tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59803863768729199312024-03-06T13:44:22.846+11:00A State of MindA closer look at NSW politics - without a vested interest, an agenda to push or a chip on my shoulder.
<br><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/mrtiedt"><img src="http://www.twitterbuttons.org/images/twitter-6a.png" width="100" height="32" border="0"></a>Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-66646491456874562122013-06-22T18:16:00.002+10:002013-06-22T18:16:47.455+10:00RetirementI've decided to take bring this blog back from what was meant to be a short holiday to announce that I'm going to be retiring it permanently.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of reasons for that. Firstly, I'm writing elsewhere a lot at the moment, including monthly at the <a href="http://www.kingstribune.com/">Kings Tribune</a> (which you should totally subscribe to, by the way), whenever I have time at <a href="http://ausvotes2013.wordpress.com/">AusVotes2013</a>, and monthly for the NSW Law Society Journal.<br />
<br />
There is also a major, long-term project I'm investigating taking on, but I'm going to keep quiet about that until I know it is actually going to happen.<br />
<br />
All that other writing means that time (and, more importantly, brain space) has been in short supply. This has made writing here a bit of a chore, to be honest, and has meant that the quality of the writing has not been as good as I really want it to be.<br />
<br />
It's exciting for me to see how much my writing has improved since I started this blog. Don't go check the old posts, just take my word for it. Some of them were pretty awful. It's been fun getting better at something I enjoyed doing, and I appreciate everyone who has encouraged me or engaged.<br />
<br />
I'll still be on <a href="https://twitter.com/mrtiedt">twitter</a>, and I'm not going to delete the blog - it can hang out here gathering dust. Thanks for reading, and I hope I'll keep seeing you around the traps.<br />
<br />
AndrewMr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-71970981609558648562013-05-24T18:02:00.003+10:002013-05-24T18:02:38.964+10:00A HolidayJust a short post to let you know that this blog is going on a bit of a holiday.<br />
<br />
In short, I have some other things going on in my life at the moment (most of all, some major work pressures) that just mean that I lack both the time to write posts but also, even more importantly, the head space to be reading and pondering writing.<br />
<br />
Whilst posts usually only take maybe an hour to write, much more thinking and planning goes into them than I can really spare at the moment.<br />
<br />
But I should be back within a couple of weeks. I just need to crest this hump, as it were.<br />
<br />
I'm still on <a href="https://twitter.com/mrtiedt">twitter </a>(more than I should be, probably) so you can catch me there for now.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-8227156879434013592013-05-16T08:27:00.002+10:002013-05-16T08:27:51.702+10:00A Hemp in the RoadSo are we going to be seeing cannabis for sale in pharmacies soon? Will we be seeing shelves packed with Maxalon, Maltrexone and Marijuana?<br />
<br />
I doubt it.<br />
<br />
This week the <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/gpsc4?open&refnavid=LC5_2">General Purpose Standing Committee Number 4</a> released a <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/fdb7842246a5ab71ca257b6c0002f09b/$FILE/Final%20Report%20-%20The%20use%20of%20cannnabis%20for%20medical%20purposes.pdf">report</a> containing some recommendations that got the media a little hot and bothered.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR4MQFpBfWfc-b7J08mXq9d0bHsj_hPlj4gTaU6wJIYz5GM0EvkDxQlf9HZ6haWZWPoxOnpMrpkJvlJmmcafhh9osSbZUqgDO6NbX8GkGRmGqxAfbPYPlnMdT41hgjBHGJNYzhQLPwq0Y/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNR4MQFpBfWfc-b7J08mXq9d0bHsj_hPlj4gTaU6wJIYz5GM0EvkDxQlf9HZ6haWZWPoxOnpMrpkJvlJmmcafhh9osSbZUqgDO6NbX8GkGRmGqxAfbPYPlnMdT41hgjBHGJNYzhQLPwq0Y/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
The first thing to note about the report is that it was a unanimous report. The members of the committee are listed below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk6JOJHM_pNiG_Gt77gved9_zH5rMJkfkDXSuZl_ugjBfj1ELt2etHRi7vasEPFRC8IgoCpKL60EZ6MU63YCXRWiecrKV0bPT9EuG4XZK0vSXPjLjNA-BnzbiCCckoQt6GJ2dGAhBzDJJ/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk6JOJHM_pNiG_Gt77gved9_zH5rMJkfkDXSuZl_ugjBfj1ELt2etHRi7vasEPFRC8IgoCpKL60EZ6MU63YCXRWiecrKV0bPT9EuG4XZK0vSXPjLjNA-BnzbiCCckoQt6GJ2dGAhBzDJJ/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
I don't have time go to through the entire report (for the same reason that there aren't as many posts appearing on this blog as I would like at the moment - TIME!) but the main recommendation of the report is:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHP_ANEkkaNkVCwFvcN3UJot8KhyphenhyphenaqH9xUbbL6YfyL2bKzxFDMtuDto_2V-qE8CldY9JaBeRWZfdF-Wb0VUwWBFbY3Z5yBpuLcchxDge6xu7c-b6vB4hRpi1uVFoLYfUA99TqQ2EXlAbBv/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHP_ANEkkaNkVCwFvcN3UJot8KhyphenhyphenaqH9xUbbL6YfyL2bKzxFDMtuDto_2V-qE8CldY9JaBeRWZfdF-Wb0VUwWBFbY3Z5yBpuLcchxDge6xu7c-b6vB4hRpi1uVFoLYfUA99TqQ2EXlAbBv/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I'm sure you will forgive me doubting that this government has the courage to do anything as intelligent as that.<br />
<br />
NSW has a long history of populist, even stupid Laura Norda policies. Both sides of politics have been guilty of it. I don't know whether it says more about the voters or the politicians, but it's true. I was therefore thoroughly unsurprised when I saw this news appear:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOAiOOCSsXhk9iYNVhbdb-RXYtJ6F1vnes3IA5zG6cbaXEMk9tl2nOrDLYG2xkXJMePE7ddSJ7P3hnKyaiUCuwQPmBU8OkWHYNule1luwhaSbP6eh1JBWTHu7NVQ8c3T64famsdShlmNj/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOAiOOCSsXhk9iYNVhbdb-RXYtJ6F1vnes3IA5zG6cbaXEMk9tl2nOrDLYG2xkXJMePE7ddSJ7P3hnKyaiUCuwQPmBU8OkWHYNule1luwhaSbP6eh1JBWTHu7NVQ8c3T64famsdShlmNj/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story on the ABC <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-15/parliamentary-support-for-medical-marijuana-in-nsw/4691108">website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Further down:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2O2eFIf1a23nip_sltj4em7HPK8tgSvvtZQRSRoEaD7fIopvZCp_FA90_nA-Skf7taUx3kkgrnqRerXBdyrHkHyh49YbtFneFCoCdo2HA951M-AO0I4vuZJdNVKfX7tK8TddXLSSDe_Wd/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2O2eFIf1a23nip_sltj4em7HPK8tgSvvtZQRSRoEaD7fIopvZCp_FA90_nA-Skf7taUx3kkgrnqRerXBdyrHkHyh49YbtFneFCoCdo2HA951M-AO0I4vuZJdNVKfX7tK8TddXLSSDe_Wd/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
And there you go. A nice report that go everybody a little excited, but no actual enthusiasm for change. It doesn't matter that three Coalition Upper House Members have their name on it - my tip is that the report will be given "thoughtful study" and then promptly disappear without a trace.<br />
<br />
How very unlike NSW.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-45418655928237482702013-05-09T19:10:00.000+10:002013-05-09T19:10:11.470+10:00Was it all a Ruse (endaal)?Well this was predictable.<br />
<br />
Many of you will remember the kerfuffle before the last state election about the future of Eric Roozendaal. Many believed that he would retire as soon as he qualified for his life-time pension (mid-2011 - only a few months after the election).<br />
<br />
There was even a <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/thirst-for-power.html">suggestion</a> that the shambolic sale of the power assets was motivated (at least in part) by Roozendaal's desire to set up a cushy job post-election.<br />
<br />
Naturally enough, Keneally faced a lot of questions about whether Roozendaal was going to disappear early. That all lead to this, from Keneally during the leaders debate:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistnJPosYbA7dvUJQxwY_3kXKpsa5riYcZHFTZch99lsl4og7IYwxwIQYOucgpVJwz0T_cNlMcaOx3zBkxBmB-Gr3z7SIochCTx7ypOD7hRVm0MnNLkaqyhx4_JdPrmOf_Kzp8kxwDygU3/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-23+at+6.20.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistnJPosYbA7dvUJQxwY_3kXKpsa5riYcZHFTZch99lsl4og7IYwxwIQYOucgpVJwz0T_cNlMcaOx3zBkxBmB-Gr3z7SIochCTx7ypOD7hRVm0MnNLkaqyhx4_JdPrmOf_Kzp8kxwDygU3/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-06-23+at+6.20.29+PM.png" /></a></div>
Both those promises have now been broken.<br />
<br />
Does anyone care? Probably not. I had a look at the Google News Searches for Roozendaal today - the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eric-roozendaal-calls-it-quits-20130509-2j922.html">SMH</a>, <a href="http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/roozendaal-exits-protesting-innocence-20130509-2j92z.html">The Age</a> and <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1764396/Roozendaal-exits-protesting-innocence">SBS</a> made no mention whatsoever of the promise to stay.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/former-labor-minister-eric-roozendaal-quits-nsw-parliament/story-e6frgczx-1226638248874">The Australian</a> had this to say, right down the bottom of their piece:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UukFFEEmMdwN3mQAzf4gWO6hROSkznFQdzMyLFq5mfaa0YZbXtJ-RjZBCiq5iy6_AqwA1RMJ0JtMBfKuche96dUOViHzqxJl-SRm8Fgl5a5lqHwFxJzqWn00mGUnX78sdeRwvqIpVkGM/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UukFFEEmMdwN3mQAzf4gWO6hROSkznFQdzMyLFq5mfaa0YZbXtJ-RjZBCiq5iy6_AqwA1RMJ0JtMBfKuche96dUOViHzqxJl-SRm8Fgl5a5lqHwFxJzqWn00mGUnX78sdeRwvqIpVkGM/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Believe it or now, only the <a href="http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/latest/a/-/local/17078184/roozendaal-quits-nsw-parliament/">Yahoo7 </a>article gave the issue any prominence at all:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRn1Lru_tVYypKlILnO6uMtT6W7JOkx-UK4tlesrVYxKha-G5Y3Q8YqlowjzoGsMttKUguSEn622CeIfkNJJmcEep1kEUqEqrr-bGebwAcmUf-fHYXdvHmjWXf1Y1JTqX0qpGGZGLgKay/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRn1Lru_tVYypKlILnO6uMtT6W7JOkx-UK4tlesrVYxKha-G5Y3Q8YqlowjzoGsMttKUguSEn622CeIfkNJJmcEep1kEUqEqrr-bGebwAcmUf-fHYXdvHmjWXf1Y1JTqX0qpGGZGLgKay/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Conclusion? Clearly no one cares. Or, at least, no one in the media.<br />
<br />
For my money, it's deeply disappointing that iron-clad guarantees like this are so readily ignored post election. Yes, Roozendaal leaving doesn't really affect any citizen's life directly - but at the election I (and, I suspect, most observers) suspected he intended to leave early.<br />
<br />
To give him (and the Labor party) a pass on that promise just encourages similar deception in the future.<br />
<br />
I can't sit here at my desk and say Roozendaal lied in 2011. It sure looks like it, but no one except him knows what his true intention was back then. And I don't have the access that would allow me to ask him (or, indeed, John Robertson) for an explanation.<br />
<br />
And you can rest assured that, come 2015, no one is going to care, no one is going to write about it, and we will be graced with 1000 new promises that will be eagerly lapped up by both the media and the electorate.<br />
<br />
You know what? When we don't care about politicians breaking promises, we send the message that we don't care when they do. It's not good enough.<br />
<br />
The internet assures me that HL Mencken said this: "People deserve the government they get, and they deserve to get it good and hard"<br />
<br />
Do they ever.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-67929272667048947752013-05-08T06:37:00.000+10:002013-05-08T06:37:25.138+10:00Training for DisasterThere is still not a lot going on in NSW politics - which is probably why this story got so much airtime:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2CPq4kbyBu3loeF6CyxCZuibe9alhBzibeGOI_uveXRmJ8pMEnTlCJpYULf-JAba1l9j_p2cx5RpLA3Qewf0LhIinUi8_02KKo-UhWBg3Z3E_5wZbimSPnaz4TMyH8VEWcGdKfgGgdm/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.11.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2CPq4kbyBu3loeF6CyxCZuibe9alhBzibeGOI_uveXRmJ8pMEnTlCJpYULf-JAba1l9j_p2cx5RpLA3Qewf0LhIinUi8_02KKo-UhWBg3Z3E_5wZbimSPnaz4TMyH8VEWcGdKfgGgdm/s640/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.11.56+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story on the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-03/cctv-use-in-spotlight-after-ruling/4668722">ABC website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Indeed, the NSW government was able to act with remarkable speed to change the law and make the cameras legal:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZreKYGkTKvT4UWGjHqAjjCqsB9OjbUOYRGsrjXdXaxqDP2CEyC_Tie6CbYe8oZb8ls9xqGiJabqk0kvon_HELFfLEiEmw3UB5D0QpLSjdejkeGDtinN9y5avQlN18XjUh4p2mzVXwnpe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.15.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZreKYGkTKvT4UWGjHqAjjCqsB9OjbUOYRGsrjXdXaxqDP2CEyC_Tie6CbYe8oZb8ls9xqGiJabqk0kvon_HELFfLEiEmw3UB5D0QpLSjdejkeGDtinN9y5avQlN18XjUh4p2mzVXwnpe/s640/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.15.11+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also from <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-07/loophole-closed-to-allow-cctv-camera-use/4675434?section=nsw">ABC Online</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, I have feelings about CCTV cameras, but rather than repeat them here I'm just going to link to a piece I wrote for <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4308068.html">The Drum</a> on that very topic.<br />
<br />
The only thing I would add is that simply changing the law to create an exemption to privacy laws makes somewhat of a mockery of the privacy legislation as a whole. Whilst almost no rights can be absolute (given that many rights of yours can come only at the expense of someone else's right), one would have thought that the government would at least pause to reflect on the decision from the Administrative Decisions Tribunal before diving in and just changing the law.<br />
<br />
Anyway.<br />
<br />
The other incident this week has been another disastrous morning for CityRail. For details, I encourage you to take a look at the always outstanding <a href="http://transportsydney.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/preventing-and-minimising-cityrails-disruptions/">Transport Sydney</a> that provides, amongst other things, a nifty table of the nature of the disruptions:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZFHG1ppo-reCCnj4ZXdC8CaiV_DblwiSzeK64I3tlrMsRvTgYp6fbtFQfMnlLPufLYhHumwXwfAE6wRY89zoRlaBcXN0cUelU7B4uz561R4fUTa8O1M7eGMRchyfXeMReBp9uBcwcUxB/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.23.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZFHG1ppo-reCCnj4ZXdC8CaiV_DblwiSzeK64I3tlrMsRvTgYp6fbtFQfMnlLPufLYhHumwXwfAE6wRY89zoRlaBcXN0cUelU7B4uz561R4fUTa8O1M7eGMRchyfXeMReBp9uBcwcUxB/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.23.01+AM.png" /></a></div>
The Shadow Transport Minister was, as usual, busy that day reporting on her commute and the associated dramas:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_lEUQln3uYbW5uB0uQEaFYPjBz-tuyEkaGOs1iSa1JJm9O59Loquo7bSRkWPo1bAzkJbQTncX2BjqqbnBWj3MbOsSg1XA2zeEIljA2J-TLzUyae5dZbfwOCAtWE0AbkRsGGCiWYtlKsO/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.24.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_lEUQln3uYbW5uB0uQEaFYPjBz-tuyEkaGOs1iSa1JJm9O59Loquo7bSRkWPo1bAzkJbQTncX2BjqqbnBWj3MbOsSg1XA2zeEIljA2J-TLzUyae5dZbfwOCAtWE0AbkRsGGCiWYtlKsO/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.24.32+AM.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh1Vp6DIIAcc-YzAfde7odTRalS3hXpMQVHU4xygowieHx9WRKbxZL6ijqCNAp-1XOmc0c2NLft0R8ySiDrCkPtMM1q1jOCWoXBq37m4X_rWcBB2Qvxu4EQEQ59YMFMpyYsLb-4P0joCe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.25.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh1Vp6DIIAcc-YzAfde7odTRalS3hXpMQVHU4xygowieHx9WRKbxZL6ijqCNAp-1XOmc0c2NLft0R8ySiDrCkPtMM1q1jOCWoXBq37m4X_rWcBB2Qvxu4EQEQ59YMFMpyYsLb-4P0joCe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.25.55+AM.png" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfNh74Am3cvBE71UFwMBviln3Lybk87el-9OnX9p6GlY_Aa_EBBaQUWFspQP-0SN0amNG3scIwtUls6L6v7EDWRrUkSabWwtTCZk0VBH2JrxtuhiRUxkdPOyRPi34JptY7D3QVi3-vjqf/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.26.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfNh74Am3cvBE71UFwMBviln3Lybk87el-9OnX9p6GlY_Aa_EBBaQUWFspQP-0SN0amNG3scIwtUls6L6v7EDWRrUkSabWwtTCZk0VBH2JrxtuhiRUxkdPOyRPi34JptY7D3QVi3-vjqf/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.26.38+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny's twitter account is <a href="https://twitter.com/PennySharpemlc">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Along with John Robertson, there was a press <a href="http://www.pennysharpe.com/redleather/06/05/2013/another_day_chaos_cityrail_commuters_%E2%80%93_berejiklian_must_apologise">release</a> and even a press conference.<br />
<br />
Whilst I've commented before about whether Labor has any right to criticise about the O'Farrell government's performance in the rolling out of new CityRail Infrastructure, these delays are a different issue. On the Transport Sydney blog:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tLzOaTqK6QA7RGj4szLTPCdFzauqK8oWYdp1nxG3UUrjY9Lw0bYsMp7mLKcl3eAXXohlxR0K-x4-VJ7FNk9rPrWp2XVhQ8G969TOqK_n41houogbwiJ4LYDNTsRW34AtFYYQM_rAPyua/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.29.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tLzOaTqK6QA7RGj4szLTPCdFzauqK8oWYdp1nxG3UUrjY9Lw0bYsMp7mLKcl3eAXXohlxR0K-x4-VJ7FNk9rPrWp2XVhQ8G969TOqK_n41houogbwiJ4LYDNTsRW34AtFYYQM_rAPyua/s640/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.29.52+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
