Election Wrap - 8 September

Urm no. It would not be the first of its kind in the region. For Young People’s healthcare (aged 12-25) there is another health care centre called The Junction which is ridiculously under funded. We have an Aboriginal health care centre which is also under funded.

We don’t need a study.

Jakez: the old adage applies methinks: one must not only do good, one must be seen to do good.

Where such allowances are allowed for electorate communications, then they should only be allowed where said communication takes place *throughout* the term. They should not be allowed to be hoarded up for the pre-election period.

Therefore they should be like mobile phone plans – pro-rated out for each quarter (except for none available in the final quarter of the term) and amounts not expended are non-cumulative.

(And I say that from a point of view of having *been* an elected member and *not* having hoarded allowances.)

Gungahlin Al said :

What else is out there?
And electorate allowances are not just being used by the government.
Abuse of incumbency should be punished.

I know that the AEC consider reelection as a legitimate use of electorate allowances, I imagine the same is the case for Elections ACT.

Whether you consider it to be legitimate is an entirely different matter of course. The power of incumbency is appallingly large if you ask me.

Gungahlin Al said :

Perhaps JB we should have a running post to capture details of government (read: taxpayer) funded promotions up until the caretaker period?

Elsewhere somone questioned me raising this and all the TV ads as an issue. Since then we’ve had a fullpage colour spread in the Times, and a four-page glossy climate change brochure mailed to everyone.

What else is out there?
And electorate allowances are not just being used by the government.
Abuse of incumbency should be punished.

and Al, if all goes well, it will.

bring in the new govt, out with the incumbent.

Perhaps JB we should have a running post to capture details of government (read: taxpayer) funded promotions up until the caretaker period?

Elsewhere somone questioned me raising this and all the TV ads as an issue. Since then we’ve had a fullpage colour spread in the Times, and a four-page glossy climate change brochure mailed to everyone.

What else is out there?
And electorate allowances are not just being used by the government.
Abuse of incumbency should be punished.

I concur with Whistle. Once you get past the first ‘dazzle’ sentence of the media release, you can see that it’s an ‘idea’.

Apparently, while Katie thinks we are ready for such a thing, they are planning to do a feasibility study after the election. Who knows what that will say.

I’m all for preventative health, but I’m not sure she has made the case for doing this when the guts of our health system are so poor. It’s like putting a rear spoiler on a shitbox; you are still driving a shitbox.

Drug and Alcohol services also appeal. Where do I sign up?

I like the idea of ‘chronic health’ though – where do I get some of that?

Firsts for the area\country\planet should be saved for times when money isn’t scarce in the portfolio, and services aren’t stretched beyond capacity.

We can probably create a whole bunch of national first programs and flash-in-the-pan events, but it would mean we need shift funding onto the new priorities, unless its coming from a new source.

Like dipping into the Emergency Room staffing budget, pouring from Stanhope’s bucket of infinite ArtsACT cash, or siphoning from the “Lost Assembly time needing to made up Because the Minister for What Exactly and Something Different Today was too busy raising children and being a part-time minister to serve her electorate” well.

I would rather have more funding for basic healthcare than all these little frills and tinkering around the edges.

Who wants ‘firsts for the region’ while meanwhile people are dropping dead in casualty and it takes a week to see your GP.