Sunday, June 06, 2004
Ministerial responsibility and Mal Brough
Why is Labor so pissweak, when it comes to taking the high ground (and preferably, then attacking) on important domestic policy issues – like unemployment. Ever since Channel Nine (onya, Kez) gave the Libs a free kick against so-called dolebludgers just before the 1996 election, government policy in this area has been characterised by two things: (i) ongoing demonisation of the unemployed, and (ii) (more recently) a shocking waste of taxpayer funds.
Speaking as a freshly-(re)minted member of the unemployed, and as one who was a taxpayer until a couple of days ago, Labor should, of course, be concentrating on the second of these aspects. Instead, we get Labor employment services spokesman Anthony Albanese urging the Government to apologise to job seekers for "vilifying them". Actually, Anthony, I don’t think the unemployed particularly want an apology – and since you personally seem to be a fan of the “kiss it better” school of remedial economics, perhaps you could lead by example – having my anus caressed by your tongue may only be a temporary salve, but it would sure mean a lot more to me than a few words from whoever into my ear (but hey, I'm shallow like that).
For my earlier travails on the misdeeds of Employment Services Minister Mal Brough, see here and here.
If (non-existent) WMDs in Iraq were, IMO, a justifiable – just – pretext for invading Iraq and so hopefully sending Saudi Arabia and its oil to the nether regions that they most assuredly belong in, the furphy of (non-existent) dolebludgers surely deserves double the amount of attention/marching-in-the-street/whatever from the Left that the Iraq war has been getting. Moreover, Mal Brough, even from his media statements, has left a nice paper trial along his stumbling way, whereas the WMD issue only winds back into a thicket of woulda/coulda/shoulda.
The facts are plain – the privatised Job Network has, particularly since its last (July 2003) revamp, been an expensive failure, motivated only by bloody-minded ideology, and/or the desire to enrich shonks such as property developer cum employment services (sic) provider (sic), Sarina Russo.
It’s time to fall on your sword, and/or be swung from your pathetic, single bad apple "tree", Mal Brough.
Why is Labor so pissweak, when it comes to taking the high ground (and preferably, then attacking) on important domestic policy issues – like unemployment. Ever since Channel Nine (onya, Kez) gave the Libs a free kick against so-called dolebludgers just before the 1996 election, government policy in this area has been characterised by two things: (i) ongoing demonisation of the unemployed, and (ii) (more recently) a shocking waste of taxpayer funds.
Speaking as a freshly-(re)minted member of the unemployed, and as one who was a taxpayer until a couple of days ago, Labor should, of course, be concentrating on the second of these aspects. Instead, we get Labor employment services spokesman Anthony Albanese urging the Government to apologise to job seekers for "vilifying them". Actually, Anthony, I don’t think the unemployed particularly want an apology – and since you personally seem to be a fan of the “kiss it better” school of remedial economics, perhaps you could lead by example – having my anus caressed by your tongue may only be a temporary salve, but it would sure mean a lot more to me than a few words from whoever into my ear (but hey, I'm shallow like that).
For my earlier travails on the misdeeds of Employment Services Minister Mal Brough, see here and here.
If (non-existent) WMDs in Iraq were, IMO, a justifiable – just – pretext for invading Iraq and so hopefully sending Saudi Arabia and its oil to the nether regions that they most assuredly belong in, the furphy of (non-existent) dolebludgers surely deserves double the amount of attention/marching-in-the-street/whatever from the Left that the Iraq war has been getting. Moreover, Mal Brough, even from his media statements, has left a nice paper trial along his stumbling way, whereas the WMD issue only winds back into a thicket of woulda/coulda/shoulda.
The facts are plain – the privatised Job Network has, particularly since its last (July 2003) revamp, been an expensive failure, motivated only by bloody-minded ideology, and/or the desire to enrich shonks such as property developer cum employment services (sic) provider (sic), Sarina Russo.
It’s time to fall on your sword, and/or be swung from your pathetic, single bad apple "tree", Mal Brough.
