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What we're talking about
- Durkim on New Zealand Gangs Mm, yeah... Real funny, Randhil... more
- Kayli on The Boats God help me, I put aside a whole afteroonn to figure this out. more
- Raynes on Tax and Pollution Until I found this I thoguht I'd have to spend the day inside. more
- James Brown on Mark Latham Mark, you must fell as if you are pushing it uphill, but you are the hope of the side. Keep it up! more
- Michael on Halal certification The Halal Choices website is http://www.halalchoices.com.au/product_lists.htmlIt lists all the products that have been ... more
- a barker on A few facts on illegal boat people We are the Lucky Country, or are we?.15 years ago maybe.How many Indonesian Officials are taking a a bribe from the people ... more
- Robin on The Boats Hey,Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come ... more
- dan on A few facts on illegal boat people From what i can see if we dont do something about this flood gate issue,we will have the same nonsense thats happening over ... more
- Randhil on New Zealand Gangs This info is the cat's pajmaas! more
- Keshawn on CMC Complaint into Queensland Health That's rlelay shrewd! Good to see the logic set out so well. more
- howard on Learning from one another? We are such a politically correct and multiculturally sensitive country Islamists are flourishing here. Just as they ... more
- PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
- PP on Halal certification Thank you for the Halal Choices and the info about Coles - I will not be purchasing meat from Coles henceforth. In the UK it ... more
- anne white on Halal certification A website that lists all Australian food products that are halal is, HALAL CHOICES.Also I phoned COLES (1800 061 562) and ... more
- john on The Taxi Industry No one have the right to do anything they dont want.. you want to drive cabs do it you are not force to do something you do ... more
- Diana on Halal certification I just found out about this today! Does anyone know how to get a list of products bearing this logo so we can boycott them? more
- lol on New Zealand Gangs lol... this isnt good at all more
- Ann on Support our Diggers Is it possible to buy this sticker? I'm sure any number of people would be proud to support our diggers by displaying the ... more
- Mimosa on Smith with PM Gillard You mean I don't have to pay for expert adcvie like this anymore?! more
- figsen/hypolgirl on Anna Bligh as President Hope you're checking this out Wobblyone. Your comment is one of the cleverist/funniest I have read. Couldn't stop laughing. ... more
Pork-Barrells
John Howard set up a program called “Investing in our Schools” during the 2004 election campaign. It involved grants totalling $1Kev (the unit of currency formerly known as a billion dollars) to be used by schools for buildings, playgrounds, air-conditioning and stuff like that.
At the time the Labor Party gave the Howard government grief saying the program was blatant pork-barrelling. Well surprise, surprise, now that it’s the Labor party unveiling the plaques they’ve come around to whole-hearted support of the program.
The guidelines put together by Julia Gillard for Howard’s “Investing in our Schools” program are here. download here
Schools are now required to stage an opening ceremony for whatever’s been funded. Julia herself must be invited. In fact it’s Julia’s availability that will decide the date of the ceremony.
There’s a list of things that Julia won’t open though. It includes toilet blocks and sports fields that have lousy grass.
And here’s a quote from the website. If Julia herself can’t attend she’ll nominate an Australian Government representative to front in her place. That term Australian Government Representative is defined in the guidelines. I’ll print it here verbatim:
“Who is an Australian Government representative?
An Australian Government representative is a member of the Australian Labor Party.”
Both sides of politics have shocking form in this sort of thing. Brendan Nelson excluded Labor politicians from school ceremonies when he was Federal Minister. At the time the Labor MP Jenny Macklin was his shadow.
She said, “We have had many other Labor members of Parliament treated in the same arrogant fashion, told by their schools that they have been instructed that Labor members are not to attend flag-raising ceremonies. It is the height of arrogance for Labor members to be told they can’t come along and celebrate the raising of a flag at their local school.”
The politicisation of these investments in schools is unsettling to me. I think the requirements for schools to arrange and pay for publicity and ceremonies which are clearly hijacked by politicians is just plain wrong. Love to know what you reckon.
