4 April 2007

The Canberra Times and the ACT PS pay deal

| johnboy
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Yesterday I was a little surprised to see a high profile puff piece in the Canberra Times in which Markus Mannheim all but fellated Katy Gallagher the “No Fuss” Minister and told us heart warming stories about her kiddies.

“I wonder”, I thought to myself, “what it is the CT is getting in return for this bilge? Padded advertising? Some sort of exclusive?”

This morning the other shoe has dropped with Markus getting advanced notice of a pay deal for the ACT PS.

Oddly enough the Government is giving the CT a clear run on the story with no media release available at the time of writing.

Sure to sell a lot of papers, lucky he was in the Government’s good books with a bit of news like this going around.

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The rest of the community are also making those sort of arrangements. The new family work arrangement is where both partners work 4 days a week and each spends a day at home with the kids. Many high level women also have husbands who work part time to look after the kids. this seems to be the way of the future, rather than the preserve of the powerful. And I’m sure Katy is still aware of the deficiencies of daycare, despite her partner’s support. It helps other women far more than a parliament filled only with men.

typical hubris.

she should stay home and raise her children.

being a local council stalwart is not more important than raising ones offspring.

as schopenhauer said ‘who better to raise children than women, fo they are children themselves’.

her tanty over mental health funding merely proves that point.

@ BL:

You might be inspired by a fluffy feature, but none of it was news.

And the tale of a very powerful woman being able to make her own arrangements does little for the rest of the community not in that position.

TroyWilliams9:08 pm 04 Apr 07

Black Ice

Yeah, I thought the part about being ‘312 months pregnant’ a bit odd too. But if these guys manage family planning in the same way they manage urban planning ….

Indeed. Yep you got me on that one! Not.

Taking photos of others the rest?

Bugalugs,

The PhD consumes only a fraction of my time.

I’m more concerned that the article claims Ms Gallagher is “312 months pregnant with her third child”.

Just looked on the CPSU website and found there were some meetings already held this week to inform us of the deal put forward. There are 3 more meetings ebing held tomorrow at Calvary, Lyneham and Belconnen for consultation check out http://www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/ACTGovt/ for full details.

Thanks RA for running the story otherwise I would never have known!

Ralph

You move in influential circles for a PhD student!

Unless they’ve had a change of policy I’ve heard it straight from the horse’s (CPSU Secretary) mouth.

“And what bearing does my marital status have on the issue?”

Well the working mum may draw inspiration form Katy’s daily struggles, getting the kids too school, Drs appointments etc.

Someone in a completely different demographic, not responsible to anyone, who can sit around in their pyjama pants all day may have trouble empathising.

smiling politely2:16 pm 04 Apr 07

Ralph – that’s bullshit. I am not aware of any evidence that this is the case, and recall a bit of misrepresentation in the Australian a little while back on the same issue. The APS will not now move back to a single payscale across all departments and agencies.

The CPSU has a deal with Federal Labor as well.

Should the Ruddite win the election, the Federal public service will move back to a service wide certified agreement. Everyone (no matter where they work), receive equal pay and conditions at each APS level.

Bad stuff.

I find the article interesting as I think I may be one of those ACTPS that is involved… I know that our certified agreement ceased on the 31st March – and that I have been asking for a few months now as to the progress etc of the new agremeent and have only received stoney silence. Except of course that we will probably not be eligible for backpay.

I find it not that helpful to compare our situation with that of the teachers. In our situation we provide a vital service to the ACT community AND have no voice or apparent recall. We can’t go on strike like the teachers and I am sure the majority of people are not aware that our CA has expired and we are not even being consulted about the terms for the new one. From what I can see our last CA was 10.5% over 3 years – so if we do get 12% at least we will be better off than last time.

