Blogger of reason retires from blogging

End of an era

Dear readers,

I have come to the decision that I should close my blog. I intend for this to be my very last post.

Why and I pulling my own stumps? Mainly because I just don't feel that burning flame which was my passion for blogging anymore. I no longer feel this itch to update my blog nearly every day to keep readers entertained. Moreover, I feel that I have made my point in the best way that I can and that there's nothing really else I can say. To my mind, it's time to move on to other pursuits.

Besides, my one year old son now likes to whisk me away from the computer so that I can play with him. To be perfectly honest, these days I would rather push his toy train on his toy tracks in the living room than write about political issues. I should be spending more time with my boy while he is still small.

I don't walk away from blogging with any regrets or bitterness. The blogwars I engaged in were good fun for the most part. I have enjoyed pwning and being pwned, and promoting the word pwned without taking my clothes off and running down the street. But good luck luck to those that did. I certainly got a good laugh out of it.

In terms of deathbed confessions, the truth is that this blog was largely inspired by Andrew Landeryou and Andrew Bolt. When I went to a National Union of Students conference in 2005, someone I met later emailed me with a link for Landeryou's 'Blog of Freedom'. I really enjoyed reading the political goss and strident attacks on those to the left of Labor's right-wing faction and this is how I got into blogging and the blogosphere. It was through Landeryou that I discovered other bloggers such as Andrew Bolt and Jeremy Sear.

Then in 2007 I found myself with nothing better to do than to set up my own blog. My aim always was to be controversial and provoke. However, I didn't expect that my readership would mainly consist of a group of left-wing bloggers, most of whom reside in Melbourne.

If I have one final message to my readers and fellow bloggers, I guess it's "thanks for the memories". I have enjoyed it while I could. I wish all my fellows bloggers all the best. Maybe we could catch up for a beer one day, as I already have with two of my fellow bloggers.

As Jerry Springer would say "take care of yourselves - and each other".


PS: For all those who wonder what my voice sounds like, here's a little video clip from my student days in which you can hear me but can't see me.

Rees said "back me or sack me"

Premier's power play

The Daily Tele has the inside story on how Nathan Rees managed to assert his authority by obtaining greater powers and using them to sack Joe Tripodi.

Regulator's witchhunt against businessmen defeated

Packer pwned

The OneTel case highlights that the court of public opinion is no substitute for a court of law:

THE corporate regulator has suffered a crushing defeat and been left with a $35 million legal bill after its pursuit of One.Tel founder Jodee Rich and former finance director Mark Silbermann was yesterday thrown out of court.

After one of the biggest cases ever brought before the NSW Supreme Court, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission was criticised for running a civil suit that was "too wide" and "produced an excessively long and burdensome proceeding". The regulator had wanted Mr Rich and Mr Silbermann to pay $92m in compensation for allegedly misleading the board about One.Tel's true financial position ahead of the telecommunications company's collapse in May 2001. It also sought orders banning the pair from managing corporations. Instead, ASIC was told it had "failed to prove any aspect of its pleaded case".

Judge Robert Austin said he did not agree with ASIC's submission that businessman James Packer - a director and financial backer of One.Tel - was "an impressive witness".

To add to the injury, ASIC will pick up Mr Rich's legal bill, which is more than $15m. ASIC is believed to have spent a further $20m during its eight-year pursuit of Mr Rich. Justice Austin said in his mammoth 3000-page judgment that "ASIC's contentions have a superficial appeal". "But time and time again they were shown to be unpersuasive when the underlying financial detail was investigated," he said.

Mr Packer and businessman Lachlan Murdoch, a director of News Corporation, publisher of The Australian, gave evidence in the case, which ran for 232 days from September 2004 to August 2007. Mr Packer's PBL and News Limited, News Corporation's Australian arm, were majority shareholders in One.Tel and jointly invested close to $1 billion in the company. The pair, who proposed a $132m rights issue to recapitalise One.Tel in May 2001, claimed to have been "profoundly misled" about the true state of One.Tel's finances before its collapse.

