The new Leader of the Opposition soon became known as Kevin 07. And a Ute full of Kevin 07 posters soon “adorned” the street corners in his electorate. He began his election speeches with: “I am Kevin, I am from Queensland and I’m here to help.” This magic sentence was like music to the ears of his followers and the enchanted, and he was elected as the Prime Minister of Australia, and the ones that elected him were euphoric – the others were not.
Our Kevin from Queensland started immediately, as promised, to help and stimulate the economy. He and his treasurer Wayne Swan ”helped” to clean out the nest egg of $42 billion dollars, accumulated by the previous government. They handed out $900.00 to every Tom, Dick, Harry and Mary and all felt very ”stimulated” - and in turn the recipients further stimulated the airlines who took them to far away countries and there they then stimulated the other countries; they spent their holiday and the rest of their Australian dollars. The moral of this is, most of the stimulus benefited foreign countries - instead of Australian families and businesses.
Despite the empty coffers and in reality being “broke,
” Kevin 07 was not deterred from spending. A private company reaching that stage would have been declared insolvent and stopped from trading, but Rudd & Co could carry on. The government started to borrow heavily to save Australia from recession and unemployment. - My artist’s impression how he sees Rudd running Australia. Click on picture to enlarge
” Kevin 07 was not deterred from spending. A private company reaching that stage would have been declared insolvent and stopped from trading, but Rudd & Co could carry on. The government started to borrow heavily to save Australia from recession and unemployment. - My artist’s impression how he sees Rudd running Australia. Click on picture to enlargeThe first two years he travelled extensively and racked up millions of dollars in travel and hotel expenses and was more out of this country than in it, but nothing has manifested itself so far of what he achieved with his expensive globetrotting. To stimulate Qantas and the Danish economy, he went to the Copenhagen ETS conference and took 114 delegates with him, exceeding other countries in numbers. It was a foregone conclusion that this conference was doomed from the start – and so it was. It could be plainly called . . . money easily available for political junkets.
It was decided to insulate the ceilings of Australian homes to save us from the “impending” global warming or climate change. He gave the responsibility to Peter Garret, the federal member for Kingsford Smith of NSW, who, by the way, before entering parliament, had never done anything else in his life, to my knowledge, other than being the lead Singer in the rock band “Midnight Oil” and protesting constantly about environmental and indigenous issues.
The Prime Minister told him to go with full speed ahead. To do some planning before implementing this scheme did not enter their collective minds; to get it done regardless was paramount. This attracted a lot of unprofessional and untrained installers, and the warnings from many reputable expert sources that this would have dire consequences were ignored. Consequently the scheme was not carried out to acceptable standards of what is right or proper.
To cut a long story short, after four inexperienced and untrained insulation installers were electrocuted and about 100 insulated homes caught fire, followed by outcries of those affected; a halt was called to this scheme leaving thousands of people jobless and both reputable and non-reputable insulation installing companies in dire financial strife.
In the meantime, Tony Abbott, our new opposition leader, demanded that Peter Garret be sacked. But the Prime Minister wouldn’t have a bar of that, declaring: “He is an excellent minister.” Our "beloved" Kevin 07 got a grilling from the media and the pressure mounted on him, till he eventually declared: “The Buck stops with me, it was my fault. We just were not competent and deserve a whacking in the polls.” This is of course a clever political ploy perfected by Peter Beattie, the former Premier of Queensland and now adopted by Kevin Rudd. It is aimed at the gullible. They think; the remorse shown by Kevin will turn th
e dissatisfaction tide away from him. Only time will tell if it worked. - My artist’s impression of Penny Wong, minister for “Climate Change, but so far hasn’t changed the climate, and disgraced Peter Garrett, minister for “Geckos and Gallery Openings,” as Tony Abbot called him, hard at work.But since he didn’t want to sack himself he needed a “Fall Guy” and that guy was Peter Garret, who only two days earlier had been an ”excellent Minister”. However, instead of sacking the allegedly incompetent Peter Garret, he demoted him, to a minor, unimportant portfolio; but interestingly, he remains in the inner Cabinet and still draws his high salary. Needless to say, Peter Garret would have been deeply disappointed, and thinking; “If I have friends like this, I don’t need enemies.” However, when he recovers from his low, he will say, “Not too bad! I still have the same salary and very little to do with a greatly diminished responsibility.”
After two years in office most of Kevin 07’s election promises have not been carried out. Tony Abbott stated in regard to this that Kevin Rudd is all talk and no action. Well, I’ll let you decide if Tony Abbott is right or wrong.
And finally ... strangely, so far this year Kevin 07 hasn’t left the country. Hello, it just dawned on me; it is an election year!
* * * * * * *
Following is a song from Midnight Oil 1984. This may well be fitting for the the occasionWhen the Generals Talk.