The cuts may not be to blame - but it is clear that insufficient (or, at a minimum, poorly directed) maintenance is. On this issue, Labor's opposition has generally been good, and appropriate.<br />
<br />
And yet we have this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgpq5IVDnC5oYEr7r_j_nKOGjIHZOj2YdTT8pnsQ0_MnDboLzN0jAazq3CCRHuTVAnsuG28mKJbSPQ2AXMKtFawRI8VR2IUFplIGf-j_1Ru8uvxhp216LdUIC5MjR4T5looMGuXM0tZ97/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.33.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgpq5IVDnC5oYEr7r_j_nKOGjIHZOj2YdTT8pnsQ0_MnDboLzN0jAazq3CCRHuTVAnsuG28mKJbSPQ2AXMKtFawRI8VR2IUFplIGf-j_1Ru8uvxhp216LdUIC5MjR4T5looMGuXM0tZ97/s640/Screen+shot+2013-05-08+at+6.33.01+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Polls that swung <u>towards O'Farrell</u> in the last few months. Obviously those polls don't take into account this week's train dramas, but there have been plenty dramas up to now, and they don't appear to have made even a bit of difference.<br />
<br />
I don't really have an easy solution for Labor - at least not at this stage. But they would want to be finding one - and fast.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-20315742438276754102013-05-01T17:44:00.002+10:002013-05-01T17:44:26.066+10:00A Western pushAustralians are pretty hazy on the different levels of government. That's hardly surprising - the responsibilities and powers of the different levels are almost arbitrarily divided up.<br />
<br />
Moreover, the Federal Government funds a lot of things that are a State responsibility, meaning that people can hardly be blamed for confusing who is to blame for what.<br />
<br />
That is why (ridiculous) leaflets like this work:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://electionleafletsaustralia.s3.amazonaws.com/medium/9b3d4452a2f4e69ea0cfe1c1a8323f84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://electionleafletsaustralia.s3.amazonaws.com/medium/9b3d4452a2f4e69ea0cfe1c1a8323f84.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.electionleaflets.org.au/leaflets/1162/">ElectionLeaflets.com.au</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It makes no sense at all, in that it shamelessly confuses the State's responsibility for Laura Norda with the Federal Government's responsibility for the country's borders.<br />
<br />
The less said about the boat the better.<br />
<br />
The confusion is not helped by stories like this appearing in the <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/labor-feels-anger-of-muslims/story-e6freuy9-1226632621158">Daily Terror</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9UO-8o5Hf_o4RmRLrEvHkyR9XCoX-w8Mxg_iYxiU3Txrg7ItWE11lYAuckcSfMWMaFyIIvvk-V6sfZGnvS8Qq2NCGayuvKRGKsnaWuHEspwj4jFzOOPi8kxrYMBk2XzsdTF8-NqZSngy/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9UO-8o5Hf_o4RmRLrEvHkyR9XCoX-w8Mxg_iYxiU3Txrg7ItWE11lYAuckcSfMWMaFyIIvvk-V6sfZGnvS8Qq2NCGayuvKRGKsnaWuHEspwj4jFzOOPi8kxrYMBk2XzsdTF8-NqZSngy/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
This piece makes exactly the same "error" in that it (some might say deliberately) conflates Federal and State Responsibilities.<br />
<br />
There is a great deal more that could be written about how misguided the article is, but you can read it for yourself. The only thing I want to point out is this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSz02cJK1DAJl_oq3KEYA8NbZws4l9e5myVQclW7gHjPGXzxX_flxnYG3Tg6ZqdRsYCdoY5aDo2wo-KywKBNA44U2bAVZy2ML9ei-ujManNbrhMNOISyDXg0goQxI2c4SZTU1jDgGOGjLe/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSz02cJK1DAJl_oq3KEYA8NbZws4l9e5myVQclW7gHjPGXzxX_flxnYG3Tg6ZqdRsYCdoY5aDo2wo-KywKBNA44U2bAVZy2ML9ei-ujManNbrhMNOISyDXg0goQxI2c4SZTU1jDgGOGjLe/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Labor stronghold?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9LsphVFVQxtNIJO9x_kHga_HnlmKmww3BLsa6O7xOQ0IVatytkRHYWa3xWG-oRJfyz3x4gTcUoabZTx5EIg7CHPWAlvr-ul9dE81rqU7ibmn3ts3_EIc0XWn7gnn4haGonENtlC221bH/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9LsphVFVQxtNIJO9x_kHga_HnlmKmww3BLsa6O7xOQ0IVatytkRHYWa3xWG-oRJfyz3x4gTcUoabZTx5EIg7CHPWAlvr-ul9dE81rqU7ibmn3ts3_EIc0XWn7gnn4haGonENtlC221bH/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_state_election,_2011">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's a Labor stronghold O'Farrell would love some more of, I fancy.<br />
<br />
What I wanted to quickly comment on was how O'Farrell may use that confusion for his benefit. There is no doubt that the gun violence in Western Sydney is a potentially damaging issue for him. That is notwithstanding that the outrage is utterly disproportionate, given the marginal increase in one particular metric of crime in a particular area.<br />
<br />
Rather than fighting the issue with that truth (which I accept is difficult to do when the Terror has set it's mind against you), O'Farrell (or, at least, the NSW Liberal Party) appears to be settling for muddying the waters.<br />
<br />
It's not even really necessary, given the apparent ineffectiveness of the Labor attacks, the reason for which are the subject of another post. But the electorate cares about Federal politics this year, not State - so why not try and deflect the blame towards Canberra.<br />
<br />
It's not exactly high-brow, but no one's really going to notice.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-13611312695532005252013-04-23T22:13:00.001+10:002013-04-23T22:13:09.723+10:00A Clash of Symbols<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI1jqa9jN4d-b5SYUI5rSfKOtCLMGoKWUWuR7sxFZAg0EQTGbE1-HEhiVYEIp_EO7GB97j3EAHzvD_omAupu_tHAijvJN-9M8pso9cAgSD86L-gYNT3Q92gktpf3ZitZBxVUkqGeW9gHe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.42.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI1jqa9jN4d-b5SYUI5rSfKOtCLMGoKWUWuR7sxFZAg0EQTGbE1-HEhiVYEIp_EO7GB97j3EAHzvD_omAupu_tHAijvJN-9M8pso9cAgSD86L-gYNT3Q92gktpf3ZitZBxVUkqGeW9gHe/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.42.20+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/not-happy-barry-premier-loses-crucial-nile-vote-20130423-2ibij.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hmm. Sounds ominous.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi315A72fJbpW0QROvXUl13_AzG27CwTU7WzqcwkWhlE-458RE4th6al3gb1WV9CNyQ6c9x3XlCnm2DMN-r-16XdeRUL20fQ6hWmA5Z1EyKm-fy6qBqZJdlD3tdaVqhx187w_aoi0QlZ6kZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.43.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi315A72fJbpW0QROvXUl13_AzG27CwTU7WzqcwkWhlE-458RE4th6al3gb1WV9CNyQ6c9x3XlCnm2DMN-r-16XdeRUL20fQ6hWmA5Z1EyKm-fy6qBqZJdlD3tdaVqhx187w_aoi0QlZ6kZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.43.10+PM.png" /></a></div>
Oh dear. I take it that this will shortly lead to the downfall of the O'Farrell government? NSW politics in crisis. Elekshun nao?<br />
<br />
Maybe not.<br />
<br />
Fred Nile sits in the Upper House along with fellow Christian Democrat Paul Green. Much like in the Federal Senate, the status of the Upper House has no direct relation to the stability of the government itself. O'Farrell does not have an outright majority in the Upper House with or without the CDP, and he doesn't need one.<br />
<br />
He has no (public) written agreement with the two conservative minor parties (the CDP and the Shooters and Fishers). That's not just because he doesn't need one - he promised he wouldn't before the election. As Labor put it in their glossy brochure that I wrote about <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/a-paper-war.html">previously</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMiQ4rIh5ehsKDykFnhQFznIXosibMxVxN0B2ldqKaNiPXyeVcO68UgOXwoU2jDTtk4BlBIMIvB11a05HCHRUe5ajmWMRosDHg9cvWWSjNSWJeg6QG-bGTA9B5h8qdrRYl0u3hf5dsZFv/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.50.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMiQ4rIh5ehsKDykFnhQFznIXosibMxVxN0B2ldqKaNiPXyeVcO68UgOXwoU2jDTtk4BlBIMIvB11a05HCHRUe5ajmWMRosDHg9cvWWSjNSWJeg6QG-bGTA9B5h8qdrRYl0u3hf5dsZFv/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.50.21+PM.png" /></a></div>
Moreover, the Coalition hardly has the CDP votes in the bag. One would expect the CDP to support most O'Farrell bills (both being from the same wing of politics), but one would also expect them to extract their pound of flesh from time to time.<br />
<br />
Such is the major party/minor party relationship. Twas ever thus.<br />
<br />
Why is it, exactly, that Nile is in such a frenzy? It's this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8ubsvZekLoQRYWMcB0yfB1_JdiZV5f8-DS8EHVZrTm_qgJ8ABHDMMl5Q4D1DzMv7pjOu29CuJb_CTgpankkYFSskd8De4bCZJQPfjhZdcJSynm0khI3kYEjhG_lw4-GVq4BjviwzpRfa/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.52.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8ubsvZekLoQRYWMcB0yfB1_JdiZV5f8-DS8EHVZrTm_qgJ8ABHDMMl5Q4D1DzMv7pjOu29CuJb_CTgpankkYFSskd8De4bCZJQPfjhZdcJSynm0khI3kYEjhG_lw4-GVq4BjviwzpRfa/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-23+at+9.52.33+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the story <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/ofarrell-comes-out-for-samesex-marriage-20130418-2i31b.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I've explained <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/gay-motion.html">before</a>, it makes no (direct) difference what anyone in the NSW government says or thinks about the gay marriage debate. O'Farrell's position is a purely symbolic one - something he has said for the headline.<br />
<br />
That's fine. If journalists are willing to publish a few positive pieces about O'Farrell being in favour of gay marriage, then good luck to him.<br />
<br />
Nile's little tantrum is not quite as obvious. For all his flaws, Nile is not an idiot. He knows that O'Farrell's words make no difference to anything. Homosexual people will not be able to marry their partners until Federal Labor supports it outright or until the Federal Coalition makes it (at least) a conscience vote - and neither of those things will happen until it is electorally expedient (if even then).<br />
<br />
So why is Nile throwing his toys? Simple.<br />
<br />
Can you <u>imagine</u> the calls Nile must have been getting over the last few days? His star is hitched to the Coalition wagon - and I think it is safe to assume that his supporters are absolutely ropeable at O'Farrell. And they are surely letting Nile know about it.<br />
<br />
So he has to kick up a bit of a stink. Once the fuss dies down, Nile will continue to support most of the Coalition's legislative agenda, and will continue to demand concessions as and when it suits him.<br />
<br />
Two flagrantly symbolic and utterly irrelevant acts. Can you tell the two Houses aren't sitting at the moment?Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-27969462789141317712013-04-18T21:53:00.000+10:002013-04-18T21:53:36.053+10:00A Paper WarI <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/a-glossy-outlook.html">posted </a>a little while ago about this <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/132389225/2-years-of-O-Farrell">document </a>from Labor.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt0YVaZi961D0o0x4TbJ0HsaPbDMwlOMumlJ1lejuzZZs3tkGQoAbn0-vEwA9pQGFVIy0aQZby_nXSYScTj5gH3bn4ObGxT6Ldm0fCwOxYAtJgUdAmbwsSxeJa6m4muxsTVTquBOsEtr-/s1600/1-2a53998793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt0YVaZi961D0o0x4TbJ0HsaPbDMwlOMumlJ1lejuzZZs3tkGQoAbn0-vEwA9pQGFVIy0aQZby_nXSYScTj5gH3bn4ObGxT6Ldm0fCwOxYAtJgUdAmbwsSxeJa6m4muxsTVTquBOsEtr-/s400/1-2a53998793.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
Since then I've had no luck getting any references from Labor. I've been told that people employed by the two major parties read this blog - if that is true, the Labor-employed ones have been keeping mum.<br />
<br />
I've sent several tweets the way of <a href="https://twitter.com/NSWLabor">@NSWLabor</a> and even direct to <a href="https://twitter.com/jrobertsonmp">@jrobertsonmp</a> without success. One shadow minister who promised to chase it up for me then failed to do so.<br />
<br />
You can make of that what you will.<br />
<br />
In the interim, I contacted O'Farrell's office and asked if they had a response. I was, within a matter of minutes, graced with this <a href="https://www.premier.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/tmp/TwoYearsAchievements_12pp.pdf">document</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhBfLECmZd-I3LLSyOQO_xMCfV5HH2psK3udI5GHj483Xl91C9-RKW1By597rznAnO4bAOnZNZTmtPGUaGJbedEmsus2Qthh9rsOUj1uS5yC-IEwIsEZEznQ3gxnU7zsWBpnsiwmXRELl/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhBfLECmZd-I3LLSyOQO_xMCfV5HH2psK3udI5GHj483Xl91C9-RKW1By597rznAnO4bAOnZNZTmtPGUaGJbedEmsus2Qthh9rsOUj1uS5yC-IEwIsEZEznQ3gxnU7zsWBpnsiwmXRELl/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I still hope to come back to Labor's document and invigilate it thoroughly - but, for the moment, time forbids. What I can do, however, is weigh the two documents against each other and see if one comes up trumps.<br />
<br />
For the moment, I am going to leave aside any issues that are only covered by one of the pamphlets. I'm a little more interested in the divergence between the two pamphlets on issues they both see fit to trumpet.<br />
<br />
<b>Workers Comp</b><br />
<br />
Labor<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktb9TfF7ta-TSSsSg4uM6d1fTEhR8knPGwgIHnWYEFUNlzq4djod4zLqweYm-36EJdHko5y44lVkplU8rKVHIfpvU2ku7V_ga69YHoy3rAH7OhefrGwhzc1plBpCvQo31bWoHxuxyyt2L/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktb9TfF7ta-TSSsSg4uM6d1fTEhR8knPGwgIHnWYEFUNlzq4djod4zLqweYm-36EJdHko5y44lVkplU8rKVHIfpvU2ku7V_ga69YHoy3rAH7OhefrGwhzc1plBpCvQo31bWoHxuxyyt2L/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Coalition:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9-b4tBmCKCgU5skH1PcbinjnM519-rjGwJ_6aa5l-rIQqmU8-reaQTrGgbImpxQOb_2RxEgnltmreIqmIXeIcCDcIyVGe_qzDV2a0KRBlbZ4CzpuIlu1rGFWXqCD8fqLTV_94C8arYKs/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9-b4tBmCKCgU5skH1PcbinjnM519-rjGwJ_6aa5l-rIQqmU8-reaQTrGgbImpxQOb_2RxEgnltmreIqmIXeIcCDcIyVGe_qzDV2a0KRBlbZ4CzpuIlu1rGFWXqCD8fqLTV_94C8arYKs/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The divergence is clear. The Coalition's changes hurt injured workers, but resulted in (potentially) reduced workers comp premiums. The position you take on that is essentially an ideological one - although it is worth noting that the Coalition has been unable to communicate the positive on this change, perhaps having adjudged that it will never be popular politically.<br />
<br />
<b>Homes</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Labor:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAoTvjSd628M5oKnyVZEX_fHuOF_IpSBUDGXxG7hfwOuw4DXqSDBbUpARw8IdLAIUMpClBWaxAHxuWoYfMeNOI2oesh32CzikRNP4ez0SKuXbQNfJbcdHQyhdgi4U3A-JZIJfbkuAdBUO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAoTvjSd628M5oKnyVZEX_fHuOF_IpSBUDGXxG7hfwOuw4DXqSDBbUpARw8IdLAIUMpClBWaxAHxuWoYfMeNOI2oesh32CzikRNP4ez0SKuXbQNfJbcdHQyhdgi4U3A-JZIJfbkuAdBUO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Coalition:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj0F3t-xco5hbxGjZb1OAvdM8_oBJq49t13mVF68G4LDU1lXK_pIhiwChTQkEx3K99hQeW27kKh8PbgeGUvro6EiqqfZOt2U2wbYpQi5fYBttzMyPqw5LuNzzaYpkMeknPVm6dw7mUhOu/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj0F3t-xco5hbxGjZb1OAvdM8_oBJq49t13mVF68G4LDU1lXK_pIhiwChTQkEx3K99hQeW27kKh8PbgeGUvro6EiqqfZOt2U2wbYpQi5fYBttzMyPqw5LuNzzaYpkMeknPVm6dw7mUhOu/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF36tTxLuy1kU4raL74ZsgRWJae_1pK1Ld8_FO3rh95n-gHWyp-J3fBMUk0qWFWhJBh5mi9EOFupaZIxRMnQYHS3aJ2PNz7kH3PTSn1H4smx1FaAnGQDofd3VT8s36zxT4PY48NPproBSz/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF36tTxLuy1kU4raL74ZsgRWJae_1pK1Ld8_FO3rh95n-gHWyp-J3fBMUk0qWFWhJBh5mi9EOFupaZIxRMnQYHS3aJ2PNz7kH3PTSn1H4smx1FaAnGQDofd3VT8s36zxT4PY48NPproBSz/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yes. Well. This is a difficult one. There is a great deal of opinion out there that suggests that money spent on first home buyers grants and the like is simply wasted, delivering no actual benefit excepting that it relieves many buyers from the burden of saving for a deposit. I am skeptical that Labor could in any way justify the claim that first home buyers are in any way "locked out" of the market.<br />
<br />
It is certainly true that pure supply and demand mismatch is one of the major causes of Sydney's brutal property prices - whether new approvals and land releases will have a material effect on price (as the Coalition begs you to infer) is a difficult to say.<br />
<br />
At the end of the day, there is no one right way to deal with the issue. I don't believe that Labor's criticism carries any real weight, but equally I don't think that the Coalition can prove that their approach will have a material effect either. Further, there are negative consequences that flow from land releases that complicate the issue.<br />
<br />
<b>Public Transport</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Labor:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5HHO0o0_6WILZJPStFiukbalDlnZ1v5ZMqGdTpZmET0oSTkO7ctDCXfeirK0kGsSHECJ-S5psKW_b_Q2DTmYZu7X70c-VSFjiesWYnm2KCB679jYbZySmmBVh1-r4dFSMtVvn5fxAhTt/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5HHO0o0_6WILZJPStFiukbalDlnZ1v5ZMqGdTpZmET0oSTkO7ctDCXfeirK0kGsSHECJ-S5psKW_b_Q2DTmYZu7X70c-VSFjiesWYnm2KCB679jYbZySmmBVh1-r4dFSMtVvn5fxAhTt/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Coalition:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheEYRA0UKWiINHdEFBOuGU6Eia1BO82yBd9gIihV4oDvFoCHbI33KQj2716COHAOaUt4hLpjWdwvsvZzKtJmdyiH_gNKULrSBC9SuzWKJ0PjrRXy805W55qU67WcaRcAYi2EDIvq146YD/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheEYRA0UKWiINHdEFBOuGU6Eia1BO82yBd9gIihV4oDvFoCHbI33KQj2716COHAOaUt4hLpjWdwvsvZzKtJmdyiH_gNKULrSBC9SuzWKJ0PjrRXy805W55qU67WcaRcAYi2EDIvq146YD/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm going to put aside some pretty serious problems I have with Labor's statistics here. What is clear for the two documents is the Labor is saying "More Expensive!" whilst the Coalition is claiming "Better." There's no way to resolve that definitively.<br />