"Essentially Mr Packer Jr appeared to misunderstand the purpose of cross-examination, and treated it as an opportunity to attempt to `put his side of the story' by argumentative and non-responsive answers, and even occasionally evasive answers; and that was coupled with an inability to recollect important matters," Justice Austin said. The judge said Mr Murdoch had a "poor recollection" of the events, and his evidence should therefore be "treated with caution". He made no adverse findings against the pair in terms of their credibility.

One.Tel's special-purpose liquidator, Paul Weston, said yesterday he was likely to launch legal action against Mr Packer and Mr Murdoch over the collapse of the company within weeks. With interest, Mr Weston said the claim would now top $230m.

Mr Rich told The Australian yesterday he had twice been close to settling the case with ASIC over the years, and claimed he had been placed under political pressure not to fight it. Mr Rich claimed that in 2001 his father was called by Stan Howard, the brother of then prime minister John Howard. "The PM was sending a message through Stan Howard; it was very important that I settle and didn't defend the case," Mr Rich said. "And I thought that was just extraordinary." Last night, John Howard emphatically denied the claims. "I have no recollection of any discussion of that kind," he said. "I didn't do it and I am absolutely certain my brother would not have done that."

Mr Rich kissed his wife, Maxine, after the verdict yesterday. Both had tears in their eyes. Outside court, Mr Rich said he was "absolutely delighted" with the result. The hardest moment was being in the witness box for 33 days, which Mr Rich likened to "climbing the most amazing mountain".

Mr Silbermann was not in court yesterday but was very happy with the outcome. "It is such a good feeling to kick ASIC in the balls," he said. However, he said the damage to his reputation had been done "years ago".

"We were crucified without anybody giving us the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I have lost everything, everything."

Justice Austin made a number of criticisms against ASIC in regard to the arguments put before the court and "aspects of its conduct of this case".

"Amongst the more serious are my views that . . . the scope of the case, endeavouring to prove the financial circumstances of a large multinational corporate group over each of four months, was far too wide and produced an excessively long and burdensome proceeding," Justice Austin said. "In a substantial number of significant ways, ASIC's final submissions were outside its pleaded case."

ASIC launched the court case against former One.Tel chairman John Greaves, joint managing directors Brad Keeling and Mr Rich and Mr Silbermann. Proceedings were settled against Mr Keeling in 2003 and Mr Greaves in 2004.

Death of one or two is a tragedy

Sisters separated

Great news that the conjoined twins have been successfully separated, although they are not yet in the clear, as the doctors pointed out this morning.

But all seriousness, there are hundreds of babies and young children who die at birth or as a result of cancer and other problems. Our heartfelt compassion for the conjoined twins is grossly out of proportion to the many kids that die and we never even hear of.

We feel more compassion towards the twins because they are more exotic.

Rudd still on the nose with Sri Lankan boat

Diplomat dudded




Kevin Rudd is still floundering on immigration after his pathetic denials of 'special treatment' for the Sri Lankans aboard the Oceanic Viking and what looks like a diplomatic snub from Indonesia.

This from the fellow who claimed he was an expert on Asia who could improve our ties with our Asian neighbours.

So far, Rudd has burned bridges in Japan (he snubbed the Japanese on his first oversees tours and then vigorously pursued them for whaling), China (who are sick and tired of inconsistent messages and big-noting by the PM), India (also left out of the first world tour so the PM could instead spend 10 days in China and refused uranium) and now Indonesia, who are now understandably upset that they are the meat in the sandwich as a result of Rudd's policy failures on immigration.


Asian diplomacy was meant to be Rudd's strong point. What a shambles it is now.

Rees in surprise sacking of Tripodi

Tripodi tripped



Nathan Rees's move to sack Joe Tripodi is certainly surprising:

NSW Premier Nathan Rees has sacked two of his most controversial ministers in a desperate attempt to gain a lift for his Labor government in the polls.

Ports Minister Joe Tripodi and Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald tendered their resignations to Mr Rees today after the Premier called them last night and said he wanted them out of cabinet.

Tripodi, as you may recall is a NSW Labor Right factional warlord who betrayed Morris Iemma last year in the coup which installed Rees as Premier. Dumping him is a surprise move because it could result in Tripodi turning against Rees and Rees not having the numbers anymore.

At the recent NSW ALP conference, Rees vowed to distance himself from property developers by announcing that donations from developers would b banned. This is grossly hypocritical coming from a party machine which has thrived being in the business of accepting large sums from developers over the course of many years in order to win elections.

