A day in the life of Tasmanian Labor: Tuesday August 25 2009.
On Health: People in the north-east are doing it tough on health and are rightly angry about the debacle surrounding the treatment of Dr McGinty. But Health Minister Lara Giddings today had the solution to people needing health care in the north-east. She said that anyone with a problem should: “…ring 000 like everybody else in this state does”. That’s a healthcare “solution” Labor-style.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/25/2666478.htm
On Housing: Labor tried to deal out its usual big serving of spin today, but the attempt fell apart when upset by a few facts. The Human Services minister was trying to talk up Labor’s public housing record when Liberal MP Brett Whiteley raised the issue of an elderly couple who’d been living in their car for three months, unable to get help from Housing Tasmania. The Human Services Minister then said the problems dated as far back as the 1960s and that public housing needed to be overhauled. She’s right about that! After 11 years of Labor, public housing waiting lists have increased from 1248 in 1998 (according to Shelter Tasmania) to more than 3000, according to the May Housing Tasmania KPIs obtained by the Liberals.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/25/2666187.htm
On Ethics: Every now and then Labor tries to make noise about establishing an ethics commission. But not too much noise because that’s slippery terrain for Labor. So usually it’s just a few nice words that commits to nothing and talks about the possibility of perhaps setting something up at later time, maybe. When real ethical issues arise you see Labor’s true position. Like today, when the Legislative Council started debating an interim report on senior appointments. One of the committee members who released the report today said: “I just find it extraordinary that the government chose not to address the substance of the report, or the select committee’s report.” The report described the evidence of former premier Lennon and former deputy premier Kons as “unreliable” and recommended they face the privilege committee. Bartlett doesn’t even want to go that far, instead claiming the report was “flawed”. Contrast this constant evasion and delay with the Liberal position: The Liberals will establish a powerful Anti-Corruption and Ethics Commission and fund it with $7 million over the forward estimates.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/25/2666188.htm
That’s a day in the life of Labor.
The good news in politics today? Liberal Vanessa Goodwin was sworn in as a member of the Legislative Council after her victory in the seat of Pembroke. Congratulations to Vanessa and the people of Pembroke.
Change is coming.
Michael,
The Tasmanian Labor Government has a ‘Queensland feel’ to it – tired and out of ideas. The examples you highlight are straight out of Labor’s policy play book – spin, superficiality and symbolism, rather than practical policy outcomes that make a difference to people’s lives. It will be good to have a Liberal Government in Tasmania that cares for the issues that are important to Tasmanians, and that operates within a governance framework that re-builds trust in our elected representatives.
Andrew Nikolic
People in the northeast should ring 000 ? Did Giddings really suggest that ? Tasmanians sure are a sleepy complacent lot. In the mainland states any health minister who suggested that would be crucified by the local tabloids ! Did either of our Bill and Ben tabloids pick up on this ?
Politicians should’t need an ethics commission they should have a code of ethics that sets an example to the rest of us. Politicians might get back the credibility that they had before the last few years of extremely bad behaviour and questionable shenanigans.
In an ideal world sure there’d be no need for an Ethics Commission. But after all the scandals in Tassie politics (and business) I think its high time. Even today I see that Bartlett is doing his best to ensure Lennon and Cons will never have to front an enquiry.