to government and corrupting democracy in their favour. Those who claim that this is just the way it is and they must participate are as culpable of poor judgement and ethics. Hardly a day goes by without some publication of impropriety by parliamentarians and/or members of the Australian labor party somewhere in Australia. The speaker of the Victorian parliament has called for a new ethics code for Victorian parliamentarians. Highly unlikely to be high on Brumby's agenda of importance. Is there no end to the corruption and corrosion of our democracies by the two major political parties across Australia particularly the Australian labor party? The level of corruption and manipulation of democracy reflects the paucity of the moral charcter of labor's leadership around the nation. It is beyond disappointing to the point of embedded immorality and theft of our governments, local, state, territory and federal. Now it is Dandenong Council that is under the spotlight. A labor parliamentarian is reported to have engineered the council mayoral incumbent into the position. When confronted with questions a lack of memory or simply lying suffices as a tactic. John Brumby is the lewader of labor and under his setwardship anything goes to place labor apparatchiks and friends in public office and elected roles. Extract:Power, politics and integrity, Date: August 02 2009, Tom Reilly Claims of murky council interference by political powerbrokers have echoes of Brimbank. IT IS as intriguing as any political thriller: a lead character apparently in fear for her safety, allegations of blackmail, political patronage and abuse of power. But this isn’t Washington, Westminster or even Canberra — it’s the City of Dandenong, the sprawling multicultural area south-east of Melbourne. There are those who claim Dandenong has something in common with Brimbank, a council a Victorian Ombudsman report found was mired in cronyism. Was Brimbank a one-off, or symptomatic of many local councils crippled by personal enmities and powerbrokers exerting too much influence on council affairs? As in Brimbank, the issues in Dandenong perhaps reveal a side of Labor politics the party would prefer hidden.... There were repercussions: councillor Maria Sampey says her membership of Labor was terminated about a year later. She claims the party’s state secretary, Stephen Newnham, called her to tell her she was being booted out as punishment for backing Mr Kelly in that vote. When she asked him to put this in writing he refused, though her membership was terminated. Mr Newnham refused to comment. A letter of complaint to Premier John Brumby’s office over her treatment received no reply, though three months later she was contacted by Local Government Minister Richard Wynne’s chief of staff to say the letter had been forwarded to them. They told her that, as her complaint concerned internal ALP matters, they were required to pass it on to Mr Newnham. When Ms Sampey protested to the Victorian Ombudsman, she was told they also had no power to look into ALP internal affairs." 9source: The Age newspaper, Melbourne, http://www.theage.com.au/national/power-politics-and-integrity-20090801-e597.html?skin=text-only). BRUMBY AND OVERLAND SOCIOLOGISTS The Premier of John Brumby has signalled that he is out of ideas, and afilure, in adressing the rising violence in Melbourne, Australia. Standing by his side Police Commissioner Overland pontificates that the problem is over indulged children who have grown up never hearing the word know. So the Victorian has a sociologist/psychologist as a police commissioner and whining Premier who demands that the community take responsibility and solve the problem. He, a moribund government and public service cannot. The labor government of Victoria is riddled with aplogists, bleeding heart socialists and underperfprming members of parliament. Magistrates in our courts let people take a walk with raps on the knuckles. The penalties for vicious crimes such as murder, and bashings, do not deter. The Premier is hostage to drivel and his own inadequacies in public office. No tolerance, harsh penalties, three strikes and you are out for the count, ten to fifteen years, or longer. Sieze assets, make drunks pay large fines and generally make being an idiot, and a criminal, a very nasty, and costly, experience. But no, according to Premier Brumby we all have to become responsible. What a bullshit cop out (excuse the pun) from two public servants getting the big bucks. July 2009: PREMIER BRUMBY DEMONSTRATES HIS LACK OF MORAL COMPASS YET AGAIN Before the Bush Fire Royal Commission of 2009 has handed down its interim report John Brumby expressed his support, and satisfaction with the senior management of the Victorian Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability. THE Brumby Government has staunchly defended Country Fire Authority chief fire officer Russell Rees amid sustained criticism of him by lawyers assisting the bushfire royal commission. ,br>"I don't believe we could have asked for more from Russell Rees and the leadership team and our volunteers and our professional firefighters," Premier John Brumby said yesterday. ,br>"I think they did an outstanding job, and I think more generally the community believes that as well ... The community needs to be getting behind the CFA, and that means its leadership, but particularly the volunteers." The scrutiny of Mr Rees's handling of Black Saturday, Australia's worst peacetime disaster, intensified yesterday when senior counsel assisting the commission, Jack Rush QC, said the chief fire officer was not performing what should be basic aspects of his job on February 7, in particular the protection of life." (source: The Australian newspaper) Mr Rush said Mr Rees's decision to take on a non-operational role meant he was "divorced from fundamental aspects of his responsibilities", including issuing adequate warnings and protecting lives. Having observed John Brumby, up close, before he came to government and then as Treasurer and now Premier of Victoria I am lead to the conclusion that Mr Brumby would not even have a notion of ethical and moral leadership or when to keep his mouth shut. Why have a Royal Commission if Brumby and the parasites that infest the parliament (unelected labor party personnel paid from the public purse) whose function is to mislead. conjure and protect their political masters, are going to ensure that its conclusions are a blip on the political landscape and are watered down to irrelevant inconveniences in the days of a worthless government and parliament? "That vivid evidence of loss heard on each of 34 sitting days, is a salutary reminder of the purpose of the Royal Commission. That evidence forms the basis for a general but nonetheless very important submission of Counsel Assisting – that the Commissioners, should adopt the principle that the protection of human life, the primacy of life, be the paramount guiding principle to inform the recommendations that you the Commissioners make in the interim report." And so said Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission (source: http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au) who might on the face of his words at that venerable hearing, make a far better Premier than the one we are lumbered with in Victoria and the heir apparent Mr Ted Ballieu. (Comment insert by Kevin R Beck) "The efforts of CFA, DSE, Police, MFB, SES, ABC and broadcasters, and all community agencies and many others Counsel Assisting submit should be recognised in the interim report. It is appreciated the evidence is not complete; but already there is a substantial body of evidence to demonstrate the self-sacrifice and bravery of those who gave to the point of exhaustion to fight fires, to protect communities, to support those affected. The efforts of all in the submission of Counsel Assisting are perhaps exemplified by the four CFA volunteer fire captains who have provided evidence. The Kinglake, Kilmore, Arthurs Creek and Whittlesea fire captains provided compelling evidence of the magnitude of the commitment and demands placed upon all those who fought fires and contributed as a consequence of the devastation. The State of Victoria should never underestimate this invaluable contribution. Counsel Assisting submit that the work and dedication of all concern should be recognised in the interim report." (op cit) The Counsel Assisting was setting the scene that would show that the people on the ground are far more value than those who are paid large salaries to fail in their jobs and to hide behind the gallantry of others. The bureaucracy and its performance is what it is because of the leadership and standards of the Premier and the Ministers that govern the agencies. Victoria's bureaucracy underperforms as a result of the poor quality of the labor party politicians.If Premier Brumby backs the head of the CFA, Rees, in a renewal of his contract before the discussion of the first report of the Royal Commission has been had then Brumby, and the Ministers of Victoria's labor government, should be consigned to the dustbin of political history at the next election. He will then have his snout in the public trough forever but be a costly irrelevance to the state of Victoria. The senior bureaucrats in charge of the emergency services response centre knew that the Kilmore Fire was heading into the forest and that once in there it would be unstoppable. Yet they took no action to inform anyone of their knowledge or fears. The head of the CFA, Rees, at first claimed that the tragedy of the loss of 173 lives was due to self indulgencelife style residents of the bush fire areas, tree changers. So what was he saing? Serve them right? He wnet on toe say if people choose to live this way who do we blame? This man demonstrated the classic disengagement of the public servant. No responsibility and no remorse for inadequacy. He reaches for the protectio of his job description and legislated role and responsibility. He also hides behinds the gallantry of those who, unlike him, faced the devil. The mena dn women who did nor dream it, but who faced the devil and were awake in fright. Some may conclude that Mr. Rees did not apparently keep close contact with any really vital activity at all. He did not monitor the East Kilmore Fire, was unaware of the aircraft monioring reports, and the work of Dr Kevin Tolhurst who had an accurate map of where the fire was going. Thus Mr. Rees on the face of it appears incompetent by his own admission to the Royal Commission. He resorted to excuses and irrelevancies as to why he did not issue warnings and act. Then came the academic, Bruce Esplin, who concepted the very unqiue "stay or go" policy. he gave in evidence that he was a policy maker. There are pictures of him touring the fire ravaged sites with Brumby. Esplin does his work on empirics, he is a theorist. The question in his mind might be - why would anybody need warnings if they had decided to stay and fight the fire? Is that what Esplin meant by his testimony? Then we have the police, who are supposed to arrange evacuations but would senior officers again would not take risks in their decision making. According to the testimony of one member of the force, Superintendent Rod Collins, it was not their job. Then whose job was it? Well in Brumby and Cameron's public service it is no one's job. The witnesses at the hearing from the CFA and the DSE were people who created bile in one's guts. They were like weasles ducking here and there. Then we have Greg Murphy, put in charge of a raging fire at Kilmore, that ate everything in its path. He was not qualified to manage a major bush fire. Are the people in charge morons? Or are they simply reflective of a pattern of appointments by the Brumby government? I think the latter. They are acquiescent and not likely to challenge mediocre Ministers and a Premier who lacks any remore understanding of public sector quality management and accountability. Then CFA officer Kreltszheim who said to the Royal Commission that his role was to make sure everybody was doing their job. He did not issue wranings apparently because he had many pressing things to do. Then there is Jason Lawrence one more manager at the helm, who appeared before the Royal Commission. It is hardly worth acknowledging any action as being worthy of his post, based on the evidence and his responses. He showed himself to be clear in his role and it was not about prewarning and making decisions that entaiedl too much risk. He did not authorise warnings either. He did not monitor the CFA web site to see if it was up to date or what it might tell him. John Brumby, and Bob Cameron, have created a new wonderful coordinated entity called the IECC. The integrated emergency coordination centre which on its first test, like the management, seemed to have dramatically failed. Even the "000" service run By Telstra did not cope and it too failed the test of efficiency and timely response. This is not surprising given the resources, systems, training, and skills, within many of our vital Australian call centres. The difference this time, in the failure of goverment and bureaucracy, from anything in the past is that 173 people died for a whole range of reasons.The good public servants that Brumby endorses all have one thing in common, they obey the rules and and anything more? Well...... that's apparently beyond the role description. We may expect that the Premier and Ministers will preempt the Royal Commission announcing their own well though out, researched, and consultative, plans for the bush fire season in the coming summer. These will be difficult to comprehend. For example Gavin Jennings Minister for the Environment trumpets an initiative of $A21 million for an extra fifteeen people (very expensive lot) to undertake clearing and back burning. What is the source of the Minister's advice and how does this fit with the Royal Commission evidence, conclusions and recemmoendations in their preliminary report due out in August 2009? Well it probably does not. Alternatively Minister Jennings, and others, have an insight as to what will be in that report. Overall the Brumby labor government is a too often a law unto itself with little, to no, accountability, engaging often in secret and then being outraged if questioned. The standard modus operandi of the Premier is to disagree with critics, or alternative theories and thinking. He dismisses them, mostly off the cuff, quickly least they get too much airing. One can get tired of this dismissive attitude from a paid public servant. That is what he is in essence an elected, paid public servant who needs to understand that simple proposition. He is in office to take in all opinions, to weigh up all facts and options and to go through a transparent process to reach decisions and actions. There is no transparency in the modus operandi of this labor government. This is not unqiue to Victoria it is worse elsewhere. We can simply take it as said that John Brumby, and the labor party Ministers in Victoria's government, are the font of all knowledge and credibility. UNETHICAL PRACTICES AND MORAL BANKRUPTCY May 14, 2009: What a surprise! The whistleblower who reported Brimbank Council to the Victorian Ombudsman, story directly below, has been stood down and expects to be sacked. He works as an electoral officer, part time, for a number of labor politicians (state and federal) among others, Theo Theophanus, a Minister of the Brumby government standing down and charged with rape. I am saddened and have known Theo since the eighties, and suggest that he is not worthy of being a cabinet mminister in Victoria, or for that matter a member of parliament. Will the Premier, John Brumby, come to his aid and restore faith in ethical government? I do not think so. To date, John Brumby, and his cabinet, along with the former Premier have no demonstarive record of moral and tehical governance. There is a very dangerous lesson here. If someone supports the public interest over the personal political interest of members of the parliamentary labor party, they will be held accountable and subjecteed to retaliation. This is a sad day for Victoria which joins the corrupt, and mediocre government of NSW. Victoria needs an independent Commission Against Corruption now, but Mr Brumby and labor Ministers oppose it. Why? It appears to be rather obvious. May 9, 2009: Below in this web site, I have constantly raised the important issue of declining ethics and corruption of democracy within the governments and political parties of Australia. Many voices clamour for change and accountability. Their exhortations fall on the deaf ears of moribund, mediocre and quite often, corrupt politicians and political party apparatchiks. When will we have leaders who value democracy and quality governance? It would be better to vote in an inept government than to retain a corrupt administration. John Brumby, and the labor party of Victoria, should be consigned to the rubbish bin of democracy, voted out of office in the public interest. Unfortunately a State Governor, unlike the Australian Governor General, has no power, under the Constitution, to send a government to an election. As in NSW the people are stuck with liars, cheats and thieves of our most valuable asset - our government and democracy. "The City of Brimbank is the second largest municipality in Melbourne, Victoria Australia, with an area of 123 square kilometres and more than 170,000 residents. Located just 20 kilometres from the CBD, Brimbank is a dynamic and rapidly growing city encompassing 25 new and established suburbs including Sunshine, St Albans, Keilor and Sydenham.... Community Consultation Brimbank City Council has a long standing commitment to effectively consult with its community on matters, issues and activities that may impact on them. Council's consultation policy is executed through communication, awareness, participation and inclusion. As part of its Community Consultation Policy Council aims to: Provide good governance by supporting and establishing open, fair and constructive consultation with its community Encourage active community participation by promoting involvement and inclusion Ensure the community has the opportunity to comment, suggest and examine activities and plans that impact on them to ensure the appropriate outcomes are delivered to our stakeholders Communicate to optimise awareness of the consultation process among the entire target community or communities. (Source: Brimbank Council web site) "Councillors are mandated to represent the interests of the community 2. and to faithfully and impartially carry out their functions to the best of their skill and judgment. They are required to act honestly and to exercise reasonable care and diligence; and must not make improper use of their position, or information acquired because of their position, to advantage themselves or any other person, or to cause detriment to the council. Sadly, my investigation into the conduct of councillors at Brimbank City 3. Council (Brimbank) identified that the behaviour of many councillors failed to meet these standards." (source: Mr. G. Brouwer, Ombudsman of Victoria, report on Brimbank, Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 - Investigation into the alleged improper conduct of councillors at Brimbank City Council May 2009, Ordered to be printed Victorian government printer, Session 2006-09 P.P. No. 188) The report continues. describing allegations inter alia: "Councillors placed Brimbank at financial risk by directing that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) remove funds from a project in retaliation for a councillor’s failure to gain Australian Labor Party (ALP) pre-selection for the Kororoit by-election a councillor knowingly released a confidential resolution to the media a councillor threatened staff, late in the budget process, that the budget would not be carried if approximately $680,000 was not allocated to a sporting ground connected to the councillor’s family. As a result of the disclosures, I decided to investigate whether Brimbank councillors had: performed their functions as public officers dishonestly or with (a) inappropriate partiality (b)breached public trust (c) misused information or material acquired in the performance of their duties (cd mismanaged public resources (e) conspired with each other to engage in conduct referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d). Dysfunctional council The evidence revealed a council that was generally dysfunctional and 6. marked by in-fighting and interpersonal conflicts. It was clear that the council had split into two groups, the ‘ruling faction’ and the minority councillors, and that the council was unable to govern as a whole. One councillor referred to there being a ‘cold war impasse’ between the factions since May 2007. This impeded the council’s ability to function effectively. Influence of unelected persons It became evident early in my investigation that the operation and 7. governance of the council was influenced by individuals who held no elected local government office, including individuals who would be, or were in the past, precluded from holding office because of criminal convictions. Such individuals have not taken an oath of office to act in the best interests of the community serviced by the council." (Source of extracts as previoulsy cited, Victorian Ombudsman) It is noted, by the writer, of this eb article, Kevin R Beck, that a Minister of the Victorian government employs a person within their electoral office who has a criminal record. There apparently are more than one such persons, with criminal records, employed within labor party electoral offices. This in itself may not be all that worrying since they have paid their public duty for their offences. However they are engaged in activities that require high levels of accountability, responsibility and trust. The employment of former crimonals alone would place John Brumby, and others, within the electoral offices of senior labor party members of parliament, in the position of having, and continuing to to have, allowed Victoria's democracy to be at risk. The former Premier, Steve Barcks, and current Premier and Ministers of the Victorian government, are well aware of the factional and self interest activities of the Brimbank Council and other factional activities across Victoria. The current Premier of Victoria, John Brumby's own labor party faction is a part of this corrupted network. Similarly there are members of the federal labor party in government in Canberra who are supported in their political party careers by the corrupt party local branches, local government councillors and other elements in Victoria, NSW and elsewhere across Australia. They, like their state based parliamentary colleagues, rely upon the continuation of branch stacking (paid membership) for local branches to mainatin their preselection and control of the party base that keeps them in office. I have raised the ethical values of the current Premier and the previous one. below in this site over many years, and also in the editorial site on ethics in government and business in Australia. John Brumby, as Premier, has no record of demanding basic ethical standards. I am sick and tired of hearing it, experiencing it and dealing with it in my work and community life. I have no respect for governments and their ways and the bureaucracy that turns a blind eye to their political masters unethical, partisan and corrupt behaviours. Change the title from "public servants" to "servants of governments". Returning to the Ombudsman's report: "My investigation also identified concerns with councillors working 14. in the offices of Members of Parliament. In my view, this creates a clear conflict of ‘duty’ and ‘duty’. I identified two instances where a councillor’s duty to a Member of Parliament impacted upon the performance of the councillor’s public functions. I was concerned that some individuals failed to recognise the broader ethical obligations of public officers to avoid conflicts of interest, preferring instead to rely on a narrow interpretation of conflict of interest and limited legislative provisions. My investigation also identified that the behaviour of the ‘ruling faction’ and others was often not concerned with ‘peace, order or good government’, as is required under the Local Government Act. The evidence points to councillors in the ‘ruling faction’ voting in a block to support the faction, even when those decisions were not necessarily in the best interests of the community. Some decisions appear to have been made for personal gain; to cause detriment to the council; or in retaliation for broken promises. In my view, some decisions represent a misuse of position by councillors elected to represent the community and give rise to likely breaches of the Local Government Act.... The ‘ruling faction’ demonstrated that it was willing to place the council at financial risk for a personal vendetta. The six majority councillors issued a written direction to the CEO, instructing him to withdraw budget funding for works at the Keilor Lodge Reserve, in spite of the fact that such action could cost the council in excess of $100,000 for breach of contract. " Interjected commentary by Kevin R Beck - these are actions that are of benefit to the labor party and the members of the Victorain labor government in particular factiosn and certain electoral seats of parliament. The Attorney General, the Minister for Local Government and the Premier of Victoria, might consider resigning their public office. Do not even think they might do this because they have demonstrated no ethical backbone, in office to date, and no concept of good governance. The government and labor officials have known for years that there is corruption in the party, and its practices, at every level of government in Victoria and for that matter everywhere in the nation. They will let someone else take the