<br />
<b>Health</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Labor:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTBo4tAtt2OlQgdI3FlQiRyv3UdehUHT0n2Xp7P86xCs5an4wqjDmdq1d1qmIKnt0qaAbqzuO16ZN_5iB7WrxIaayFpu3Kh5I7SpzlH37UDMfCWT5i1Z-ojo6tVOIOr_qhyn2-8L77YAa/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTBo4tAtt2OlQgdI3FlQiRyv3UdehUHT0n2Xp7P86xCs5an4wqjDmdq1d1qmIKnt0qaAbqzuO16ZN_5iB7WrxIaayFpu3Kh5I7SpzlH37UDMfCWT5i1Z-ojo6tVOIOr_qhyn2-8L77YAa/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwkPKMG8vPwID_pshsmjZkipHP-THolhXtZJdCfOjulRt26gOk5nM_iLWeBf0RHlNhsesGV6SUMl8N3XQMad0MlSxjY51lsRRLybWbdjIpQvgcp2O-y4-bjpKlBHUbWVn_UmX6aDZD77I/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwkPKMG8vPwID_pshsmjZkipHP-THolhXtZJdCfOjulRt26gOk5nM_iLWeBf0RHlNhsesGV6SUMl8N3XQMad0MlSxjY51lsRRLybWbdjIpQvgcp2O-y4-bjpKlBHUbWVn_UmX6aDZD77I/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Coalition:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadgOG7C3SngN0TCpxFSxkODM5hniTZWYxRPiVQ5Foq_fNbAAtPpwa4pBZ-uuOxaWgVa-ZhlDEhzD_P0yIoL19NS9rk9s4tsqy-E5e3afPElsYg6fPZsBpoWErDNUXx5gOP4yf1kO0F29h/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadgOG7C3SngN0TCpxFSxkODM5hniTZWYxRPiVQ5Foq_fNbAAtPpwa4pBZ-uuOxaWgVa-ZhlDEhzD_P0yIoL19NS9rk9s4tsqy-E5e3afPElsYg6fPZsBpoWErDNUXx5gOP4yf1kO0F29h/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR88dCqFpvHVz9L0FoikYoba9qNluzPKpoNYghfdyvcKHqi5QbCj9rF_4OglQahL54R92PLnZ4NJJZnjUoEF5-9plIeWOsBBHrLgwzmYD0BcOpArOvoGSgx4x1MzBvy-ibf8QDGihNRbJS/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR88dCqFpvHVz9L0FoikYoba9qNluzPKpoNYghfdyvcKHqi5QbCj9rF_4OglQahL54R92PLnZ4NJJZnjUoEF5-9plIeWOsBBHrLgwzmYD0BcOpArOvoGSgx4x1MzBvy-ibf8QDGihNRbJS/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
This is a difficult one. Both parties are guilty of not providing references, and both rely heavily on anecdotes. Labor focusses on overall budget, Coalition focusses on staffing numbers. Which one means better health-care? Who knows.<br />
<br />
<b>Budget</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This one is a little funny.<br />
<br />
Labor:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6JvUW6sgdnRx27wHNSyZK-wT0J5d4VM-6L4fQWmJMeOq_FCQtY08ECRLRrdyQm0ArST7qQGikNFe9x5d05XYxfm23VDDFHf2asrb3zfwY9Rq0CiolptTO68Vh2_aIj6fwlB7Gf6mzF8c/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6JvUW6sgdnRx27wHNSyZK-wT0J5d4VM-6L4fQWmJMeOq_FCQtY08ECRLRrdyQm0ArST7qQGikNFe9x5d05XYxfm23VDDFHf2asrb3zfwY9Rq0CiolptTO68Vh2_aIj6fwlB7Gf6mzF8c/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Coalition:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEwXbatzCi-VGPpYCiiUN29O0HdxrkopYII0kjsLzg4NacDsJIwWdji0apIZpfVhBAJvv1WQw8sqrhNe4pyZ1lny-1m9P-2Vkp_990ACbHCKzMdZrXdpb0_ns5qZVRerQpGS26ztjuDrX/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEwXbatzCi-VGPpYCiiUN29O0HdxrkopYII0kjsLzg4NacDsJIwWdji0apIZpfVhBAJvv1WQw8sqrhNe4pyZ1lny-1m9P-2Vkp_990ACbHCKzMdZrXdpb0_ns5qZVRerQpGS26ztjuDrX/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhlJHmuMBo84CVnXen7aWhm3b6HJMoon8d94DyZGC1QK-3F47HoxpC_VgCKudt5ThbzCdQWCZbnEO9x1V-HO_tdEZT91ag0aXe9TRwexN2yxrdn8UD_cLa4BIg1Plv1x81WmF8EfTR0i_/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhlJHmuMBo84CVnXen7aWhm3b6HJMoon8d94DyZGC1QK-3F47HoxpC_VgCKudt5ThbzCdQWCZbnEO9x1V-HO_tdEZT91ag0aXe9TRwexN2yxrdn8UD_cLa4BIg1Plv1x81WmF8EfTR0i_/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
First of all, Labor is using exactly the same spurious accusation that has been used to such effect by the Federal Coalition.<br />
<br />
What I really like is this: the Coalition concedes that the budget position has deteriorated - but their response is "We may be in deficit, but we're in EXACTLY AS MUCH DEFICIT AS WE SAID."<br />
<br />
Yeah no.<br />
<br />
<b>Environment</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Labor:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4kLTUUzdOM5iJSvP5zO4HIOz13fNhO2CqEEHiV2gCiG0XWDGjJR8qhjMJiTMkPuNtLAkupP9QxwLe5cuti2yMxiA9yqoCfByiBITl5Y0kULS8IAnXPqn-7Hk4bdwN-GWJZGcDF6UaVwu/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4kLTUUzdOM5iJSvP5zO4HIOz13fNhO2CqEEHiV2gCiG0XWDGjJR8qhjMJiTMkPuNtLAkupP9QxwLe5cuti2yMxiA9yqoCfByiBITl5Y0kULS8IAnXPqn-7Hk4bdwN-GWJZGcDF6UaVwu/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Coalition:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gMl5091yEbEuyJ1k-JYvQDGV2DM4XnLYKg516aKJ5NXadu644kh6Q4MsTSNCyhhL2EObN_DCAKEveM_Ay6-BtyFxLYoNaSw3qfq3W0cusfspuR5TuQd8WFm0kTEOEh5jyVmZI3SfH-Zl/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gMl5091yEbEuyJ1k-JYvQDGV2DM4XnLYKg516aKJ5NXadu644kh6Q4MsTSNCyhhL2EObN_DCAKEveM_Ay6-BtyFxLYoNaSw3qfq3W0cusfspuR5TuQd8WFm0kTEOEh5jyVmZI3SfH-Zl/s320/Untitled.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
Both entirely anecdotal. Both prove nothing at all.<br />
<br />
<b>So what?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
It's impossible to compare the two pamphlets properly. Without references (from either side) I can't check the reliability of the claims. Assuming both tell the truth, each pamphlet simply seems spins the data the way they want.<br />
<br />
So we're left with empty assertions and no real evidence. If only we had journalists who had the time and resources to chase up all the details. If only.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-54723800423752943542013-04-11T22:12:00.000+10:002013-04-11T22:12:08.192+10:00Rainbowing on a ParadeThe old saying is that no good deed goes unpunished. I think the O'Farrell government has learned that in spades over the last week.<br />
<br />
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras happened, as it does every year, on the first Saturday in March. At some significant (and, it should be noted, <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national-news/pedestrian-prides-fate-determined-by-mr-gay/story-fncynjr2-1226588287295">controversial</a>) cost, a pedestrian crossing was painted in Rainbow colours.<br />
<br />
It was a apparently a real highlight of the parade:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaFjZFTzj6EurWCFQDFnXI9YJ6slikUluQ5WX7ZtxJpf07Nz3xFc2AeBoTDoVVjsIRZJpg7wvBETp-INGnysP9Z6mebTWishyRQTkXZA8p4GbxmYGwUZxVoguSBOhbFDx5kNDHZbPl9gu/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.30.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaFjZFTzj6EurWCFQDFnXI9YJ6slikUluQ5WX7ZtxJpf07Nz3xFc2AeBoTDoVVjsIRZJpg7wvBETp-INGnysP9Z6mebTWishyRQTkXZA8p4GbxmYGwUZxVoguSBOhbFDx5kNDHZbPl9gu/s640/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.30.40+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pic from the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-02/revellers-dance-during-mari-gras-celebrations/4549824">ABC</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apparently, the pictures of the crossing were popular:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE1A_hPxto4bmQ9Vl-GrdXEcmOvujrA_uwQuGaflqUNOb4gfp21ec5azmQ0-WJgT1XF3ZXolkAPYqcM_NJ2xFjAE-UMhMr5MreTrhMSTMwHgZQxc26AScXIOSbRhfs04k6oCFFAAdECmi/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.32.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE1A_hPxto4bmQ9Vl-GrdXEcmOvujrA_uwQuGaflqUNOb4gfp21ec5azmQ0-WJgT1XF3ZXolkAPYqcM_NJ2xFjAE-UMhMr5MreTrhMSTMwHgZQxc26AScXIOSbRhfs04k6oCFFAAdECmi/s640/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.32.49+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Of course Greenwich isn't literally quoting a figure - but any assertion that the cost is outweighed by the benefit is obviously a made-up stat. It may well have been boosting tourism - personally I'm skeptical, but there is absolutely no way to test that assertion.<br />
<br />
Even before the crossing was installed, it was clear that it was going to be temporary. This is from Clover Moore's personal <a href="http://www.clovermoore.com.au/crossing-the-rainbow/">website</a>, published on 26 February, the week of the festival:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TCp-fq8Jzco1OJ5GmzugT7VzU5Qw-4vds8l6DpUIlMGism5h-EPB2DsITpsXbo0ZdQf6Kib-yUNYTMgkL4fQMENgV0w44lTRDwCKdL619ULj4xwNmYtMd6D0R-x2Ku4KJpzR1TAmkY-w/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.40.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TCp-fq8Jzco1OJ5GmzugT7VzU5Qw-4vds8l6DpUIlMGism5h-EPB2DsITpsXbo0ZdQf6Kib-yUNYTMgkL4fQMENgV0w44lTRDwCKdL619ULj4xwNmYtMd6D0R-x2Ku4KJpzR1TAmkY-w/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.40.52+PM.png" /></a></div>
Even before the festival, a <a href="http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/nsw-minister-for-roads-and-ports-keep-the-fabulous-taylor-square-rainbow-crossing">petition</a> to keep the crossing was gathering signatures. At the time of writing, over 15 000 people had signed it.<br />
<br />
Notwithstanding that, the crossing is being removed. Why? The below are extracts from a letter (<a href="https://twitter.com/KevinWilde/status/321965270950346753/photo/1">Page 1</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinWilde/status/321965922862649344/photo/1">page 2</a>) written by the Roads Minister Duncan Gay in reply to Ms Moore's missive asking that the crossing be retained:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PdCRTwbwTdMOISJl6RvXT4-_Obksczx-fhqySphXrC4SByuOBKjIMv4tPull2uNF6m_RWKwJ5JBR6765q2zRpmInZe6Wul1AhUUPPDEih2SeHqH1Efg9DvRI5w0USwZeCfwKCAoty1xt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.48.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PdCRTwbwTdMOISJl6RvXT4-_Obksczx-fhqySphXrC4SByuOBKjIMv4tPull2uNF6m_RWKwJ5JBR6765q2zRpmInZe6Wul1AhUUPPDEih2SeHqH1Efg9DvRI5w0USwZeCfwKCAoty1xt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.48.58+PM.png" /></a></div>
The audit mentioned was a pre-condition of the crossing being installed in the first place, as Moore explained on her <a href="http://www.clovermoore.com.au/crossing-the-rainbow/">blog</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2BovFop7pgajtvub0jVcdjK8ecLJ-5-36JMK1YQDT09luOeN-sHeypeCOxKgyiklM-9_tcoZexmhxO4qgYObs5SrSs_5e-RrigEIREhW0tS94gEecwM1NXIIa1CfWibXnVJeKRiXlklt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.50.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2BovFop7pgajtvub0jVcdjK8ecLJ-5-36JMK1YQDT09luOeN-sHeypeCOxKgyiklM-9_tcoZexmhxO4qgYObs5SrSs_5e-RrigEIREhW0tS94gEecwM1NXIIa1CfWibXnVJeKRiXlklt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.50.29+PM.png" /></a></div>
Personally, I suspect that the condition that an audit be undertaken was at least in part to equip the government with an independent assessment of the danger posed by the crossing, having anticipated a fall-out. But maybe that's just the cynic talking.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the letter goes on to explain more clearly precisely what it is that was observed on the crossing:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI16XvYAnc_NzZfhzXp4Mx7hCBskGqHF1LyjIwMqwq9VrJ4o_jaI7q5Pj0d5wMXMbQCmBhA8kpz_HgGQGnjgqIZ9sweBidNduCh7617VDMzaVMofjIxUFYqQi1FjOfSt8RGZHXrT0L4hJg/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.52.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI16XvYAnc_NzZfhzXp4Mx7hCBskGqHF1LyjIwMqwq9VrJ4o_jaI7q5Pj0d5wMXMbQCmBhA8kpz_HgGQGnjgqIZ9sweBidNduCh7617VDMzaVMofjIxUFYqQi1FjOfSt8RGZHXrT0L4hJg/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.52.47+PM.png" /></a></div>
Interestingly, at least one of those incidents was NSW Upper House member (and budding Federal Senator) Cate Faehrmann:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpeJ07MhxjhGt1NTUzZN6tmziRKQ44SKsprdnlcT4EVqTazVZSDRtUmf_TIkR8ZcHQDw8UMlO8ZybOKUNINl3U003R4f_sbHRubBQ1LrSPJ0QvLJr9sR3oUUkX9U-Isv0mWcEZapzdYeD/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.54.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpeJ07MhxjhGt1NTUzZN6tmziRKQ44SKsprdnlcT4EVqTazVZSDRtUmf_TIkR8ZcHQDw8UMlO8ZybOKUNINl3U003R4f_sbHRubBQ1LrSPJ0QvLJr9sR3oUUkX9U-Isv0mWcEZapzdYeD/s640/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.54.54+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Faerhmann tweeted a picture of the stunt:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKTCSH7JGBoOVIB40iLLCFWBe1RnSCyKrfFVyFcpLc0tyirErzjaBZcatZt-dRraVxTaBTJwjUymus7Vo5yTcIBkQ_3kTzm5Zgy14v2Nyh2n82oT5zEJYJYeiNzFxQ4DCLS3Go2GZx6Y4/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.57.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKTCSH7JGBoOVIB40iLLCFWBe1RnSCyKrfFVyFcpLc0tyirErzjaBZcatZt-dRraVxTaBTJwjUymus7Vo5yTcIBkQ_3kTzm5Zgy14v2Nyh2n82oT5zEJYJYeiNzFxQ4DCLS3Go2GZx6Y4/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+9.57.03+PM.png" /></a></div>
No doubt when Faerhmann sat on the street she was sober. There is equally no doubt that many others would not have been, which is likely to have been the cause of the incident mentioned in Gay's letter.<br />
<br />
Put simply, as long as the crossing was there, people were going to do reckless things on and around it. So much is patently obvious.<br />
<br />
The government never promised to retain the crossing - in fact, its removal was a precondition to the installation. And yet, this has been the reward (at least on twitter):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bbzC3z1pRoEqA5xBZx3-aH8gzwOURKmlmG3XpfWq4Rh7QcZUXqUCZG9CUY6kDkMcSgcFzsI4iWxgPV6tE8g_yHs1DvG_Tk_8-jAqH9k08dNCEoxZESYpYQCIwEzCcEv8uUGvEYW_vgT8/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.02.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bbzC3z1pRoEqA5xBZx3-aH8gzwOURKmlmG3XpfWq4Rh7QcZUXqUCZG9CUY6kDkMcSgcFzsI4iWxgPV6tE8g_yHs1DvG_Tk_8-jAqH9k08dNCEoxZESYpYQCIwEzCcEv8uUGvEYW_vgT8/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.02.07+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-4l_DCrFx91EHDqJXGoHilKIhrLwNcWe2cMWWIt1j66zFuLLTB0v_ljFY3GtdE3jDHVtSneKXvVsivPn4yeBsxCQFq-51VJcAcdAzanrNyEc1BvqQDVpqIlAJbn8eVitVa6LjPFshH2v/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.02.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-4l_DCrFx91EHDqJXGoHilKIhrLwNcWe2cMWWIt1j66zFuLLTB0v_ljFY3GtdE3jDHVtSneKXvVsivPn4yeBsxCQFq-51VJcAcdAzanrNyEc1BvqQDVpqIlAJbn8eVitVa6LjPFshH2v/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.02.39+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUVO7CYMMtMcHFhCLRDCYESMCCwfLS7f5AA9JDPOY5Ff4s1hNhAokzV34Gas3kV3jG1WPv2McPfIcHiQtCi1umM7RuJj5eGktC-CRChzalthEI9Qbr-IOFBF4uBHwBuDimu8ciY15yjKu/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.03.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUVO7CYMMtMcHFhCLRDCYESMCCwfLS7f5AA9JDPOY5Ff4s1hNhAokzV34Gas3kV3jG1WPv2McPfIcHiQtCi1umM7RuJj5eGktC-CRChzalthEI9Qbr-IOFBF4uBHwBuDimu8ciY15yjKu/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.03.05+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqTpT_GKmAodAkymt7i0UjOI_lWL_zJ8imHokvxYk-h8_B5c3VZvhWuaskBXQH2P4qsPZTzMwqdpu0fmmd-GcqDREL432b0a1_YblW6_dUVHxu8jr4gLCVDWotXYP69yPBG-UEzXTUI1M/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.04.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqTpT_GKmAodAkymt7i0UjOI_lWL_zJ8imHokvxYk-h8_B5c3VZvhWuaskBXQH2P4qsPZTzMwqdpu0fmmd-GcqDREL432b0a1_YblW6_dUVHxu8jr4gLCVDWotXYP69yPBG-UEzXTUI1M/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.04.23+PM.png" /></a></div>
But most ridiculous reaction of all?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFrqA-XfE51XCUI-ltOMHdabM_qq-xriivUSR2WJdueMA7qh65T3lyg-NLG78Q6ugDik9bHEdOJQ9qxRf0W4mdJKZTcJJkfON_QGlRm5N6kugzmc_wf-hBkA4OxTuSZ6Hm6uT4MqEROO/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.06.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFrqA-XfE51XCUI-ltOMHdabM_qq-xriivUSR2WJdueMA7qh65T3lyg-NLG78Q6ugDik9bHEdOJQ9qxRf0W4mdJKZTcJJkfON_QGlRm5N6kugzmc_wf-hBkA4OxTuSZ6Hm6uT4MqEROO/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-11+at+10.06.02+PM.png" /></a></div>
Shocked, I tell you! Shocked!Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-26971611214867968182013-04-08T16:59:00.000+10:002013-04-08T16:59:12.569+10:00Unions United?So this was a little predictable:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-N7osrJApHd35hiqiwGvpRKnnJVV8mWOyqIAmgJOXM10todiZy09w9XdQnqDtu_pLGBHuwoQvqMeYjkTa0s7OO6SaYlMyCG7yVhyphenhyphen7yWFgKnrbonbWMkg2kSWcb7xezmC-Yq5S8OglML1/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-08+at+4.31.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-N7osrJApHd35hiqiwGvpRKnnJVV8mWOyqIAmgJOXM10todiZy09w9XdQnqDtu_pLGBHuwoQvqMeYjkTa0s7OO6SaYlMyCG7yVhyphenhyphen7yWFgKnrbonbWMkg2kSWcb7xezmC-Yq5S8OglML1/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-08+at+4.31.04+PM.png" /></a></div>
The unions are massive losers in the donations reforms that were brought in early last year. I've said what I want to say about the merit of the changes <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/money-money-money-part-i.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/money-money-money-part-ii.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
One would like to think that constitutional challenges like this are a waste of time. The government generally gets high quality advice on these matters and would seem well equipped to adjuge what changes are likely to pass constitutional muster.<br />
<br />
Sidenote - my all-time favourite Boston Legal quote:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFVEHTRMOExoBqT8ID2LDpJl2FyacD9lshhyxWyRNDsRpTGHumEKVsIyMtqOp-k809t_lpwaWJW4_9CFnXxVucTqb7YyX3nDexEwgBU0tdPBzBQAQ555XBZ-zFfnyCxVEfuk7qcSyKWa-/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-08+at+4.41.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFVEHTRMOExoBqT8ID2LDpJl2FyacD9lshhyxWyRNDsRpTGHumEKVsIyMtqOp-k809t_lpwaWJW4_9CFnXxVucTqb7YyX3nDexEwgBU0tdPBzBQAQ555XBZ-zFfnyCxVEfuk7qcSyKWa-/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-08+at+4.41.13+PM.png" /></a></div>
