ACT Legislative Assembly - Half Time...

Garfield said :

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

miz said :

I recall you, John, as a very active local member during most of your time (though you did not support me and my street as we expected towards the end of your time), however remaining Labor MLAs appear to be getting deaf and blind, as often happens before a defeat. Given the light rail Blind Freddy can see they are making a real mess of things just to keep power. The Libs are going to stroll in at this rate, despite the apparent lack of media releases ….

It’s not only the lack of press releases, it is really about them saying what it is that they would do differently and let the punters choose. Andrew Wall was on the radio today complaining about the trees near the Uriarra solar farm, but he didn’t say what he’d do for renewable energy if he had the reins…

The original complaint about the solar farm was that it’s right on the doorstep of the village, when there are other places it could go in the vicinity where it would be out of sight. The developers response to this has been to propose a thick screen of trees between the farm and the village, ignoring the fact that its a government requirement for the villagers to keep a cleared zone around the village to protect it from bushfires (at their own expense). Andrew was no doubt raising this new problem when you heard him on the radio.

The solution is for the solar farm to be built out of sight of the village – then the residents are happy and there is no need to compromise their bushfire safety with trees inside what is supposed to be a cleared zone. You’ve obviously not been following the story, or you would have already known this.

In regards to the Liberals policy regarding renewable energy, I remember reading an article by Nicole Lawder, their environment spokesperson, that was published in the Canberra Times some months back. It seemed a lot more rational than the government’s policy of increasingly paying out ever bigger subsidies to meet the 90% renewables target. Australia’s target, signed up to by federal Labor, is to reduce carbon emissions by 5-15% by 2020, so why is the local Labor government forcing residents of the ACT to pay for such massive reductions when, due to our higher than average incomes, we’ll already be bearing a higher than average share of national costs?

It’s all about Simon Corbell’s moral vanity and that’s priceless.

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

miz said :

I recall you, John, as a very active local member during most of your time (though you did not support me and my street as we expected towards the end of your time), however remaining Labor MLAs appear to be getting deaf and blind, as often happens before a defeat. Given the light rail Blind Freddy can see they are making a real mess of things just to keep power. The Libs are going to stroll in at this rate, despite the apparent lack of media releases ….

It’s not only the lack of press releases, it is really about them saying what it is that they would do differently and let the punters choose. Andrew Wall was on the radio today complaining about the trees near the Uriarra solar farm, but he didn’t say what he’d do for renewable energy if he had the reins…

The original complaint about the solar farm was that it’s right on the doorstep of the village, when there are other places it could go in the vicinity where it would be out of sight. The developers response to this has been to propose a thick screen of trees between the farm and the village, ignoring the fact that its a government requirement for the villagers to keep a cleared zone around the village to protect it from bushfires (at their own expense). Andrew was no doubt raising this new problem when you heard him on the radio.

The solution is for the solar farm to be built out of sight of the village – then the residents are happy and there is no need to compromise their bushfire safety with trees inside what is supposed to be a cleared zone. You’ve obviously not been following the story, or you would have already known this.

In regards to the Liberals policy regarding renewable energy, I remember reading an article by Nicole Lawder, their environment spokesperson, that was published in the Canberra Times some months back. It seemed a lot more rational than the government’s policy of increasingly paying out ever bigger subsidies to meet the 90% renewables target. Australia’s target, signed up to by federal Labor, is to reduce carbon emissions by 5-15% by 2020, so why is the local Labor government forcing residents of the ACT to pay for such massive reductions when, due to our higher than average incomes, we’ll already be bearing a higher than average share of national costs?

rommeldog56 said :

milkman said :

bundah said :

The question is are people prepared to make a greater financial contribution in order to get an improved outcome?

Not when it’s being p$#!ed away on c@#p like light rail that we don’t need, while a bus stop on Adelaide Ave (which we do need) is not forthcoming.

I don’t think the current local government has any concept of financial responsibility at all.