Of course, the Liberal party not accepting money from developers would hurt the conservative side of politics more, given that they rely more heavily on business donations because unlike the ALP, they don't receive millions in union donations. So whilst Rees is trying to make his decision look like serious reform, it is actually political gamesmanship aimed at achieving a desperately needed political advantage over the Coalition in 2011.

Such is life in NSW Labor politics.

Expensive option the most expedient

Going to water


I always suspected the plan by the federal government to veto the Traveston Dam was part of a political play between the QLD Labor Party and their federal colleagues. The reality is that the government was struggling to afford the Dam, which is why it earlier postponed building it.

Now we find out that Queensland will follow the NSW route by constructing a desalination plant:

TAXPAYERS must fork out more than $3 billion because the State Government refuses to pump recycled water into southeast Queensland dams.

Premier Anna Bligh's decision to replace the failed Traveston Crossing Dam project with energy-hungry desalination plants – while leaving the $2.4 billion recycled water pipeline network largely idle – will add to the state's budget woes.

Analysis by The Courier-Mail has found the decision by Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to scrap the Traveston dam will leave a 200-megalitre-a-day gap in the Government's water supply plans from 2012.

Once again, the most expensive option is the politically easiest one. The Traveston Dam was ferociously opposed by locals and Greenies. Meanwhile, recycled water, whilst cheap and environmentally friendly is not mentally pleasant and has been defeated in referendums in Queensland.

So like NSW, Queensland Labor will embark on the most expensive option. All of which makes you realise that lobby groups which advocate fort the taxpayer are few and far between. Whether its education, climate change, health, the car industry, water or any other political issue which governments can :"solve" by throwing bucketloads of money, it is clear that whilst special interests are prevailing everywhere, its the taxpayer that foots the bill.

Someone ought to go explain to the Australian people that this is why they are so massively over-taxed.

Are NSW young stupid enough to vote Labor?

Kids conscripted

A diabolically clever plan in NSW to "automatically enrol" young voters. Surprisingly, Liberal lefty Barry O'Farrell supports the move.

It's not enough to save the Government however.

Book buyers will have to lump higher prices

Protectionism prolonged

Once again, the Rudd Governments shirks reform which would tackle entrenched interests. Does anyone notice a pattern here?

BOOKSELLERS have vowed to fight a Rudd government decision to maintain regulatory protection for the Australian publishing and printing industry, saying it will cost more than 3000 bookshop jobs as readers buy books more cheaply over the internet.

Cabinet has rejected both the Productivity Commission recommendations for cheaper book imports and Competition Minister Craig Emerson's "compromise" plan. Dr Emerson had proposed that Australian publishers be required to publish works for which they hold copyright within a week of their international release, rather than the current time limit of 30 days, or face competition from overseas imports.

Dr Emerson announced yesterday the government had decided against any change to the import restrictions on the basis that the publishing industry would be forced to reform itself as it came under increasing market pressure from internet book sales.

I don't understand what the big controversy is: this issue very much mirrors that of recording artists. But when the market opened up, Australian musicians did even better than before.

But what else do you expect from the government of special interests?


UPDATE: Christian Kerr explains the politics behind this decision and how it flies in the face of the left's support for opportunity and education:

The early labour movement knew this.

It knew about the greater worth of self-improvement—and the greater worth of books.

The Kevin Rudd Labor Party knows the worth of luvvies.

It has squibbed an economic reform because of a tiny, precious minority.

Celebrities are good to have on tap. They come in handy for photo opportunities. The support of the literati can be useful—and no doubt helps the ego of prime ministers who have had their essays spiked by Foreign Policy.

But pandering to them has made access to ideas and education more expensive and just that little bit more difficult, and it is ideas and education that advance society.

The forebears and the founders of the Labor Party knew that.

Rudd and his government care more about celebrity.

UPDATE 2: Michael Stutchbury, as expected, is also scathing:

KEVIN Rudd's cultural protection sends a clear message that his government does not have the policy backbone to reject the special pleading of even a minor industry and a gaggle of local authors.

It signals that Rudd Labor is no Hawke-Keating government and that it is open season for rent-seekers to plunder the general interest.