The problem is that legal advice on the constitutionality of laws is often difficult to give, and working out likely position of the courts on such matters is often little more than guess-work. Even the most carefully drafted laws can fall foul.<br />
<br />
Even more so (ready yourselves for a bombshell) governments can sometimes take a "Let's just see what happens!" approach to controversial laws.<br />
<br />
I don't know enough about NSW Constitutional Law to have an opinion as to whether the laws are likely to be struck down in part or as a whole, and I'm not going to try and offer one. It will be interesting to see what kind of arguments the unions are able to advance as to why they should be able to pay those enormous affiliation fees to the Labor Party.<br />
<br />
I think it is safe to assume that the O'Farrell government will be prepared to throw large amounts of money in legal fees at this case to try and make sure the laws survive.<br />
<br />
This action demonstrates just how concerned the union movement is about these laws. It was argued during the hearings on these laws that companies will simply encourage their employees to make donations to sympathetic parties (ie the Coalition) - in theory nothing prevents the Unions doing exactly the same thing.<br />
<br />
This litigation is going to be expensive for the Union movement - in fact, it will be very expensive. In short, it's pretty clear they are worried.<br />
<br />
I imagine this pleases O'Farrell greatly.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-37662754330055314762013-04-01T11:12:00.000+11:002013-04-01T11:12:03.232+11:00Reesing Back in TimeSo. Nathan Rees?<br />
<br />
I've written <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/robbo-in-charge.html">before</a> about how Labor should be considering whether John Robertson is the right person to lead them towards the 2015 election. In short, I don't think he is.<br />
<br />
There is an obvious second part to that discussion though - who if not Robbo?<br />
<br />
Yesterday I saw the first article attempting to answer that very question - kindly spread around by O'Farrell himself:<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlNkmrcbqjOafpETlK02CK_4Xa6_Fx348TfLJldQAX0u1A1T_wbXr0XI641pUDPPn7EUJXSzc7WR8BcInfGy45yfHrPqYLOG0wjexjK6t958TXniY4luPFwNdgB6nyzlmqiZecgYA2qbV/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlNkmrcbqjOafpETlK02CK_4Xa6_Fx348TfLJldQAX0u1A1T_wbXr0XI641pUDPPn7EUJXSzc7WR8BcInfGy45yfHrPqYLOG0wjexjK6t958TXniY4luPFwNdgB6nyzlmqiZecgYA2qbV/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The article can be found <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/will-rees-be-left-to-make-labor-right-20130330-2gzse.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's an interesting proposition. Did Rees get a fair shake the first time round? Can a former Premier be an effective Opposition Leader? More importantly, would be wise for Labor to hark back to their time in government?<br />
<br />
Given this is the first piece I've seen suggesting who the next Labor leader could/should be, I was interested in taking a closer look at what Anna Patty had to say on the topic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4k9Vfhm7yju3656nCTP3-4wGddkwJRCZAXtHMxZvELlUQDn_JWyccq7jehTK7_TokE6hLh1WKKLSkemYfoTZ70cPhrKScSSPPUjRgusyFNAu2G9L1oNHayR4OlaS29RJiQDuNn0yyOll/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4k9Vfhm7yju3656nCTP3-4wGddkwJRCZAXtHMxZvELlUQDn_JWyccq7jehTK7_TokE6hLh1WKKLSkemYfoTZ70cPhrKScSSPPUjRgusyFNAu2G9L1oNHayR4OlaS29RJiQDuNn0yyOll/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the more interesting aspects of the ICAC hearings (other than a bit schadenfraude) has seen how various Labor figures have sought to propagate their own version of history. Some have been more subtle than others, but I don't doubt that most have given evidence that sought to ensure their own interests were protected - whether those interests are overtly political or not.<br />
<br />
It's no different to what we saw after Howard lost office - people giving interviews and writing books.where they sought to advance their version of history. Of course, when it comes to ICAC one has to be careful, given the very heavy penalties that follow if one is proven to have lied.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKXWii3XnDhyphenhyphen09lQmn4tjyacaLXQX9o-6MpLImh-3y7YSbS12DAfJ3qQWoCL_2676h8_tz0JX0fxDhiv_WMXmEcw9g4LSv3AanvE-mhFZDJqYn_N3ycBLW1RSWItzuM0JSFSuQFTpZkYk/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKXWii3XnDhyphenhyphen09lQmn4tjyacaLXQX9o-6MpLImh-3y7YSbS12DAfJ3qQWoCL_2676h8_tz0JX0fxDhiv_WMXmEcw9g4LSv3AanvE-mhFZDJqYn_N3ycBLW1RSWItzuM0JSFSuQFTpZkYk/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Naturally Rees was no exception. In particular, he has been keen to remind the public that he was dumped as Labor leader shortly after sacking Tripodi and MacDonald from his cabinet.<br />
<br />
We have also been reminded of his words on the morning he was replaced by Kristina Keneally - "I will not hand over New South Wales to Eddie Obeid or Joe Tripodi". Even more famously, he said that whoever the new Premier was that "they will be a puppet of Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid" - an accusation that dogged Keneally for her entire time in office.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3-hRmfgec6Vk95OeQSOnO7LUNjL6A8g1MZMTvpOFRRu1D1Qf-dVBbga2OxAbv7_w-q4UpukuMxQgnaUD1qBerQPKc5pDcEcf9sZzEA5KjZtrU122mpg5FXPT-VOu_5cPTDOPgv22_9LH/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3-hRmfgec6Vk95OeQSOnO7LUNjL6A8g1MZMTvpOFRRu1D1Qf-dVBbga2OxAbv7_w-q4UpukuMxQgnaUD1qBerQPKc5pDcEcf9sZzEA5KjZtrU122mpg5FXPT-VOu_5cPTDOPgv22_9LH/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
That's all true. The problem has been that, for whatever reason, Robertson has not been an effective opposition leader, for the reasons I wrote about <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/robbo-in-charge.html">last year</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz-LnpQWtd974FISzC7HU0sr7ripJg1aHs-kou9EiUap8gxtWZjWoY25IVTiYoaKmNne6_-XpZSACUPSju8foWmxRozf1yiNc7-0hhplPUWRw4cAO6ZNwKxcvTSDLZOJYQfknU08DeeRe/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiz-LnpQWtd974FISzC7HU0sr7ripJg1aHs-kou9EiUap8gxtWZjWoY25IVTiYoaKmNne6_-XpZSACUPSju8foWmxRozf1yiNc7-0hhplPUWRw4cAO6ZNwKxcvTSDLZOJYQfknU08DeeRe/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
That may be true. The problem is that, along with the public being able to "see" Rees as leader, they will inevitably connect him to the Labor they kicked out so resoundingly 2 years ago.<br />
<br />
Even if Rees is right about his record, the opportunity he had, and who is to blame for Labor's time in office - does the average voter care about that distinction? To be honest, I doubt it.<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge for Labor in 2015 will be proving to the public that the Labor who they so hated by the end of their time in power has changed - that Labor is ready to lead again and do so well. And I am sceptical that a previous leader is the person to do that.<br />
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-33852935232829123782013-03-30T10:11:00.001+11:002013-03-30T10:11:10.035+11:00A Glossy OutlookAnother "glossy" pamphlet from Labor appeared this week.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2x2eUtlOIsXV8F8FPxxHIGR1CkL8E8QliPu-sX9e5Kms9YQhRiwgPQRH0ZuBTMLKQp6gc-GanQKmzG1rB3LRY9ddlJZaZ4p1rDPtX6O12cGph3tUHm6Iuarczg-4tTUUB7liNAlnkmM_/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-30+at+10.03.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2x2eUtlOIsXV8F8FPxxHIGR1CkL8E8QliPu-sX9e5Kms9YQhRiwgPQRH0ZuBTMLKQp6gc-GanQKmzG1rB3LRY9ddlJZaZ4p1rDPtX6O12cGph3tUHm6Iuarczg-4tTUUB7liNAlnkmM_/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-30+at+10.03.04+AM.png" width="456" /></a></div>
The full document can be seen <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/132389225/2-years-of-O-Farrell">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I was hoping to get stuck in and investigate the claims and allegations that the pamphlet makes, as I have done <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/broken-promise-broken-heart.html">before</a> (and <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/promise-from-heart-iii.html">before</a>).<br />
<br />
That hasn't happened for 2 reasons - firstly, it has been a mental week for me, and long weekend notwithstanding I just haven't had time.<br />
<br />
More importantly though, the document is deficient in one very major area. It is utterly bereft of references for the claims made.<br />
<br />
The only references provided are for quotes that the pamphlets rips out of other documents - which makes the absence of references for the allegations all the more obvious.<br />
<br />
I'm going to try and provide some sort of words about the document later this long weekend. In the meantime, have a look and let me know what you think - in the comments or on <a href="https://twitter.com/mrtiedt">twitter</a>.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-20248230807072055142013-03-23T16:11:00.002+11:002013-03-23T16:11:32.364+11:00The OtherI had a minor revelation about the changes to the right to silence today. I think it's also something that reflects more generally on the entire populations attitude to the criminal laws, and is why politicians get away with the stuff they do.<br />
<br />
But let's start at the beginning.<br />
<br />
As I have said <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/attorney-general-chaos.html">before</a>, our law and order legislation is a mess. It is a piecemeal, arbitrary, poorly thought out and implemented system. That is no surprise, given the hot-button topic that the criminal law is in the media.<br />
<br />
It's also true that most people don't really care about the rights of people who are before the criminal justice system. Why? We'll come back to that.<br />
<br />
Earlier today I was listening to the podcast of Friday's PM, a transcript of which you can find <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3721959.htm">here</a>.<br />
<br />
It was an interesting story about the right to silence changes, and includes a brief interview with Federal member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland, herself a former lawyer. She had this to say:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznfOkR_MZBR6mYqbeBmUlShKL3yJxvpICZIKE5-DID__xf_Kt51HzoiRLzXY4jUzw3BjxjBTjn44eLU4mQiTdhRTFXD4_AAiH0mzD1msNO7-vkKK6sH80yQkhXhkIlKHvVtDwyPJ_WLvt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.33.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznfOkR_MZBR6mYqbeBmUlShKL3yJxvpICZIKE5-DID__xf_Kt51HzoiRLzXY4jUzw3BjxjBTjn44eLU4mQiTdhRTFXD4_AAiH0mzD1msNO7-vkKK6sH80yQkhXhkIlKHvVtDwyPJ_WLvt/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.33.13+PM.png" /></a></div>
There's a few problems with that. First of all, thanks to the amendment meaning that the warning has to be given in front of a lawyer (read <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/attorney-general-chaos.html">here</a> if you don't follow that) the indigent are unlikely to be caught by changes. The second paragraph is, in light of this, non-sensical. I suspect that Ms Rowland has simply not read the laws as they were actually passed, relying rather on what was originally proposed.<br />
<br />
Ms Rowland also says that she is seeking advice on whether the Federal Government might be able to override the laws. I'm no constitutional expert on whether that is possible, but regardless I think it is unlikely that any such legislation could be passed.<br />
<br />
Anyway, her comments got me thinking about the community's attitude to these changes. I've been blogging and <a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fmrtiedt&ei=rjFNUeXvBpCUiQf7oYCoBg&usg=AFQjCNFQ5wZwAw188HiP40QiEQ7I2JYJ0w&bvm=bv.44158598,d.aGc">tweeting</a> about this, as well as appearing on <a href="http://somethingwonky.com/podcast/2013/3/21/37-prime-minister-ferguson.html">Something Wonky</a> and <a href="http://angrybeanie.com/shows/purser-explores-world">PETW</a> (that episode not released yet). Me aside however, there has been surprisingly little reaction other than one day of headlines and the usual levity on twitter.<br />
<br />
The attitude, for the most part, is best summed by this tweet from Brad Burden, O'Farrell's media guy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzCu5R_iS91dEAwdmwJ_sZ7cZtRfd-F5bqxEBBCN-Mn_qTIM4ZBTNfG8mkwqnipE1Fv1P7X9Ff86FYRzVyKRSllOFoD99bFBk8BVQzE7RK-VIzsNocbUB9Zlw1tHZejfZEtVeSTf9ewYJ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.41.57+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvzCu5R_iS91dEAwdmwJ_sZ7cZtRfd-F5bqxEBBCN-Mn_qTIM4ZBTNfG8mkwqnipE1Fv1P7X9Ff86FYRzVyKRSllOFoD99bFBk8BVQzE7RK-VIzsNocbUB9Zlw1tHZejfZEtVeSTf9ewYJ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.41.57+PM.png" /></a></div>
The obvious inference he wants you to draw? This is a law that affects only the real bad guys.<br />
<br />
A similar attitude was on display during the Legislative Council debate. This from John Ajaka:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF_zT88g2iUYGo3gH-3A-DOEHE8YwN2E-c_bK7Z1b28QGOYi-vQACP3Hq3Z0zEbqaRcXP62FMnjACHqY4m1EHFhQpiKsdkbDq-x5SpRk8X18B4ZhlZg4bx6Iwu8YvzfsHmCX8lusdTQ3R/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.43.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF_zT88g2iUYGo3gH-3A-DOEHE8YwN2E-c_bK7Z1b28QGOYi-vQACP3Hq3Z0zEbqaRcXP62FMnjACHqY4m1EHFhQpiKsdkbDq-x5SpRk8X18B4ZhlZg4bx6Iwu8YvzfsHmCX8lusdTQ3R/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-23+at+3.43.47+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
What nonsense. For the reasons I have explained <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/attorney-general-chaos.html">previously</a>, no sophisticated or organised criminal will ever be subject to any such warning. They will have lawyers who will shield them from that.<br />
<br />
As for the suggestion that these changes have anything to do with the recent "community, police and government concern" - the only issue has been the alleged spike in shootings, and the concern on that front was victims and their families not speaking. It was nothing to do with silence from the accused persons.<br />
<br />
More important, though, is this. The government is using the criminal gangs information to emphasize everyone's usual assumption about law and order policies - they only affect "other people".<br />
<br />
On one level, that's true. I don't know what your chances are statistically of being interviewed by police, but it must be a pretty small percentage.<br />
<br />
The problem, however, is that people who are charged with offences are often not guilty of them. Moreover, just being a law-abiding person does not insulate you from, one day, being arrested and charged with something.<br />
<br />
The public take a very black-and-white attitude to these matters. It goes to the question "If you have nothing to hide, what are you afraid of?"<br />
<br />
There is a fundamental attitude, I believe, that these changes will only affect people who have done something wrong. Even more fundamentally, it will affect "other people".<br />
<br />
And who really cares about them?Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-52706079057950663762013-03-20T18:31:00.001+11:002013-03-20T19:09:54.584+11:00Torbay or not Torbay<span style="font-family: inherit;">High drama in NSW parliament today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The big story from a legislative point of view is the passing of the right to silence and case statement legislation - but I'm going to put off that blogpost until the Hansard is released (and, to be honest, until I'm a little less furious about what happened).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The shock news today was Richard Torbay suddenly announcing that he was resigning as the member for the Norther Tablelands seat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In order to appreciate what is going on, it is necessary to step back and look at the history. Therefore, timeline:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1991: Appointed Chief Executive of University of New England Union</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1991: Elected Councillor in Armidale</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1996: Elected Mayor of Armidale</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1998: Surrenders Labor Party membership and, allegedly on advice from Eddie Obeid, decides to run as an Independent in the seat Northern Tablelands</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1999: Elected as Independent for Northern Tablelands, defeating the sitting Nationals member</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2007: Appointed speaker by Morris Iemma</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2009: Offered/is asked to become <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/torbay-denies-bid-to-become-nsw-premier-20120616-20h6g.html">Premier</a> (depends who you believe). Either way, it doesn't happen, and Kristina Keneally is elected by the Labor caucus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2011: Upon the election of the Coalition government, is deposed as speaker</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2013: Pre-selected to contest the Federal Seat of New England for the Nationals. That seat is held by Tony Windsor. Becomes a member of the National Party</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">20 March 2013: Asked to resign membership of the National Party after allegations <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/torbay-referred-to-icac-20130320-2gez8.html">surface</a> that the Labor Party helped fund his 1999 campaign</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Later on 20 March 2013: Resigns as member for Northern Tablelands saying "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">given the events of recent days and the toll it has taken on my family I feel the time has come to consider other options"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;">It was also <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/torbay-referred-to-icac-20130320-2gez8.html">revealed</a> that the Nationals themselves had passed information relating to the Obeid connection onto ICAC.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;">It remains unclear what has happened, and why it has happened. No doubt in the days to come all parties will be speaking to journalists both off and on the record to try and ensure that history comes down on their side.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;">Precisely why these matters have been referred to ICAC is unclear. The fact that this has been done by the Nationals when the person in question is a member of the National Party is particularly surprising. No doubt many will be wondering whether Barnaby Joyce, the person tipped to seize the nomination, had anything to do with it.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;">It is equally unclear what may happen in the Northern Tablelands seat, although that is a blogpost for another day.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 20px;">What is clear, in my view, is that there is a lot more to this story that we presently know. It should be fund seeing it unravel in the days to come.</span>Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-79849534074991499412013-03-15T12:58:00.000+11:002013-03-15T12:58:33.447+11:00Lost for WordsI am utterly speechless.<br />
