New Commissioner to coordinate ACT's global push

Maya123 said :

If we go to Singapore to help set up some IT or communications infrastructure for instance, or teach foreign companies how to do things smarter or more efficiently, are we not shooting ourselves in the foot? .

Er, do you think Australia’s ability to vandalise our own NBN is something that has export potential?

They are much more likely to go to, say, Rwanda for help, seeing as even that country, with their per capita GDP of $1,000 pa is rolling out FTTP instead of the defective approach taken here.

Maya123 said :

From a brief search of what Canberra actually exports, it seems that our services in the form of knowledge and “expertise” are the primary outgoing assets. Obviously education through our universities is leaving our shores in the heads of many foreign students too. Is this a good thing necessarily? If we go to Singapore to help set up some IT or communications infrastructure for instance, or teach foreign companies how to do things smarter or more efficiently, are we not shooting ourselves in the foot? Won’t the knowledge that is passed on give our competitors the advantage of being able to do things as well as Australians, but also much cheaper than we can?
As the old adage goes, “Give a man to fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” After we’ve given away our trade secrets to foreigners we will see our export markets grind to a halt.

“From a brief search of what Canberra actually exports ” .. I think once it was empty beer bottles and full public servants…or was that Darwin. Same thing anyway

Masquara said :

What a joke. We are several $million in the red. .

Try half a $billion in the red…..

ACT Ratepayers are paying for this joke, and so are all those who deserve their city services to be run competently and without the distractions of party-politicians and their grand-standing…

dungfungus said :

dungfungus said :

Is this “commissioner” named at all?
Is there any chance this job of flying around the world at ACT ratepayers’ expense has been awarded via a competitive process, or are we going to find this cushy little number has been awarded in the typical ACT Government manner?

Your question has been answered today. Three days after the position is advertised it is filled in the typical ACT Government manner. If the position was not advertised for merit selection, how can ACT residents and ratepayers know that the appointee (Brendon Smyth) is the best person for the job and that we are getting value for money. Without a merit based selection process this is just another political appointment. It doesn’t just smell fishy, it stinks.

You just can’t satirise the ACT Government. Fact remains stranger than fiction.

Even stranger is the fact that people will vote this lot back in, come September, despite the absolutely ridiculous waste of our money that they represent.

What a joke. We are several $million in the red. The sister city deal with Nara resulted in very little except junkets and snouts in the tough for a select few. Next budget we’ll probably have an Overseas Commissioner levy added to the bill.

dungfungus said :

Is this “commissioner” named at all?
Is there any chance this job of flying around the world at ACT ratepayers’ expense has been awarded via a competitive process, or are we going to find this cushy little number has been awarded in the typical ACT Government manner?

Your question has been answered today. Three days after the position is advertised it is filled in the typical ACT Government manner. If the position was not advertised for merit selection, how can ACT residents and ratepayers know that the appointee (Brendon Smyth) is the best person for the job and that we are getting value for money. Without a merit based selection process this is just another political appointment. It doesn’t just smell fishy, it stinks.

Is this “commissioner” named at all?
Is there any chance this job of flying around the world at ACT ratepayers’ expense has been awarded via a competitive process, or are we going to find this cushy little number has been awarded in the typical ACT Government manner?

No need to post the press release, but I would like to confirm that Barr actually used the phrase ‘internationalisation visitation’. If so, I suppose the concept of a ‘Commissioner for International Engagement’ seems comparably quite normal. I suppose this Commisioner will have statutory powers to internationally engage.

Difficult to see why this job needs the statutory independence which usually goes with the title of “commissioner”, so presumably the title has been adopted (without the statutory underpinnings) to make the occupant sound important when waving the ACT flag hither and yon(?).

If we’re really going for effect, why not something along the lines of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick)…..

Holden Caulfield said :

Oh look, another article which reads like an ACT Labor government press release.

Written and authorised by the Riot Act.

Hi @Wayne_K. This article did originate with a press release but I did a substantial cull of the self-congratulatory waffle and rewrite to ensure the piece contained only the facts and a couple of quotes in an order of my choosing, not theirs, as I would with any newsworthy press release from any side of politics. Happy to post the press release itself so you can compare away if you like.