fall. The spin doctors are working hard to contain this within the offices of senior labor members of the Victorian parliament, and within Ministerial offices in Canberra (federal government) and the local federal electorates in the state of Victoria, namely the factional bases of Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister Stephen Conroy. They are supported by the factions named in the report. They will deny any knowledge of any of this activity. Because senior members of the state and federal labor parliaments are at risk, a Minister in Victoria, will be the political sacrifice. Who amongst the labor ministers has been lying to the Victorian parliament. Ombudsman report extract - "My investigation also revealed a culture in which the overbearing attitude of a councillor was allowed to substantially modify how a budget should be developed without the matter going to a full council meeting. This involved a councillor demanding that $680,000 be allocated to works at Cairnlea Park (which is allocated to a club linked to the councillor’s family) or the budget would not be adopted. Items were subsequently deleted, deferred, changed in scope or reduced in the budget to accommodate the councillor’s demand. I also established that some councillors bullied, pressured and harassed 20. Brimbank staff to the point where one officer left Brimbank and another went on leave. Councillors also interfered in staffing issues, including instructing both the current and former CEOs to terminate the employment of senior staff. Misuse of council funds and equipment My investigation identified inappropriate use of council funds and property by councillors. Councillors failed to identify and reimburse Brimbank for private use of council telephones, with some councillors owing Brimbank hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. I was concerned that Brimbank had never audited councillors’ mobile telephone bills, despite Brimbank spending $63,757 (after reimbursement from councillors) on mobile telephone bills for 2005-08. In addition, councillors made improper use of council provided laptops. For example, I found pornographic material and inappropriate software on the laptops of two councillors. I also identified concerns about gifts purchased by Brimbank for the outgoing mayor each year. Some councillors chose their own gifts, spending up to $1,000. I was concerned to find that Brimbank had no policy to govern the purchasing of what appeared to be lavish gifts. My investigation identified concerns with the former CEO’s remuneration package. I identified that Brimbank provided the former CEO with a motor vehicle, purchased six months prior for $38,833, and subsequently paid an additional $35,523 Fringe Benefits Tax. Inappropriate release of information I identified that some councillors inappropriately leaked information to the media for their personal benefit or to tarnish the reputation of Brimbank officers or other fellow councillors. One councillor also provided several confidential council documents to an international company, and to others, for his own advantage in an attempt to start a private business competing with a local government supplier. He also misused his position and information obtained through Brimbank to seek an advantage for a family member. Improper use of electoral information My investigation also revealed that a councillor obtained electoral information for tens of thousands of Victorian citizens from a political party, in contravention of the Victorian Electoral Act 2002. Local Government Victoria My investigation identified concerns about the way in which Local Government Victoria discharged its statutory responsibility to investigate potential breaches of the Local Government Act in relation to Brimbank. In my view, Local Government Victoria’s response to complaints about Brimbank did not deal adequately with them." Commentary by Kevin R Beck: Let's stop here and have a look at the web site of Local Government victoria within the Department of Planning and Environment, "Welcome Local Government Victoria works cooperatively with Victoria’s 79 local councils to ensure that Victorians enjoy world class responsive and accountable local government services. Through partnerships with councils and local government associations, Local Government Victoria encourages and supports best practice and continuous development in local governance and local government service delivery to all Victorian communities. " Should we be derisive of this statement? Shoukd the senior manager of this failed bureaucracy resign. Should we simply hold elements of the Victorian public service in contempt? How can we wtell who is a true servant of the people and a high calibre employee of the public? The failure of Local Government victoria and its Minister taints the rest of the public service and Ministries and generally creates a climate of distrust. This is the Victoria that labor, under the previous Premier Steve Bracks and the current Premier John Brumby, has created. In speaking out, people like myself know, that there will be a blacklist and reprisals. These people will take away livelihhords and destroy careers and reputatiuons in pursuit of their self interest and maintenance of power. So what do I, and others do, remain silent? "For evil to triumph it is enough only that good men do nothing_, Edmund Burke, an 18th Century British Statesman", where are the good men, and women, of Australian politics? (April 2009: PREMIER JOHN BRUMBY FAILS ETHICAL PUBLIC INTEREST TEST AGAIN IN THE GRIP OF EVER DECLINING ETHICS As another labor Minister, in the State of Victoria, is accused of criminal activity John Brumby stoically refuses to demonstrate any understanding of ethical response and judgement. "Hinch: Another whack at struggling Premier John Brumby Posted by: By Derryn Hinch, 3AW Drive | 7 April, 2009 - 5:11 PM If anybody had any lingering doubt about the need for an independent crime commission in the state of Victoria all they had to do was listen to the inept, self-justifying, defensive Monty Pythonesque performance by the Premier on the Neil Mitchell program this morning. Talk about a stumbling, bumbling Brumby. At the centre of it is an allegation made by former Assistant Police Commissioner Noel Ashby that he was tipped off by a Government Minister, Tim Pallas, about a top secret investigation into Police Union Boss, Paul Mullett. Twice on Mitchell's program, Premier Brumby referred to Tim Pallas (a former member of his staff) as 'Neil' and said '10 o'clock tonight' instead of 'this morning'." (Source of extract: http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/blog-with-derryn-hinch/hinch-another-whack-at-struggling-premier-john-brumby/20090407-9zd2.html") "Ex-cop names senior minister, David Rood, April 7, 2009 FORMER assistant police commissioner Noel Ashby has named Tim Pallas as the State Government minister who he says tipped him off about a top-secret investigation. Ashby, who is awaiting trial on various charges, including perjury, has alleged that the Roads Minister warned him during a private meeting two years ago about a possible investigation into police union head Paul Mullett." (source: The Age Newspaper, Melbourne, http://www.theage.com.au/national/excop-names-senior-minister-20090406-9uup.html?page=-1") Underlying all of this is the persistent resistance by the Premier to the establishment of an independent Commission to examine corruption, and allegations of impropriety, in public office. "REPORTER: And you remain committed…opposed to a royal commission or an independent corruption commission? JOHN BRUMBY: Well, I think if you look at the – there’s two separate questions there and I’ll answer them both – if you look at the arguments in relation to a royal commission, I don’t think there’s, you know, that there’s any doubt at all that all of the evidence, and all of the analysis, leads you to the conclusion that the OPI is a better way to go. And the reason I say that, you know, go back in Victoria and have a look, go right back to the Beech Royal Commission in the 70s, I think, you know, there were two charges that were laid. If you speak to former Judge Beech, he’ll tell you that he would never ever recommend to any government again that they put in place a royal commission, because it’s just not productive. If you look at the Federal Government’s royal commission into the building industry, the number of charges that were laid there, I don’t believe there were any charges that were laid in Victoria. If you look at the Western Australian royal commission, I understand the number of charges that were laid were less than 10. So, if you look at royal commissions across Australia, overwhelmingly they don’t result in the prosecution of individuals." (source of extract: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/news-events/premier-john-brumby-and-roads-and-ports-minister-tim-pallas.html", PREMIER JOHN BRUMBY AND ROADS AND PORTS MINISTER TIM PALLAS. Thursday 8 November, (government web site). During a byelection the Labor party in Victoria resorted to distributing a pamphlet that was balatantly false, and designed to corrupt the electroal process, Brumby defended the indefensible and thus demeans the office of Premier and the democarcy of the state. " John "Brumby defends Kororoit by-election stoush Article Geraldine Mitchell July 01, 2008 12:00am PREMIER John Brumby has angrily deflected criticism of the Labor Party's campaign for the western suburbs seat of Kororoit, saying it was "robustly contested". High-profile independent candidate Les Twentyman made an official complaint to Victoria Police yesterday about harassment. Mr Twentyman alleges he and his family were stalked and photographs of his house were taken in the weeks leading up to Saturday's election. He has also lodged a complaint with the Victorian Electoral Commission about Labor Party pamphlets that claimed a vote for him would be a vote for the Liberal Party. In another pamphlet, widely distributed in the days leading up to the election, Labor attacked his previous support of safe injection rooms for heroin users." (source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23949007-2862,00.html" Herald Sun Newspaper Melbourne, Australia) The Premier obvioulsy diagrees with the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd " Corruption: Rudd used in state row Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Paul Austin October 31, 2007 Latest related coverage Police 'breached database' Advertisement PREMIER John Brumby has been embarrassed by the revelation that federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd believes independent anti-corruption commissions are a crucial weapon in the fight against public sector corruption. The State Opposition yesterday released a 1997 newspaper article by Mr Rudd to put further pressure on Mr Brumby to set up an anti-corruption body in Victoria similar to the Crime and Justice Commission established after the Fitzgerald report exposed high-level corruption in Queensland. "The very existence of a credible CJC is of itself a significant deterrent against corruption," Mr Rudd wrote in his capacity as cabinet secretary in the former Goss Labor government in Queensland. "Part of holding that line (against corruption) is a properly funded and properly empowered CJC." (Source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/corruption-rudd-used-in-state-row/2007/10/30/1193618886923.html", The Age Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia. Is it pure stubborness, a failure to acknowledge that there is corruption in every jurisdiction to some degree or is there something to hide? perhaps all of them. It is difficult to respect the Premier and his belligerent stand, antagonistic bombastic responses to claims of corruption and manner of governance of the state. In an interview with radio talk host Neil Mitchell on 3AW the Premier asked asked if Mr Mitchell was asserting that there was curruption in health ... naming other departments and asking "is that what you are saying". The short answer that Mr Mitchell might have given the Premier is:YES but he did not. Rigging public hospital reports in order to avoid government penalties and to get bonuses, is that not corruption in health, within Mr Brumby's public sector? VICTORIA'S PUBLIC SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT IN THE GRIP OF DECLINING ETHICS When it comes to open, and accountable government, John Brumby, and the Victorian labor parliamentary party, has little credibility. There are so many exmples ranging from criminal prosecutions, to engagement with criminal figures, misrepresentation and lies in electroal material, doctoring statistics andmuch more that is not seen at the local community level. In March 2009 we learn that Melbourne Water sought to stop a parliamentary adviser to the opposition from gaining information that would expose the government as liars contously engaged in misrepresentation about the benefits of their actions. The threat used was a criminal prosecution. That the Board, and CEO of a public owned utility, public servants in effect, would countenance, and engage in the corrosion of our democracy should itself be subject to instant dismissal and prosecution but John Brmby has no record of demanding such qualities in Ministers or public officials. "A BRUMBY government agency threatened to criminally prosecute a Coalition staffer who was pursuing a freedom of information request about Labor's politically sensitive north-south pipeline project. Melbourne Water threatened criminal contempt proceedings - which carry a maximum five-year jail term - against Clay Manners, an adviser to Nationals leader Peter Ryan, who was pursuing the FOI claim on behalf of Mr Ryan. Melbourne Water claimed Mr Manners inappropriately passed on information he had received through initial FOI proceedings to allow Mr Ryan to pursue a second FOI request. The threat of criminal proceedings was made despite the fact that Mr Manners was pursuing the initial request on behalf of Mr Ryan and it was written on Mr Ryan's letterhead. After lawyers for Mr Manners pressured Melbourne Water to explain its grounds for the contempt action, Melbourne Water dropped the threat on February 24. However, Melbourne Water is yet to release the documents that Mr Ryan believes will show the north-south pipeline would not be able to receive or deliver the amount of water claimed by the Government." (source: Court threat over FOI request Ewin Hannan | March 21, 2009, Article from: The Australian) There are ever growing incidences of public service fiefdoms victimising and threatening people who dare to challenge the low grade rule of John Brumby. The Premier does not easily tolerate dissent, look at the threats issued regarding the building of a water pipeline and a desalination plant. John Brumby follows the hoary political ideology of mandate to rule, not govern with and even handed and ethical approach. In the health portfolio, Minister Daniel Andrews denies for someting like nine months that there is no fraud within the data collection of Victoria's public hospitals. "Mr Andrews said the Department of Human Services had not told him about the Royal Women's data when it was informed in February as the department was operating on the basis that its mistake was caused by human error. Asked if he was satisfied that all Victorian hospitals were doing the right thing in reporting waiting lists, Mr Andrews said: "In the absence of evidence, I stand by the data. "What I can guarantee is that if any person across our state has any information about inappropriate behaviour in any of our hospitals … we will take appropriate action." (Source: Hospitals face probe over rorts Julia Medew, March 20, 2009, The Age Newspaper) "Mr Andrews said he had been briefed on the issue only on Wednesday because the Department of Human Services (DHS) had earlier attributed the anomaly to human error. "They only made me aware of these matters at that time because only at that point did they confirm that this was not a case of errors, as had perhaps been put forward. It was a case of inappropriate behaviour." (Source: Vic to review 'fudged' hospital figures, March 19, 2009, www.smh.com.au) This hapless, and some may think incompetent, Minister, has a penalty system in place which imposes fines on hospitals that do not meet the unrealistic benchmarks that this buffoon places on them. He then appears not to understand what such a hevay handed approach to Ministry engenders. The human tendency to try and work within a stupid policy by any means. Perhaps an even greater indictment is that he cliams not to know anything and everything is tinged with whining denial and self saving bluff and obsfucation. sadly for Victoria the Opposition Leader, Ted Ballieu offfers no solace that he, and his cohort, would be any better in delivering a quality government and public service. The modern politician is more interested in pursuing their own narrow agendas and the wider issue of decline in ethics, quality and performance in government and the public service would expose them to a dangerous reform indeed. So we can assume that issues will only be pursued where they deliver a political, not a public interest, outcome. The politicians do not discren that a public, which itself does not value integrity and ethics would have little interest in such a nebulous value proposition. Thinking, and ethical, people can only hold them all in contempt. THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF CULLING THE DROSS IN AUSTRALIA'S SECRET STATE WHILST CELBBRATING AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST PUBLIC SERVANTS Australia's dedicated and most valuable public servants You will not find these public servants sitting smug in a Senate hearing, feeling good about their sanctimonious self indulgence. They are not the highly paid senior officers of the public service across the nation who struggle to get one thing right and fail in almost every service delivery. You will not find them in the halls of Australia's parliaments. They are not the parasites that infest the government Ministries, paid from the public purse. The front line most valuable public servants are the ones who work tirelessly in the face of horror and loss of life. They are the unseen heroes of the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DES), the Country Fire Authority (CFA), the police, the emergency service workers (State Emergency Service) and the NSW Rural Fire Authority who come to our aid as our people do. Most of them are not paid at all. There are tens of thousands of them and they come from across the state and far away, they are the most laudable, and invaluable, in our communities. They are the people who come together to fight the red demon, the most dangerous terrorist of all, the Australian bushfire. They stare death in the face and make decisions that will impact lives, communities and livelihoods. Front line, second line and the third line volunteers, people who support the tens of thousands of men, and women, who come from all over Australia to do battle with the dragon, and those who bring food, water and supplies, the people who monitor and keep records and provide life saving blood and medical services like the Australian Red Cross. There is also one consideration that has been an underlying principle, live in the bush and there is alwats the attendant risk of fire. Australia is a fire prone country. The state has been ruled by environmentalists who captured the Victorian labor party several years ago. This agency, one of the most dangerous in Australia, has several levels of operation. Out in front are the people who wokredd tirelessly with the fire fighters. These are the public servnats who are a credit and who are worth keeping. The other more insidious occupy the back rooms. They oppose burn offs, arrest catlleman for grazing in the alps and parks and who are the ones who should be shed from the public purse. they will be identified in the coming 2009 Royal Commission. They will engage, as will the government (Minister Gavin Jennings has already started the manipulation establishing the framework for political lies), in maintaining the secret state. The power bases are moving and the shift is resolute. Pity is no one will be held accountable, in the public service or the government. The only people held accountable are the arsonists. Are those who vehemently opposed burning off and bush clearance, who arrested cattleman grazing their herds and find people for clearing their trees, along with their public service chiefs, and their political masters, perhaps arsonists in another less obvious sense? Sustainability and Environment, is it the most dangerous Department in the AUSTRALIAN public sector? Visit the Foster Home of the Victorian Bushfire. Victoria's whining Ministers blame everyone else In January 2009 Victorian government Ministers, Kosky, Daniels and Jennings all bleated that something was not their fault. Whether it be transport, trains, water, health and a range of other poor public services it is never their fault. It is someone else who is resposnible. Whilst they may not run the services their constant cowardly responses and self interest are nauseating. They demonstrate their capacity as Ministers, and members, of parliament. Itv is difficult to have rsepect for the whiners and the blamers. They are lead by John Brumby a shallow, pedantic Premier who is immersed more in power struggloes and hanging onto power than he is in delivering quality government. He demands no standards that might be a reminder as to who pays their way. The public. d Yet the government goes unchallenged as Ted Ballieu and the liberal party demonstrate no capacity for taking the fight to the government. It is a lack lustre parliament full of bench warmers, and parasites, on the public purse. The performance of the public service reflects the capacity of the Premier and the labor Ministers. The membership of the Victorian labor party is low and shallow offering little diversity for the future. Like NSW, Victoria slides easily into factional fighting among self interested corroders of democracy and government who want their share of the spoils. Most people, particularly those in business, remain silent perferring not to attract bile, and retribution, from the vultures feeding on the public purse. Those who are supportive and acquiescent share in the benefits funded by the public. It is a corrupt system run by people who are not worthy of respect but rather condemnation. The thing is they think they are doing a good job. However is coming to bite them. Will they rise to the tasks and the challenges?. Vic Roads, Spin and Brumby's Transport Plan A Transport Strategy of Smoke and Mirrors, Deception and Slip Sliding Away John Brumby has unveiled Victoria's transport strategy. In doing so he adopted the "spin" rule of implying that a decision to have a planning exercise or in announcing a policy is tantamount to, and effectively, action. Big numbers are thrown about and in built into the plan is the aasumption that the federal government will give the state $A10,000,000,000. There will be an $A18,000,000 planning exercise to determine how best to do the strategy. Thus the strategy is just a wish list, a bunch of hollow rhetoric thought up from a few theories and research projects. The most expensive thing about it so far is the glossy advertising and spin put out by the parasites on the public ourse whose job is to mislead and convolute. They should be paid from the coffers of their political masters' parties and not the public purse. The transport strategy describes transport in 2020. This is the new political fad. To state, as implied fact, that something will be something twenty years out. We have the crystal ball theories and estimates, turned into fact of climate change. The politicians and the public servants are now experts in reading the future. Never mind that they cannot predict next week and the next six months or year. Premier Brumby and his vision of the future should be taken with a grain of salt. It should be viewed in the context of his perfromance in the state to date. Manufacturing, retail and commerce are all in decline. Infrastructure, water and energy policy planning and action are all captive to charlatans and possibly cave dwellers. Laugh and then cry because the alternative is Ted Ballieu and the liberal and nional conservative members of the parliament. Career politicians with no record of innovative thinking and quality administration and governance. Be derisive, and simply ignore, the government and its crystal ball bullshit. Ignore Ted Ballieu and go about building a moat. Be thankful, at least we do not live in NSW. Though our politicians, and labor party hacks, have the ability to migrate that labor, and liberal, model of incompetence into Victoria if they keep going the way they are. Another dangerous agency Victorian Civil and Adminstrative Tribunal (VCAT) Embracing Without Question A Government's Stupidity Victoria's planning laws are now based on tarot cards and crystal ball theories and the decisions of VCAT, where climate change regulations of the Victorian government, are relied upon, are suspect. Where can people go now for sanity? To the courts and ultimatley the High Court? Land developers, and builders, along the Victorian coast are now subject to the Victorian government "climate change" sea level rise adjudication. The Victorian government, captive to soothsayers and having Ministers who believe they acn predict the future, has decided that the sea level will rise 0.8 metres sometime in the future and set the regulations accordingly. Local government, somewwhat sceptical now has to toe that line as VCAT, a body that is both mute to alternative views and sycophantic to government implements the drivel and dangerous rules. Only idiots would embrace such theories as if they were truth. It is not expected that any VCAT member will resign on the grounds that the government is stupid and they in all conscience cannot rule using crystal ball theory. The Victorian government has not had a debate about climate change and nor has it undertaken any in depth investigation of the drivel theories put about by proponents of climate change and its own public service. The Victorian Treasury, and the economic gurus within the Victorian labor state government has been as inept at predicting the economic tsunami as the australian federal Treasury and the rest of Australia's governments and their adviers. An Inept and Potentially A Very Dangerous Agency John Brumby Suffers from Political and Ideological Deafness Syndrome Anecdotal stories abound of people's interaction with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment. A large amount of poublic money and effort, by community, business, the agency, public service and the members of parliament are spent with controversy. Some claim that most of the controversy and arguments are avoidable. When speaking with people who have an intricate involvement with DSE they describe and inflexible and ideological culture with the Department dominated by partisan interests. There is no doubt that the government is captive to the most redicale environmenta;ist persuaders in any state of Australia. DSE are opposed to building dams in the state, without providing valid arguments and nurturing debate. The state government under John Brumby is aloof refusing to justify its aversion. Thus vast amounts of water run to the sea in east Gippsland hilst the government is obsessed with building a pipeline through central Victoria from water storages that are depleted. Self interest of a political and vested commercial nature are redolemt. The government is arrogant and the opposition is benign. DSE burn off of public lands is also controverial and there is evidence that their policies and actions are dangerous. They are in cohort with Parks Victoria in relation to bushfire mitigation. "Barmah Forest people with intimate knowledge of the area through family habitation dating back generations are adamant recent prescribed fires by Parks Victoria at Yeilima were disastrous, creating, with a planned fuel reduction burn, exactly the situation they were purportedly trying to eliminate. Parks Victoria’s plans for the Barmah Forest will create a large area with enhanced risk of destruction by fire because the forest will no longer have the protective elements previous generations have maintained there that the government now wants taken away. Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment policy presents dangerous risks to the forest and the people who live on its boundaries." (Source: A working forest is a living forest, by RobMc from Shepparton on 05/11/2008, by Tom Carey, The Adviser, Goulburn Valley, Victoria) "16 Jan 2007 ... These all show the abject failure of Parks Victoria and DSE to achieve annual burning programs in any year, spanning two decades. . .." (source: Forest Network Fire and Bushfires, www.forest-network.org/Docs/fire.htm) Inside the bureaucracy the all knowling ridicule the individuals and those with alternate contrary opinions. Putting DSE in charge of the desalination project demonstrates the capacity of the government for poor judgement and the entrenched influence of DSE in Cabinet. DSE seem to lack a knowledge of energy dynamics and mechanics involved in developing the water strategy. Desalination is a high energy consumer and thus an environmentally damaging technology. The economics of desalination are inefficient and overall this is a really stupid action by government. DSE economic and planning credentials are questionable. "The Auditor-General's report Planning for Water Infrastructure in Victoria is prefaced by an unusually testy exchange between the Auditor-General himself, Des Pearson, and Peter Harris, the secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment. This highlights the AG's finding that the department had been, at the very least, sloppy in its estimated costs of new water supplies and outcomes. Clearly, the public exchange masks a heightened level of criticism. The AG's comments call into question the competence of the Government's water policy procedures. His first recommendation is to revise the plan entirely. This is unusual since the scope of the AG's review is pretty much restricted to reviewing the operations of government agencies. Water Minister Tim Holding claims the matter is simply a vigorous debate about a controversial issue on which the Government has made the right judgement. Damning though the AG's report is, he was clearly pulling some punches. Thus, in referring to the 2004 blueprint, Securing Our Water Future Together, he does not point out that it was founded on an approach, shown to be erroneous, that sought to balance water supply and demand by restricting supply, especially from northern Victoria." (source: Institute of Public Affairs, http://www.ipa.org.au/news/1578/ag-to-dse-dam-or-be-damned, AG to DSE: Dam or be damned, Food & Environment and Deregulation Unit, Alan Moran, The Age 17th April, 2008) One source told me that DSE would have us living in caves and are opposed to growth through industry development unless it fits their straight jacket of assessment. The opposition in Victoria's parliament lead by Ted ballieu is derelict in its capacity to challenge the government on any front and simply recycles "career politicians" who are not delivering value for money representation. The communication between community and the parliament is controlled and managed. The bureaucracy and the government are secretive. We live in a society where participation in our government is minimised except for the annointed. The Victorian government demonstrates daily the decline in moral, and ethical, values in our Australian political parties and state governments. Questionable Police Actions and Mates I spent the day (7 October 2008) in the Magistrates Court in Heidelberg watching a case where the police were charging a man I knew with criminal damage. The case was dismissed. The case should never have come to court and was a great waste of public funds. But you would be forgiven if you thought that the police or the magistrate actually cared? The evidence was non existent, the police resisted a subpoena and the complainant witnesses were openly making the material up to my mind to suit the occasion. Their evidence did not match the statements where the police bothered to have notes and evidence. The police actually did not have all notes and presented photocopies of purported damage rather than the actual photographs. The magistrate referred to them on a numner of occasions as photographs. The complainant was the wife of a policeman. Her statement about events was taken, not at the local police station, where the incident occurred but at a station in the city where her husband worked by one of his colleagues. The magistrate appeared to have some underlying view and a disposition based more on perception and whom he though was telling the truth rather than the reality. This assessment occurred in the absence of any supporting evidence. Yet he cpuld not find the defendant guilty. The burden of prrof apparently irked the magistrate. Such was the perception that he declined to award costs. The defendant was forced to pay $3,300 to defend a case that was trumped up. He did not appear bothered by this. Winning the case was soured by the person who was supposed to render unbiased justice. It is now clearer to me why there is such resistance. The commission would be very busy. There is a significant amount of corruption (in differing aspects and descriptions) of our public offices and underperformance by public officials in return for the salaries they are paid. The government could care less. The state of Victoria is a wonderful place except for the small number of people who make it a nasty place to be. A number occupy positions of power and are dangerous. Brumby Must Buy Out the Methane Housing Estate - Cranbourne Out in the eastern suburbs a group of people purchased houses next to a disused garbage tip. There was a lot of debate about the issuing of the approval to the developers for the estate. Council, the Envionmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Victorian Civil and Adoministrative Tribunal (VCAT) all considered the application. Council refused the permit, which is common in Victoria. They do this to avoid accountabiliuty and risk on contentous matters knowing that the hard taks of assessment will fall to VCAT. VCAT granted the approval and a company, Pete, developed the estate. For some unknown reason the tip was not capped and sealed. This is questionable around the EPA's role and obligations. The Minister of course was oblivious to anything since his advisers and senior public servants live in a world of myopia concerned only with their self interests. It is a cosy government and public sector relationship, reminiscent of the Hollow Men (an Australian "Working Dog" produced television satire on politics). Now the levels of methane are excessive risking explosion. The residents who built large houses have to move out or risk danger. The public service and government slip slides away. Not known for quick thinking John Brumby will not act decisievly until his media managers and advisers tell him he is again looking inept in the role. Typical of the unelected Premier Brumby, and the relevant Minister, there are no solutions offered. There is a small government assistance of a few thousand dollars. That is the extent of the capacity of Premier John Brumby to offer leadership in a very hard matter. Whatever he thinks, the Victorian public sector agencies, (the Council and the other two bodies), stuffed up big time. All are ins ome manner derelict in duty but will defend their right to be stupid, and incompetent, to the end. The government should have no other thought than to buy back the residences at the initial cost. The question is when Mr. Brumby and his less than inspiring Cabinet, will come to this realisation. If it was car manufacturing being threatened there would immediate action and no problem forking out tens of millions of public funds with little justification, or prospect, of return. The leader of the Opposition Ted Ballieu is annoying Credibility is about knowing the topic and the detail. There are problems with the Myki smart card for transport in Victoria is very comlicated. It is not Minister Kosky's fault when it does not work properly. Mr Ballieu demonstrates a foolish notion of suing, or charging, the company delivering the project for failure under contract. He does not understand the technology, nor the problematic process he would enact. He has no detail and is simply being annoying and stupid. Ms Kosky has been tolerant, and careful, during the process. She has been subject to an inane, and concerted campaagn of assault by an opposition politician who is yet to prove that he is capable of being a sensible critic, policy innovator and Minister, let alone a Premier of Victoria. If there is any criticism, I personally find valid, it is in the complicated (unnecessarily) design of the system, and the role of the Victorian Ticketing Authority in the saga. Ther eare a myriad of public service dead hands in the cooking pot. One can write to the Minister, the bureaucracy, even meet with the company in charge of Myki card, offering assistance to no avail. There is a blank wall held up by ego cement. The Minister, and the bureaucracy, do not reply. They do not accept support from experts who might be able to help. Thera re many working systems around the wold yet the Victorian public service and its suppliers decided to invent a new wheel. This is typical of information technology nerds, obsessed with massive compliacted technology architectures wanting to protect their turf. They sing honey songs to a myopic government, and ministry, that has disdain for the people they are purported to represent. The Victorian public service, like many other state jurisdictions in Australia, under labor or even liberal parties, has grown, to my mind, fat and comfortable. There is no accountability, and no responsibility, down the ranks. They are adverse to accepting personal risk but happy to piss public money down the drain if they divest the risk to someone other than themselves unders ome contract. Their survival interests are aligned to protecting the Minister of threCrown, that they are there to look after. They are partners in survival and in political crime. This is a corroded, and corrupt, democratic process of government and public service. Along with the public sector fat cats, and the politicians theys erve, are the embedded consultants who rape the public purse. It is a cost arrangement. Now Ted Ballieu, and his parliamentary colleagues. are party to this cosy relationship. The game is thus attack the other side in agladiatorial contest that has no value and substance. No wonder the avergae person is disengaged from this stupidity and waste. VICTORIA'S MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICE Below, in this web site, I criticise the government, and bureaucracy. Too often people, like myself, get stuck into the system, and the people within it, without acknowledging the people who work in the front line. So when we look at the states, and territories, of Australia, we might ponder why there are less children at risk and less abandoned by parents, in Victoria? Why are there less in state care programmes? Well it is the politicians ad the bureaucrats. The answer is quite simple really. In 2002 the Victorian Departmet of Human Services, under the auspices of the Health Minister, and the members of the Victorian cabinet labor government, under Premier Steve Bracks and Treasurer, John Brumby (now Premier) put into place the "Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service Guidelines 2003-04". These are the most advanced support services in the nation. A registered, new mother is visited within a matter of two weeks, or so, after child birth. When we whinge about things, we should also remember the work of nurses, doctors, volunteer workers, state emergency services volunteer workers, country fire authority volunteers, ambulance service members, teachers, principles, and the people who suuport the schools in assisting teachers, youth workers, the volunteers who help the homeless and the disabled, police, and many more. Their jobs are made all the harder by by vested interests, including the dead hand of many others. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT A DANGER TO QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMY I am sitting with a number of consultants who are working in manufacturing, energy and business development. They are talking of their dealings with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and with the John Brumby state labor government Ministers and agencies. If you are not in the labor party list of acceptable proponents then it is a despairing process to try and deal with them. DSE is viewed with skepticism and general hostility by anyone who wants to develop an energy intensive industry using the existing, vast fossil fuel resources. Some argue that the bureaucracy is dead and unable to function under the existing government. They will not make a decision. DSE is embracing the Rudd governmet's ETS with gusto. They meet with closed minds to any real economic assessment. They have refused to fullly understand the nature of energy, electricity, power consumption, price and employment. They talk abiout renewables as if these fantasies of their imagination can drive and maintain a rapacious society of individuals hell bent on consumption. Some say that DSE would like us to live like we are hippies in Nimbin NSW in sacl cloth beating ourselves with birch wood branches. It si a somewhat bemusing quality of people who do not like something to seek to have it banned for everyone else. DSE apprently salivates at the idea of a congestion tax, to reduce traffic in Melboure CBD. They prefer to cram everyone into a fatally flawed transport network crumbling because of lack of nvestment and planning during the years of neglect by labor. The liberals under Jeff Kennett privatised the system in the vain belief that the private sector could rescue it. The experiment has been patchy. In the Latrobe Valley, in central east Victoria, a company called HRL operates Morwell Power Station and Briquetting factory. They are planning to build a new generation gasification facility to dry brown coal for generation. They have laboured towarsd their goal under a mypoic vision that the government will provide. Saddled with an incompetent Ministry, and bureaucracy, to get the project to bankable status. The Premier, and Minister, with usual cant, state that they want the project. Behind the scenes DSE are doing everything they can to kill it off. They are now ably supported by Kevin Rudd's federal government driven ETS, climate change, whihc has added $A50,000,000 per annum in operational costs with the stroke of a proposed legislative pen, a carbon tax on tonnage of arbon dioxide emitted. This project unfortunatley emits 2.2 billion tonnes or thereabouts per year. John Brumby, come hell or high water, is going to build (in a private public partnership) a desalinationn plant on the coast to drought prrof Victoria. He is going to build a pipleine donw the middle of Victoria to Melbourne to drought proof the city. The desalination plant will consume so much energy as to increase the greenhouse footprint of the state dramatically. In the meantime the Mitchell River floods, in Gippsland, and no amount of economic sense, or arguement, can move the government to dam the river and stop the devastation and waste of water. DSE does not like dams and the government thinks damsa re an expensive waste of money. The political planning processe, around public policy and action, are so dangerous that together Mr. Rudd, Mr. Brumby, and public sector agencies like DSE, risk killing manufacturing in the State of Victoria. Thousands will lose their livelihoods under the current ideology, ideas, proposals and models. Whole communities, like Morwell and Traralgon, along with many others, will suffer irreparable economic, and social, harm. Victoria, like the Commponwealth, is in the hands of the benders, and the shapers. TRANSPORT AND THE MYKI CARD The opposition spokesperson on transport, in the Victorian parliament, Mr. Terry Mulder, continually refers to the failure of the Mykie Card strategy for modernising payment for travel on public transport, as mismanagement by the Premier John Brumby and the Minister, Ms Lyne Kosky. This is rubbish. "With (Premier) John Brumby and (Public Transport Minister) Lynne Kosky's mismanagement, myki is already three years late and will not see the light of day across Victoria until at least 2010," he said. (Extract of reporting of Mr. Mulder's statements in the Hearld Sun newspaper, Travel card myki fails half its tests, John Ferguson, May 21, 2008). How is this mismanagement by the two politicians? It might be more constructive if Mr. Mulder actually based his criticism, and comments, on fact rather than politically driven goals and expediency. The myki card is an overly complicated piece of technology created from the minds of information technology specialists who seem unable to use tried, and tested, systems and would rather try and reinvent the wheel. Mass tyransit payment cards are in operation successfully around the world. Example: "Octopus Card, Usage: To pay public transportation fees (except Taxis and some public minibuses), as well as retailers who accept Octopus, such as convenience stores or restaurants. Debuted in 1997, the Octopus Card instantly became widely used in the public, as it simplified the transporation payment process to take only a couple of seconds! No need to carry coins, pay in exact fees, it's simple. Want to prove how popular it is? There are now over 10 million Octopus Cards in circulation, which exceeds Hong Kong's population of 7 million! (Source: Hong Kong Travel, http://www.hong-kong-travel.org/Octopus.asp) If we look at every project in Australia that has stumbled, failed or been delayed - NSW Transit Card, Queensland Smart Card driver licence, the Australian government Access Card and Victoria's Mykie Card, inter alia, there is a common element. The approach taken has been to firstly define a very complicated prescriptive tender. The tender focuses on risk minimisation and the shedding of accountability, and responsibility, from the Ministerial level and the bureaucracy outwards to the contractor. The tender invariably describes, inter alia, a complicated networking of central computer systems of monolithic architecture and a wish list involving multiple technologies and neat stuff, including, in the case of the myki card, satetlite positioning technology and mobile communications. The tenders involve growing the central power of systems integrators currently within the public sector and is invariably written to favour certain parties among them the private companies, and consultants, operating within the bureaucracy. Surprise, Fujitsu, the incumbent integrator in Queensland Trasnport has won the card management contract for the Quensland Driver Licence. The tenders are cleaned using probity managed by vested legal services suppliers and third parties. The tenders have within them threats and onerous conditions, penalties and other measures inviting complex legal challenges and some point in time. The risk parameters are increased all round and responses to te tenders are limited by deliberate design. The artistic respondents, who usually win, offer time and materials, low cost responses which are then grown in cost, and dimension, at a latter date, costing taxpayers several more millions than stated at the outset. Each of the tenders and subsequent projects is managed by general information technology specialists, and public service information technology departments and private sector embedded integrators and consultants with vested interests. Self described experts who happen to have been involved, either peripherally or directly, in some smart card project, here in Australia or overseas, claim extraordinary expertise and abilities. The focus has been on maintaining power and control through public service systems architectures, and the contractors who work in those organisations, rather than on the practicality, and simplicity, of the objective - the card and its utility. All projects have been dogged, and clouded, by peurile, self interested politics and personal political objectives with public interest relegated to non existence. The cost of these collective failures is over one hundred million dollars, not to mention the waste on duplication, blow out of costs, manipulation of public tender specifications and the growth of systems empires within the public sector, and the annoying, and counter productive, internecine wars conducted between public agencies at state and federal level. Declaration by Kevin R Beck: Among my activities I work within the technology sector having past, and current, contracts with companies involved in responding to tenders, involved in smart cards and systems solutions, telecommunications, energy, business services and consulting and the public sector. The Premier Wants to Extend the Clearway Hours Australia's major cities have a clearway zone that opeartes in peak hours, usually 6.30 am - 9.30 am and 4.00pm to 7.00pm or thereabouts. Cars cannot park in these clearway lanes. The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, wqants to extend these hours substantially within a ten kilometer radius of the city central business district. Melbourne is experiencing trafic snarls. The question is what partisan interests have gotten to the Premier? Is it the automobile club, the petrol companies or whom? Local businesses will lose stop trade during these hours beyond what they already lose. Why are car drivers important? Are they a big voting block? They cause the traffic jams and chaos not necessarily the bureaucrats and governments. Why are people driving into the city instead of using public transport? Are through city commuters in such large numbers they can affect the political future of the labor government? Is John Brumby a visionary Premier or just someone who grasps at conventional mediocre solutions? "WHAT has been painfully absent in the discussions concerning Melbourne's liveability is the grander vision of the spirit of a place. Noble cities such as Florence, Barcelona or Paris evolved because their citizenry are seeped in a cultural milieu that took hundreds of years to develop. Of course, we can't hasten the process nor can we wait that long before Melbourne sinks into the quagmire of developers' greed and inept government planning strategies. We can, however, revise the city's priorities; is it going to be a people city or political expediency? If it is the former we need to have planners, designers and decision-makers who are imaginative as well as visionary." (extract Ltetrs to the Age Newspaper, Melbourne, Noble cities need imaginative vision May 8, 2008, Alex Njoo, St Kilda, http://www.theage.com.au/letters/?page=fullpage " Transport tragedy WHEN Melbourne 2030 was launched in 2002, the Public Transport Users Association warned it would fail without a comprehensive plan to improve public transport. As you report (The Age, 6/5), Melbourne 2030 was heavy with aspirations and motherhood statements, but light on specific actions. It proposed less for public transport than had been promised in 1999, and even some of those whittled-down proposals (such as the Cranbourne East extension) have subsequently bitten the dust. In fact, the only specific new transport proposals of any substance were new freeways. The years since have confirmed our suspicions that the transport component of Melbourne 2030 was little more than a public relations document to mask the Government's indifference to sustainable transport. Even the target of 20% by 2020 for public transport trips seems doomed, with the Eddington report turning back the clock to the old "predict and provide" tactics of the road lobby and consigning public transport to the margins of society." (extract as above, Tony Morton, secretary, Public Transport Users Association) " ROME - Authorities banned traffic from more than 100 towns and cities across Italy, including Rome and Milan, in an effort to cut growing pollution levels, city officials say. Partial blocks on cars and lorries have already been imposed in recent days in many places after health departments warned that prolonged calm weather had allowed smog to build. With no improvement in sight, mayors decided they had to force car-mad Italians off the roads with a one-day ban. "We had no alternative," newspapers quoted Rome mayor Walter Veltroni as saying. "We now have new (pollution) limits imposed on us by the regions who are following European norms and the weather conditions are not helping to disperse the smog." All non-essential traffic was banned from the inner-Rome area from 10.