Don't worry about making Australian consumers pay an extra third or more for books. Don't give a fig about maintaining a textbook tax on underprivileged Australian kids. Don't care about "social inclusion". Forget about Julia Gillard's "education revolution". Forget about the competition agenda pushed by Craig Emerson. Don't think about the bookshop jobs that will be lost as consumers turn to importing online themselves.

Instead, listen to the well-organised publishing and printing special interests and the "progressive" cultural protectionists.

Jeremy Sear's double standards on warming

Heated argument


Jeremy Sear in another sermon against climate change dissenters:

As we approach what’s looking like the hottest summer on record (and my former plans to eventually move up to Queensland for the beach weather become quaint and amusing), it’ll be interesting to watch how the hardcore “nothing we can do will change the climate” crowd will cope..
For many people, a record-breaking couple of summers and winters in a row might well dispense with point 1 ("the climate is not changing")

It's funny how Jeremy didn't draw the opposite conclusion when it emerged that 2008 was the coolest year of the century (thus far). Or when Sydney recently suffered from its coolest weather in over 60 years. Or when a record cold winter in Afghanistan claimed the lives of many.

This is but one example in leftist double standards on global warmening.

The truth is that global warming is yet to claim a single life, in spite of claims to the contrary. Meanwhile, global cooling has already claimed the lives of hundreds.

So why the scaremongering? As Jeremy himself earlier noted:

Ask yourself this: if their case for the draconian legislation they demand was genuine, then why would they need to exaggerate and flat-out make stuff up to argue their point?

This blog couldn't agree more.

Bligh won't be rolled over privatisation

Labor's neo-liberalism

Remember when an ALP Branch in NSW voted to kick Morris Iemma out of the Labor Party? History seems to be repeating itself with a bit of the old deja-vu in Queensland:

A LABOR branch in Premier Anna Bligh's own electorate has accused her of arrogance over privatisation and declared it no longer has confidence in her.

The South Brisbane branch, which earlier this year called for the Premier to be expelled from the party over the issue, said it wanted an election to have a say at the ballot box.

It called on all elements of the ALP to "act urgently to restore integrity and real Labor policies into the administration of Queensland".

A motion carried by the left-wing branch cited privatisation, overspending on water infrastructure, price rises in public transport, the waste of money on the Gold Coast motor racing event and the controversial anti-bikie legislation as key areas of failure for the Government.

Memo to Labor leftards: privatisation is now established ALP policy, and has been for some time: all of the Labor states bar NSW have privatised electricity, the Keating Government sold off Qantas etc. The ALP no longer stand for the socialisation of the means of production.

Fortunately, pro-privatisation leaflets are flooding letterboxes in Queensland explaining the benefits and virtues of privatisation. Check out some of these cold hard facts:

Myth: The five commercial businesses the Government plans to sell generate a lot of income for the State

Fact: The total return from all five businesses in 2008-9 was approximately $320 million. This is less than 0.9% of the Government's income. For every $100 of Government income that's less than 90 cents.

When the sale process is completed, it is anticipated the Government will save $1.8 billion every year in interest payments

Myth: Privatisation leads to job losses

Fact: The Government cannot grow these businesses without cutting back public infrastructure building. The private sector can and will grow them. The success of former government owned companies such as Qantas and Brisbane Airport have shown us what can be achieved through private ownership. Free of government restrictions, commercial businesses are free to grow and create even more jobs.

Since privatisation, employment at Brisbane Airport has grown by 11,000 employees. Similarly, Qantas has grown by 6,700 employees.

The Queensland Government's rhetoric is sounding awfully neo-liberal. Yet strangely, Kevin Rudd has backed the Bligh Government.

Even more evidence, if any was needed, that Rudd doesn't believe his own tripe.

Rudd a fearful follower, not a leader

Gutless wonder


The author of this blog felt better today for the first day since the tonsillectomy. It's amazing how much a minor operation and some painkillers can wear you down. I tried working on Friday, and was falling asleep on the bus home. The infectiousness of my throat was one of the two monkeys that were on my back and which hopefully were finally gotten rid of last week. Life begins again. Perhaps this blog, a child born of the problems referred to here should also be laid to rest.