Ummmm……you left out that the current ACT Gov’t also has no idea about good decision making nor prioritisation. Will be interesting to see if the Light Rail buys them enough votes to hang onto power in 2016.

Whatever votes they’ll gain from people who have preference of rail over bus will be massacred by the number put out by construction. Depending on if the construction has started.

milkman said :

bundah said :

The question is are people prepared to make a greater financial contribution in order to get an improved outcome?

Not when it’s being p$#!ed away on c@#p like light rail that we don’t need, while a bus stop on Adelaide Ave (which we do need) is not forthcoming.

I don’t think the current local government has any concept of financial responsibility at all.

Ummmm……you left out that the current ACT Gov’t also has no idea about good decision making nor prioritisation. Will be interesting to see if the Light Rail buys them enough votes to hang onto power in 2016.

bundah said :

The question is are people prepared to make a greater financial contribution in order to get an improved outcome?

Not when it’s being p$#!ed away on c@#p like light rail that we don’t need, while a bus stop on Adelaide Ave (which we do need) is not forthcoming.

I don’t think the current local government has any concept of financial responsibility at all.

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

How are they going to tackle traffic congestion, how are they going to tackle the public housing waiting list, how are they going to tackle the hospital waiting list? How are they going to tackle the problem of recidivism in our jail? How are they going to tackle the drug issues around town? What about how are they going to tackle the potholes and road maintenance?

Getting an idea of what they might do would be a start but the ACT community is still waiting. and waiting, and has been waiting since 2001.

The issues you raise are obviously not unique to the ACT and the simple reality is that unless there’s greater spending in these areas little will change. The question is are people prepared to make a greater financial contribution in order to get an improved outcome?

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

rommeldog56 said :

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

bd84 said :

Ah so that’s how labor evaluates itself a government? Based on the number of media releases it issues! Maybe we can implement a gold star reward system to say good job too.

We all judge the current Govt on what they’ve done and what they say they’ll do but judge the others on what they say they’ll do. So far I’ve heard nothing about what the Opposition will/could do… wanna enlighten me? Feel free!

How are they going to tackle traffic congestion, how are they going to tackle the public housing waiting list, how are they going to tackle the hospital waiting list? How are they going to tackle the problem of recidivism in our jail? How are they going to tackle the drug issues around town? What about how are they going to tackle the potholes and road maintenance?

Getting an idea of what they might do would be a start but the ACT community is still waiting. and waiting, and has been waiting since 2001.

Yes, yes, yes John.

But u forget the modern trend in politics is that Government’s loose power, oppositions don’t win it I’m afraid.

True, the ACT Lib’s haven’t really shown much – but to be honest, they don’t need to do they. That’s because the ACT Labor/Green Gov’t is continually shooting itself in the foot – usually with a 88mm cannon. IMHO, the ACT Gov’t is next to hopeless, mate.

The ACT Lib’s don’t need to do much except oppose, just like the Lib’s did in opposition Federally.

And, no one would really believe any “promises” that any opposition gave while not in Government anyway.

Politics and public administration on Oz generally, and in the ACT in particular any semblance of good decision making and fiscal management, appears to be in very, very poor shape on both sides of politics.

I actually don’t agree that the Govt is making poor decisions but hey, you’d expect that. But what about the Oppositions supposedly helping Govts to lose office? Our blokes ought to lift their game or they will be in power and won’t have a clue what to do next. When Kate Carnell got into that trouble and had to quit the top job, Labour was in a position to have a no-confidence motion which would have meant that the Govt would have fallen. Jon Stanhope rightly didn’t go there cos we were not ready for Govt. We were by the time the election came around and we won. These blokes are not ready after 13 years!

I meant Labor not Labour. I hate auto spell checking!

rommeldog56 said :

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

bd84 said :

Ah so that’s how labor evaluates itself a government? Based on the number of media releases it issues! Maybe we can implement a gold star reward system to say good job too.