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. British time). Source of extract: Planet Ark - http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/23758/newsDate/10-Feb-2004/story.htm" MEDIOCRITY DRESSED UP AS QUALITY DECLINING ETHICS AND COMMUNITY April 2008: Spin merchants and adverse employed witin the offices of the powerful political masters of state governments in the nation are a vital and indispensable resource to government. They dress up the lack of policy, and ideas and skill, in a subterfuge of smoke and mirrors. They add substance of sort to the emperor who wouldotherwise have no clothes. Take for example the Premier, John Brumby, standing in a paddock with Planning Minister Justin Madden. He is intoning his solution to the housing affordability crisis in Victoria, which is beset like the rest of the nation. By an apparent flick of his political wil, and he states thgis: "the land is all suddenly rezoned for residential. Huge savings will occur and processes wil be streamlined. Another picture opportunity and another fantasy goes into the political spin machine. It is washed with fabric softener and the misleading statemenst of the Premier are heard by a few and gone. Actually planning permits and the things that go with turning a wasteland into residential are more complex and involve many agencies and interests. Brumby is full of it as his Planning Minister and this charade will do little to address the fundamentals as to why Australia should have some of the dearest housing in the world and why we have state taxes and systems that work against the proposition of affordability. Add to this the insanity of the Australian government policy known as "negative gearing" for tax purposes and the land banks held by developers and Mr Brumby's sweeping vista is nothing more than an echo in the wind. In London thereis a smart card to use in the transit system, there is one in Holland and one in Honk Kong and many more around the world. They all work and have been inplace for many years. Smart cards are nor rocket scinece except in Australia. In Victoria, the bungling tranpsort portfolio and its band of highly paid staff and contractors want to invent their own. They spend hundreds of millins and get nothing in return. In Queensland it takes years to design and implement a smart card driver licence. The federal government, under the Ministries of Joe Hockey and Chris Ellison, spend tens of millions on asmart access card. Theey too get nothing. Inventing the wheel - a play of four parts by Australia's various public service agencies playing in a theatre near you. Build a new road and tunnel. Put up tolls and punish us for using cars. In NSW they build separate toll systems. Some take cash, others do not. Some you have to ring and give your credit card. It's a dog's breakfast. No jurisdiction in the nations eems to be ablew to deliver efficient and effective public services. John Brumby's health minister, Daniel Andrews, is delivering a health workers "revol(t)-ution" as is the Education Minister, Bronwyn Pike. Strikes and angry responses abound. The government spends millions managing its own self interest and messaging system. It bakes its cakes and biscuits and ices them with sour cream and baubles. The spin doctors of government, the PR companies and the shallow minded spokespersons work over time. They are very busy. They are a waste of public funds and corrode and corrupt democracy and government. Yet we have no say as to whether they should be there. If the politicians want them let the p[olitical party pay for them. No one likes working for the Victorian public service. The Minsiters stand their ground and get tetchy and defensive. It is the workers fault. Teachers should work in Victoria for less pay than their counter parts elsewhere, shouldn't they. They are less important, and get less money than, the unelected political advisers and staffers that run the governmment. They are less important than the politicians and the media advisers. This is the massage we get from the Premier and Ministers. What rot this administration engages in. They are incompetent and an extraordinary impost on citizens in every respect. A section of Victoria Police march on the parliament in support of a union representative suspended from the police force. How is it that a serving police officer can go on indterminate leave from the police and work as the union secretary? What are the ethical issues The police members do not see any, the government sees none and the conflicts are so obvious. Over 100 media adviusers work in Victorian Police. What is their value to the public? None. The Victorian government like its state counterparts struggle with ethics. The nation seems to struggle with the notion of ethics. The police union demands that the Premier sack the Chief of Police, Christine Nixon and the Police Minister, Bob Cameron, by Friday April 11, 2008. He does not naturally. Are the police living in another world? The Herald Sun newspaper has run a poll asking police to comment on their management and their employment situatons. A third or so responded and the paper runs articles as if they are newsworthy. They are creating their wn news. They run articles as if the responses are majority opinion. The newspaper ramps up the conflict between police, the police union, individuals, the police commissioner and the government. The Herald Sun newspaper management, like other management and major newspaper publishers and television management across Australia, seems oblivious to ethics and to good journalism and the qualities of their profession. Of them all the Australian Financial Review and the Australian are by far and away the best papers. The ABC and SBS are streets ahead of the commercial stations in integrity and quality. The Victorian government's in house media is a cancer on democracy. The Melbourne Age journalists are up in arms about the editorial integrity of the their newspaper and its management. They have a very solid argument. The two major local papers in Victoria Herald Sun, and The Age, are appallingly bad for any one who can think and read intelligently. They lack creativity and investigative quality. They are not records of our itmes and hold no one to account for a lack of standards. The management of Australia's media are of a standard well below their predecessors. They are driven by commercial imperatives and a managerial code that is alien to the charter of journalism. The herald Sun is talking at a poorly uneducated, and gullible, audience who demand little in the way of standards from their institutions, the fourth estate and their governments. They like their television to be substandard too. Life is so good that many of them can now get drunk every night and wreak havoc on the community. The politicians are bemused. Where are the role models for ethics, morality and leadership? The Premier has decided to punch the ticket of the gambling duopoly - Tattersalls and Tabcorp but not the Crown Casino. They all design and implement systems and ideas that prey upon the disadvantaged. Tabcorp and Tattersalls may sue. Greedy people bought shares in one of the gambling companies believing that the endless pots of white ripping off consumers would go on forever. The Premier through his spin machine spruiked the merits of investing. What a good return shareholders would get. Gambling is a manipulated process like our governments. Tattersalls and Tabcorp do not gamble. They design the systems to always deliver them a win. The goverments reap their share up front and the companies take their margins. What is left - a pool. The pool is designed to balance and thus the gambling entity never loses. They do not offer odds that are a two way gamble. The punters are the losers. Into the mix has come Betfair. Licenced by Tasmania it can now operate acrosss the nation. Betfair allows people to gamble with each other and takes a small fee for providing the platform. Want to bet that your horse will lsoe, go ahead someone will take your bet. This frightens the hell out of Victorian legalised TABs. They manipulate the returns. They only pay on three horses or dogs. If there is a dead heat they spolit the dividend. If the odds of exotic combinations are very high (e.g you poick a first four and the winner is 200:1, the second is 100:1 and the third is 100:1 and the fourth is say 50:1) they will not pay the real value of that bet, they will simply declare a dividend that gives the punter a "concocted dividend" based on what is in the first four pool, or their money back. Thus it isb not worth trying to make money on meetings that generate low pool levels. There are watch dog regulatory agencies, in Victoria and every other state, whose function it is to make the whole thing look legitimate. APRIL 2008: There is suspicion that the Victorian Labor Party, in government, has something to hide. The Premier John Brumby resists creating a Crime and Misconduct Commission. Why would he want to when such investigative bodies create pain (as in NSW, Queensland Western Australia) by catching crooks in the public sector. They expose the very cosy relationships between the labor party machines in local areas and property developers. In NSW labor party aparatachiks openly ask responsdents and applicants for projects what they wil do for the party if they win a contract. This is similar in every labor held state. In Victoria paying a fee to meet a Minister is one form of access and privilege. There are the back room donatoions and the private relationships. It seems that no state government in the nation has the capacity a project without cost blow outs and failures. The Victorian Ticketing Authority is in the news every day. Any where else in the world one can travel on public transport with ease but not in Australia and not in Victoria. Similarly they cannopt handle water, climate change, health, police, infrastructure and the things that make a nation great. Is it the talent pool, is it the closed, and inbred, nature of the parties? Education is the rhetorical hymn of the labor party, but it is tune without substance and rhythm. February 2008: Do not snigger at this but in 1999 Steve Bracks, elected as Premier of the State of Victoria, promised to be "open and accountable". It actually never happened under his leadership. In fact it will not happen under the leadership of John Brumby either. The Auditor General was once an independent watch dog reporting to parliament on the executive and the public service. The office was neutered under the liberal government rule of Jeff Kennett and has never been reinistated to its full independence.The previous incumbent, and the current, are weak representatives of the peopels' right to know serving the political master. Some believe that the current Auditor General portrays a very poor role model of public service independence and may as well not be there. What of the independence of the role? The Honourable, The Premier John Brumby THE PORT PHILLIP BAY DREDGING ISSUE EPITOMISES THE DECAY OF GOOD GOVERNMENT PROCESSES IN VICTORIA January 2008: The state government of Victoria plans to dredge the channel in Port Phillip Bay to accommodate larger container vessles and shipping trade. This is a very controversial proposition that is being rail roaded through, by John Brumby and the minister, in the face of contrary expert opinion. The Premier John Brumby, was previously the Treasurer of Victoria. During that period a contrived media campaign managed by the government's media unit and supported by a gullible and unenquiring media, positioned him as a fiscal manager of some skill. This could not be accurately determined because the state government does not realease the papers that underpin significant financial strategies. Those that are released can be challenged for the, principles, structure and methodologies used. These are chosen to suit political expediency and are not consistent with world best practice or transparent accounting techniques. The Port Authority in concert with government have claimed that the economic evaluation is positive for the decision but refuses to provide the complete paperwork to demonstrate this, citing either cabinet confidentiality or commercial confidentiality. Commercial confidentiality is a protection used by every government jurisdiction and public service. This, and a lack of freedom of information and upper house scrtiny creates a secretive culture. The sanctioned material that has been released is a set of carefully crafted innocuous documents. The process of consultation is questioned every day in the state but the chant falls on the deaf ears of an arrogant government that presumes that it has a mnadate. If we do not like the way it governs then the theory is that the system provides us the mechanism to vote it out and to bring a more effective alternative. Many submissions, commentary papers, and counter analysis, research and opinion, appears to be summarily dismissed against the government's own proposition. " TRUCKING magnate Lindsay Fox has called the imminent dredging of Victoria's Port Phillip Bay stupid. Mr Fox said the plan to deepen the bay's shipping channel to allow bigger loads into the Port of Melbourne was only a short-term solution. He said using rail from Western Port Bay would be a much better long-term option than huge truck traffic from a port so close to the city centre. "Dredging the bay and still having all of the traffic running in and out of the city is stupid," Mr Fox told Sky News. "Most other countries come into a deep water port and then use rail to move the containers to hub and spoke distribution centres." (Souce of extract: Herald Sun Newspaper Melbourne, January 22, 2008) The myopic determination to deny information, and refusal to engage in real debate citing commercial confidentiality is often an embarassment when the information is published in accordance with regulation and practice internationally. Australia's governments engage in secrecy that is debilitating to democracy. They treat the citizensry and those who want to participate in, and examine governments, with contemptuous disregard even to the point of actively retaliating against, or banning interaction with, such persons. Tee practices of state governments lead by the example of the government of Victoria is a cancer eating at good public governance. The economic evaluation for the dredging will not stand scrutiny. The cost is claimed to be around $A950,000,000 including $A500,000,000 for the hire and activity of the dredger. The benefits are reported to be $A2,000,000,000 over thirty years. The most simple proposition of determinung the compounding interest on $A2,000,000,000 over the timeframe at a conservative deposit rate would yield better results. The cost of congestion through increased truck activity through the metropolis and the failure of the government to develop rail as a transport alternative makes the project even more debateable. The Transport is one of the least effective and well managed portfolios of government in Victoria. Adding to the government's declining credibility is the existence of a better alternative in every respect. The Hastings Western Port Bay offers greater economic, and social, benefits. This area of the state has been neglected by continuing Victorian state governments. In the absence of good public sectorplanning and management the Australian government has toi take the lead and determine the best opportunities. POOR HUMAN RESOURCE AND INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT GO FOR VTHE HAT TRICK December 20, 2007 and gain the Victorian health system is suffering industrial action. In the short ministry of Daniel Andrews there has been two major strikes, one on the part ofn the nurses and this one by allied health professionals. The end of the nurses strike demonstrated the minister's immaturity and skill since they achieved largely what they were asking for before he hamfistedly generated conflict. So here we go again and he reads from the same script, seemingly not learning. perhaps he has never read a book on management. Yet he takes a portfolio requiring very high levels of managerial competence. Now one might wonder whether it is the Secretary of Human Services and management of that department who is, are, incompetent or is it the minister that lacks wisdom and skill? Listening to the Minister I think there is a credible query on his ability to manage a large and diverse portfolio. The Premir may exercised poor judgement in choice or be derelict in not requiring a higher level of performance on senior people in government and the public service. Victoria's public service is not stellar in it delivery of services. Human resource management within the Victorian government, as in much of Australia's enterprise management performance, is not world class or for that matter something one might want to emulate. The approach under Andrews is one of allowing the matter to escalate pushing the effort onto the industrial relations system He might have implimeneted system whereby people might come to him before a situation develops. The Secretary may well have done so, but neither have. Tthe public are told by the minister, the department, the hospital administration and the union that it is someone else's fault and the other side is wrong. What is wrong is that the public takes little interest who they elect and who is appointed to ministries and who is employed in the public service and how they are measured and perform. The people in decision making roles simply take the money whilst seemingly delivering mediocrity. Can the minister make it a hat trick? HEALTH MINISTER DANIEL ANDREWS DELIVERS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF PUBLIC BENEFIT HE ENJOYS THE SUPPORT OF THE PREMIER WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF GOVERNMENT IN VICTORIA? What Does the Nurses' Dispute in Victoria Tell Us About Our Human Resource Management Practices And the Calibre of the People In Charge of Government Services? How is it that every sector of employee within this Minister;s portfolio is reacting negatively? "The decision by members of the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria (MSAV) to take strike action commencing on February 5, against the Brumby Government’s failure to negotiate an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) in good faith will create chaos in the health system, said Helen Shardey, Shadow Health Minister. This industrial action will take the form of rolling 24 hour daily strikes at various major hospitals across the health system. Should the Brumby government fail to significantly progress negotiations by February 14, a 24 hour strike will be called across the system, adding further pressure to our hospitals. “Premier Brumby’s confrontational style of negotiating with the hardworking public sector workforce is once again being felt by all Victorians,” said Mrs Shardey. “Last year, teachers, nurses, mental health and allied health workers were forced to take strike action against the Brumby Government." (Extract source: Ms Helen Shardey, Member of Parliament, January 24, 2008" The statement above refers to the industrial action by nurses, mental health, allied health and medical scientists. There is also discontent in medical prcatitioner ranks. What is the manner of determining public policy in Australia. It appaesr to be all over the place. Researchers, and political watchers, argue that the pool of ministers, particularly in the states of Australia, seem to offer little in the way of talent and capability and even less in the way of good, open government. The Kenneth Myer Lecture delivered by Michelle Grattan, 9 August 2007 at the National Library of Australia. "In his famous lecture “Politics as a Vocation” sociologist Max Weber said: “There are two ways of making politics one's vocation: Either one lives ‘for’ politics or one lives ‘off’ politics”. And often, he recognised, one shades into the other. Weber identified “three pre-eminent qualities” decisive for the politician: “passion, a feeling of responsibility, and a sense of proportion.” And he described politics as “a strong and slow boring of hard boards. It takes both passion and perspective... Only he has the calling for politics who is sure that he shall not crumble when the world from his point of view is too stupid or too base for what he wants to offer. Only he who in the face of all this can say ‘In spite of all!’ has the calling for politics”. (1) That description of the political task and its practitioners will ring true to most modern politicians and political activists. But would today's practitioner, let alone the consumer of what in modern parlance we might call the political product think politics should, or can, be accurately described as a “vocation” - if we use that word in the sense of a “calling”? Many in the public have become so jaded with politics that they would dismiss claims it could be thought of as a “calling”. And some players would be hesitant to use such a highfalutin term, fearful they would be seen as having pretensions. A job or trade, even a profession, if you are an MP, or a commitment, if you are an activist in a cause, might be descriptions more readily used - vocation in the more modest sense of the word, if you like. Former Western Australian premier Geoff Gallop said, “It is more than a profession but slightly less than a vocation”. Many practitioners know they have an uphill battle to convince the public they have any respectability even as lowly tradespeople." (end of extract) Instead it seems they opt for spin, managed media and public relations, political expediency and their own political interests against the public interest. They seem to be imbued with an excess of hubris and a marked lack of an ethical compass. Developing the art of the political slither "Andrews again chose not to answer the specific questions.....At a media conference the next day, Brumby was asked whether he believed there was room for improvement in the way ministers answered questions in Parliament. He conceded nothing. In fact, he suggested that if there was a problem, it was the Opposition's fault. "Ministers answer the questions appropriately, they answer the questions which are given to them by the Opposition. I don't think there's an issue with answers, I think there's an issue with questions." This from a man who as opposition leader in the 1990s wrote a 46-page pamphlet called Restoring Democracy in which he said "we need to improve the question time as a matter of urgency" and called for parliamentary rules to be changed to "make ministers answer questions directly, factually and succinctly". This from a Government that under its former leader used to at least pay lip service to the need to avoid hubris or arrogance. (Source extract:A question of hubris Date: October 18 2007, Paul Austin, The Brumby Government is subverting question time and blaming its lack of openness on the Opposition. The Age Newspaper Melbourne. The Minister for Health in Victoria, Daniel Andrews, demonstrates this proposition as the Victorian nurses' dispute grinds on, in every hospital, in Victoria. " THE state public nursing union has accused hospital managers of unprecedented intimidation and harassment of nurses involved in industrial action. Armed with more than 2,000 complaints faxed to her, Australian Nursing Federation Victoria branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick today said some nurses had been threatened with the sack. "They have been threatened with fines and dismissal for speaking out to the media and having their pay docked," she said. "Managers have been sitting outside toilet doors waiting for nurses to come out to ask them about their participation" (Source: Herald Sun newspaper,Kamahl Cogdon and agencies, October 22, 2007 10:47am) What can we say about managers who sit outside toilets? The Minister and Premier are shocked. Then why did the managers think that they had the imprimatur to do this? They take their lead from ....? The federation, representing the nurses, is fighting a one sided battle. In this regard Joe Hockey's proposition set out below, that the unions days are really past, may be prescient. The nurses seek so little against what they give the community yet the politician's rate their own objectives, and interests, above them. They take their pay rises which are all very nice from an independent tribunal. They thus shield themselves against criticism. Do they use an indepnednet tribunal for nurses? They live in a fantasy of spin replicating reality that they are there for the public good and are guardians. Federal Minister Tony Abbott, the statistical wonder whiz of the federal government, says