<br />
Today this appeared, in response to the "stated case" amendments I blogged about <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/attorney-general-chaos.html">earlier this week</a>:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOH8RHcCHSfPcUM-nd34t_pBNt8QRQNgQTXauFQh5wTUC8tTZRbdZgehG0PIfa5eT8bC17Lvy9IElqRJEbvQ9ghDAWWNV3aL9M-cl53qD4UZVFfjazbjmBJ3y-vZ9tUtqqBAgsfuKU7ds0/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOH8RHcCHSfPcUM-nd34t_pBNt8QRQNgQTXauFQh5wTUC8tTZRbdZgehG0PIfa5eT8bC17Lvy9IElqRJEbvQ9ghDAWWNV3aL9M-cl53qD4UZVFfjazbjmBJ3y-vZ9tUtqqBAgsfuKU7ds0/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-unpopular-laws-that-reduce-safeguards-20130313-2g0t7.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I wrote my last post, I had assumed that the changes must have had the backing of the DPP. Defence lawyers may think it is a bad idea, but surely the government wouldn't force this change through if the DPP also opposed the change?<br />
<br />
You can then imagine my reaction when I read this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNNCUAEAs3ACJMU9-YB0sY2K_iukRDi389UUoQ6kJxY1xLj7UNuXxl6sR9DW_ceXUG1dPaXX4gZ5iEGxJCRqCVygcSmAHtZUdXNPfkegj7doySOphA-VOeEJ4JzMQ6Pl6rePd-UB5aaRE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNNCUAEAs3ACJMU9-YB0sY2K_iukRDi389UUoQ6kJxY1xLj7UNuXxl6sR9DW_ceXUG1dPaXX4gZ5iEGxJCRqCVygcSmAHtZUdXNPfkegj7doySOphA-VOeEJ4JzMQ6Pl6rePd-UB5aaRE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Surely they are exaggerating? How many groups were actually involved in the discussion?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqphqhNBMaj6m7LTmLxPCVYmeu9EphHpJcmLDCZgQg8sSrxTC9yWnTGnXhZr3H3459Q5PI-ZNcmPrAkv_raihFQaOEo6eY3F3iza_jbiMiS2my78xGvouvQp7O-YJiBTj1_MBV2IwFuga/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqphqhNBMaj6m7LTmLxPCVYmeu9EphHpJcmLDCZgQg8sSrxTC9yWnTGnXhZr3H3459Q5PI-ZNcmPrAkv_raihFQaOEo6eY3F3iza_jbiMiS2my78xGvouvQp7O-YJiBTj1_MBV2IwFuga/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Ah.<br />
<br />
Which all begs the question - is there ANYONE who thinks this is a good idea?<br />
<br />
I can't say for certain. But I do note that NSW Police were not part of the working group that indicated its overwhelming opposition to the change. Change that is proceeding despite that overwhelming opposition.<br />
<br />
Which begs the question - who exactly is running this show?Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-31774375629411497082013-03-13T21:34:00.001+11:002013-03-23T16:11:48.590+11:00Attorney General Chaos<br />
Most criminal lawyers in NSW (yours truly included) expected that the Coalition government would be a good for the Laura Norda debate.<br />
<br />
There were <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/chief-law-officer-eschews-a-law-and-order-auction-for-young-offenders/story-e6frgczx-1226334725476">comments</a> in the lead-up to the election that the Coalition would not be engaging in the traditional auction as to who could appear toughest on criminals. Lawyers rejoiced, talk-back hosts gnashed their teeth, and all was well.<br />
<br />
Since the election, with a few notable exceptions, the government has refrained from simplistic attempts to appear tough on criminals. What it has done instead is attack some of the fundamental tenants of the criminal justice system. Not because of some demonstrated, fundamental flaw with the system, and not because the lawyers (on either side) have petitioned the government to fix some flaw.<br />
<br />
Rather, thanks to pressures that remain concealed from the public, the government has unilaterally changed things, pretty clearly for the worse.<br />
<br />
The first example was life sentences for people who murder police officers. Now, naturally, anyone who murders a police officer deserves an incredibly harsh penalty. Murder is of the the most serious offences on the books, and the where the victim of any offence is a police officer the penalty is, by operation of law, more serious.<br />
<br />
My complaint is this: was there any evidence that offenders who had murdered police officers were not getting heavy enough sentences? Or had there perhaps been an outbreak of such offences? Was there even a skerrick of evidence that a harsher maximum sentence would save a single life? The answer to all those questions was a resounding "No."<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The last person convicted of murdering a police officer was, if memory serves, <span style="background-color: white;">Sione Penisini, who killed Glenn </span><span style="background-color: white;">McEnallay</span><span style="background-color: white;"> in 2002</span>. Almost ten years ago. Penisini was sentenced to between 36 and 25 years in gaol. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next was the consorting legislation - introduced to make it a crime to consort with a person who has a serious matter on their criminal record. A person could be warned by police to stay away from someone, and if they did not comply they could be prosecuted.</span><br />
<br />
What does such a law accomplish? There must be, at an absolute minimum, tens of thousands of people with a criminal record sufficient to make their friends, work-mates, associates and acquaintances liable to such a warning. Why on earth are we giving police the power to make spending time with someone like that an offence? How does it possibly make NSW a safer place to be?<br />
<br />
Of course it does not. But it gave the impression of action, and gave police a new tool to harass people who hadn't actually done anything other than hang out with their mates.<br />
<br />
The proposals that have most recently captured attention have been the right to silence legislation and the requirement for the defence to state their case before trial.<br />
<br />
The right to silence legislation has been knocking around for a while, and was the subject of <a href="http://www.lawsociety.com.au/about/news/643979">heavy criticism</a> when it was first proposed. What was suggested was that, where a person provides an explanation or account at trial that was not provided at arrest, the jury can be instructed, essentially, to be suspicious about whether it was a recent invention.<br />
<br />
That goes against the ancient principle that an accused person has a right to silence, and cannot later be suspected for employing that right.<br />
<br />
The problem with this law is that it gives police another tool to cajole/force/intimidate an accused person into giving an interview. It should be remembered that accused persons being questioned by police have none of the advantages that their questioners have. I've written about this before - <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/an-opportunity-to-improve.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-silent-menace.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Police have spoken to the alleged victim and/or witnesses. Odds are they have sat down, compared all the statements, decided who was credible or not, and have drawn conclusions about what they believe happened.<br />
<br />
When a person is arrested, they are typically told the offence that they are accused of having committed. Then they are left in a holding cell for hours to stew and, in short, panic. They are told that they will soon have the chance to tell their side of the story, the (false) implication being that they may be able to talk their way out of the situation in which they find themselves.<br />
<br />
They are then taken into a room, reminded of their rights, and asked hundreds (if not over a thousand) questions about the alleged offence. Every single answer is taped and later replayed for a jury. In the most part, people do all this without having had the benefit of legal advice.<br />
<br />
Given the above, my universal advice to anyone who will listen has been that the should not give an interview. The problem with the these proposed changes is that they would have allowed a jury or a magistrate to take into account the fact that a person did not immediately provide an explanation when they had not had the opportunity to even speak to a lawyer, let along find out exactly what they were accused of.<br />
<br />
The justification offered by the government was the United Kingdom, where similar changes came in some years ago. The fundamental difference never acknowledged was that in the UK the government funds their Legal Aid such that most police stations have a lawyer either on duty to advise accused persons, or otherwise available at a nearby station. The government was not prepared to fund Legal Aid to do this, and given that Legal Aid is (inevitably) strapped for cash, there is no way it could fund such a service from current allocations.<br />
<br />
The surprise came today in the media release from the Attorney General:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZcCqhPKF-ItiSp_VNlrNUE2d0fi_hltvm4ku-Os10dujkv4Yy_SETo_DATIYRmJlAcJNPrcneKgc-Bh8KfPU5JX-3Up6wDR1uFjMaMVsXiIU6aqkULhvOy5MPCg6dJt58HCcsenu-F-v/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZcCqhPKF-ItiSp_VNlrNUE2d0fi_hltvm4ku-Os10dujkv4Yy_SETo_DATIYRmJlAcJNPrcneKgc-Bh8KfPU5JX-3Up6wDR1uFjMaMVsXiIU6aqkULhvOy5MPCg6dJt58HCcsenu-F-v/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
On one level, it is a entirely sensible amendment. Who can think less of a defendant who refuses to give a statement in the absence of legal advice? People should have the opportunity to have someone who is actually on their side explain the situation and consequences before the make decisions that may make a material difference to their trial that will take place years later.<br />
<br />
There is, however, a significant practical impediment. Obviously I have not seen the final bill - but the media release indicates that the warning must be given "in the presence of a lawyer".<br />
<br />
Do you think there is any chance at all that any lawyer with half a brain will be caught near a police station where such a warning might given? It is rare that accused persons have a lawyer at the police station anyway (just for cost reasons) - the only reason I would usually attend would be to just essentially hold a client's hand through the process, or where I was concerned that my strident warnings about not giving an interview may not be heeded.<br />
<br />
What will inevitably happen in that, where a person seeks legal advice before or upon arrest, the lawyer will say in as many ways as they can that the client must not, under any circumstances, not matter what, ever ever ever give an interview - and then hope they remember. There is no way the lawyer will possibly attend a police station - thus eliminating the risk that a warning complying with the section would ever be given.<br />
<br />
It's better than the alternative - but it confirms that the amendment is being made as a public relations measure - nothing more. Lawyers know this stuff, and only an amateur is going to be caught out.<br />
<br />
As for the amendment to make trials more "efficient" - well, here we have more problems.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT1NHk0Z4ZCIW1x0QL3qlLlAPu52q41fgVXkHSum5Awa4GVxfP-932AfsHyZPrS8S_Gc3_ge0PIgguCUjXZqHg-K4RbFv8OeFt9R0cQR8EVbdYAmh96iodx4L988xXg7BVPjOMchwborO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT1NHk0Z4ZCIW1x0QL3qlLlAPu52q41fgVXkHSum5Awa4GVxfP-932AfsHyZPrS8S_Gc3_ge0PIgguCUjXZqHg-K4RbFv8OeFt9R0cQR8EVbdYAmh96iodx4L988xXg7BVPjOMchwborO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
This is a great idea, in theory.<br />
<br />
The problem is that, as a matter meanders its way to trial, it is usually managed by a less senior lawyer. A Crown Prosecutor or a private barrister appearing for the Crown is usually not assigned until shortly before the trial - once it becomes clear that the trial is going to run.<br />
<br />
Once that happens, the Crown Prosecutor notices problems, deficiencies in the evidence, or other issues they want remedied - and then instructs police as to what needs to be done to plug the holes.<br />
<br />
That is inconvenient for defence lawyers, but hardly unexpected. I can assure you that six weeks out from a trial the Crown case can still be, to say the least, opaque.<br />
<br />
Consequently, rather than improving efficiency, this change is going to require far greater funding for the Director of Public Prosecutions, because if the case has to be settled a month before the trial, there is going to have to be high level attention paid to every single case that is still live a month out. Otherwise there will be utter chaos as Crown Prosecutors seek leave to change everything and serve new evidence in the final week or two before the trial, and defence lawyers quite rightly object.<br />
<br />
There are burdens for defence lawyers too:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45cbSGQOVbkRf9mUqHU7VJZi0syz2KpBNZ7XDHIF7oIJfMiBUkxryRNFtth03vfj0xW9eGXdDwEoKAltzKyqdkX2Pr9cWyFrdmwx5da3lxx7K45tEPxTla081qX-FjIGTChqAYzl-XPK9/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45cbSGQOVbkRf9mUqHU7VJZi0syz2KpBNZ7XDHIF7oIJfMiBUkxryRNFtth03vfj0xW9eGXdDwEoKAltzKyqdkX2Pr9cWyFrdmwx5da3lxx7K45tEPxTla081qX-FjIGTChqAYzl-XPK9/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
There are two obvious problems with the above.<br />
<br />
The first is that it is completely unfair to expect the defence to lay its cards on the table unless the Crown case is set in stone. The difficulties with that are set out above.<br />
<br />
Moreover, my experience of trial work is that the Crown often (if not usually) shifts during the trial. It is infuriating, but in some ways it cannot be avoided. The Crown cannot always predict what will happen.<br />
<br />
Witnesses will not turn up for court. Witnesses will unexpectedly concede that they could not see what happened. A witness might suddenly admit they have a vested interest that you suspected bud did not know.<br />
<br />
The Crown will often (quite appropriately) have to change course as a result. That is fair - but to then tie the defence to their previous position is obviously unreasonable.<br />
<br />
Seem fanciful? Let's imagine an example. Say you have a client who is accused of robbing a Service Station. Your client says he didn't do it, but the attendant says he did. You don't get to cross-examine the attendant until he gets into the witness box during the trial. The following are all entirely possible:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The attendant doesn't turn up</li>
<li>The attendant admits he didn't see the defendant because he was distracted</li>
<li>The attendant was actually out back when the incident happened</li>
<li>The attendant was drunk</li>
<li>The attendant stole the money and is blaming someone else</li>
<li>The attendant knows the defendant and hates him because he stole his girlfriend</li>
</ul>
<div>
Those may sound a little fanciful, but before the trial starts how can the defendant or his lawyer know which of those explanations may be possible?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what is every single defence lawyer going to do? Plead <b>every single scenario they can possibly imagine</b>. And this makes trials more efficient how?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's ridiculous - and anyone who thinks it will make trials more "efficient" has clearly never spent any time running a criminal trial.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hopefully there will be the opportunity for interested parties to make submissions on the stated case amendment before it becomes law. And hopefully it will be listened to.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not the AG's finest work, this.</div>
