The Two Weeks That Were – May 26 to June 8

Once again, I had university assignments…they’re all done now, so we should get back to normal next week.

Well, well, well. The last two weeks have been a bit entertaining, with rants, people falling in pot plants and sandwiches being thrown.

John Madigan had a rant about a plan to give politicians bonuses depending on the number of votes they get. Now, on average an MP in the House of Representatives is representing about 100,000 people. So say John Doe, who is a member of the Funky Dancing runs for the seat of Fish Fingers (I am quite confident that there is not an MP, party or seat by those names in any state) and wins with 60,000 votes. Under this plan, he gets a $1 (1 dollar) for every vote, which is a bonus of $60,000 for him and/or his party. At least, that;’s how I assume it works, and I don’t know how it would work in the Senate, as some Senators are there with 2.3% of their state’s vote – and with preferential voting, it could be a lot more complicated. John Madigan, a Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Senator said that it was an outrage and that this was the reason “people hate politicians’ bloody guts” – Good on you John. Mind you, he’s a Victorian Senator…so I can’t vote for him. 😦

The onslaught of the sandwiches continued when Julia went to a high school in Canberra. She got another sandwich thrown her way. Why was she at a high school? Well in fact, the ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher was signing the ACT up to the Gonski education reforms. Yay. The PM also let a

On a slightly sadder note, news came in this week that former Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh has cancer. It’s non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (Hodgkin’s lymphoma is more radiation sensitive), and by the sounds of it, they caught it early. Hope she gets well soon.

Quotes of the Fortnight

“There’s no money for dental care, there’s no money for single mothers, we tell everybody else to pull their belts in and then we’ve got to have more money to so-called fund democracy…We’ve got a bunch of people that are so disconnected from what the average person on the street’s hopes [and] aspirations are, it’s just un-bloody-believable. What message are we sending to people? The message isn’t good. And we wonder why there’s such a high informal vote. We wonder why people hate politicians’ bloody guts – well it’s on display here for the whole world to see.” – John Madigan sticking it to the man.

“Perhaps he thought I was hungry” – Julia Gillard, answering a press question about the sandwich.

“Watch my tea!” – NSW Labor Senator Doug Cameron

Tweet of the Fortnight

Julia Gillard’s nod to the State of Origin – Gonski Style

If you're a Queenslander, don't let your kid's state of origin decide their future: pic.twitter.com/AN4IlCktUx

— Australian Labor (@AustralianLabor) June 5, 2013

Random Fun of the Fortnight

The antics of News Crews. Abandoning Scott Morrison in favour of Joel Fitzgibbon

They were also falling into pot plants (I couldn’t find footage on YouTube, but I saw it on the news – UPDATE: I did)

and asking stupid questions…all in a day’s work really.

Banning the Bookies

So, TV channels just agreed to stop airing live odds during televised sports matches. About time.

This only became an issue last year when it started, and there has been a bit of backlash.

This is what i am talking about:

Here is an example given by the ABC.

And here is Tom Waterhouse (Racing trainer Gai Waterhouse’s son) on Channel 10

I think this decision is fantastic. Along with others, I agree that it is inappropriate for live odds to be broadcast while children are watching, and that if we really want to prevent kids from betting we shouldn’t broadcast during the G and PG time slots. I think it is distracting and annoying, and while I may not like NRL or AFL a whole lot, nor do I love Rugby (I’m mainly cheering on Australia or enjoying looking at the players I find attractive), I do think that the betting companies have crossed a line.

Right now, betting companies are still allowed to advertise during “scheduled breaks in play” – i.e. before the game, quarter time and half time – as long as there isn’t wall to wall advertising. I honestly could not stand 5-7 minutes of things like this:

Or this:

Although, if The Chaser (a very controversial comedy group) took over, they might play these and I would be very, very happy…..Warning: There is swearing. I warned you!

What do you think?

Strike!

When I hear those words, I think about walking to school in sub-zero temperatures in the middle of winter. Why? Well, when I lived in Paris the only strikes (or grèves in French) were on the metro. You’d get about 48 hours warning and unless you lived in the far out suburbs, you were ok.

But this is all about Uni students. This is what I have been seeing at uni recently:

It’s interesting to me as this is my first taste of student politics. To be quite honest though, I’m sort of asking “What’s the point?”. I don’t understand what the big deal is. Yes, I am a uni student, but I do also work with primary and secondary school students, and you can see how I feel about the cuts here.

I don’t know why I don’t see the point in striking, probably because everything goes back to normal the next day.