that he can offer $6,000 for retraining to bring them back. Statistical whiz? Look at his history, black and white, a fugures man. Kevin Rudd, ever the shallow throw away ventroloqist, says that he can put over 9,000 nurses back into the system over five years, if elected. This is drivel. He calls the Victorian situation the "argy bargy" of negotiation. This man dismisses their lives, and problems, as so much argy bargy. This is flaky politics at its most decrepit. What system? Why would any one go back to a health system of under funded, under resourced, drudgery, poor administration, political manipulation and trickery. The political players in the Victorian episode, which repeats with tedious regularity across all our public sector institutions, are tarred with the same brush. Why should the average person bother with democracy and elections? Our system is fractured and in many places broken, corrupted and corroded by the politicians, and machine men and woemn, of the Australian labor and liberal parties. The nurses? They are just an example of who is political fodder to the system. As the federal election itself grinds on we see the two leaders and the state bit players, warts and all. They are not very attractive to the voters. The nurses of Victoria are. Let's vote them into office instead of the politicians. The Australian labor party at state and federal level descries the Australian government "Work Choices" (see below in this web site. Yet Andrews demands that the nurses obey the federal law as he does. He chooses to use it as a justification and a shield when it suits. He is a poor role model for he demands the nurses return to work. This ignores the morale and performance issue for which he as the Minister of theb public sector system is ultimatley responsible. Given the decline in accountability and responsibility in the Victorian government he is likely to accept such. Thus he is happy to have workers who do not want to be there forced to work. This is typical of the manner of management. He is supported in his short sighted ignorance by a poor performing public hospital administration and management. Happy to escalate the situation to desperate measures this ignoramus is paid from the public purse. There are no performance measures. The Premier has no standards and measures that demand that the public interest be served and Ministers actually do a good job. Who would work for the Victorian public service under these conditions? People with little opportunity to go elsewhere perhaps? Thugs and those who are comfortable with the belligerent style of supervision? Those who have no inkling of management and human resource practice? THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT UNDER BRACKS - Demonstrated A Lack of Moral Compass, A Lack of Ethics and A Lack of Accountability Is The Victorian Political System and Public Service Corrupted? It May Well Be, Who Knows - There Is an Odour a Whiff of Corruption The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, having learnt the lessons of fiscal rectitude, and dancing, to the tune of the "power collective" has been lauded by narrow minded, self focused, business interests in the state, as a successful Treasurer. So what? He can juggle the books. Has the lives of Victorians impro9ved, have the disabled, infirm and disadvanatged found themselves better off, are there less homeless, more public housing, better hospitalsa nd schools? Now he has assumed the mantle of Premier. As the state is riddled with corruption all the way from unions, to local government, through parliamentary members into ministries and even the public service, the Premier tells the people that this state does not need a Crime and Misconduct Commission. As an aside the Victorian public service payroll funds several hundred media people. Not a few hundred, many hundred maybe over 1,000 people who actually knows. There are people paid to what is euphemistically called "managing public perception" (lies and misrepresentations) in every Minister's office, in the Victorian state government. The Premier states that the Office of Police Integrity is performing the necessary taks of watch dog ogf the police. Police investigating police. He also tells us that the Ombudsman and the Auditor General have sufficient powers to investigate corruption in the Victorian public sector. "Corruption body a waste, says Brumby: Rick Wallace, Victorian political reporter | November 09, 2007, The Australian Newspaper JOHN Brumby has dismissed as a "waste of taxpayers' money" a standing royal commission into corruption on the same day that one of the state's top officers was being grilled by investigators for leaking sensitive police information. The Victorian Premier's defiance comes despite growing calls for the Government to upgrade its fight against corruption. It follows the Office of Police Integrity revealing damaging secret recordings involving Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby, the Chief Commissioner's media minder, Stephen Linnell, and police union chief Paul Mullett. The Opposition, former police chiefs, judicial figures and NSW Premier Morris Iemma have all urged the Victorian Government to create a standing corruption commission but it has refused. Mr Brumby changed tack slightly yesterday, claiming the OPI and the Victorian Ombudsman and Auditor-General's offices functioned as a de facto standing commission even though their powers fell short of many standing commissions." This is cant and sophistry. A Crime and Misconduct Commission would cause extreme ebarrassment to the Victorian Labor Party and many of the members of local government, parliament and the public serice. The OPI enquiry into the Victoria Police has heard of the relationships between senior labor staffers in the parliamentary offices and the public service. This is the behind the scenes tradition of the Victorian labor party and a staple diet of political relationships, nation wide, as observed in Western Australia. As an example of the perception that our democracy is manipulated, there are 105 media people working in the Victorian police. What is their function and justification? How much money do these low level performing servants of spin, and story telling, drag away from the main function of policing? Why would the Victoria police need a media unit of over 100 people? Is the Commissioner, in the thrall of the "management philosophy" versus " public service"? The Secretary of the Victorian Police Union is as erving police officer, seconded to the union. Where is the independence from the force and the arms length relationship to government. The OPI has already exposed the myth of separation. Victoria's democracy and politics is corroded and Mr. Brumby is happy with his ever flowing public administraive sewer? Is the Premier as ignorant, and questionable, as he is looking? The boss, of this huge media bloat in the gut of the Victoria Police, has been suspended during an Office of Police Integrity investigation. He will no doubt have to resign. What was a media spin doctor doing in receipt of very privileged, and highly sensitive, information? An Assistant Police Commissioner has resigned (November 9, 2007) and the Police Union leadership, and some other police officers are implicated in a death of a gigolo. So what does John Brumby do? He reiterates the same boring, and insulting, response of the former Premier, Steve Bracks. No need for an independent Crime and Misconduct Commission. The Premier acts as if he owns the state's democracy and treats the people of Victoria as largely stupid, and disinterested, in the quality of their goverment. What quality. Labor Premier, John Brumby, and his parasites on the public purse, would be hard pressed to know what quality, ethics and accountability means. Premier the needs to hire more spin and media people for the several hundred you have let him down. Daniel Andrews Demonstrates The Paucity of Talent and the Rot in Our Systems of Government The Farce of Public Administration and Responsibility As you read this aryicle the nurses dispute was settled, the nurses did quite well it seems but the government media creeps and sycophantic parasites on the public payroll spin a different story. October 22, 2007, and the brand new Minister for Health in Victoria demonstrates his unsuitability to be a Minister in a government. The nurses dispute grinds on. Daniel Andrews was the Minister for Gaming, previous to this appointment which may explain his willingness to gamble in the health portfolio. The human resource management attitudes of the Minister Daniel Andrews are archaic, humiliating promoting subservience by demanding compliance. " THE state public nursing union has accused hospital managers of unprecedented intimidation and harassment of nurses involved in industrial action. Armed with more than 2,000 complaints faxed to her, Australian Nursing Federation Victoria branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick today said some nurses had been threatened with the sack. "They have been threatened with fines and dismissal for speaking out to the media and having their pay docked," she said. "Managers have been sitting outside toilet doors waiting for nurses to come out to ask them about their participation" (Source: Herald Sun newspaper,Kamahl Cogdon and agencies, October 22, 2007 10:47am) What can we say about managers who sit outside toilets? The Minister and Premier are shocked. Then why did the managers think that they had the imprimatur to do this? They take their lead from ....? The government, lead by John Brumby, insults one of the hardest and most dedicated group of employees in the Victorian public sector. Highly skilled, they are offered 3.4% over 5 years. They ask for 6% over three years. That is a paltry sum in the scheme of things, though numbers can be very striking when taken out of context which is how Brumby and most politicians argue the point. The government6's own remujneration is decided by an independent tribunal and very lucratively. This shields them from criticism. Do they in turn use an independent tribunal to set the nurses' wages? Don't be silly. There are two sets of rules and systems. They are the government, in charge and we will dance to their tune, not to our own. They have legislative might and a rigged system of controlling parliament, and representation, on their side. A sycophantic administration and some seriusly inept political staff, Ministers and employees. all adding to the mix. Brumby says that this is normal, Kevin Rudd calls it "argy bargy". What do they care till someone dies in a hospital then it gets serious. Where is the Minister for Health in all of this? To participate one might need an idea and an inventive mind. Is he demonstrating these qualities? Like most labor party hacks in government he enjoys a sinecure to put him into office. Ability does not seeem to be a prerequisite. He like the others, occupy their political rat holes when they are facing people like nurses, who are held in high esteem. No one holds politicians to the same level of esteem. Why would they if Daniel's performance is anything to go by? John Brumby demonstrates that he too has a lack of moral compass as much as Steve Bracks did in office. If the Premier was statesman, rather than career politician, he would simply state that nurses are the front line of the most valuable service to the community and then get on with working out how to give them what they deserve. Sadly there is no indication he will and there is no indication that Daniel Andrews even has an inkling of an idea what this is all about. October 15, 2007: The protection of the almighty surplus and the reputation of the politician as Tresaurer is far more important than fairness, ethical administration or human endeavour by the citizen. In Victoria, today, the nurses have imposed work bans. The government has offered a generous 3.9% over three year pay rise. Meanwhile remuneration tribunals grant politicians far larger pay rises and corporate leaders take home obscene salary, and benefits, increases. The humble nurse, one of the most important working members of our society struggles in under funded work health facilities and hospital environments. They struggle under the yoke of administrative incompetence and a archaic and atrophied bureaucracy. They are watched over by lumbering fat bureaucrats and administrators, who far from being supportive, and valuable to the system, seem invariably to be a drain on the meagre resources of one of the most important portfolios. Year after year the same old industrial battles go on in the adversarial system that delivers under performance in the extreme. They lose heart, grow deperately tired and ultimately leave under the dead hand of state governments of the modern Australian era. Kevin Rudd, aspirant Prime Minister in the 2007 federal election tells us that it is his plan to entice those who have left back into the system. He is demonstrating his naivety and simple minded concepts. There is a far deeper malaise. Why would they come back? The state governments of both political parties, across Australia, are ignorant of modern management and governance. Lacking vision, and leadership, they present us with the same old solutions, policies and responses. They erode morale and fail to harness and develop human talent. With nowhere to go the nurses are forced into industrial action. The bureaucrats employed by the government are inept at reaching a concensus and stand mute before their political masters sycophants in their roles. The members of the community are inconvenienced and they are tolerant for they understand, and relate, to the plight of nurses. " God Forbid John Brumby, John Howard, or Kevin Rudd are ever required to be nursed or cared for they would be DEAD. The wages we pay our nurses is a travisty, to work in ICU and receive $1.00 per hour more than a RN - and they are under paid too, but the ICU trained nurses have to go back to University and Pay for it themselves. There isn't enough of them now and will be less in the not too distant future if you politicians keep putting your head in the sand and say it wont happen." (Source: mary Johnstone, extract from posting on Herald Sun newspaper, Reader's Comments, October 17, 2007. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/comments/0,22023,22599191-2862,00.html) " The nurses bed closure action is indicative...did you know that since the EBA ended, the patient ratios that we now have are set to worsen? We are so sick of the way this health system is going. You want to know why we are always in the red? The hospitals get allocated a budget, but then we get fined if the beds are not full. We also get fined if a patient has to wait in Casualty for over 12 hours if the beds are full... AND fined for sending a patient out to a hospital that may have a bed. Agency nurses are getting fewer and harder to find and due to the lack of budget for them, you have to work extra shifts to cover sick leave in order to ensure that patients get care and the rest of your work mates dont work short... which then leaves you tired and stressed. Now they are thinking of reducing the number of qualified registered nurses per shift....your care can only get worse." (Source: unnamed, ibid) " Is this dĂ©jĂ vu or is this history simply repeating itself. Back in the times of the Cain/Kirner Labor government there was an equally large nurses' dispute then with the then "guilty" party's David White. I just cannot believe that we are heading down this same repeated track by the government (which is like watching a re-run television program) that the people voted in and their returns are getting constantly short-changed. (Source extract Tom of Doncaster, ibid) "Mr Brumby, I have the solution. You can give the nurses their pay rise & simply pay it out of endless Connex fines you keep receiving! God knows that money doesn't go back into the transport system so at least put it into a critical part of our infrastructure. If a train is late, I get annoyed. If I don't receive crucial treatment in a timely manner (which my taxes for by the way), I could die." (Source extract Trav of Eltham, ibid) "As a nurse I think it's really important that people understand that we didn't just wake up yesterday and decide to ask for more. Under the current industrial realtions system in Victoria all of our pay and conditions are covered by an enterprise agreement that has lasted for three years and which expired on the 30th ofSeptember. There does not appear to be a single area of these conditions where the Brumby government has not offered us less than what we already have." (Source extract Fina Creswell, ibid) The community does not relate to politicians. John Brumby will give all a hollow justification for this situation and will not worrry about accountability and responsibility for in the neutered environment of the Victorian parliament they are unaccountable. This is the real corrosion, and corruption, of our democracy on full display. The failure to learn and change. The nurse dispute issue will be settled and the merry go round will continue. There is no forward thinking visionary in the Victorian government, parliament and bureaucracy, who will sit and ponder why this is always occurs. The Premier will no doubt tell us that this is how things are. This is just the bargaining process and how negotiation is. John Brumby was in the federal parliament many years ago. He was there for eight years. He left no mark and no contribution. 1, October 2007: John Brumby is the new Premier of Victoria. There is no indication that the government is going to be any more open and transparent. The tender processes for gaming related activities still come under scrutiny. Schools are putting students in outdated and dangerous demountable buildins and temporary class rooms, students walk onto tram tracks immediately outside their high school gate at Maribyrnong College, despite all of the rhetoric of the government about education being a priority. Celebrity union candidate for the federal election Bill Shorten does not respond to corresponednce from me rgarding the school. The Victorian Miniter responds before the last election that a trafic survey will be done by the local council and I will be informed of the outcome. there is no contact. The Victorian labor government is admiistering a corrupted democracy where representation, access to information and outcomes are tightly controlled by a privilege few. A state like NSW where the public service borders on atrophy lacking innovative leadership. Premier John Brumby resists calls for the establishment of a Crime and Misconduct style body. “…it is clear there are many quite influential public officers who wouldn’t recognise a conflict of interest if it walked up and kicked them in the backside.” That quote comes from the outgoing head of WA’s Corruption and Crime Commission, Kevin Hammond. And recent events uncovered by the CCC and Queensland’s Crime and Misconduct Commission have provided ample evidence to show the truth behind those words. So why is it that only three states – WA, Queensland and NSW – have independent anti-corruption watchdogs able to investigate the public sector and in particular politicians? Victoria has only the Office of Police Integrity, which is limited to investigating police misconduct and corruption, and a traditional Ombudsman for handling complaints against state and local governments. The Bracks Government, which reluctantly agreed to establishing the OPI in 2004, stopped short of establishing opting for a corruption watchdog with broad-ranging powers to also investigate the public sector. South Australia and Tasmania have no independent corruption watchdogs for either the police or public sector. Surely its time that all states had independent corruption watchdogs able to target both police and public sector misconduct. Kevin Hammond gave his uncharacteristically blunt views on the continuing problems of public sector misconduct and the mistrust it has sparked in a parting speech. In it he referred to a recent survey showing fewer than 24% of respondents trusted the government to do the right thing. “Corruption by public officers has a corrosive effect on our community,” he said. Nothing erodes that trust faster than allegations of corruption. “People today have little tolerance of public officers who improperly use their position to benefit themselves, their family, friends or business interests. “Unfortunately, there still appear to be people holding public office whose practices have not kept up with the changing and I believe, increasing expectations of our community." (Source: Why so few watchdogs? Gary Hughes, March 29, 2007, The Australian blog: http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/garyhughes/index.php/theaustralian/comments/why_so_few_watchdogs/P100/ Perhaps Mr. Brumby and his labor party counterparts have something to hide? The labor machine, state and local government levels, perhaos know, or feel, that many of them would not be in office if that body were to emerge. Do not try and tell the general population of Victoria that its state government is ethical, moral and upright. The revelations of hospitality and largesses in the ski reports of Victoria are testimony to border line ethical escapades, ripping into the public purse with gusto. The opposition is a sad and presents no challenge to the labor machine. We have very reason to relate to, or engage, with government at any level in this state of Victoria. September 2007: The former Premier Steve Bracks squirms as the spotlight comes on him from a state parliamentary enquiry into how lottery licences are awarded in the state. Steve Bracks has always claimed that he acted above board and he disputes other people's testimony to the Upper House Committee. He declines to appear. Thus his denials are hollow. This enquiry may very well be a political witch hunt but it has great public interest value. It shines a light into the murky world of enterprises who make billions from the citizens of the state and other gamblers. It shows us how the game is manipulated and the stakes in play. It also shines a light on the nature of the relationships of the people (business, politicians and lobbysists) at these heady levels as well as on the relationships within the Victorian state labor party. This light may be annoying to the people, on whom it shines, but that is democracy. Unfortunately Steve Bracks when he was Premier never effectively demonstrated tat he understood or lived his days in politics according to "world's best practice", whatever that might mean. The new Premier, John Brumby, similaroly seems to find democracy whatever he deems it to be. He has failed to deamnd probity and compliance and demeans the parliament of the people when he is quiet and supportive of Bracks' non appearance. He similarly echoes the "witch hunt" line. In the world of labor party government democracy is wahtever they say it is and the parliament can like it or lump it. Small men in big jobs taking big money under their own terms. When Steve Bracks was elected to the office of Premier of Victoria in 1999 he promised an open and consultative government. Well just over seven years on he has a record somewhat different. In place of these high aspirations the state got a mediocre, secretive and corrosive government ethically challenged and lead by a Premier who critics in industry and commerce as well as general community describe as challenged when it comes to distilling complex matters and policy. Victoria is folowing the trend in declining ethics in Australia's governments. "Yet when it comes to opinions as to the ethics and honesty of Australian politicians, or trust in the federal government, the standing of Australian politicians has clearly fallen. While many commentators may overplay the extent of the drop, the fact that it has occurred is not in question. Moreover, during the same period, confidence in government slumped in various other industrial democracies. And the trend shows little sign of abating. This has led to a burgeoning body of literature on the topic of why trust in government is falling, and what can be done to arrest the slump." (Source: Explaining distrust: Popular attitudes towards politicians in Australia and the United States, Andrew Leigh, In The Prince’s New Clothes: Why do Australians Dislike their Politicians? edited by David Burchell and Andrew Leigh, UNSW Press, UNSW, Sydney, 2002, Chapter 2) "The Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks, has defended spending $1 million on an advertising campaign to sell the Government's water strategy. Local Tony Eake says there has been no consultation with landowners about the desalination plant and says it will ruin his business plans for his property. "We will fight as hard as we can, we will fight it," he said. (Source: "Desal plant ad campaign vital, says Bracks, Posted Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:00pm AEST, ABC News, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/20/1956758.htm ) It appears that the government prefers to spend the tax payers money to avoid having to face their critics and explian themselves where they can be challenged and questioned. There is a history of cowardice and the media spin specialists act as gatekeepers corrupting democracy. They are, to my mind, ethically challenged and there should be a legislated charge of bordering on criminal intent to pervert the course of democracy. (Kevin R Beck) "But sometimes democracy can be very annoying. And when you're a Government that hasn't planned very well for a water crisis or a port's capacity to bring in supercargo ships carrying Chinese steel — you sometimes throw process and consultation to the wind. This is precisely what the Bracks Labor Government has done with the two major capital works projects on its books. A couple of Fridays ago, the Port of Melbourne Corporation announced it