I haven´t sampled much local news in the past 2 months, what with galivanting around and all. We get cable and thanks to cnn now know far too much about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By the way they had to backpeddle like some kind of downhill cycle race, when it came out that that news about rapes in the super dome, stacks of dead bodies, and rampant crime in flooded areas, was pretty much rumours made up and passed on by scared people.
Anyway, when idly loggin on to the smh from time to time I´ve spotted 2 nasties, the detention and deportation of peace demostrator, Scott Parkin as a security risk, and the recent annoucement of WorkChoices. Shudder. Trade off your holidays and other rights, to have a more risky position, no protection for your salary and no collective power. How are Aussies feeling right now? You alert or alarmed?
5 comments:
Dear Bee,
Here are some other highlights from NSW and Federal politics:
- Following Brogden's "trial by media" on sexual misconduct, suicide attempt and subsequent resignation, NSW Liberal have wheeled in someone slightly older, thinner, but nonetheless still weasley. I reckon we should find out where NSW politicians go to weasel school and have it shut down.
- Vanstone had a hilarious interview on Radio National Breakfast, where the phone link cut out and interviewer (Fran Kelly) inadvertently talked over Vanstone. Vanstone did her nana for about a full minute about ABC reporters talking over and interrupting her all the time. Sounded like Vanstone was seriously stroppy about something and just waiting to take it out on someone, but unfortunately, it happened on national brekkie radio!
- Carr has taken up a consultancy with Macquarie Bank, while current Labor mop up the mess that the public-private partnership tollways are creating - turns out buses aren't allowed thru the x-city or lane cove tunnels, x-city tunnel is an overexpensive pain in the ass for local residents, and still noone is dealing with teh fact that in 5 years time, when the petrol supply/demand peak has well and truly tipped the other way and none of us can afford petrol anymore, there won't be enough train, bus or ferry routes to take people where they need to go.
- Quote of the week, Natasha S-D to another heckling senator during Senate Question time "And DON'T bait me, Senator X, I'm just NOT in the MOOD!!!" Hilarious.
he heh. Thanks
I had suspicions about that tunnel when I was working on the so called "environmental impact" study. But at the time, I was sucked into believing the squad of experts that talked up street level air quality. So much for free access and economic equity and publicbloodytransport. Every city where we've used a functioning metro makes me nash my teeth about whey they couldn't just dig nice fast train tunnels in Sidders.
It's an absolute Barry Crocker. yep politics has gone to the dogs, well, more to the dogs, since you left. Get THIS: we were each hand delivered a bright yellow card at work that says something completely ridiculous like 'keep australia safe from (the T word) call 1800-pissmytaxdollarsupawall' (that may not be the exact phone number, just how I remember it). I was so indignant that our organisation had falllen prey to such knee jerk baselss fearmongering (like seriously, if something awful was happening we wouldn't already know to call the police?)that I emailed the head of HR a formal complaint referencing ABS stats on cause of death in Australia and pointing out that since HR thought it unneccessary to warn us each to eat a balanced diet, get enough excersise, avoid unneccessary exposure to carcinogens and strive to avoid needless accident or social isolation in young rural men (ie actual, demonstrable threats to health and longevity in Australia) then I failed to see how they justified the need to warn us of the perceived and arguably lesser threat of (the t word). I softened it with lots of 'in the spirit of open dialogue I suggest' and 'of course I understand that whoever organised it meant well, but nonetheless..'. Turns out the guys in the print room thunk it up off their own backs and are very proud of it. Honestly, the lowest common denominator of thinking in this country scares the very pants right off me.
I dunno about anyone else, but I'm feeling SEDITIOUS!
Why? Well, I'm losing my rights at work, and much as I'd like to complain, I've already lost my right to free speech, my right to phone a lawyer, my right to be presumed innocent, and statistically I'm more likeley to be wrongfully locked up in an immigration detention centre than I am to be the victim of a terrorist attack...
But hey, interest rates are still down! That'll be a great comfort to me in Red 1, Baxter!
Also, Bee, you have blogspam - I'll see if I can fix it, but if I can't you need to turn on comment verification.
Hey Bee,
Thanks for the scary postcard from the land of dodgy socks/sandals combos. I hope your trip's awesomely excellent! Not much to report from sunny Brisvegas, except that it's been raining lots and the cats are restless. Chin chin!
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