<br />Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-29834464276448829392013-03-09T17:49:00.000+11:002013-03-09T17:49:35.248+11:00Pushing the BoundariesFor something that the vast majority of the population is barely aware of, electoral redistributions are incredibly exciting for political nerds.<br />
<br />
Not only to political parties get to subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) try to influence an independent process, but the visceral infighting that follows afterwards is enough to convince most observers that politics is best enjoyed as a spectator sport.<br />
<br />
NSW is undergoing a redistribution this year, and as is their right the four main parties have put in submissions as to how they think the changes should be made.<br />
<br />
First of all, some background. NSW has 93 Lower House Seats. The current enrolment of NSW divided by 93 is, according to Anthony Green, 51 623 people. Naturally the enrolments cannot be exactly correct - but the paramaters that the Electoral Commission has to work within are, to say the least, challenging.<br />
<br />
This is what the NSW Constitution Act says:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrejPpr8t7JN4G2qlm1Sjbbrt1y0pBSlEeSFzwaUNH3oCxrJFL9VqA5O0Hx-KaD4v_2Xl8Z2b8gqX5Cxw_M_2iTEgnLrUfFlNcuTbu4cSZIBoGomKW_J2P81O8TX-BeoAsQoHA2_ptrAF3/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.45.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrejPpr8t7JN4G2qlm1Sjbbrt1y0pBSlEeSFzwaUNH3oCxrJFL9VqA5O0Hx-KaD4v_2Xl8Z2b8gqX5Cxw_M_2iTEgnLrUfFlNcuTbu4cSZIBoGomKW_J2P81O8TX-BeoAsQoHA2_ptrAF3/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.45.52+PM.png" /></a></div>
It also says that such redistributions must be undertaken every 2 elections. Simple enough? Wait, there's more:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaWCFTRiS3ys-fJOk-dQKKO2b0_mgjClhugbgb2Vc-lHq3YdrILZFnCy2SraKzg6ILrEtvaZuUgE8F8Ce4U4g2O05q22cloj1eVsSCtjmbxbGt4YUEfzGwmpkjzdEnS2IzEZCi6Qnote9/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.48.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaWCFTRiS3ys-fJOk-dQKKO2b0_mgjClhugbgb2Vc-lHq3YdrILZFnCy2SraKzg6ILrEtvaZuUgE8F8Ce4U4g2O05q22cloj1eVsSCtjmbxbGt4YUEfzGwmpkjzdEnS2IzEZCi6Qnote9/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.48.21+PM.png" /></a></div>
Not to mention:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0w_kLvRXSaheXsqcabiC-8ZfLn2fnqdIhdy_z6Hk6_JRI1mYQsNkVHQC6WRdzRpxo1iP-Ic0G0-qBiqHYEU3Sn7w-UFlIhktWRLc7JCpoJ1uPT9olxQyfAN5Mv1LFbf3XbUm0p3RVMrd/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.50.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0w_kLvRXSaheXsqcabiC-8ZfLn2fnqdIhdy_z6Hk6_JRI1mYQsNkVHQC6WRdzRpxo1iP-Ic0G0-qBiqHYEU3Sn7w-UFlIhktWRLc7JCpoJ1uPT9olxQyfAN5Mv1LFbf3XbUm0p3RVMrd/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.50.48+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
In short, it is a horribly difficult job that I am glad that someone else has to do.<br />
<br />
The submissions made to the Commission can be found <a href="http://www.redistribution.nsw.gov.au/">here</a>, including those from the <a href="http://www.redistribution.nsw.gov.au/suggestion-pdfs/whole_of_state/labor">ALP</a>, the <a href="http://www.redistribution.nsw.gov.au/suggestion-pdfs/whole_of_state/liberal">Liberals</a>, the <a href="http://www.redistribution.nsw.gov.au/suggestion-pdfs/whole_of_state/nationals">Nationals</a> and the <a href="http://www.redistribution.nsw.gov.au/suggestion-pdfs/whole_of_state/nationals">Greens</a>.<br />
<br />
Below I have include two quota maps helpfully produced by <a href="http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2013/02/nsw-state-redistribution-gets-underway.html">Anthony Gree</a>n, as well as two maps from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_districts_of_New_South_Wales">wikipedia</a> that help with the names of the electorates:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSbfFF3ieHN5bX9LSOOSPORt7av-TiD0M4N-wuPgacXpB5E58CpCAwad9ZtLAnmqWzrONdTSk6BtPeI7-7eKiQiTOdHeCqAokX0ncwNvGgneqhGPoXjoJeIWu_eibrFkl6PUgpi1soWJN/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.57.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSbfFF3ieHN5bX9LSOOSPORt7av-TiD0M4N-wuPgacXpB5E58CpCAwad9ZtLAnmqWzrONdTSk6BtPeI7-7eKiQiTOdHeCqAokX0ncwNvGgneqhGPoXjoJeIWu_eibrFkl6PUgpi1soWJN/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.57.29+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5T12UhMJ7Exlo8N4nOdR6a2-eAhHBokIMisuOGN0rkMidM7Y34GXZxZUWIUrPPesukrftPT2eCv-jAYhFxOfu8e1soTgkYqF2zZNZNyIiPE31ZP9MkMp80-7578eVDt3TehdSe_8FUVU/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.58.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5T12UhMJ7Exlo8N4nOdR6a2-eAhHBokIMisuOGN0rkMidM7Y34GXZxZUWIUrPPesukrftPT2eCv-jAYhFxOfu8e1soTgkYqF2zZNZNyIiPE31ZP9MkMp80-7578eVDt3TehdSe_8FUVU/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.58.05+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-YO_jXrSpFAIXbFo70bPKR4tWrNRxLjWeTzL1JDfDoZT0Gz3HroAKWja-VFBpHPVU0ykgk8Z1JQkyeoE7eE-YDXgZh_F7VUfvHKXlHtEGwKDQdsrkHz7jZHzDvB0_xTT-QAnWC93tbrp/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.58.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-YO_jXrSpFAIXbFo70bPKR4tWrNRxLjWeTzL1JDfDoZT0Gz3HroAKWja-VFBpHPVU0ykgk8Z1JQkyeoE7eE-YDXgZh_F7VUfvHKXlHtEGwKDQdsrkHz7jZHzDvB0_xTT-QAnWC93tbrp/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.58.46+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vzy1N78NO-NlKUWssk5Shds1-wEU1JIgm2l9C4NcmsuSlxbeEx1RZhuDLppGDDjqBR2G8-lADN1bl7-hqla9hQuOQ_KuOXHdAy6MTUSyh5u0GXTDmNWqCkOKZlEUlMSyqyENHMZPRHHM/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.59.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Vzy1N78NO-NlKUWssk5Shds1-wEU1JIgm2l9C4NcmsuSlxbeEx1RZhuDLppGDDjqBR2G8-lADN1bl7-hqla9hQuOQ_KuOXHdAy6MTUSyh5u0GXTDmNWqCkOKZlEUlMSyqyENHMZPRHHM/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+4.59.38+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Anthony Green's maps, and in particular the NSW-wide one, help illustrate the obvious problem for the commissioners - districts that are under enrolment tend to not have a convenient over-enrolment seat next door. In fact, it is quite the opposite.<br />
<br />
The only solution, short of increasing the number of seats (which is not entirely out of the question) is to shift the boundaries of those Western NSW seats progressively eastward.<br />
<br />
By the same token, the map Sydney shows the disproportionate growth in the North-West and South-West as well as in and around the CBD.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://tallyroom.com.au/">Ben Raue</a> has written an excellent piece for <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2013/01/23/sydney-electorates-south">New Mathilda</a> that, to be honest, I'm tempted to just copy and paste and pretend it is mine. This is the most important part:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWtI40RFblHeKlAVsoxIW9qIcQ4q_CrDOuiiI-bhtPbm2K225_qov0U8V88Nq4tSi8OM1-fL9Jh05A8kA-PJt9LAxFRU504f-tPtwul7Kp_kCjqY68KR-uuQrieUpweyMuEsOsQO991h0/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.12.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWtI40RFblHeKlAVsoxIW9qIcQ4q_CrDOuiiI-bhtPbm2K225_qov0U8V88Nq4tSi8OM1-fL9Jh05A8kA-PJt9LAxFRU504f-tPtwul7Kp_kCjqY68KR-uuQrieUpweyMuEsOsQO991h0/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.12.38+PM.png" /></a></div>
The consequence of the low numbers in the west of the state and the high numbers in the Sydney, Inner West and SW Sydney is, Ben suggests, this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIF3FEqHaDjqOkNE23XvAJ4N_glg0UmyKrtx8GTBuR_5tafjnL_PH3CvDgakce6pR5MMVfX5eSh4q-OCIbeEhXRK0EX71cRkkNgHZ7CL0T-5uLuuFdb9pzVgUuZzz3qxjsUR2PsEXC_Iy/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.16.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIF3FEqHaDjqOkNE23XvAJ4N_glg0UmyKrtx8GTBuR_5tafjnL_PH3CvDgakce6pR5MMVfX5eSh4q-OCIbeEhXRK0EX71cRkkNgHZ7CL0T-5uLuuFdb9pzVgUuZzz3qxjsUR2PsEXC_Iy/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.16.03+PM.png" /></a></div>
What do the submissions have to say about that?<br />
<br />
Goulburn is presently held by Pru Goward, a Liberal who sits on the Coalition's cabinet as the Minister for Community Affairs and Women.<br />
<br />
Shockingly, the Liberals have suggested that Goulburn not be dismantled. They say:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3TVhdmRbM9wdOIZeN0kzFCdLuKWxIVKYN3nNzAxnBSUt93dOCu2cERR4IgB3zgcbwIAOHpooVzwhqcCxvhVZ4p230ooMbPuqsl_AnQYC0mEhMp33UwP4ypN4ZZqXUw3DKviXxEoa7Qh-/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.22.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3TVhdmRbM9wdOIZeN0kzFCdLuKWxIVKYN3nNzAxnBSUt93dOCu2cERR4IgB3zgcbwIAOHpooVzwhqcCxvhVZ4p230ooMbPuqsl_AnQYC0mEhMp33UwP4ypN4ZZqXUw3DKviXxEoa7Qh-/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.22.00+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Burrinjuck is directly to the West of Goulburn, and is held by the Nationals member Katrina Hodgkinson. The maps provided in the Liberal submission are frustratingly opaque, but the only way such a change could be accomplished would be if most if not all of the NSW electoral seats were to converge on Burrinjuck, each either directly taking a part of moving in that direction to compensate for another division doing that very thing.<br />
<br />
The Greens and the Nationals both agree that Goulburn should go. The Labor solution is a little more complicated, and best shown through the map provided as a part of their submission:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqhjvNVOFzfoWNJ2hmJSdSodtGYk2lbhEuVGwGKuhWgsI9RMw8WlYwzIOIhXXGVmYCB4xCoaAqt06YkwTw7KxMU21gTZO3fF4kveYWaXn9cArlw6VJBCcsqi62jivV2rZhuoDhe73-ZJN/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.32.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqhjvNVOFzfoWNJ2hmJSdSodtGYk2lbhEuVGwGKuhWgsI9RMw8WlYwzIOIhXXGVmYCB4xCoaAqt06YkwTw7KxMU21gTZO3fF4kveYWaXn9cArlw6VJBCcsqi62jivV2rZhuoDhe73-ZJN/s640/Screen+shot+2013-03-09+at+5.32.34+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Exactly how it is that this proposed map benefits Labor is a little beyond the ambit of a blogpost, but suffice to say that the radical redrawing of the map it requires means it is unlikely to be a particularly influential suggestion.<br />
<br />
The disscussion is obviously an incredibly complex one. Even if you exclude the maps, the Liberal's submission runs to 36 pages. The ALP produced over 50 pages including enough tables to make your eyes water.<br />
<br />
The parties can now make further submissions until 20 March, and we can expect a decision later this year.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-48134175865172905732013-03-04T12:27:00.000+11:002013-03-04T12:27:12.080+11:00Is that Fare?<br />
It's never nice when you have a piece planned, and someone else beats you to the punch.<br />
<br />
That happened to me this morning when I saw this piece by <a href="https://twitter.com/bambul">Bambul Shakibaei</a> on his public transport <a href="http://transportsydney.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/fare-free-day/">blog</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4V9j42Y_V0-ZCbyuPEcqBAOZZzoOPCaJVG09AI3msq4-XJAPJSfab1zW5pHJqp_6fmQ1ZRHaZJlo__juNy5RVNltnPoLWrJpTr9F_f5LKq5JpTas-sezqumVfsSl-g8iUSvhTnZZs8Hf/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4V9j42Y_V0-ZCbyuPEcqBAOZZzoOPCaJVG09AI3msq4-XJAPJSfab1zW5pHJqp_6fmQ1ZRHaZJlo__juNy5RVNltnPoLWrJpTr9F_f5LKq5JpTas-sezqumVfsSl-g8iUSvhTnZZs8Hf/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
It is a good post that lists on CityRail's recent failures, and suggests that a fare-free day would be a good way to provide a "token gesture of apology."<br />
<br />
This echoes the suggestion of Penny Sharpe, Shadow Transport Minister, who posted this on her <a href="http://www.pennysharpe.com/redleather/01/03/2013/opposition_calls_fare_free_day">website</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIls-WGdUsYjqRDK9SDGK8CHjuEE-hILkE1K1KTJtBaJb9PJAAlLbsV7RSJDHFmB2Pah14ZSs3qHYM1-q4HQEPmcQ6sWaUcY5S01Db3fQTQzJK6U5OOvwHtbCOvcWstbjseJSbZHqj3iYF/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIls-WGdUsYjqRDK9SDGK8CHjuEE-hILkE1K1KTJtBaJb9PJAAlLbsV7RSJDHFmB2Pah14ZSs3qHYM1-q4HQEPmcQ6sWaUcY5S01Db3fQTQzJK6U5OOvwHtbCOvcWstbjseJSbZHqj3iYF/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
However, despite the fact that Bambul's blog is excellent and worth following, I don't agree with his suggestion.<br />
<br />
I certainly don't disagree that CityRail's performance over the last few weeks has been pretty average. Some of the problems were simply impossible to anticipate and an inevitable consequence of running a network the size and complexity of Sydney's. But there is no doubt that CityRail can and needs to do better.<br />
<br />
But a fare-free day fails to benefit the very people who are most heavily affected by these dramas.<br />
<br />
Ms Sharpe's suggestion was that "...the Minister to open the gates at stations on Monday and to extend weekly tickets, as a show of good faith to long suffering commuters."<br />
<br />
Some people (like myself) rely on public transport every week-day, and occasionally on weekends. In fact, I use the trains not just to get to and from work but also to travel all over the city for my job. This means I often take as many as 20 separate train journeys per week.<br />
<br />
Most regular commuters take 10 journey's each week, or maybe 20 if they have to change services on their way to and from work. A large proportion of those people do so with a periodical ticket. I have a yearly - others have quarterlies or weeklies.<br />
<br />
Many other people use trains on what you might call an ad-hoc basis. Maybe they work part-time. Maybe they get a ride to work twice a week. There are any number of reasons that a periodical ticket may not be best for them.<br />
<br />
Still others have free passes, most of whom are students.<br />
<br />
I've had a look at some of the data provided by CityRail re ticket sales <a href="http://www.bts.nsw.gov.au/Statistics/Rail/default.aspx">here</a>. It is little difficult to say anything with any certainty, not least of all because ticket sales vary wildly depending on the day of week and, I fancy, time of year.<br />
<br />
What is clear from the data is that a very large number of people depend on periodical tickets. Those on those yearly, quarterly, monthly or fortnightly would not benefit from a fare-free Day.<br />
<br />
According to Ms Sharpe's suggestion, weekly tickets should be "extended", which sounds great until you consider that most people buy weekly tickets on Monday. Making them all expire on Tuesday is great until they take a week off and revert to the Monday rotation.<br />
<br />
Whilst those who rely on singles or returns would benefit most clearly, they are obviously more irregular travellers. That is to say, they are the least likely to have been adversely affected by the recent dramas, and yet they are the biggest beneficiaries.<br />
<br />
So, what do I suggest? I certainly don't think that simply not charging fares for one day accomplishes anything. CityRail could agree to a Fare Freeze until benchmarks for performance are met. We could all be handed something for free at the station one Monday (newspaper, magazine, JB voucher, cupcake etc etc).<br />
<br />
CityRail could fund a free download of <a href="http://www.grofsoft.com/tripview.php">TripView</a>, a fantastic app that provides public transport timetables as well as live-tracking of busses.<br />
<br />
It could spend the money installing free, reliable, capable WiFi at all CBD and major interchange stations.<br />
<br />
There are probably a thousand other ideas. But any one of them would be a more sensible use of the government's limited funds than just throwing the gates open for a day. It requires a little more effort, but I would suggest we deserve nothing less.<br />
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-27574675242107427352013-02-25T15:40:00.000+11:002013-02-25T15:40:11.921+11:00Nursing Some Trouble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy7Ssy75YNZukRox3M_EDOs1jl0FSrlX7eWZOPMUcTKVBX0OruSEmNWZzuycanNLkIoch25VLwyvSQ-sq8qHiGKrwc0JEFwOkJSMLu-JyzIpfwjaEkthRij_ATb2ocFpMx_gWYBSz6vPi/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy7Ssy75YNZukRox3M_EDOs1jl0FSrlX7eWZOPMUcTKVBX0OruSEmNWZzuycanNLkIoch25VLwyvSQ-sq8qHiGKrwc0JEFwOkJSMLu-JyzIpfwjaEkthRij_ATb2ocFpMx_gWYBSz6vPi/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Given I had heard nothing about it until I saw the above tweet, I have to say that I agree.<br />
<br />
This is what happened:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNBavkFnwrJoxR83jE0v-EIChRmliGtrunx76Ou2F45dKsDd100nFaAsiOuYB0VgDPIDRBY5X1mmo8bCt1_1_WbR3-Q6GgyNWBkaoDhNSFcR75oOIAP24HUmajI4cbgFP-zqmMF3qIjtt/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNBavkFnwrJoxR83jE0v-EIChRmliGtrunx76Ou2F45dKsDd100nFaAsiOuYB0VgDPIDRBY5X1mmo8bCt1_1_WbR3-Q6GgyNWBkaoDhNSFcR75oOIAP24HUmajI4cbgFP-zqmMF3qIjtt/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/mum-christie-jones-had-to-deliver-her-own-baby/story-e6freuy9-1226583086228">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
This what the mother says happened:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNY502dkpEIqM0sL7la0TdQ6XdZeXpibWRvTu11qLz6ENjVICh8MB9MI9Og6vB3uORw6fkQAMSS_Dtra1UP4749cLXrm-gpnaPUc3hZTNLz0ci1eoSnkEIIo3hj3NmLP3IUVMRtYVGZzE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNY502dkpEIqM0sL7la0TdQ6XdZeXpibWRvTu11qLz6ENjVICh8MB9MI9Og6vB3uORw6fkQAMSS_Dtra1UP4749cLXrm-gpnaPUc3hZTNLz0ci1eoSnkEIIo3hj3NmLP3IUVMRtYVGZzE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Now, of course, I don't know exactly what happened here. The nurses may have been busy on some huge emergency and simply failed to communicate that well. The baby's arrival may indeed have been entirely (and reasonably) unexpected. Heck, for all we know, the mother lied to the nursing staff about her symptoms.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, maybe the nurses were goofing off, or negligent, or improperly trained. These are precisely the issues that the hospital will be investigating, and I expect that the result will be published in due course.<br />