had begun a "procurement and investment program covering public tenders" as part of the proposed channel deepening project. In plainspeak, the port had booked the dredges that will deepen the bay's shipping channel and secured the steel and concrete required to cover the Hobsons Bay sewer crossing under the Yarra for a January 2008 start. All this while the independent inquiry assessing the impact of channel deepening was still hearing evidence. It was breathtakingly arrogant stuff. In short, the Port of Melbourne Corporation, a statutory arm of the State Government, had started spending our money on a project before it has been approved — environmentally or politically. And all while the people opposed to the project — ordinary citizens concerned about the future health and amenity of Port Phillip Bay — were putting together submissions for a public inquiry so they felt part of a democratic process. Perhaps Bracks should simply tell the people planning to deliver their opposing submissions to the channel deepening inquiry next week they shouldn't bother? It would certainly end what is already making a mockery of "process" and mugs out of anyone opposed to the project. How can a public inquiry call itself a public inquiry when the public can't actually challenge of any of the pro-channel deepening "data" being presented? But if you thought that was brazen, the channel deepening "process" isn't a patch on the Government's $3 billion desalination plant in South Gippsland. No consultation. No process. Just a government announcement that it's happening. Both projects have been presented to the people of Victoria as a fait accompli. In the case of the channel deepening, the initial findings of an inquiry that found 137 reasons why it shouldn't go ahead were thrown out by the Government and a new, streamlined panel of non-experts convened to re-assess it. In the case of the South Gippsland desalination plant, not even the Mayor of Bass Shire knew it was coming, let alone the landowners who'll now have a massive industrial development on what is one of Victoria's most pristine coastlines. How on earth Victorians can have faith in the integrity of either of these projects is anyone's guess. But the risk they pose to the very notion of democracy in this state has far more sinister implications." (Source: The Bracks way means to hell with democracy Tracee Hutchison, July 14, 2007: The Age http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/the-bracks-way-means-to-hell-with-democracy/2007/07/13/1183833765262.html Tracee Hutchison is a Melbourne writer and broadcaster.) "If politicians want the electorate to believe they are awash integrity then they have to behave with integrity. It seems Thwaites has stepped over the line between public duty and private interest and if he had any of Jessica's "intenstinal fortitude", he he would admit it. It is this sort of thing that trips up pollies all the time - when "caught out", they try to justify their behaviour, take the offended moral high ground approach and spin such "Yes Minister" clangers as if they think the public will swallow their tosh. I suspect the public would have more respect for pollies they put their hands up to goofing up occassionally and accepting responsibility, rather than trying to defend their own suspect actions." (Source: Kat on June 21, 2007 11:06 AM, The Age Blogs http://blogs.theage.com.au/yoursay/archives/2007/06/taking_the_pist.html A propensity for self delusion or a litany of lies and dissembling? "Open and accountable Government is part of my government's commitment to the people of Victoria. One way we are delivering on this commitment is through the provision of first class online information and services. We believe the best way forward for Victoria is a Government that consults, listens and works together with all Victorians, while providing leadership and decisive action." (extract from the web site of the Victorian government, Premier Steve Bracks). Politics and Government In Practice in Victoria Mates rates and references for the criminally inclined Contact your local ALP politician MP warned over drug traffickers "Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard, The Age Newspaper, May 22, 2007 A SENIOR Bracks Government MP, Telmo Languiller, is facing new questions over his history of giving character references for accused drug dealers." "Australian Broadcasting Corporation, March, 9, 2007: Thomson resigns from ALP frontbench over Mokbel reference: Federal shadow attorney-general Kelvin Thomson has resigned from his position after it was revealed he provided a reference to convicted drug trafficker Tony Mokbel." Ms Lyne Kosky is the Minister for Education in the State. She is a very charismatic and comely woman. Far more talented than her male counterparts she is relegated to education and given an inadequate budget with which to work. There is a flight to private education as a result. This suits the Treasurer John Brumby because he can save on state education. He saves the state budget probably $780,000,000 as a result. The quality of education takes a back seat. The education bureaucracy, within the Victorian state public service, is both a drain on the system and an impediemnt to innovation and excellence. The Victorian government, likem all labor state governments, across the nation lacks the awareness and the will to clean out the under performers of the top and middle ranks. These lack lustre lot infest the system like termites eating away at its foundation. The benchmark for assessing the performance of students in years 3, 5 and 7, across Australia, established by the federal government, is deliberately set low to create a false impression that the Australian education system is up to standard. Bracks relies upon this low benchmark to claim that his government has met his promise of performance. He, like every other labor Premier in the nation, misrepresents and tells a fiction to suit the political objective. In numeracy, Victorian students are below the Australian average, they are below other states in reading and science. The reason is that the curriculums are low grade. They are bluntly second rate, perhaps even worse. Is this Ms Kosky's fault? She is the Minister. Probably not. She is shackled to a great degree by her not too bright male senior cabinet members. Their goal is retention of power not public service. Their public poicy ideas and skills are fed to them by minders, party hacks and puppeteers. When they talk it is a ventroloquist trick. We cannot see who is the voice, pulling the strings and prompting them. People who do busines with the Victorian government contend that if John Brumby was not there, in Treasury, it would be a single sided conversation with the rest of the government mute. Rather than Kosky's fault, it is a systemic problem maintained by a bureaucracy that should have been put out to pasture years ago. It is an overblown administration of people who take money out of the system that could go to teachers and schools. These seat warmers add little value whilst debilitating and corralling those who would challenge their control. Many occupy their positions through union ties and the corrupt Australian Labor Party habit of appointing mates and favourites. Ms Kosky is under utilised in this role and should be moved to a more substantial portfolio where she is not subjected to the barriers of incompetence and failure of fudning. She would make a good Premier. However the factional system does not have "public interest" in its lexicon. The public system is failing and the standard of facilities, quaklity of education and general support processes for teachers is amongst the lowest in the developed world. Steve Bracks the Premier will get all bent out of shape at such claims and spin a story of fiction. November 2006 and it emerges that a former labor party Minister, David White, representing gambling interests in Victoria, with lucrative exclusive contracts with the state government may have indicated (allegedly) that the government wants to renew those contracts without necessarily giving any other company a chance. The problem is that if this is true it is another example of unethical practice that riddles the Victorian labor party and the Bracks government. On balance the Bracks government appears to be corroding and corrupting democracy and government. A committee of the Victorian state parliament has been looking at public priate partnerships (PPP). There are about four and half billion dollars of such projects in Victoria. The committee concluded that most, if not all, were not the best outcomes for the public. The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Christine Campbell, is alleged (Thursday 2, November 2006) to have censored the report removing some thirty pages of material. The sections unfavourable to the Bracks labor government have been expunged. The parts unfavourable to the previous liberal/national conservative government have been left in. What does this say about Mr. Bracks' hollow statement above? That the Chair of the Committee, a former labor Minister, does not share the same views as the Premier or does not understand plain english? Perhaps it says that the Premier, to use the vernacular is "full of it". She has an excuse about the research, and facts, on the missing bits not being complete. After four years it seems she is unable to perform an important public interestv task? Why are we paying her to be there? Democracy, and the factional party system, is a double edged sword. It allows lesser skilled and non-performers to get a seat in parliament. Ms. Campbell also ttoko it upon herself to remove a number of recommendations - over 50%. She is a digrace to the office and not fit to represent constituents if she does cannot adhere to basic ethical standards. I recommend a course in ethics Meanwhile the liberals are all bent out of shape about this. They have a tarnished history and similar poor performance in cutting private sector deals. The significant problem in our parliaments is that we have career politicians, who stay on the merry go round, waiting for their little slice of power and money. They stay regardless of their ability and they never review their mistakes. The incumbent party members, collectively from all sides of the political spectrum, have decades of poor public policy expertise, administration and governance. Labor, spinning the election of November 2006 in Victoria The campaign for the 2006 state election has begun in earnest. The leaders of the two major parties, Steve Bracks and Ted Ballieu, represent the paucity of talent that inhabits Australian politics. Labor (Premier, Steve Bracks) describes Ballieu as an ATM because of the value of the promises he has made if he is elected. This is puerile infancy as is the propsoition of the liberal party that they can pop out promise after promise. There is no innoation and the vision of Mr. Bracks and Mr. Ballieu is not something that can set the individual alight. It really is quite a scandal that our parliaments are captive to mediocrity. Onewonders what standards of excellence Evan Thornley may aspire too? He is the founder of LookSmart and a self made person of wealth. He has chosen to join the labor party. The fellow has little exepreinec in politics and hjas accepted endorsement for an upper house seat. This is his first mistake. There is a high probability he will not get there. Some in the party, including Bracks, have punted on a mix of celebrity (which he is not) and lick. The spoils of public office are a lure to many people. If Mr. Thornley wins will become a Minister of the Bracks government? Will he then put his snout in the public trough like the hacks that wait their turn in politics? Will he meekly acept the antisocial dependence on, and support for gambling, of this immoral government? The choice of labor, or liberal, is obviously a personal one. Mr. Thornley's choice of travelling campanions seems to imply that he is willing to accept being absorbed into mediocrity and what of the moral compass? So is the Premier of Victoria Mr. Bracks someone who delivers on promises? It is very hard to tell because the Bracks government operates in secrecy, smoke and mirrors to give an impression that is of their own concoction. It may not be actual. Bracks reniged on his tough stance on gambling licensing corporations that taregt the least able to resist and the people who cannot afford to gamble. Here we see Bracks' lack of moral compass on open display. For all of their sophisticated use of media spin and psychological techniques the politicians, and their strategists, come across as fundamentally dishonest. The senior members of our political parties are aware of this. The people perceive the system is broken but are disengaged, and perhaps, angry but powerless to doing anything about it. The governments ensure that they present complex and ponderous explanations to deter the ordinary citizen from wanting to look to closely or challenge them. Here is an example from Victoria. The Victorian labor government lead by Premier Steve Bracks, under Treasurer John Brumby, claim to have saved the people of the state of Victoria $A3,000,000,000. Did your eyes glaze over? They do not realise that these numbers are meaningless to the person on an average middle income wage or someone lower. Meaningless and perhaps even fictional. The Victorian government accounts, like every other political jurisdiction in Australia are manufactured to suit. They do not follow an acceptable accounting standard. Questions as to their validity from the accounting professions are ignored. The Treasurer of Victoria like the Treasurer of every sate and territory and federal, in concert with the Department public servants in Treasury, make up the numbers and the public accounts. Let us not get too precious and excited about the state of a government. Developed country government is like buying diamonds and white, it is safe bet. Bracks put out a document called "Leading the Way". It was developed by members of the power colective. The power collective are associations, that rarely represent their members and governments that rarely represent their constituents. It is the private club of the powerful mandarins of the public and private sector. It is a wnaking extravaganza of self opinion and fiction. Why fiction? Did you click through and see the definition of an expert? The politicians, and bureaucrats, count numbers. They count cars the number of new cars registered and houses built, they make up job creation numbers because they cannot calculate them. They claim investment decisions as their own. If you have ever had the opprtunity to deal with the Department responsible for industry in Victoria you will know that they also live a fictional life. They have little knowledge of innovation and opportunity but they are excited by car factories, biotechnology and nanotechnology and the big names. They will throw millions at a car company. Victoria emulates South Australia in this regard who have been conned by Mitsubishi more times than a filly has won the Melbourne Cox Plate horse race. The decision for a company to come or stay in a state is a lifestyle one for the executives, and their families, and the whim of the multinational board, and nothing more. The money enticement has to be very big to over ride this incentive. Melbourne is a cultural wonder and the hospitality capital of Australia, so it is in a good bargaining position. It would not matter if labor or liberal were in power. They are the same political party when one gets down to looking at them. The Victorian labor government has another windy document, titled "Next Generatio". It is a food strategy. Pity that the drought has been such a bitch. So how do we export the food that we may or may not have? The channel out to sea has not been deepened, the pipelines to take water or the dams have not been built. Howevetr Victoria and the Australian government are capitalising on this buring sun. They are going to build a very expensive, an overly expensive, solar power station near Muldura. The cost output of this electricity to consumers will be five times the cost of coal generated supply. It will be four times gas generated supply. The poor consumers of Victoria, and the wonderful but yet to function competitive national grid, will just love the prices. The grid promise was muted in 1989 and launched as a panacea in 1991. The Victorian oublicly owned power indstry was sold by the pirates of the Victorian government in 1993. Privatisation of electricity in Australia and reform agendas are based on the market theory and its capability to balance demand against supply. All of the Utopian benefits of this vision have yet to materialise in Victoria and across Australia. There are a host of myths that successive governments have extolled to the people of Victoria. Quite frankly it is irrelevant if you vote labor, liberal or national in any election in the country at state and territory level. In many ways the Australian governments lack innovation and creativity. They claim to be a knowledge nation yet the performance is not there to support this rhetoric. The cabinets of Australia's governments spend their time taking massive amounts of public money for little investment return, inundating the community with with slogans and advertisements. The reports published by governments are suspect. The states and territories duplicate service, activity and regulation on a scale that costs the nation billions. We are over governed. The owner of this site has accused the Premier of Victoria, Mr. Steve Bracks, of lacking a moral compass. In the lead up to the election the Bracks labor government has dangled cuts on stamp duty on housing purchases. It is about $A50,000,000. This is out of tax windfall of over $A2,000,000,000. The cut is only available on cheap house purchases and the purchaser has to choose between te stamp duty relief or a $3,000 first home buyers subsidy. Thus it is a disciminatory offering, typical of labor's propensity to punish those who may have more resources than others. It is another example of the lack of moral foundation that underpins one opf Australia's least eloquent politicians. I see little depth of judgement and creativity in Steve Bracks and his cabinet colleagues. Whilst paying themselves very nice salaries and benefits for their dedicated contribution to the public good, they hound and punish others who might have earned their wealth and income by their own efforts. Segments of the community are subjected to their prejudice and mean spirited thinking. The incumbents of the Australian labor party, with the exception of a few, such as Evan Thornley, invariably get their income from either the union fees of workers or the public purse. Many in the ranks of the Australia labor party seem to have grown up embittered and jealous translating their attitudes, bias and grudges into policy. They rape the successful with taxes and charges in an attempt to redistribute income and the cake. The government under labor party Premier, Steve Bracks, offered to a state funeral to a celebrity. The person in question is alleged to have bashed one of his former wives. Why is public money spent on such populist and limited activities? What is the oevrall public benefit? What are the moral standards espoused by Premier Bracks? It is not clear. There is no labor government set of published standards by which we can judge a range of values and against we can determine performance. The focus is on fiscal. The Bracks government can spend tens of millions on self praising advertising as it did during the Commonwealth Games. The Bracks government can earn billions in taxes from gambling over the years and from the Goods and Services Tax. The state owned water authorities glibly tell us and the farmers that the payments demanded are actually for infrastructure. Thus the water they used to get, in years gone by, must have been free. The government Treasurer, John Brumby, one the one hand says nothing about spending hundreds of millions on political objectives, and self serving projects, and then denies free travel to school children, and students, on the basis the state cannot afford the cost? The Bracks government like the worn out, jaded duopolies, across Australia, is exceedingly hypocritical. Is it that The Premuier and government Ministers, have advisers who lack also lack a moral compass? Does the Premier and the Ministry have little idea of ethical leadership? It appears that the Victorian government has adopted the safe populist style and political opportunism? Prior to coming to power he severely criticised the liberal government of Jeff Kennett. He berated the fetish with gambling and how the state was addicted to gambling revenue. He said much about what he would do about this. He has allowed the damage of gambling to not only continue but to grow like a cancer becoming more entrenched in society and in the state's annual revenue take measured in seconds. This is social banditry. References 1. Cited in R.M. O’Donnell, "Keynes on Gambling", paper presented to the History of Economic Thought Society of Australia Conference, Australian National University, Canberra, 15 July, 1999, p. 13. 2. Dr James Doughney and Genevieve Sinclair, "Demography And Poker Machine Gambling: The Social Policy Implications of Social Banditry". Dr James Doughney, Genevieve Sinclair and Tony Kelleher, "Using a ‘Pokie Loss Severity Index’"; "Pokie Caps and the Disadvantaged in Victoria"; The Local Economic Impact of Pokies"; and "Poker Machine Data for Victorian Local Government Areas". Workplace Studies Centre Research Reports, Victoria University, Melbourne, 2000. 3. See Summary of Research Findings: 1996-97 Research Program, on the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation website. Hypocrisy, cant and sophistry amoong other not so nice traits are the trademarks of the Bracks labor government of Victoria In 2006 the Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, heads up a secretive government that denies the public access to information that might inform its voting decisions. (extract) ABC On Line: Wednesday, October 4, 2006. 7:30pm (AEST) Govt denies reports 'cover-up' - Victorian Premier Steve Bracks says his Government is not hiding anything after tabling 100 reports on the last sitting day of Parliament before the November election. One of the reports attacks the State Government for excessive secrecy surrounding public-private partnerships, while another shows it spent a record $21 million on the Grand Prix".