We all judge the current Govt on what they’ve done and what they say they’ll do but judge the others on what they say they’ll do. So far I’ve heard nothing about what the Opposition will/could do… wanna enlighten me? Feel free!

How are they going to tackle traffic congestion, how are they going to tackle the public housing waiting list, how are they going to tackle the hospital waiting list? How are they going to tackle the problem of recidivism in our jail? How are they going to tackle the drug issues around town? What about how are they going to tackle the potholes and road maintenance?

Getting an idea of what they might do would be a start but the ACT community is still waiting. and waiting, and has been waiting since 2001.

Yes, yes, yes John.

But u forget the modern trend in politics is that Government’s loose power, oppositions don’t win it I’m afraid.

True, the ACT Lib’s haven’t really shown much – but to be honest, they don’t need to do they. That’s because the ACT Labor/Green Gov’t is continually shooting itself in the foot – usually with a 88mm cannon. IMHO, the ACT Gov’t is next to hopeless, mate.

The ACT Lib’s don’t need to do much except oppose, just like the Lib’s did in opposition Federally.

And, no one would really believe any “promises” that any opposition gave while not in Government anyway.

Politics and public administration on Oz generally, and in the ACT in particular any semblance of good decision making and fiscal management, appears to be in very, very poor shape on both sides of politics.

I actually don’t agree that the Govt is making poor decisions but hey, you’d expect that. But what about the Oppositions supposedly helping Govts to lose office? Our blokes ought to lift their game or they will be in power and won’t have a clue what to do next. When Kate Carnell got into that trouble and had to quit the top job, Labour was in a position to have a no-confidence motion which would have meant that the Govt would have fallen. Jon Stanhope rightly didn’t go there cos we were not ready for Govt. We were by the time the election came around and we won. These blokes are not ready after 13 years!

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

bd84 said :

Ah so that’s how labor evaluates itself a government? Based on the number of media releases it issues! Maybe we can implement a gold star reward system to say good job too.

We all judge the current Govt on what they’ve done and what they say they’ll do but judge the others on what they say they’ll do. So far I’ve heard nothing about what the Opposition will/could do… wanna enlighten me? Feel free!

How are they going to tackle traffic congestion, how are they going to tackle the public housing waiting list, how are they going to tackle the hospital waiting list? How are they going to tackle the problem of recidivism in our jail? How are they going to tackle the drug issues around town? What about how are they going to tackle the potholes and road maintenance?

Getting an idea of what they might do would be a start but the ACT community is still waiting. and waiting, and has been waiting since 2001.

Yes, yes, yes John. But u forget the modern trend in politics is that Government’s loose power, oppositions don’t win it I’m afraid.

True, the ACT Lib’s haven’t really shown much – but to be honest, they don’t need to do they. That’s because the ACT Labor/Green Gov’t is continually shooting itself in the foot – usually with a 88mm cannon. IMHO, the ACT Gov’t is next to hopeless, mate.

The ACT Lib’s don’t need to do much except oppose, just like the Lib’s did in opposition Federally.

And, no one would really believe any “promises” that any opposition gave while not in Government anyway.

Politics and public administration on Oz generally, and in the ACT in particular any semblance of good decision making and fiscal management, appears to be in very, very poor shape on both sides of politics.

bd84 said :

Ah so that’s how labor evaluates itself a government? Based on the number of media releases it issues! Maybe we can implement a gold star reward system to say good job too.

We all judge the current Govt on what they’ve done and what they say they’ll do but judge the others on what they say they’ll do. So far I’ve heard nothing about what the Opposition will/could do… wanna enlighten me? Feel free!

How are they going to tackle traffic congestion, how are they going to tackle the public housing waiting list, how are they going to tackle the hospital waiting list? How are they going to tackle the problem of recidivism in our jail? How are they going to tackle the drug issues around town? What about how are they going to tackle the potholes and road maintenance?

Getting an idea of what they might do would be a start but the ACT community is still waiting. and waiting, and has been waiting since 2001.