Up there on the platform,
He is speaking to the people
The people are responding
With clapping and a cheering
Bur the meaning of the message
Not revealed to those assembled
They are taken for a ride
Taken in his stride
There’s a rumour in the ranking
Someone talking insurrection
So the general has a purge
‘Caus he wants to win elections
With the certain satisfaction
That the people are appeased
Long live the revolution
The general is very pleased
* * * * * * * * * * * *
PS. Many people don't know how to add a comment to a posting, this picture will show you how. Click on all the pictures to enlarge. - Werner* * * * * *
My though for today, WernerI cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think. - Socrates
10 comments:
Werner you put our present state of affairs in a nutshell; an excellent description. I enjoy reading your blog and the cartoons are excellent. I give teen out of ten to the cartoonist.
And the lyrics “ When the Generals Talk,” definitely fits the occasion.
Hello Werner, your article is obviously a criticism of the ALP government, so presumably you are not a supporter of them. You could have increased your credibility on the subject had you also shown how we compare economically with other G20 nations (all who have dealt with the GFC as we have had to). This would have shown how well we have done compared to these, our trading partners. I suppose then that would not have suited your real purpose of bagging Rudd and the ALP.
We have a new Rudd government initiative, hospital reform, while this is badly needed, I hope they have thought it through thoroughly and hopefully it doesn't turn into another debacle like the insulation program.
Lillian, whether Werner is a supporter of the ALP or not is irrelevant. Werner told it exactly as it transpired without showing malice, unfortunately the truth can hurt.
Lillian, re Werner “bagging” the Rudd government, just read the editorial in today’s “Cairns Post.” They are not very flattering of the government.
To Lillian, re bagging the Rudd government. Werner stated the facts as they are, and you, it seems, don’t like it. In regards to “showing how well we have done in comparison to other trading partners . . . .” one has to ask at what cost. The debt level for Australia is now in the trillions according to an article in the Australian. This will be like a millstone around our collective necks for a long time and the monthly interest we have to find will be phenomenal.
Lillian, read today’s “Australian” (5.3.010) there is some real bagging of Rudd going on. The gloss has certainly come off Rudd; he is panicking because of bad polling and in desperation brought in the hospital reform diversion to get away from the insulation debacle. Things don’t look so rosy now for Rudd even in his own ranks, according to “The Australian,” this is probably because of his “autocratic” style of running the government and his caucus.
Gordon quotes The Cairns Post, and Bill quotes The Australian. Add to these The Courier Mail, The Telegraph, The Herald Sun and you will see they are all lockstep in their (identical) criticism of Rudd/Federal ALP. What's the common denominator here? Murdoch/News Ltd!
Wake up guys, read more widely and read between the lines, you are being manipulated. start with this from the SMH:
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/savaged-by-a-mincing-poodle-with-his-finger-on-the-mouse-20100305-potc.html
Of course everything is not perfect, but that doesn't mean the alternative can't be worse.
Lillian, as a swinging voter and not affiliated with any political party, I would like to add to this debate. Rudds, like Anna Bligh have been elected “under the influence” of inflated spin and promises; they knew couldn’t be delivered, but the voters fell for it.
Both, Rudd and Bligh have let their respective voters down. Politician have become a detested species, they are in for the power, the glory, the liberal perks and to feather their own collective nests. The only time we count or are listened to is four weeks prior to an election. They wallow in lavish salaries, get big golden handshakes when they leave politics and most are then given lucrative jobs as if they needed the money. Do you wonder, Lillian, why the public is becoming increasingly cynical towards politician?
The important thing to keep in mind for the next election is to vote for more decent independents, who are not bound by party discipline and act like puppets on a string, which is a prerequisite in particular for members of the Labor party. A government with an excessive majority, like the federal and Queensland Labor government, is not in the best interest for the people of Australia as they do whatever they like. Take mandated fluoridation in Queensland for instance, Bligh never mentioned anything about it; she just got ahead without asking whether we wanted it or not, this is the modus operandi of a dictator.
And finally, if we have to thank somebody for averting a recession in Australia during the economical meltdown, it wouldn’t be Rudd or Swan, but the previous government, which had 42 billions in the kitty that was used to cushion the impact.
Swinging voter, what a sad jaded creature you are. Pollies are not another species, they are us, from our very midst. If you don't like them, you don't like us, because we are one and the same. Of course they have perks and feather their own nests, because greed and self-interest is the very essence of human nature. And of course they spin (in the commercial world it's called advertising, and it sells products and services). And of course they have their own unstated agenda. You mentioned Bligh and fluoride, I could mention Howard and the never, ever, GST, but there are scores of such examples.
And they will all disappoint and (eventually) be voted out of office, to be replaced by others of just the same but wearing different jumpers (think football).
A suggestion as to how you might feel empowered: Never vote for the same person - or the same party - more than twice. Such collective action would keep political ego's in check and minimise the perks of office.
Werner, you say: "but nothing has manifested itself so far of what he achieved with his expensive globetrotting. To stimulate Qantas and the Danish economy, he went to the Copenhagen ETS conference and took 114 delegates with him, exceeding other countries in numbers".
Questions: What numbers of delegates did other G20 nations take?
How many officials (other than athletes) went to the Winter Olympics?
Your answer may be able to provide a bit of perspective on this issue.
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