(end of extract) (Extract: The Age Newspaper, Bracks' secret state, Date: September 24 2006, By Jason Dowling 'When you're proud of what you're doing, you don't want it hidden; you want people to know about it. You only keep secret the things that you're ashamed of." Those were the words of Steve Bracks back in 1999 - so what is the Premier so ashamed of now? Labor's record on open and accountable government has been rocky, to say the least. It seems that everywhere you look in state politics, there are increasing obstacles to the truth - from the Government media unit's reluctance to allow ministers to answer journalists' questions, to the dwindling usefulness of freedom of information laws. Has Victoria become the secret state? (end of extract) Premier Bracks has not curbed gambling and the poker machines of Victoria are to be found in the poorest and most disadvantaged suburbs and regions of the state. There has been attention to the number of people working in the public sector versus working in the private sector and little reform of the Victorian economy. On social policy they are shackled to the "budget" model of government and I do not mean in terms of monetary polilcy. I mean "budget" as in cheap and often nasty. The letter below was sent to parliamentary members of the Victorian government. To the office of the Premier, to the Minister for Health. It was sent to the liberal party leader, Mr. Ballieu, several weeks ago. There has been no reply from anyone. This is not exceptional. There is a level of arrogant, and dismissive, behaviour at state and territory levels, by politicians and thei advisers, not so blatant in the federal government. One can only assume that child safety rates low on the electoral issue calendar, in Victoria and in the political party strategies, in November 2006. Victorian government ignores danger to children at Maribyrnong Secondary College A letter sent to parliamentarians on a 2006 important election issue: Dear Honourable Member of the Victorian Parliament The students' lives, and welfare, at Maribyrnong College Melbourne Victoria are put at risk every school day through the ineptitude, and what it seems is a lack of duty of care, of local government (traffic and by laws, CEO and elected representatives) persons and the Education bureaucracy, under Minister Kosky's stewardship, do not plan and act. They collectively fail to provide safe traffic zones, indent parking or any form of basic safety for the kids at this government school. The world of officialdom ignores the dangers of mixing trams, cars and children on a narrow road at Marybyrnong Secondary College. The parents, principal and staff, try in vein to get attention on the isssue but they have to deal with an ignorant and underperforming lot of bureaucrats and a government that has "child care" low on its priority list. Their overtures fall on the deaf ears of a Premier and Treasurer obsessed with "economic credibility" before basic services and welfare. This thoroughfare is akin to a goat track. Every day about 300 students risk their safety at this government school traversing the tram tracks and the road. There are no lights, no large zone crossings and no trafic control measures. Where is the Council? In response to my communication I received a letter from a low ranking bureaucrat fobbing me off. The education department bureaucrat wrote to tell me that the school is to be refurbished and my considerations would be taken into account. The response was insulting to the extent that this person did not consider that I was well aware of the school plan and the timeline of years before that plan takes shape. The base preparation for work starts in the last few months of 2007. The lack of corporate memory and learning capacity of the public service, is irksome. One might think after all these years that I do not respond well to ignorance. The federal government agencies and Ministries on the other hand are far more professional and tactical. Responses come from higher levels. Many children can be maimed, or killed, in the intervening years. The letter demonstrates my point of lack of duty of care and simply adds the department secretary into the mix. This response is typical of the government public servant who is oblivious to the proposition that some citizens might actually be more aware, and informed, on a myriad of topics than they are. Then just prior to the November 2006 state election, an adviser from the office of state Minister for Education Services, Ms. Jacinta Allan, wrote to advise that a traffic survey would be undertaken in consultation with the school and that I would be advised of the outcome. The school principal doubts that anything will be done. The election passed, the school year ended and the Principal turned out to be correct. There is no need to do a traffic survey when the children are not present. This is how the Ministers of Victoria's state government and their hired help diffuse and manage contentious issues. The school is located near the electorate of the Victorian Minister for Health, Bronwyn Pike and the (federal political) aspirant Bill Shorten for federal laurels. Children also come from the federal seat of shadow Attorney General, labor party, Nicola Roxon. The local Deputy Mayor represented Ms Roxon at the end of year awards. There was no other representation. The politicians simply cannot be bothered and to send a lower level political apparatchik, though entetaining, can be taken as an insult. One might think they would be concerned? Ms Pike was obviously concerned about her own political survival when she wrote to me asking me not to accept the overtures of the Greens party candidate. Politicians are always concerned with their own interests, first and foremost. Communities are according to the Bracks' government's fantastic spiel, the responsibility of a dedicated Minister, for Communities and a Parliamentary Secretary who can never be tracked down for an answer, if indeed the Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Hong Lim had one to give. He does not respond to prompting. I believe the role he occupies was created in recognition of his role as a "numbers" man for the party amongst the Asian community. His value to the public purse is thus highly questionable. He seems to prefer attending fetes than addressing the tough issues like community safety of children. Perhaps the Honourable labor member for Preston, Mr. Leighton could do something on his behalf since he defends him in the parliament? Lack lustre, self interested representatives are to be targeted hence forth. Down in the Latrobe Valley the labor party pccupies the seats of Narracan and Morwell. They have done so for some time. Unfortunately for the party this domination has been undermined by interests beyond their horizon. In the November 2006 state election these seats will fall to the conservatives. This example reinforced the notion that the labor governments of Australia seem unable to take even minimal aspects of child care (safety zones, crossings and vigilance) seriously even when a child is hurt or dies. The internet allows the quick and constant exchange of stories and a bibliography of incompetence to be circulated. Every day we hear the excuses of a immoral and self serving spin strategy and bleating usually about the failure of the federal government to fund the states and territories. The above was distributed to media, and to Ministers of the Victorian labor government, leader of the liberal party and coalition, Mr. Ted Ballieu and to the Premier, Steve Bracks. Six days later. No response. They are very busy people. Some weeks later a regional education bureaucrat wrote to me about the above matter. The letter indicated that contact had been made with the Traffic Officer at the local government council. There had been meetings with the school. The school is to be refurbished as a leading "sports" college. The issue of traffic management and safety is to be incorporated into the planning. That is - some time in the future. This is typical of the fobbing off and avoidance of accountability that is endemic in our political and government systems in Australia. There is no urgency for this matter has no "political imperative" or perceived negativity attached. The bureaucrat has little perception that I might not agree that this is a satisfactory conclusion. The children's safety cannot be put on hold and I do not meekly accept dereliction of duty of care of children. What is irksome about dealing with many state governments is that when you write to a Minister a bureaucrat responds. By comparison when I write to a federal Minister I invariably get a letter signed by the Minister in return. The federal government pliticians, on the liberal side, are a far more classy and responsive lot who take democracy a bit more seriously. They also have staff and advisers who do their homework. I write to a state Minister for a meeting and I get a bureaucrat. I write to a federal Minister and I either get the Minister, the Chief of Staff or on some occasions I get both in the meeting. They do not want to be allocated a dance card In comparison the state and territory bureaucrats and advisers and the Ministers behave as if they are an elite lot who will only meet with people who they deem to be worthy of the time. They do not care about the conseuqences of their arrogance because they have little regard for public funds by comparison to the federal. The state and territory regard only rises if they are likely to get adverse publicity. The Australian media has little idea beyond the obvious as to who might be players in any scenario. You can have a look here to see articles and commentary on the quality of Australia's governments. You can also observe in the Mosaic Portal web sites' content and via the web links the depth of parliamentary debate and representation, in Victoria and elsewere in the Australian nation. Looking at the Victorian State Election, November 2006 If voters are going to seriously evaluate the performance of the Bracks' labor governmenht they should do it dispassionately. Then based on the evidence, a reasonable person may well throw them out. But is the alternative (Ballieu - liberal government) any better? Who knows? The state liberals fail to communicate to the ordinary citizen other than via a newsletter or a media statement or advertisement. This is in stark contrast to the federal liberal Ministers. Labor at state, territory and federal is a very poor communicator. Their style borders on arrogant disregard. This is a sad state of affairs for the state, and the nation. Australia is an advanced society and the choices are mediocre because the greater number of people demand no better. Why do you believe these political charlatans, the magicians of spin rhetoric and hollow words, who now have no clothes? Do you not wretch deep down in your stomach when you are in their company? If an individual citizen chooses to seek to participate in government in Australia below is what they can expect. They will be ridiculed and beittled under parliamentary privilege. The member of parliament below can effectively say what he likes and there is no recourse. The citizen besmirched and named cannot sue for defamation and has no right of response. Professional, and mature politicians, in Australia, particularly at the federal level, tend not to engage in the politics of this type. It is more the province of the states and particularly that of government's that lack ethics of which Steve Bracks' I think is singular. However the intellectually, and performance challenged, members of parliaments who need their moment in the spotlight tend to resort to this type of tactic and vitriol. Below is a member of the Victorian Labor Party, within the Steve Bracks' state government. The content of his diatribe is both irrelevant to the election debate and has nothing to do with policies or issues. It does not serve the public interest and whilst not being based on fact, it is a waste of public money and precious parliamentary time. However in the small world of some this is their only contribution content. The liberal candidate for Clayton at the November state election of 2006, Michael Carty, did not commit plagiarism as the Honourable for Preston member asserts. Anyone can use my web sites and their content provided that they are not taking third party material without attribution. The letter to which Mr. Leighton refers was co - written by myself and Mr. Carty. I added content which you can see below this extract from the parliamentary record of August 22, 2006. In searching the records and archives I can discern no worthwhile contribution of note. There are no speches of deep consideration and portent. Such is the quality of this government. Hansard August 22, 2006 Liberal Party: Clayton candidate "Mr LEIGHTON (Preston) — I have been reading a political blog written by Kevin R. Beck, who has some loopy ideas. He has made inane and racist comments about the member for Clayton, and much of his criticism of the member for Clayton is repeated word for word in a letter on page 8 of the Monash Journal of Monday, 21 August 2006. This letter has in fact plagiarised Beck’s blog, which is gross dishonesty. This disgraceful letter is signed by Michael Carty, the Liberal candidate for Clayton. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to sack his candidate for Clayton. Mr Carty is dishonest, guilty of plagiarism and not fit for public office. The Monash Journal has been duped and should send the Liberal Party a please-explain notice. Mr Beck criticised the member for Clayton in the context of an ALP preselection process. He is a former member of the ALP and has also criticised the state opposition leader and federal MPs Alexander Downer, Philip Ruddock and John Howard. In these circumstances it is pretty dopey of Michael Carty to steal Beck’s writings and to put his own name on them. The Liberal Party would improve the gene pool of its candidates if it sacked Mr Carty. The sorts of comments that Mr Beck has made on his blog include: What a disappointment Ted Baillieu is. But this is the source that Michael Carty, as a Liberal candidate, has put his own name to in a letter to the Monash Journal. If he does not resign, he should be sacked by the Leader of the Opposition." (end of extract) Sacked for what? The Honourable member is about to dance. I trust that he has a lot of time and resources, preferably not drawn from the public purse. He is going to an election in November, 2006. I wish him tyhe best of luck in his safe seat and trust he wil not suffer any decline in the local labor party vote. How big is the advertising, and technology, budget for the labor candidate in the state seat of Preston? The material cited below indicates quite clearly that the voters choices in the Victorian state election are indeed limited. Not only by the limited choice of candidates (a duopoly of labor and liberal control the bulk of candiadtes) but also by social and economic policy and innovation. The two major parties are almost indistinguishable because they are fighting for a minority positioning, the swinging voters, in a society where the voters are disengaged, predominantly uneducated and uninformed about complex issues and the operation of their government. The system is designed to maintain this balance for the benefit of a small political class. Innovation (in government, in society, in economy) does not come from the middle ground. The state of Victoria is the second largest by population. It is currently governed by a Labor sinecure. I use the word "sinecure" because candidacy is offered and controlled. Mr. Leighton gets his seat in parliament from the Labor Party political machine. One cannot win a seat, unless they do it as an independent, other than by the seat being bestowed initially on them. They may after time retain it by effort. " Party hacks block clever candidates Janet Albrechtsen, the Australian Newspaper, July 19, 2006 IT'S tempting to dismiss state politics. Ho-hum leaders entrusted to make trains run on time and drains flow freely. The main game seems to be anywhere but in your home state. And yet, each time the Council of Australian Governments rolls around, it's a reminder that states are still critical to our welfare and there is still a crying need for good people in state governments." (end of quote) Selection of candidates for parliaments in Australia, including Victoria, is a purely academic exercise for the political, and machine men and women, of the ruling political classes in all political parties. These peopl;e lack moral and ethical compasses and are stealing the nation's governments. The voters in Australia are not informed they are lazy and irresponsible. The exercise of choice of candiadtes is factional support. The task is to be selected and to retain selection and then for the successful politician it is purely about their electoral representation even if through questionable means. It is a corrupt system. The make up of parliament, in Victoria, is not representative of the electorate and the diversity of its citizens interests and votes. The Victorian labor party machine is a corruption of democracy as is the liberal machine. This is why the avergae Australian has no regard for their politicians. They would not know this for the bulk of citizens are illiterate when it comes to citzenship and government. It is difficult for the liberal opposition to say much about labor when they are as guilty of the same offences against democracy and corruption of process. Victoria's labor government to my mind is up there with a corrupt manipulative process of choosing representation and retaining power. A select number of labor politicians hold their preselection by "membership branch stacking". They are in effect given a "sinecure of public office". As Victorians go to vote they might well ponder any number of questions for which there are never answers. How is it that politicians can be publicly reported for misuse of funds (public and donated) and still retain their seats? Why is the manipulation, and dimunition, of the peoples' democracy and government not examined by an independent body of some sort (elected or otherwise) and why is not a criminal offence to diminish the democratic process? Why is the system not designed to deliver fair and equitable representation? Why is there no independent appointment to public office (borads and committees) and why are politicians allowed to apoint relatives, friends and loyal supporters? Why are donations allowed? There is the subtle taking of soft donations (bribes), through purchasing access. This is common throughout Australia. Political parties sell access. Pay $750 and you get a session with a Minister. It is dressed it up as acceptable but it is not. Paying fees for access is corruption of the process. Why is it compulsory for people to vote? It is because if the voters were allowed choice a great number would not turn up. As a result the labor and liberal parties could not control, with any certrainty, the process and outcome. Why is the system not about equal representation. Why is there not a set and equal budget of expenditure for all candidates, paid from the public purse, with external party or other funding disallowed? Why do we tacitly accept low standards from our politicians? The Premiers, Ministers and geneal body politic, are not role models of integrity, ethical leadership and behaviour. They lie in advertisements, in reports and in every facet of reporting and publishing their performance. Lie might be a harsh term. However is government not the highest office? If you are in business and want to be invited to sit with the powerful politicians in Victoria, it is simply a question of whether you are prepared to pay the price or whether you are rich and powerful enough to warrant their attention. Then you have to take a risk with people whose moral compass is skewed towards self interest and retention of power. What can you offer them in this regard? Victoria's labor politicians are definitely "open for business". It is not an equal system. The ordinary citizen cannot, and does not, get the same access or attention as the "superior" individual. In the early days of the Bracks' state labor government he had to deals with the independents. One of these people was Craig Ingram, down in Snowy River country. The deal was about restoring flow to the Snowy River from the Hydro situated in NSW. So Bracks and then Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, had the picture opportunity and Bracks' trumpeted how he was the "environmental" guru. Now in 2006 we learn that this was yet more "matey bullshit" between labor politicians. Carr never delivered and the Hydro has cut off the wier flow. They pull statistics out of their flabby political, and corporate, arses to tell us that the river flow is the same volume from somewhere else. Bracks has a history of not delivering in public office as to his Ministers. Why is Peter Batchelor still the Minister for Transport when he has a public record of waste and incompetence across the breadth of his time as a senior politician and Minister? Where are the billion dolllar fast trains? These much vaunted gems of labor political engineering can travel at a withering 160 kilometres an hour. Yet according to the State Auditor General, they save a few minutes on the journey of 100 kilometres from Ballarat to Melbourne. How do theu make these savings? Theu do not stop at statios. Where is the Airport to Melbourne rail link of which the Premier made much in the media? How much extra has the Southern Cross station in Spencer Street cost the people of Victoria? Where are the city road traffic management systems and the why is the Road Transport Authority one of the most underperfrming and incompetent agencies in the state public service agency fold? Where are all the glossy plans, and promises, of the Victorian government of Steve Bracks that he and his Ministers are so fond of developing and trotting out with great show and fanfare? Without being sarcastic, Victoria is the state of the best documented plans and strategies in Australia. The problem for the people of this wonderfully beautifaul and richly resourced state is that that is what they are are. Just plans. They are documented but not never fully implemented. This is the case in every department of government. Why? The Treasurer of the state is John Brumby. He is "an economic surplus" ideolog. It is cheaper to have committes, consultation and planning ending up as a report that makes very good headlines, article content and advertisements than to actually have to pay for the staff and resources to implement them. The government is mean with resources and leaves the public aegncies without the staff and necessaries to do the work fully. This government goes beyond frugal. It is quite willing to spend public money on singing its own praises and on its own self interested benefits. True, there are probably more teachers and more public servants, though I would hazard that the teachers are contracted and the numbers are a smoke screen in reality. However there are not the facilities, resources and infrastructure to go along with them and support them. They are staged managed replicas, the hallmark of not only the Labor government of Victoria, but a similar trick of smoke and mirrors by all labor state, and territory, governments. Victoria has a huge spin department like NSW and Queensland. The Premier is engaged in some type of "theatrical production". The large and very expensive media and communications unit can be found in the Premier's department. Meanwhile on the ground, the quality of education across the board, curriculums, learning centres, the physical hospitals, health and other services, is more about managed perception than reality. If one asks or criticises, points this out or has the audacity to askl what one of the highly paid sinecure holders do for their public wage then you see above in the example of Mr. Leighton, what the political response is. No considered, or substantial, response with content and merit. Leighton, like his colelagues just foams the gibberish of another challenged member of labor's parliamentary ranks. One question I have is why any professional business person would want to pay $7,500 for a closed meeting with one of the labor party Victorian State Ministers? Across the other side of parliament sit a group of bewildered and disheartened liberal politicians. They have caught the national virus of incompetence in opposition. They gather behind Ted Ballieu, and cluck like rattled chooks. The media chronicles Mr. Ballieu's daily ineptitude. The Australian Newspaper describes Mr. Ballieu "like a piece of roadkill on a busy highway this week, being pulverised by semi trailers going in opposite directions". (Riding the slow train to nowhere, Rick Wallace, Weekend Australian 26-27 August, 2006, Editor p.29. The average citizen could not care less if Bracks or Ballieu are competent or not. They only react to threats to their personal interests and take little notice of their parliament and government performance. There is no accountability because no one will actually lose their day to day basic job, being a member of parliament, at this heady level. Yet having said this indications are that the head count in parliament after November 2006 will be substantially different to what it is now for each party and the number of minority and independent members. The media is interpreting Mr. Ballieu's impact incorrectly. Putting the Public Interest Back Into Transport, in Victoria, April, 2006 Steve Bracks' Victorian labor government's poor quality school education Could someone send me a moral compass to parliament house I seem to have lost mine. It is June 2006. The quality of Victoria's government is mirrored in Mr. Cargill. A senior strategist within the office of the labor Premier Steve Bracks. A diary owned by Mr. Cargill has come to light. In that diary he makes notes to check the backgrounds of the opposition liberal leaders wife and children, to seek out something that can be used for the typically degrading modern style of government of which Steve Bracks is a leading proponent in Australia. Mr. Bracks responds that this practice is both defendable and justifiable in the closeted world of the political sewer that people such as he helps to maintain and add to. There are a litany of examples of Mr. Bracks' lack of moral compass since coming to office. He is large on rhetoric and small on example. The media machine promotes a squeaky clean and wholesome image spending millions to maintain the facade. He gets away with this because his colleagues with some exceptions are of similar ilk and the voters in the state are as limited in their demands for quality and integrity in government as he is. In concert with this degradation of our systems of government, political and corporate decision makers, employers and short sighted entreprenurs and economists display a poor judgement and understanding of good management practice. Australia is under developed and could be performing well above the ideologies of mediocrity that grip the nation at every level. The Victorian Labor Government and the members of the state party are engaged daily in the corruption of Victoria's democratic and governance processes. For many years senior parliamentary members, and party leaders, have known the activities of George Seitz, a member of the Victorian parliament. Independent investigations have revealed the extent of his involvement in nepotism, branch stacking, laundering of monies from community organisations to pay for party membership, along with a litany of other questionable practices. Seitz has been allowed to sit in the parliament and degrade the institution by his presence. Former Premier John Cain has stated that Seitz has been an unmemorable member of the state parliament since he came to office. Current Premiet Steve Bracks, again demonstrates that he subscribes to low ethical values and lacks either the integrity, or the political spine to do something about Seitz. It is now a fact of Australian political life that a few hundred of individuals, at local, state, territory and federal level, manipulate Australia's electoral and political sysems through the party preselection process. This cabal operates within the Australian Labor, and the Australian Liberal Parties, sharing the spoils of public office amongst themselves, their relatives, friends and associates and a chosen number of others. It is a system of patronage and money. Parliamentary member Seitz is powerful because he has cash and buys membership and votes. Seitz is part of the faction that will put a colleague of the right wing power group, parliamentary aspirant and union leader, Bill Shorten into a safe labor seat at the next election. What does that tell us about Mr. Shorten's moral code? George Seitz is stealing the voters opportunity to elect a performing candiadte rather than a political manopulator with tendencies bordering on criminal degradation of Victoria's democracy. To my mind on the evidence he is not fit to be in parliament but apparently he is fit to be a member of the Australian Labor Party and that alone qualifies him to be fit for parliament. This does not say much about the quality and character traits that are deemed suitable for membership of labor's parliamentary team. It would be quite a turn around, and out of character demonstration, on the part of Premier Steve Bracks if he were have the guts to do something about Seitz and others like him who think that holding public office, by any means, is theor right. Seitz not only steals democracy and degrades it, he steals from the public who pay him by not delivering. Victoria labor government pathetic on disability, April 2006 "Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is diagnosed most frequently when people are between the ages of 20 and 50 this is the time hat many people regard as the ‘prime of life’[Rumrill, p.19]. People in this age group may be completing tertiary education, choosing a career, starting to work in paid employment, raising a family. They are beginning to make a mark in their chosen field and settling into the rhythm of their lives. The diagnosis of a progressive disease could not come at a worse moment." Source: MS Society of Australia Whether it be meanness in relation to benefits, such as the proposition of some months ago to lower or remove the subsidised taxi vouchers, or lack of provision of facilities or simple disregard for the humanity of the disabled Labor Premier Steve Bracks, Treasurer John Brumby and Health Minister Bronwyn Pike lead the way in being in blinkers or asimply derelict. The members of government, and senior bureaucrats, might learn a lesson from the concerns of Ms Radisich in Western Australia where the labor government there like all other states simply ognores the plight of young people woth multiple schlerosis. They are housed in aged care facilities. "YOUNG PEOPLE HOUSED IN AGED CARE FACILITIES: Grievance MS J.A. RADISICH (Swan Hills) [9.32 am]: My grievance is to the Minister for Disability Services, and concerns young people being inappropriately housed in aged care facilities. As the minister will no doubt be aware, the lives of 600 000 Western Australians are affected by disability, and 200 000 of those people are carers, or people who provide support to those with disabilities. This matter is causing a great deal of concern in my electorate. People regularly raise with me the problem of the inappropriate practice of accommodating people under the age of 50 in facilities designed for people aged from 60 years to the end of their days. My research indicates that 55 people under the age of 50 are housed in aged care facilities in this state, which I find to be a totally unacceptable situation. Staggeringly, this figure is rising." If that is the case in one of Australia's less populated states what are the numbers in Victoria and New South Wales and the rest of Australia? In the absence of any interest on the part of the Victorian government we can turn to the Australian government sources. Even better take a look at the evidence of neglect by the governments of the developed, socially advanced, and wealthy nation, of Australia. Particularly my state of Victoria. Judge whether the politicians, particularly the Premiers of the states are worthy of their salaries and our esteem and regard. Steve Bracks takes more interest in football, games and biometrics than he does in disability. Victoria simply apes the spending of other sattes - hardly anything. "Current funding arrangements do not appropriately support the provision of residential aged care services to older people presenting with special needs including dementia, residents with challenging behaviours and complex care needs. Funding arrangements support a standard service response to all needs with some special needs not being met, such as older people needing mental health care who experience access restrictions to generic residential aged care.