However, I can say that there is at least one thing I disagree with on that flyer. At the bottom it demands “A fully funded and free education system”. I disagree with it simply because I know that it is economically unviable. Back in 1972, under Gough Whitlam, it was viable – there were less uni students. In fact, my parents benefitted from it. My dad’s parents would not have been able to send all four of their children to uni, had Gough Whitlam not made it free. But now, it isn’t viable, and some people need to see that.

I’m not going to say much more, as it will turn into some sort of incoherent rambling.

And just in case you were wondering: I am not going to the protest.

The Two Weeks That Were – April 21 to May 5

I’m jamming two weeks into one this time, as I had a uni presentation last week. All will get back to normal very soon

Anyway, interesting things are happening… Several state Premiers signed up to the Gonski reforms, the farmers got a money package to help them but were unimpressed, and abortion drugs were recommended to be placed on the PBS. The NDIS (aka DisabilityCare) was announced and a couple of states have also signed up to that. And who could forget that budget announcement…

So, NSW signed up to the Gonski reforms, and the Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said he would chat with O’Farrell to see what the deal was, as he doesn’t want his state to be disadvantaged. Several other states are considering signing up to the reforms, but they have until June 30th, so lets just let them sort themselves out without making their life any harder for them, OK?

Also, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS, also known as DisabilityCare) was announced, and we are going to have to pay  more on the Medicare Levy. Not everyone is impressed by that, but hey, we have to fund it somehow. Victorian Premier Denis Napthine (Yes, him again), signed up to that in the last few days, and we all learnt that Mr Napthine’s family adopted an autistic son, hence the reverent looks from the pollies behind him.

And what about that budget? Oh, yes…we have some sort of hole. A rather large one at that and it would have been worse if we didn’t have the money from the mining. There are some who are saying that earlier governments spent a lot of the mining money instead of investing it and to be honest, I have to agree. We would be a little more

Quotes of the Fortnight

“As a person, as a family member, as a carer, as somebody who’s worked in the disability area, and as a politician, I’m very, very proud to be here today as a Victorian, with Victoria signing up to the full disability care system from 2019 and the lead-up to it,” – Denis Napthine, explaining how good the NDIS will be for his state, making reference to his experience with his autistic son.

We’re delighted today to sign up to this agreement because it provides additional resources, fairer distribution to deliver higher standards and better outcomes in schools across New South Wales,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“This reform today has the potential to ensure that some of the debates of the past, debates about funding mixes, debates about system versus system are consigned to history, and we continue to focus on what’s most important in education, which is giving our young people the best possible start and opportunities in life” – Barry O’Farrell, on the Gonski reforms he has signed NSW up to.

Tweet of the Fortnight

This is something I found very interesting…

Here's the link to last night's organ harvesting/Sydney Uni yarn http://t.co/Q1urotX8bR @abc730

— Adam Harvey (@adharves) April 29, 2013

The Week that Was – April 14 to April 20

This week was a little less boring than the last two weeks, and a little less hectic too. Julia Gillard explained her plans for education funding reform and the heads of States and territories met up to talk.

I have already given my two cents on the education reforms that the Gillard government has proposed. You can read that here. It basically involves cutting some university funding to fund some reforms in schools. It’s something that Australia wasn’t expecting and there are three groups of people with different responses to the planned reform – those who love it, those who hate it and those who are on the fence.

That was in preliminary discussions this week at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). Other than that, there was very little news on what else they talked about. If all they talked about was education funding it must have been one boring day. Mind you, the runner-up for Faux Pas of the Week was a journalist, who decided to ask for a show of hands as to who was planning to sign up to the education funding reforms. What nerve! For god’s sake, they only talked about it a little bit! It’s not like they all signed up two days after it was announced. It’s completely reasonable to let them have time to see if they want to sign up. I think they should, but that’s just me.

Quotes of the Week

“Then what I intend to do is come back to the Commonwealth with an offer to sign up” – Campbell Newman (QLD Premier) on what he is planning to do about his state’s role in school funding. At least he’s considering it…

“It’s not too much to ask premiers and chief ministers to show the same kind of leadership as they manage their own budgets.” – Julia Gillard on the funding of the reforms.

Faux Pas of the Week

Tony Abbott, at a meeting with people from his electorate on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, said that he would talk to his party after the election on their stance on same-sex marriage. He’s annoyed a few people there…

Tweet of the Week

Once again, the Liberals are trying to scare people… All hail Peter Garrett for clearing it all up

Only Chris Pyne could claim $14.5b more for schools is a cut. He's lying. Only ones planning to cut school funding are the Libs – by $5.4b

— Peter Garrett (@pgarrett) April 18, 2013

My Feelings on the Recent Education Reforms

I’m torn.