These are trying questions in times which are always trying. But rest assured, the "Rand gland" has certainly not been removed, much to the chagrin of some of my most left-wing readers.

But if you think would have upset some, spare a thought for our Prime Minister, whose party has suffered a dramatic fall in popularity over the "boat people" issue. On too many issues, Kevin Rudd has tried being on everybody's side and has gone out of his way not to upset anyone. But being "hard line" on immigration and authorised arrivals cannot be consistent with being "compassionate" in the leftists sense of essentially being soft.

Most Australians are aware of the policy changes that occurred last year, and how they were soon followed by large increases in unauthorised arrivals of people seeking refuge. They know that it is a nonsense when the Prime Minister describes his approach as "hard line".

Since then, the Prime Minister has acted like an insecure lover who fears being dumped. He has hit the airwaves and TV sets with a prolific zeal, but at the same time denied that it was because of his falling popularity. Commentators have rightly pointed out that Rudd has no real message, so his behaviour can be likened to an insecure teenage girl who calls her boyfriend ten times a day because she fears she will lose him, but because she doesn't have anything of importance or interest to say in fact makes the end of her relationship more likely.

This last week has revealed the Prime Minister's insecurities. After his media blitz he attempted to change the subject of the day by launching an extraordinary attack against those who disagree with his position on climate change. Apparently, anyone who does not want an ETS to be passed before Copenhagen is a climate change skeptic:

Mr Rudd said there were three types of climate change deniers: climate science deniers, those that paid lip service to the science but oppose every practicable mechanism to cut emissions; and those that believe their countries should wait for others to act first.

Once again, Rudd's spin defies reality and denies moral legitimacy to those who disagree with him. Those who dare to dissent “are betting our future, the future of our children and our grandchildren.”

No doubt Rudd would employ similar rhetoric against those who oppose his soft policies on unauthorised boat arrivals - if they weren't in the majority and able to unceremoniously fling him from office for such blowhard behaviour.

No wonder this gutless Prime Minister still can't bring himself to make a genuinely unpopular decision.

Patriot off to hospital

Overdue operation

Tomorrow morning, the celebrated and not so celebrated author of this blog is going to hospital - to get his troublesome tonsils removed.

These tonsils have often made the author quite sick, so this is a belated move. The best things often come late, not soon.

Looking forward to being strong and healthy again, not so much looking forward to waking up with a very sore throat. At least this will be one of the last times my throat is sore again. Hopefully.

As a result, this blog will be inactive for a couple of days. Rest and recovery will be the priority, even though there's a lot to talk about with Kevin Rudd's policies being a possible cause of the recent deaths near Cocos Island which have occurred recently.

So I'll leave you with this little verse, which to be sure is not mine:

A tout le monde
A tous mes amis
je vous aime
je dois partir

More than likely, these will not be last last words I'll ever speak. So watch this space.

Rudd appoints neo-liberal to Future Fund board

Perplexing appointment


Whoever thought that Kevin Rudd, who earlier this year argued that the Howard Government's "neo-liberalism" was a "failed experiment" would deem one of Australia's foremost exponents of such an economic position suitable to manage an important economic post such as the future fund?

PETER Costello has been given a taxpayer-funded job by the Rudd government helping to run the Future Fund he established as Treasurer.

He is the latest Coalition MP to accept a job offer from the Prime Minister following the recruitment of former Liberal leader Brendan Nelson and former Nationals leader Tim Fischer to diplomatic posts.

Malcolm Turnbull this morning pointed out the hypocrisy:

Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull this morning welcomed the move but said there was some irony in Mr Costello's appontment to the key role given the Rudd government had recently railed against the previous administration's economic management.

Yet another indication that the Prime Minister does not believe his own rubbish.

NSW Premier plans to spy on his own ministers

Paranoid Premier



I know that NSW Labor takes pride in its tough "law and order" policies, but the Premier acting like a police state when it comes to his leadership rivals is another thing altogether. Naturally, his colleagues are outraged.


As The Australian pointed out earlier this year, when NSW Ministers talk about 'the numbers', they should be referring to economic growth and unemployment rates rather than being primarily occupied with internal machinations and the fighting over spoils which will be all taken away from them as soon as the voters have their say.