[498]" Source: Parliament of Austalia "Surplus obsessed" Treasurer's, across Australia, are mean spirited when it comes to facilities, and caring, for the diasbled. They rely upon the good will of carers, family, community and charities. These people are left to look after the disabled out of their compassion, salves to the state and to the economic well being of the more fortunate in Australian society. Every form of disability is largely ignored, physical, mental, autistic, and their learning difficulties and other situations such as cultural background seem to be of little interest to sanctimonious, and hypocritical infestations of ignorance, within the state parliaments of Australia, who are unable to spend what is needed yet can always find a few million to waste on worthless advertisements, such as the case of the Victorian government's $80,000,000, "THE Bracks Government is expected to spend more than $80 million advertising itself this year. It spent $11 million on TV, radio and newspaper ads in just the 51 days to November 27, documents leaked to the Herald Sun show. This figure means Victorian taxpayers are spending more than $216,000 a day to sell the Government. (News.com.au, January 9, 2006,)" The Victorian labor government is telling us how wonderful the state is under their management and vision. The Premier of Victoria deals in gloss and glamour more suited to a Hollywood movie script. The $80,000,000 would fund twenty purpose built accommodation centres for 3,200 disabled sufferers. These politicians are not worthy of respect and as they flood the television and newspapers with their bullshit someone lives in suffering. The state government of Victoria has presented one of the most telling examples of ideology, and political interest, over-riding good public policy. The privatisation of electricity. Since that did not work as they said it would it is now a god idea to sell off another Australian icon. The Snowy Mountains Scheme. The creation of the Scheme is indeed one of the great Australian stories. It is just like the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. Another Australian icon that the politicians did not build but managed to destroy. All very nice, tear jerkers and white watches all around, but it's progress and this is real world where competition is going to turn Australia into a third world dust bowl unless we get on board with the agenda? There can be no sentamentality and no valuing of cultural history and effort if we want to be number one amongst the number ones of the world. Put the history of the icon, and the culture of public effort and investment, in a book and move on! Sure Steve we are right behind you, you stupid little man. But that is why we voted you in. We like stupid little men, they are just like us - average in every respect. Steve Bracks the Victorian version of the Australian Commonwealth's little man. Despite the hype that is rammed down our throats, there are arguments for natural monopolies But these hold no weight against the partisan political ideal of having a bag of money to win elections and to throw at special interests. Although it is not Bracks who wants to do this as much as Morris Iemma, labor Premier of New South Wales. Iemma forced Brack's hand by stating that NSW would sell their share forcing Brack's hand. Victoria would be left in an untenable position. Because of Iemma continuing the stupidity of succesive state governments in selling natural monopoly and public interest assets, Bracks is dragged in. Politicians never built it. In fact, in the modern age of politics (1982 - 2006) they have never built anything of substance, and public worth, they have no gravitas or feeling for the effort of others. Expedient asset it is. A balanced and thoughtful public policy maker might give some deep thought to coercive monopolies or perhaps some other extensive argument for and against. But no. Steve opts for shallow statements and justifications. Premier Bracks tells the Victorian people that this opportunity represents a God given miracle to fund the things he would like to do in education. Wow! Egalitarian giant of modern politic he is. Caroline Hirsh is a member of the Victorian parliament. She will retire at the next election. In the week of March 3, 2006, she stood in the parliament to raise the proposition of decriminalising abortion. This is an issue that the male politicians of Australia dread. Caroline had been talking across the political benches seeking support. The Premier's media director, Ms Sharon McCrohan, heard that Ms Hirsh was to give a story to the Melbourne Age newspaper. How did she hear? Well she was probably doing her job. Her job, is to intefere in the process of democracy as an unelected person, paid out of the public purse. It is her job to stop people like Ms Hirsh from fulfilling their elected roles of fair, and open, representation. It is her job, and people like her, to ensure that power is retained in the hands of a few. Despite being paid by the public, she serves the Premier's interests, not the parliamentary members, or the public interest, so she and people in similar roles across the nation, should be paid out of the pockets of the politician, and the party, they serve, not the public purse. The machine men and women of government of the Victorian state labor party, again many of them unelected by the citizens, went to work. They workdex against the interests of women who risk being criminalised. Ms Hirsh's efforts to end a farce, an anachronistic hypocrisy, were for nought. No debate in the parliament. Abortion, performed regularly in Victoria and Australia, is illegal. There is an election coming in 2007 and so Steve Bracks the Premier, true to form, implied that something might happen after that. Nothing ever happens after anything. The Premier, when in opposition, made a lot of noise about how things would change under his government. He made a lot of noise about the behaviour of the Jeff Kennett lead, coalition government. He made a lot of noise. That is Bracks, all noise and little substance. There is no depth, there is no reformer, there is no character other than bland conservatism and political self interest. Victoria's government and its legislation on abortion is like its transport service, antiquated. Melbourne is a world renown capital city where transport ceases at midnight or thereabouts except on New Years Eve and special occasions that ecite the Premier and his Ministers. The city is now being cleaned for the Commonwealth Games. Children comment that this is obvious. Bracks is all show but the gloss is now truly tarnishing. There is no regional transport to speak of. Conservatism. mediocrity, and antiquated thought and practice, are Bracks' hallmark. Those traits and hypocrisy. Caroline Hirsh will retire from the parliament, but I will remember her as a conviction politician who tried to shine a torch into the recesses and to enlighten the political burrows in which Bracks and others run to hide from the hard issues. To emerge later, like moles, from the darkness. All gathering, whispering, laughing and congratulating themselves. The trains, and buses, will still be missing. January 2006 Lessons in Electricity Privatisation The corrosive legacy of Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and Treasurer, Alan Stockdale. In 1990 the Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating refused to allow Victoria to borrow funds for infrastructure development. So the state Labor Premier John Cain, and next Premier Joan Kerner, decided they would have to sell the partially completed four billion dollar Loy Yang power complex in the Latrobe Valley. They effectively opened the door to one of the most corrosive and destructive exercises undertaken by any government in Australia. They opened the door to the realisation of fantasy economics and ideology. The opposition liberal and national coalition parties took the opportunity to join the misrepresentation of complex economic issues. Assisted by a frenzied feeding media out for a good story anti-labor critics misrepresented public debt by adding the finance costs of the world's largest electricity and mining entity, the State Electricity Commission of Victoria, into public sector figures. They did not evaluate the propensity for cash flow, and internal debt financing, within the Commission. It was fraudently presented and the arguments agianst this were lost in the noise deliberately created by the Kennett government, and corporate supporters, who would benefit. The voters in Victoria, not well educated and hardly able or interested in distilling complex arguemnts and data, supported the theory that their state was going to go bankrupt. They swallowed a fairy tale and a privatisation solution, wholeheartedly. Fools who take little interest in their intellectual self development and in assessing the big debates in their particular democracy, get the governments they deserve. When the coalition came to power under Jeff Kennett and Alan Stockdale, the public was told that all state assets had to be sold in the public interest. All state owned utilities, such as electricity, were sold. The Premier made an unexpected windfall of $30 billion. The media and exponents of markets crowed and applauded. Under Kennett, and Stockdale's political management, an idiotic and dysfunctional competition model was created, and implemented, consisting of split retail, transmission and distribution and generation functions, operated as separate commercial businesses. A break even model for customers would, by my reckoning, be a minimum of 2,000,000 customers for a retailer and distributor.The obvious problem would be what happens to returns on investment in less populated areas of the state? Carpetbaggers, and people with dreams of a whiteen goose laying eggs, emerged. Analysts and advisers to the purchasers placed unrealistic values on every asset. The only exception was Loy Yang B, sold to Edison Mission Energy of California, by the labor government of Joan Kirner under a cooperative arrangement with ASU Energy. The union officials flew to the USA to broker an agreement with Edison. The company was advised by personnel of the Australian Services Union Energy Branch as to what was a realsitic price for a 1,000 megawatt power station should be. The writer of this article was a consultant to ASU Energy and represented the union, employees and the community, on the advisory body to the government. Other purchasers paid hundreds of millions more some as high as a billion more for other asets. They relied upon predictions that electricity megawatt prices would reach $40.00 per hour and go higher, very quickly. The government said competition would deliver lower prices. They manipulated the market so that this occurred for commercial customers whilst residences paid 20% more. As indicated in my predictions, made in several writings to the media and all politicians, the whiteen goose never laid an egg as prices averaged just over $20.00 per megawatt hour for many years. Some companies went broke but maintained generation paying on cash flows. The only gooses were the bright lights of government and their supporters and expert advisers. This writer also predicted power failures and system integrity problems would emerge over time and wrote to the government and politicians in the state, in November 1999, predicting power failures in early 2000. Power failures and lack of supply occurred in February of that year. Unlike the days of the State Electricity Commission, today (January 2006) the industry in Victoria is complex and ridden with inefficiencies, anomalies and bureacratic stupidity and ridiculous regulations and systems. Consumers pay more for their electricity. Customers have to deal with multiple tiers and the industry participants are consumed with their own interests and their own methods. There is insufficient maintenance, market players will be rationalised back to a few entities by end of 2008, and the former Premier Jeff Kennet, former Treasurer Alan Stockdale, will only be remembered for having got a big number ofr what rally are priceless assets. Other indirect consequences of this tremendously short sighted approach are: The world's best engineering utility was broken up and its corporate intelligence and knowledge was lost. Hardly any multi-industry apprentices are trained in Victoria Cash flows go to the private sector which does not reinvest due to extraordinary debt levels The quality of utility and services management has declined dramatically The once prosperous community of the Latrobe Valley, and other regional communities, where the Commission operated and employed people were plunged into job losses and economic degradation. Employment wnet from 24,000 to just above 10,000 by 1998 and it is lower today. Other state, and territory governments, have or will try to emulate the Victorian model under National Competition policy. The short sighted policy lives on in the minds of politicians, and others, fixated, with fre market theory and their own egos and ideas. There will be no evaluations, of the past experiences or the actual workings of the Victorian model, just more of the same creeping stupidity. The anachronistic, arcane and self absorbed, Victorian Labor Party Premier Steve Bracks has proposed that all sitting Ministers of the state fovernment should be given safe, or winnable seat. This has annoyed the Labor party left wing factions, numerous machine men and women, and assorted aspiring types waiting their turn at the public trough. People who think that government, politics and participation, is their personal domain. This is not anything different to the operation of Australia's major parties (labor, liberal and national) at every level across the nation. The voters should be limited to voting for the presented candidadate, or accept the appointed Minister, without any say, and then piss off. The implication in Brack's demands is that the public would want to keep, and pay, for these Ministers and their tenure because they are stellar performers. Only in his, and a handful of others', dreams. There is no public performance criteria for these people who individually cost hundred of thousands of dollars. Their only performance hurdle is pleasing their patrons. Victoria, overall, has a patchy public administration and its services are hardly best practice. Many instances are set out below. Just look at mental health, transport, water, electricity, planning, and education Extract from the Australian Education Union (Victoria Branch) web site: "23 January 2006, the Australian Education Union Victorian Branch will today launch a million dollar public education campaign including television, radio and print advertising to run throughout the year. AEU Victorian Branch President Mary Bluett said that the Education for Everyone's Needs campaign outlines a clear vision for public education in Victoria over the next ten years. "This campaign is focused on providing a long term vision for public education in Victoria. It calls on all political parties to commit substantial resources to public education, to ensure that it not only provides an education for everyone, but an education for everyone's needs. "Victoria remains the lowest spending state on education, spending $650 less on each public school student than the national average. "What this means is that schools are relying on parents more than ever to assist with raising funds to provide the basics. For far too long our school infrastructure has been dilapidated and run down and in dire need of replacement". Yet performance and outcome is only a criteria to be dealt with if it is relevant in the great tapestry of politics, public officialdom, ego and interest. If Steve Bracks, et al, are the best that a population of nearly 4,000,000 people can deliver, the state's governance and long term prospects, are not that bright. The problem that the voting public faces is that the pool of candidates standing for state election, and the career politicians of the liberal, national and labor parties, are on balance, with a few exceptions, of a very low standard of ability and experience. The media is of limited assistance in this dilemma. On the face of it many appear to be semi-literate and semi-knowledgeable, consumed with the drama and circus of trivial power plays and intrigue They seem full of hubris, seemingly incapable of deep analysis and evaluation of policy, performance and outcome. The members of the 4th estate may now be captive to patronage of a different sort. When in opposition, Steve Bracks was biblical in his condemnation of the Kennett government advertising its suppoed quality government and initiatives. He told the public, from a pulpit of self righteous indignation that he would put an end to such practices and waste. Analysis shows that under his hypocritical leadership the labor government has spent more on frivolous, self serving, advertising than in the Kennett era. in the run up to, and during, the Commonwealth games in Melbourne, in March 2006, the spend is astronomical. The advertisements impart no information of significance to the bulk of citizens in Victoria. They do however fill the coffers of advertising agencies and broadcasters. Does Premier Bracks, and his media advisers, think that international investors, and entreprenuers, sit in the lounge chairs, and offices, overseas watching Melbourne commercial television? Perhaps these advertisements are for local consumption. hatever they may be for, $80,000,000 would build accommodtaion for young disabled people, provide educationm for people with disabilities such as autism, or generally improve the life of people less fortunate in the state. However the labor government prefers to squander the money on self gratification, and accolades, of the well off. A government ignorant of its responsibilities. Even more unprofessional is the plageurism. Bracks, and his team. are taking the work of diligent private enterprise and appropriating it as their own through misrepresentation of their policy platforms. When asked about this the justification is that they are drwaing the atention of a world audience to Melbourne. Obviously the Sydney 2000 Olympics promotional campiagn for Australia was considered not as effective. Beyond the horizon of awareness There are methods to gain interaction, access and attention. Some use lobbyists and others professional associatioon methods. Others simply go direct because of who they are. There are tactics and strategies that can be used. Think laterally when you want to influence or impact the objectives of politicians, political parties, governments and bureaucracies. Members of Australia's parliamenst and their staff very often make the mistake of acting only on correspondence from their local constituents first and foremost. But in this modern world of technology and interwtined interests, this can be a grave error. Political staff, and advisers, rarely if ever see over the horizon. Bureaucrats act similarly They rarely if ever see the matrix. They rarely if ever link disparate correspondence, events, outcomes and people unless it is bleedingly obvious to them. All too often they reply with a general information letter, no substance to speak of and hardly ever address the issue of the correspondence. There is an assumption that the communicator does not know the system or is not aware of how parliament works and what it and the bureaucracy is doing. I would hazard that I have an overall greater knowledge as to what many areas of Australia's parliamensta nd bureaucracy are doing than the people who are charged with the task of responding to my communications. They never seem to read between the lines gleaning the motivation or the objective. What, in the absence of their created intelligence gathering, a set of vehicles, information sourcesa nd strategies, were created to link things - to link their performnace, their objectives and their activities? What if the whole of the Australian government/s were being monitored, assessed and filtered? Is this possible using modern technologies? What if not only governments, and Ministers, were the objects of the technology and utilities but also individual members ofm parlaiensta nd of the bureaucracries? What if the motivation is to compete or create barriers, to actively be a participant in the political arena? Some very senior, and quite outspoken members, of state and federal parliaments once told me if I wanted to play in politics I should join a party and run for parliament. How does one do that when the participation is rigged and the allocation of preselection is by patronage? Then having got there to be back bencher doing as one is told, adding to the corrosion of parliament and democracy. Given that someone turned their attention to this challenging task, and spent the money and the time to do all of the above, what might it look like as a piece of technology and a disparate but interlinked set of utilities and tools.? Governance, Public Policy, Decision Making and the Performance of The Power Collective in Victoria, a state of the Australian Commonwealth The material on this web site comments on decisions, actions and the perceived performance politicians and bureaucrats. There are some overlaps with decision makers and behaviour within the corporate sector. These arise in the context of political pragmatism and the closed structure, and membership, of the power collective in Australia. The Mosaic Portal collection of public policy web sites provide a range of sources to give a broad perspective to the reader, and student, of politics and democracy. Readers interested in corporate behaviour and ethics might like to also look at ethical editorials. The most crucial public debate, and policy proposal, is Climate Change and Emmissions Trading Privacy Statement, Uses and Motivation Click here to learn the extent of the Kevin R Beck web network All Kevin R Beck web sites, blogs and forums A deep extended index of subjects and subtopics Go to the world of the Kevin R Beck Mosaic Portal The Kevin R Beck Mosaic Portal on DelphiForums in the USA. Different news, topic focus, broader audience, different demographics and reach