Slagging someone off from behind the safety of your internet persona is piss weak

I (and others) have offered bonfire the chance to slag me off within the confines of a boxing ring (me not knowing how to box – or having been in a “punch on” since 1991) at the PCYC but to no avail.

im paid for results, not for being welded to a desk on an hourly basis.

so those evenings when im here until 10 or later sort of make up for the minutes spent posting here.

the CT as a whole is a very second rate paper.

i have noticed some improvements. they seem to have a few new journos on board – lets see how that goes.

i miss shanahans wine column in the sunday ct though.

my assessment of mannheim stands, although hes not robinson caruso at the ct.

I’m glad we have a female deputy CM, and there should be more of it. Perhaps when more women are in these positions of power something will be done about the childcare debacle.

Katy says in the article that her partner works part time, and is available to the kids, allowing her to meet commitments. Kate Carnell’s parents used to help her out.

It is sad that one woman would knock another woman’s ability to fill a high powered job because she has kids.

Maybe MM is more in touch with the average Canberran who reads CT than a singleton such as johnboy

Is this a return to your “people are stupid position”?

And what bearing does my marital status have on the issue?

“in general, mannheim is a lazy press release journo.”

bonfire as opposed to hard worker such as you wasting your employer’s time post on Riotact

pot kettle black!

Realistically there is not that much that happens in Canberra everyday that can fill a broadsheet.

The Katy Gallagher article was a public interest story and in my opinion was more about a positive role model for working mums.

Maybe MM is more in touch with the average Canberran who reads CT than a singleton such as johnboy.

The puff piece on Katy followed one on Hargreaves not that long ago. It is part of the ACT Government trying to salvage something of the few remaining votes. They think we’re all so stupid we’ll fall for it (those nice ALP politicians didn’t really want to do all those mean things to commuities). I don’t think there’s any consipracy beyond that.

As for the pay rise, the public service does not appear to be universally transfixed by the star attributes of this government, so perhaps the pay rise is an attempt by the government to win back some love from everyone that didn’t resign or get a package. How they can justify it financially is beyond me.

As for the CT, even journos like MM still have to run with what they get.

Bonfire, I know a lot of “lazy press release journos” and Markus Mannheim is not one of them. In fact he’s the very opposite. Slagging someone off from behind the safety of your internet persona is piss weak.

Being on the drip is not getting a scoop, and if being on the drip is bought with positive publicity then that’s corruption. (not saying that is the case here, just that the timing is at best a bad look)

Public announcements should be made publicly, not selectively in exchange for favours.

Q: what happens when Stanhope wants a break and Katy’s not available???

A: Canberra burns down.

Parents Need Teddys12:01 pm 04 Apr 07

I think it is great that we have a female Deputy Chief Minister with kids… I do however think that if she cannot complete the role and take care of her portfolios she should step aside for someone else. She should think about the needs of her constituents and the fact that someone in her position needs to be available all the time.

I’m a working mum and a constituent and ‘puff’ all you want about how great it is, it is bloody hard to have two infant kids and be the Deputy Cheif Minister of the territory – what happens when Stanhope wants a break and Katy’s not available???

bonfire

Is it safe for us to assume you are a superstar at your job?

in a one paper town – can ANYTHING be an exclusive ?

whats its circulation ?

small compared to the gruel drooling square eyed zombies who will tune in to win and the few pensioners that watch the abc news.

which will both paraphrase the ct story.

in general, mannheim is a lazy press release journo.

if hes winning ‘scoops’ maybe this is a turnaround for him.

Lol 12% thats reasonable while not that good compared to my industry over that last few years its a hell of of a lot better then the pissy little 11.5% over 3 years the teachers got.

How about that a journalist gets a scoop! Those pesky media people schmoozing with politicians.

Don’t they know the real power is with web forums that post links to other people’s articles.

And Markus got Katy?

Pretty happy with that deal thank you very much!

Johnboy’s just jealous since Markus and Kerces seemed to have some sort of mutual nudity thing happening in the RiotACT referrals a few months ago.

To the best of our knowledge we were speaking metaphorically.

If Katy did have the tackle Markus would have been honking on it.

Is it actually possible for Markus to “fellate” Katy Gallagher? Pictures please.

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