<br />
Witnesses should be spoken to, records should be kept, and to the extent that a person or a system if to blame, action should be taken to remedy it. That's how the matter should be dealt with.<br />
<br />
This is exactly how it should NOT be dealt with:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5lvV0b6q3KOfQ9tequL5gr5tKt_qAPineV8jroPy0jBoAB-W3tgf28wP7Wk9ajbVbpTtb2jTQElHkfO7c14cCfFKfDOd3GFc1CEA4ugg1YqqCec7rBtdtvpPJCNHQYWTquP2KMif0UPq/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5lvV0b6q3KOfQ9tequL5gr5tKt_qAPineV8jroPy0jBoAB-W3tgf28wP7Wk9ajbVbpTtb2jTQElHkfO7c14cCfFKfDOd3GFc1CEA4ugg1YqqCec7rBtdtvpPJCNHQYWTquP2KMif0UPq/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/mp-partner-sparks-lazy-nurses-row/story-e6freuy9-1226584375116">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unfortunately I cannot bring you a screenshot of the original tweet because it has subsequently been deleted.<br />
<br />
Now, Mr Sage has a pretty anonymous <a href="https://twitter.com/EdwardCharlesSa">twitter account</a>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDp32l5bPwtAyM_X9ukXqX_jFO05KJfzSJVjIVXThf7AdkW46bbQJh4bydeK1ENDmuCE6JwE8HWBq_yJzR3jvBrg67K_SH5PbTVfg0JVb5ZxIueYSqtKXri4nTmISA6X_ZqgU2Wr4QH99/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDp32l5bPwtAyM_X9ukXqX_jFO05KJfzSJVjIVXThf7AdkW46bbQJh4bydeK1ENDmuCE6JwE8HWBq_yJzR3jvBrg67K_SH5PbTVfg0JVb5ZxIueYSqtKXri4nTmISA6X_ZqgU2Wr4QH99/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
I have no idea how the tweet was brought to the journalist's attention, but either way it's something that bears reporting. I don't agree with stories about the personal lives of politician's family ("MP's Son Failing Year 10", for example) but this is a family member putting out a pretty derogatory opinion. And he's doing it in a very public forum - it's hardly a carelessly whispered word at a bar somewhere.<br />
<br />
It's especially important in that it reflects the kind of attitude that many people believe (rightly or wrongly) that many Liberal members hold. That's particularly interesting when, as occurred above, the member in question refused to criticise her husband (although, in fairness, we don't know for sure why she didn't return the calls).<br />
<br />
True it is that Roza Sage is not the relevant local member (map of her electorate is available <a href="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/profiles/district_profiles/blue_mountains">here</a>), is not the health minister, and as far as I know had absolutely nothing to do with the events at the hospital. She had the opportunity to say "My husbands an idiot, even I barely listen to him, and he doesn't speak for me" but she didn't take it. On one level, her failure to speak out and disavow the comments is more revealing that the fact her husband made them.<br />
<br />
Having said all that, this isn't something that anyone is going to remember too well, I don't think. Politicians (and, for that matter, celebrities generally) have been getting into trouble for what they have been saying on twitter for almost as long as we have had twitter accounts. As you can see, there has hardly been an upswing in interest in Mr Sage's account.<br />
<br />
What will be revealing will be if we start seeing more of this kind of story, especially in the lead-up to this year's federal election.<br />
<br />
In fairness to him, here is Mr Sage's response to the article, directed at the journo who wrote it, Barclay Crawford:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjJbgaYSnfHixOdnQRHGadYA4gMxD-0jwc6TIBGTmrLamQPQIU-8u5Zyf89CQRWLaYn1G5xwsVcjPVhd-8Pz5R_fHjYfF5JGvdMAKrusZTCnrsLi9YpEZ0KcKyGNlnwXLhGmVCzUdSyQA/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjJbgaYSnfHixOdnQRHGadYA4gMxD-0jwc6TIBGTmrLamQPQIU-8u5Zyf89CQRWLaYn1G5xwsVcjPVhd-8Pz5R_fHjYfF5JGvdMAKrusZTCnrsLi9YpEZ0KcKyGNlnwXLhGmVCzUdSyQA/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-42539588960250057482013-02-19T08:05:00.000+11:002013-02-19T08:05:51.928+11:00A State of PlayIn light of the weeping and gnashing of teeth we've seen in the last 36 hours, I thought it would be interesting to glance at the NSW figures in this week's Nielsen poll.<br />
<br />
This is the relevant part of the tables (as ever, leaked by @<a href="https://twitter.com/GhostWhoVotes">ghostwhovotes</a>):<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rzsus7cEb86qv_7Dknmpzv7IEEeaYtcOMVgdcIcvtj_vBLCG0szLczT_s0c9FmkmyYEMf3dvxw1SKygFAXREFt9-XQvWMO_Bo7TQCApO8MymqqbN2EJSJJ4Yj673S_UWxxQAKqqxac6D/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-19+at+7.43.21+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rzsus7cEb86qv_7Dknmpzv7IEEeaYtcOMVgdcIcvtj_vBLCG0szLczT_s0c9FmkmyYEMf3dvxw1SKygFAXREFt9-XQvWMO_Bo7TQCApO8MymqqbN2EJSJJ4Yj673S_UWxxQAKqqxac6D/s640/Screen+shot+2013-02-19+at+7.43.21+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Full Table can be seen <a href="http://ghostwhovotes.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/nielsen-130218.png">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is to be compared with the results from December last year:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgUgw9YfsCIB8wrFqonX_LkSWviYlb3Wy_3BtV1Y9Pfe691LwaqhGjGI7rdMdDEiumtq_FDg_EpVVMaFstBOlXnItFbtxNc7jnje8pfFcPYDqab7OFqP1bFC6no9U98WAdcNZPN46tLkm/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-19+at+7.46.23+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgUgw9YfsCIB8wrFqonX_LkSWviYlb3Wy_3BtV1Y9Pfe691LwaqhGjGI7rdMdDEiumtq_FDg_EpVVMaFstBOlXnItFbtxNc7jnje8pfFcPYDqab7OFqP1bFC6no9U98WAdcNZPN46tLkm/s640/Screen+shot+2013-02-19+at+7.46.23+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full Table <a href="https://ghostwhovotes.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/nielsen-121217.png">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, there are countless problems with assuming anything as a result of a swing between one poll and another. The weaknesses in the entire polling model are well documented and a discussion for another time.<br />
<br />
Suffice to say that the sample size for this entire poll was 1400. Focussing on NSW, and assuming that they selected respondents in proportion to the relative population of that state, this means that the NSW numbers are drawn from a sample of approximately 400 people. The SA/NT numbers are probably half that.<br />
<br />
What I did want to think about briefly, however, are the NSW numbers, to the extent that we can be pretty sure they are just generally awful. Is there anything that NSW Labor can do to help? Moreover, would they be interested in doing so?<br />
<br />
It has been my observation over the years that state leaders often appear ill-at-ease when purporting to support their Federal counter-parts. Either the State party is strong and therefore disinclined to support a weaker Federal campaign, or the Federal party is strong and disinclined to accept a weak state party's endorsement.<br />
<br />
This translates to a lot of awkward photo-shoots as "worlds collide", where no one is really sure how to act and journalists unclear on how to frame the event.<br />
<br />
My point, of course, it that Federal Labor probably doesn't really want John Robertson's help. He has no particular popularity (or even, let's be honest, profile) to draw on. His alternative government is monumentally unpopular. His presence, especially in light of the constant reminder's in the media of Labor's corruption, would almost surely do more harm than good.<br />
<br />
As for Barry O'Farrell, what on earth does he have to gain? More importantly, he runs a major risk in being photographed with (on a personal level) the incredibly unpopular Tony Abbott. I think we can expect him to stick to voicing his support on twitter, and not a great deal more.<br />
<br />
It's plain wrong to say that the election will be <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5980386376872919931#editor/target=post;postID=4253958896025005748">won or lost in western Sydney</a>, except to the extent that any seats lost there will of course need to be made up somewhere else. Of course, that applies to every single seat that Labor holds, so I'm not sure it shows any great insight.<br />
<br />
It's a pretty formidable challenge for Labor. I just hope that Gillard is not expecting any help from John Robertson, because I'm not sure he will be able to provide it.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-55561665267603513382013-02-13T19:24:00.001+11:002013-02-13T19:24:40.828+11:00Abort!<br />
I don't think that anyone would be surprised to hear that Fred Nile is anti-abortion.<br />
<br />
After all, he heads a Christian political party, and such parties are nothing if not right wing, As the refrain goes, right wing parties are big on liberty except where it comes to sexual liberty or medical issues.<br />
<br />
This trend has become endemic in the United States, where ones position on (in particular) abortion can define whether you are elected or whether you are made a judge.<br />
<br />
On one hand, that makes some sense. If you believe that abortion is always, always, ALWAYS murder, then I suppose someone who even countenances allowing abortion must be stopped.<br />
<br />
Of course, that ignores the fact that no one can say definitively that abortion is murder, or that is not. Pro-choice campaigners can use terms like "a bunch of cells" and pro-life campaigners can use terms like "an unborn human" all they like, but no one is going to win the argument.<br />
<br />
Not that that stops people trying to force their views on each other. But I digress.<br />
<br />
In the US, where Roe v Wade rules the roost, many Republican states have enacted measures that quite are transparently designed to make abortion as difficult and as unpleasant as possible for women.<br />
<br />
The theory seems to be based on the presumption that if you make abortion more unpleasant for women, then they will desist. This would work, of course, only if women regarded abortion as being no more than a minor inconvenience This sits thoroughly at odds with the innumerable accounts given by women about the sheer agony of the choice they are making.<br />
<br />
I felt lucky to be over 10 000 km away from this foolishness - that was, until this appeared in my vision:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWVwDccIr0X54NrKjcAnoabP7chWzGdN_skzIjuhalrlJ0qPUxLTgzbduxcwKc5MYGzBBxexzPQZdR82hhPsihBo1GOTPm-tHwHaW6W3_vgefHMuD8PLP0ta0BHIGYFHsUGvpmsgZTqfh/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWVwDccIr0X54NrKjcAnoabP7chWzGdN_skzIjuhalrlJ0qPUxLTgzbduxcwKc5MYGzBBxexzPQZdR82hhPsihBo1GOTPm-tHwHaW6W3_vgefHMuD8PLP0ta0BHIGYFHsUGvpmsgZTqfh/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story in the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/nile-shows-stark-abortion-images-20130210-2e6gb.html">SMH</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Look, let's set aside whatever it is that you, dear reader, think about abortion. It is legal in NSW (as long as you meet a few very broad criteria).<br />
<br />
What exactly is this proposed bill meant to accomplish? In short, it is quite obviously designed to make the entire abortion process as unpleasant, distressing and traumatising as possible for the woman. It does so in the face of a law that makes abortion, in the aforementioned specific circumstances, legal.<br />
<br />
It is, put simply, a cruel and vindictive bill. If there was any evidence that it actually reduced the rate of abortion, then it at least would make sense, given that I feel safe in assuming that Fred Nile views abortion as murder.<br />
<br />
If that was the case, however, then Fred Nile and the Christian Democrats should introduce a bill banning abortion. If it is defeated (as I feel safe in assuming it would) then the CDP should leave the issue alone.<br />
<br />
I just hope that the Coalition has the sense to recognize this bill for the vile piece of legislation it is, and dismiss it forthwith.<br />
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-18816074773889758672013-02-09T14:52:00.002+11:002013-02-09T15:05:42.728+11:00Adult in the RoomSometimes we really need a Premier to be the adult in the room. The Craig Thomson debacle was a good opportunity for O'Farrell to show that this was who he is able to be.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to repeat the background of Thomson - anyone with a pulse in Australia must know who he is and what he is alleged to have done. In any event, his lawyer has been extremely active in the media over the last fortnight, talking about the legal process, the public manner in which he has been arrested, not to mention many of other complaints.<br />
<br />
One of the complaints that (unsurprisingly) resonated with the media was the suggestion that he had been strip-searched by NSW Police, a claim apparently denied by police:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZsd1LguVWGlYTN3r4K9gabWfHMOyZDhcIU_buZXpdZT6Zq2USzpTrxXj5PvUil2jHO32b1qj4D19O0tj7n7VV38_DBAQK0jMmx9sM8PCeY0mbv_zv49bjSaFLOvsQaMwNOSVxIuHcDBo/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.39.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZsd1LguVWGlYTN3r4K9gabWfHMOyZDhcIU_buZXpdZT6Zq2USzpTrxXj5PvUil2jHO32b1qj4D19O0tj7n7VV38_DBAQK0jMmx9sM8PCeY0mbv_zv49bjSaFLOvsQaMwNOSVxIuHcDBo/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.39.51+PM.png" /></a></div>
It eventually transpired that it was in fact Corrective Services who had searched Thomson, not police:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqbpCtY_7hXdQ5JDuZxBvMkz7kygfGmTvHFrez9Io8eluzQ8DE6I2XQxPky3nc08ed7qNzFPUMiRTz9wiT-93vkQ-Oi6re88otDnX1N1_oZcIVNeX5sT066pjKBLOes3CfixlIh4d5Jun/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.42.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqbpCtY_7hXdQ5JDuZxBvMkz7kygfGmTvHFrez9Io8eluzQ8DE6I2XQxPky3nc08ed7qNzFPUMiRTz9wiT-93vkQ-Oi6re88otDnX1N1_oZcIVNeX5sT066pjKBLOes3CfixlIh4d5Jun/s640/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.42.09+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/thomson-strip-searched-by-corrective-services-lawyer-says/4494808">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway, this is what Barry O'Farrell has to say about the issue:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMchYDUYjxuLhhE7k4KzgIXwD3lC2sUOQHYPES2a1l83zEYj1WrGIhM_PZLaU9W0bkiERVroia_V8gQrMchsHPOMZtQ8Xl8Brvf3nvpotPNgL3aUzwekPc-RLCNFcaIYNWsFulp_rkrPZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.44.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMchYDUYjxuLhhE7k4KzgIXwD3lC2sUOQHYPES2a1l83zEYj1WrGIhM_PZLaU9W0bkiERVroia_V8gQrMchsHPOMZtQ8Xl8Brvf3nvpotPNgL3aUzwekPc-RLCNFcaIYNWsFulp_rkrPZ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-09+at+2.44.26+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/no-apology-for-thomson-comment-ofarrell-20130201-2dpk7.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's just unhelpful. O'Farrell needed to either explain why what was done was standard procedure for all persons going into custody, or he needed to explain why Thomson was singled out.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That joke was made in full knowledge that it would be the line that the journalists ran, and it's more than just a cheap shot. If Thomson was in fact singled out, then it is a serious matter. If he was not singled out, the Corrective Services deserve to be backed up by their premier.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know it may sound like I'm being a little precious, but I just think that O'Farrell needed to be the one acting like an adult in the face of the frantic arm waving from Thomson's lawyer. Instead, he delivered a cheap joke.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not really good enough.</div>
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-31798004803132686122013-02-03T11:15:00.000+11:002013-02-03T11:15:04.093+11:00A Bit on the SideThere are two main arguments as to why politicians should not have outside sources of income.<br />
<br />
The first is corruption - certainly a touchy topic in NSW politics at the moment. If a politicians stands to benefit financially by a decision he or she is making, then there is, at the <u>very least,</u> an apprehension of bias.<br />
<br />
In a time where cynicism of politicians is probably as great as it has ever been, this should not be tolerated. This is notwithstanding the fact that political parties almost uniformly vote as a bloc, meaning that anyone who stood to gain personally would have to get their entire party on board.<br />
<br />
Many politicians start in politics with significant wealth from their pre-politics careers, and nothing is wrong with that in and of itself. And I don't think that anyone is suggesting that politicians should have to take a vow of poverty before they are allowed to sit in parliament.<br />
<br />
But their investment portfolios should be placed into blind trusts, to ensure that there cannot be even the suggestion that their decisions are being influenced by the prospect of personal gain. We can't take away their money, but we can ensure that their votes and/or the decisions they make are in no way coloured by the potential of financial gain.<br />
<br />
This is something that, I suspect, few could complain about.<br />
<br />
There is, however, a more complicated argument against outside income. And it's one that we've already had to deal with in NSW.<br />
<br />
This argument relates the politicians who are effectively "part-time" - they have outside sources of income that are not returns on capital but rather returns on labour.<br />