My job involves tutoring school children, and that has made me very aware of how important funding for education is. I’m also a university student, so I also know how important tertiary education funding is – at least to me. Julia Gillard’s plan to take money from universities to fund schools is one that is giving me one of those funny feelings.

Education funding is important, I thinks it’s an investment for the future. It’s good that they’re increasing the money for primary and secondary education, taking it from universities is making it hard for me to accept it as a good thing.

Here in Australia, if you are an Australian citizen (and fill other eligibility criteria), you can go to university on a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), which means that you pay between $3,000 and $9,000 dollars depending on the degree, and the government loans you the other umpteen thousand dollars, which you pay back when you have a full-time job and a stable salary. If you don’t fit those criteria or are an international student, you have to pay full fees, which cost about the same as private school education for a high school student. Other students get full or partial scholarships to university.

It is thought that universities will have to get rid of the 10% discount given to people who pay the money for university upfront, which is not a major problem – but it means I am paying more. Other thoughts are that some scholarships will turn into loans that will have to be repaid, which may turn students off applying for them and may lead to current scholarship students having to do the same. A lot of these scholarships, might I add, are for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, whose families do not have the money to send them to uni otherwise. They’re usually incredibly smart people, and more often than not, the first member of their family to go to university.

I’m a little bit annoyed at this idea, in my opinion rightfully so, given I’m a uni student and this will affect me. Not as badly as others, but still, it makes uni more expensive and less accessible to those who really deserve it. But then you think about where the money is going – to school students, where it will be put to good use.

It frustrates me that I can’t find a position on this, it really does.

The Week That Was – March 9 – March 16, 2013

Well, let’s get back to The Week That Was. Except this week, it’s 8 days. It was an interesting time in politics. ICAC continued in NSW, there was an election in WA and the Labor Government announced new media reforms.

ICAC, if you didn’t know, is the Independent Commission Against Corruption –  bringing corrupt NSW politicians to answer for their activities. It’s been a fun time, with the star of the show in the last few weeks being Eddie Obeid. His family and business associates have been questioned too, and let me tell you, I think they’re all pretty crook. Recently, it hasn’t really been a very interesting week, so let’s move on to Western Australia.

With the West Australians going to the polls in the last week, it has become obvious just how hated the Labor Party is, with the Liberal-National Coalition not only staying in power for another four years, but completely wiping the floor with the Labor Party, giving them an even larger majority. This has left West Australian Labor figures to call for Julia Gillard’s resignation as PM, and allow for a better person to lead the Federal Labor Party. Let me ask you, O revered West Australian Labor figures, how we are going to believe that the Labor Party is the most stable and sensible party to vote for if they keep changing leaders? Oh, well.

The Federal Government has announced media reforms which, surprise!, has angered the right leaning media! Oh, no, whatever shall we do? (My sarcasm hand is raised, just so you know) We’re turning into a communist, authoritarian state with no press freedom, like China! (Sarcasm hand still raised) It’s the end of the world!

Now that my sarcasm hand is gone, I can be somewhat sensible. These media reforms are nothing like China’s media laws. If they were, mentioning Tiananmen Square and June 4th would be a criminal offence and simple everyday bitching about rules and government decisions would result in you being branded as a dissident, and off to re-education you go. I highly doubt that this is what is happening. Admittedly, I have no idea what the reforms are, but comparing them to Chinese media laws is going way too far. Once again there is media and opposition resistance to the policy, not because it’s a bad policy, but because of who is introducing it. It irks me greatly, and I cannot understand why people do it! Grr.

Speaking of media, and China for that matter, news has come out that the Chinese are jamming the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) radio transmissions. You can read more about it, and hear what the interference from the jamming sounds like here. Let’s continue with the weekly fun:

Quotes of the Week

“I don’t want domestic censorship and I don’t want international censorship…[and] I think it would be a pity if the ABC couldn’t be accessed in China” – Tony Abbott on the Chinese jamming of the ABC’s radio signals. Hmm, be careful Tony, you don’t want to tell everyone else what to do, people actually don’t like it.

“Having had a look at the legislation, I don’t think it’s clear at all how the public interest test is going to work, the oversight and those sorts of things, let alone the argument about the need for it” – Craig Thompson – yes, him – on why he’s against the media reforms on the table, despite the fact that in retrospect, reforms like these would have prevented some of the circus-like fun that was involved with his issues.

Faux Pas of the Week – Well, not this week

This week, in place of a faux pas, I’d like to say a few words about the recent passing of a major figure in Australian journalism. Peter Harvey was an amazing journalist, and he is one of the people who has inspired me to get into journalism. His passion for his work contributed to the unrivalled quality of his stories. I would have loved to meet him, but alas, it isn’t so. However, he was a fantastic journalist and he will live on in many people’s memories.