<br />
Clover Moore was an obvious example. She was both the Lord Mayor of Sydney and the Local Member for the State electorate of Sydney. In 2012 there were changes made meaning that she was no longer permitted to serve as both a Mayor and a state member, and she (and a large number of other member who were still serving on local councils) had to give it up.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ5PGxYd-lT8yNvtp8b8DGJoBal-hyKkbszen7FXFOLwW4hLBj2rZCVX9xNpP-6AFjlO5SDXhpJGDzUnafhg0SfXn3ALIB_KFtLUxvNxOC8KQqUK17XehKh1sV1rOUj2HEZAK-pn6atzG/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.08.28+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQ5PGxYd-lT8yNvtp8b8DGJoBal-hyKkbszen7FXFOLwW4hLBj2rZCVX9xNpP-6AFjlO5SDXhpJGDzUnafhg0SfXn3ALIB_KFtLUxvNxOC8KQqUK17XehKh1sV1rOUj2HEZAK-pn6atzG/s640/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.08.28+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wrote about the changes <a href="http://mrtiedt.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/two-roled-clover.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fairness to Clover, she donated her mayoral salary to the <a href="http://www.clovermoore.com.au/lmtrust/">Lord Mayor Salary Trust</a>, so there could not be any suggestion that she had both jobs for financial gain.<br />
<br />
That change in law was, the government claimed, about ensuring that members did not land themselves in a conflict of interest, where their duties as a councillor conflicted with their duties as a local member or member of the Legislative Council.<br />
<br />
That's good and well, but my view at the time (and still today) is that if the voters don't care (and clearly they didn't) it was unnecessary to make it law. There was of course also the fact that the change was a fairly transparent attack on Clover.<br />
<br />
It's also a more sensitive topic that someone who has quite literally kept their old job after being elected, like Adam Searle:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAehyphenhyphenc2afTZZktzW2iT4T6DBPQlWR8l-g07OrLwcydrgN6bss4-On2j2cTmSwY1n3YsFbRcn8kG7UrbcvaZy8wM-udsPf_Ur4K3XHInzumamk0lOtn-hSPeXiEurP4rF-a7vnGdqdv30zf/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.28.25+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAehyphenhyphenc2afTZZktzW2iT4T6DBPQlWR8l-g07OrLwcydrgN6bss4-On2j2cTmSwY1n3YsFbRcn8kG7UrbcvaZy8wM-udsPf_Ur4K3XHInzumamk0lOtn-hSPeXiEurP4rF-a7vnGdqdv30zf/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.28.25+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.statechambers.net/searle.html">State Chambers</a> website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyePOyY5dQlqciqbniOhB742dB3ihj71IzZlSYsSLIthufJ1Fa7Oz4GCA3c6ZXlRcxAmi4ccLDOoOXbYNlzqk5wnplml0I2qJuw3tWcBGYfTAZz3dSUDmPMhkzXloI0IblHyYZxhm4e8nC/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.30.31+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyePOyY5dQlqciqbniOhB742dB3ihj71IzZlSYsSLIthufJ1Fa7Oz4GCA3c6ZXlRcxAmi4ccLDOoOXbYNlzqk5wnplml0I2qJuw3tWcBGYfTAZz3dSUDmPMhkzXloI0IblHyYZxhm4e8nC/s640/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.30.31+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/V3AllMembers/3183">NSW Parliament</a> website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Personally I think it ridiculous that the parties think that it is appropriate for a member to have a significant job outside their parliamentary duties. Regardless of whether the voters don't care, the parties should require a higher standard from those they put forward for election.<br />
<br />
It's also more than a little concerning that the Shadow Minster for Industrial Affairs thinks it is appropriate that he keeps accepting briefs when he is a barrister working in Industrial Law.<br />
<br />
This is why Robertson is going about this the right way:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7xH9oWz2hcXujof-pqH6FDcQOBvVNerhOo49YXkVk5hJzLbzT3fZy8IwH35EcLpa6NNkVQ2M92pzvS7EBle-5UWbuc4w63AbbsADHJr4VxPe8KfMWjzkhi_M83HdK7dNsEcH8d96o08f/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.35.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7xH9oWz2hcXujof-pqH6FDcQOBvVNerhOo49YXkVk5hJzLbzT3fZy8IwH35EcLpa6NNkVQ2M92pzvS7EBle-5UWbuc4w63AbbsADHJr4VxPe8KfMWjzkhi_M83HdK7dNsEcH8d96o08f/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-03+at+10.35.56+AM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/pressure-on-labor-mp-to-give-up-law-practice-20130131-2dnpe.html">SMH</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm not so sure it's fair to change the rules on Searle now - he should never have been allowed to keep practicing and be a MLC in the first place. But of course that's not the point.<br />
<br />
People who are elected to the MLC should not have significant paid employment on the side. That shouldn't be law - the parties should have standards about who they put forward for election. Robertson <u>should</u> be forcing people to chose between their old life and their new one, because anything else suggests that being a MLA or MLC is an easy gig you can do on the side.<br />
<br />
There is no doubt, however, those who benefit from the present arrangements are going to make this very difficult for him. And, if Robertson pursues this, his sway with the Labor caucus is going to be sorely tested.Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-72486019605423355022013-01-29T21:22:00.005+11:002013-01-29T21:22:58.218+11:00Shooting Their Mouth Off<br />
I'm getting pretty sick of anonymous police sources mouthing off in the media.<br />
<br />
That mood is not assisted by the topics they choose to complain about. There is a saying "No police officer ever met a new power he didn't like."<br />
<br />
That's not universally true, of course. In fact, in recent years, some police officers have shown remarkable sense in pursuing smarter, rather than harsher, ways to deal with crime.<br />
<br />
Today, however, we saw police demanding mandatory penalties for gun possession:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiat2I-MJuGdab9Y-nRmb-TMFQX3MsAcrUjVXR0uRxgdr9yOJ2_4MN4zZ7jOWORho_f4H3PWz196t0VfCwE4jCu6Pe8OkNTAjXBzdVsMYYX-ExiBxCeRULxliIvCA5g6kbtw6wQoqfuTjuX/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiat2I-MJuGdab9Y-nRmb-TMFQX3MsAcrUjVXR0uRxgdr9yOJ2_4MN4zZ7jOWORho_f4H3PWz196t0VfCwE4jCu6Pe8OkNTAjXBzdVsMYYX-ExiBxCeRULxliIvCA5g6kbtw6wQoqfuTjuX/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full story <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-want-tougher-jail-terms-for-owners-of-illegal-weapons-20130128-2dgyo.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No doubt they were able to point to extensive research that proved that such a change would reduce gun crime. Or at least some evidence that it was the best way to deal with the issue?<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
First there are two examples of sentencing, presented without any context whatsoever, meaning the reader has no way of knowing whether the sentence was appropriate or not. This is a constant issue with media reports that, frankly, one has become more accustomed seeing in the Terrorgraph.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqCVj4dcn6CM-X5177G89jttSWotq4ooQN4svX20t_7waBh8INPfmUUXEAcHmXr_ytORFE9eK8qVmPXn7vJssIWkFX19Az5NvoP8zcJTmdsnP9Q-BylpmpeGL5VBf1wtNcOleXA2E3khT/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqCVj4dcn6CM-X5177G89jttSWotq4ooQN4svX20t_7waBh8INPfmUUXEAcHmXr_ytORFE9eK8qVmPXn7vJssIWkFX19Az5NvoP8zcJTmdsnP9Q-BylpmpeGL5VBf1wtNcOleXA2E3khT/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Then, there is this unattributed (and, I have no doubt, thoroughly invented) claim:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu4bcQ_Y58DyHLPASuomwH8Y-QCKzFiE2HoVOkpURmJaghPDo9IR2t1nyPOIOG-A9pIWQWiaI3KJAq-cYmht_6fa8tnmWDJgPNlaMAGZYWDY_gBoVugtPHHPJFIK3lN3PsZTw3RYHJt8T/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu4bcQ_Y58DyHLPASuomwH8Y-QCKzFiE2HoVOkpURmJaghPDo9IR2t1nyPOIOG-A9pIWQWiaI3KJAq-cYmht_6fa8tnmWDJgPNlaMAGZYWDY_gBoVugtPHHPJFIK3lN3PsZTw3RYHJt8T/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
Then we have this brilliantly detailed analysis:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvJRAjxZBiqUZZ5hTsd8ckM1YvNVA-aEMaGN4V2vq5Bvq_Nivne0vvF0qIXgVV2R5D6w48ESFZFkAKD6mx1ui__1MJs0E9JlGWMCWvjZawd4_UAcleoIqXVj0qeawmgCJXtn4Ez56g0bS/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvJRAjxZBiqUZZ5hTsd8ckM1YvNVA-aEMaGN4V2vq5Bvq_Nivne0vvF0qIXgVV2R5D6w48ESFZFkAKD6mx1ui__1MJs0E9JlGWMCWvjZawd4_UAcleoIqXVj0qeawmgCJXtn4Ez56g0bS/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm sorry, but if you're going to make such a definitive claim without a shred of evidence to back it up, then you're flat out lying to achieve a political goal.<br />
<br />
And the paragraphs following are not evidence:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2yM_mwHmcLT3w8iT5E5CcT-Vdg3a69WMvAEvm_lZ29zfjS0l1HrqbMpm3SA_uIsFzHUQTUBCcCDvAOnuABuhNXXWIc0_K7574_AiCRkK55xZ-jNyVoN5t3_8mTufNL4qqpbQQ29MUsvO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2yM_mwHmcLT3w8iT5E5CcT-Vdg3a69WMvAEvm_lZ29zfjS0l1HrqbMpm3SA_uIsFzHUQTUBCcCDvAOnuABuhNXXWIc0_K7574_AiCRkK55xZ-jNyVoN5t3_8mTufNL4qqpbQQ29MUsvO/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
To reduce the New York Zero Tolerance experiment to "zero tolerance penalties on gun possession" (what even does that mean?) is to grossly distort history.<br />
<br />
The changes in New York were wide ranging and encompassed a fundamental shift in policing in New York. Sentencing was a very discrete and comparatively insignificant part of the changes.<br />
<br />
The following is from a paper entitled "<a href="http://www.ocsar.sa.gov.au/docs/information_bulletins/IB9.pdf">Zero Tolerance Policing</a>":<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF_SRJJ9BTK6dzYCH5NSK0CKtI4yCxYC_L5i8jvLYONMyH-GvY1X9R2hTvOauVI9JM1bKZ33thdAHo3MesosmcBmVosgMwIude9vLj6hWu-k9Ko2Cx_6eCUZjHsfBgos_C1h62lQDkrWw/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF_SRJJ9BTK6dzYCH5NSK0CKtI4yCxYC_L5i8jvLYONMyH-GvY1X9R2hTvOauVI9JM1bKZ33thdAHo3MesosmcBmVosgMwIude9vLj6hWu-k9Ko2Cx_6eCUZjHsfBgos_C1h62lQDkrWw/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1R6iqMs_HMoBlugu0eFTtPDO3p7VIHIc6d9-SqRshn6D9GKQ6bTCsdudzIPnwEgLqIL1jN_WDz9_nUrgR-diwg6Oy-kRCk4RbFLwZbmN8QwgpJcmlADN2jAI930-DX9yuAa7Mj1wJ8iK/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1R6iqMs_HMoBlugu0eFTtPDO3p7VIHIc6d9-SqRshn6D9GKQ6bTCsdudzIPnwEgLqIL1jN_WDz9_nUrgR-diwg6Oy-kRCk4RbFLwZbmN8QwgpJcmlADN2jAI930-DX9yuAa7Mj1wJ8iK/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybTtgjd4qyBDJ_QSLl64HCnScv47FBeeATojtCXyUXJMUmsoFbcqgfdaoUnG8Gkj7gIN7RkXrvnA79E8ORgB6KXUopwc4OG0DyclYzP7cVHg7AFdP9mg-QHIMUMLUVQqLcUnOxizciHZl/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybTtgjd4qyBDJ_QSLl64HCnScv47FBeeATojtCXyUXJMUmsoFbcqgfdaoUnG8Gkj7gIN7RkXrvnA79E8ORgB6KXUopwc4OG0DyclYzP7cVHg7AFdP9mg-QHIMUMLUVQqLcUnOxizciHZl/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Whilst crime was reduced, there is also disagreement as to the extent to which zero tolerance policing as a whole had an effect. This from "<a href="http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/outlook99/dixon.pdf">Beyond Zero Tolerance</a>":<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7na_eCYSEQoBM5A-VZ6-yuBqop4qdGFZciahU2Wi-Tujovih9dU4Sf49-q4AnXXXUjeczBYTi2CBAXkv1nj2TVz0q4DejMose_RHhqAsnWB2V9kBOw83w4qSoN3_XMbU0dLKCRbV7Xv50/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7na_eCYSEQoBM5A-VZ6-yuBqop4qdGFZciahU2Wi-Tujovih9dU4Sf49-q4AnXXXUjeczBYTi2CBAXkv1nj2TVz0q4DejMose_RHhqAsnWB2V9kBOw83w4qSoN3_XMbU0dLKCRbV7Xv50/s640/Untitled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
These police officers are launching a cowardly, anonymous attack in the media without a shred of evidence to back it up.<br />
<br />
In fact, the only sensible suggestion in entire piece (the government having either not suggested one or not having had it quoted) comes from John Robertson.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP5GkL0xFzTtAJVGhyphenhyphen74WV_M119vbSsXZw07ElwukltjQvaX0slwtHbb_ZRDA9QF91CBfFhcDcXXlj0VxE1mRs9FxVGx455JkN9heG2KccrsSyBv4nNlCBdFYQ1bKobPY_ovIHsd8ZuQ2/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP5GkL0xFzTtAJVGhyphenhyphen74WV_M119vbSsXZw07ElwukltjQvaX0slwtHbb_ZRDA9QF91CBfFhcDcXXlj0VxE1mRs9FxVGx455JkN9heG2KccrsSyBv4nNlCBdFYQ1bKobPY_ovIHsd8ZuQ2/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
A guideline judgment is a decision from the Court of Criminal Appeal that sets out a framework for sentencing an offence.<br />
<br />
At present we have a number of guideline judgments in operation, including for <a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/NSWCCA/2004/303.html">High Range Drink Driving</a> and <a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/nsw/NSWCCA/1999/111.html">Armed Robbery</a>. If the Attorney General sought such a judgment, and the court was satisfied that it was appropriate, a framework for sentencing persons convicted of gun possession could be handed down.<br />
<br />
It would be something along the lines of "A person convicted of XXXX should in the ordinary case be facing a term of imprisonment of between three and five years."<br />
<br />
Alternatively, the government could impose what is known as a Standard Non-Parole Period - a period of time that should be imposed on a mid-range example of an offence.<br />
<br />
By way of example, the Standard Non-Parole Period for Murder is 20 years, whilst for Sexual Assault it is 7 years.<br />
<br />
Of course, that all assumes that the penalties being imposed are actually insufficient, and no one quoted in this piece was actually able to prove that. Until someone does, this piece remains little more than a baseless attack on the legal system.<br />
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5980386376872919931.post-12985894051907651562013-01-24T18:13:00.002+11:002013-01-24T18:26:32.257+11:00Guarding our BordersSometimes I wish I had more time to write for this blog.<br />
<br />
Inevitably, having a full time job, and more commitments outside of work than I care to count, means I often have to pass on pieces I would like to write because I don't have the time to do them justice. The redistribution process is one of those issues on which I would love punch out a really detailed piece, but don't have the hours and hours such a piece would take to write properly.<br />
<br />
Of course, there is also the fact that <a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=ben%20raue%20twitter&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDMQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fbenraue&ei=QdQAUcOlPK6viQehpYDACQ&usg=AFQjCNGCvJZhk1kCb7R4Yagh7zZeypAtFw&bvm=bv.41248874,d.aGc">Ben Raue</a>. of the excellent <a href="http://www.tallyroom.com.au/">Tally Room</a>. has already gone and written an outstanding bit for <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2013/01/23/sydney-electorates-south">New Matilda</a> on that very topic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2btWXA2st7Sb8onzLMZa8hsH-LT8JWuc9M-yL_LnSWVDBpGWx-IHsDjTqGkKCCgTLQ6UhaKzbPq_zjJ7drDo4V1uLcot1Wq_wD9_A3qThS7U_QZEZATIHetH3TxKbYg1x9RkE_hZ4uyK3/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2btWXA2st7Sb8onzLMZa8hsH-LT8JWuc9M-yL_LnSWVDBpGWx-IHsDjTqGkKCCgTLQ6UhaKzbPq_zjJ7drDo4V1uLcot1Wq_wD9_A3qThS7U_QZEZATIHetH3TxKbYg1x9RkE_hZ4uyK3/s1600/Untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm not going to reinvent the wheel, because his piece is excellent. You should read it: <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2013/01/23/sydney-electorates-south">http://newmatilda.com/2013/01/23/sydney-electorates-south</a>.<br />
<br />
I guess I'm just grateful that we have this kind of process. That a non-political, independent body invites submissions on the issue, and then makes the decision that is most in accordance with democracy and justice.<br />
<br />
It means that we avoid te awful gerrymandering that Queensland, and that we see in the US today:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://socialcapital.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/illinois-4th-district-map-gerrymandering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://socialcapital.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/illinois-4th-district-map-gerrymandering.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some super-high-quality gerrymandering from the Illinois. Pic from <a href="http://socialcapital.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/only-you-can-stamp-out-gerrymandering/">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The process is going to lead to, I have no doubt, furious brawling behind closed doors, as members of the Legislative Assembly fight over who gets what seat. That's to be expected.<br />
<br />
But let's all take a second to be grateful that we have maps that look like this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/75297/sydmetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/75297/sydmetro.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0003/75297/sydmetro.gif">AEC</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Or this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0015/75300/nsw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0015/75300/nsw.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/about_elections/electoral_boundaries/electoral_maps/index_maps">AEC</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rather than this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://rslc.com/images/email/maryland-gerrymander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://rslc.com/images/email/maryland-gerrymander.jpg" /></a></div>
Mr Tiedthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655292171719390972noreply@blogger.com0