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- Peter Byrne on Asylum seekers before homeless Julia Gillard / Kevin Rudd / Wayne Swan / Bob Brown and The Unionists who shall remain faceless, are at this time in ... more
- vince on Odd behaviour? What's odd about this is Rebecca Wilson thinking Australians have an absolute RIGHT to know more about the man with whom our ... more
- Phil of Springwood on Rudd wasn't killed... he topped himself And now that real Labour man, Mark Latham, has cometo the forefront for the cause and called on Kevin Rudd to come clean and ... more
- Richard on Dinner with WikiLeaks Mr Wikileaks has some serious mental issues.Because he believes all information should be made public, there should be a ... more
- greg on Commissioner Bob Atkinson smithy, i saw an ad for the qnu last night on the telly and i was astounded that a union, with members who can not even get ... more
- taxpayer on Asylum seekers before homeless The asylum seekers should be sent back to fight for their own country. Instead our Government sends our troops over there to ... more
- Shorty - Police aircraft on Odd behaviour? Neil Roberts thinks that we are all as stupid as he is when it comes to his thinking on aircraft in policing..Maybe when ... more
- Brian....Alderley on Guess who? A set of specks and Dame Edna, step aside...!!! more
- Ryan Williamson on Dinner with WikiLeaks i've read and seen a few interviews now with Julian, and must say I think he is doing a great job in getting this ... more
- Jennifer Nash on Commissioner Bob Atkinson There is no genuine public consultation on anything and we really do need citizen initiated referenda on demand. The people ... more
- bigfella on Toll woes Jo Jud, you make an excellent observation. While the shortfalls of the Labor Government in Queensland are increasingly ... more
- Brett on Achieving family not wanted Look, this BS about turning the boats around is just Abbott talk. What really happens is this:You intercept the boat, ... more
- bigbrownbear on Original unedited interview with PM MMMM Train line for redcliffe AH got a question for ya Bligh SHOW ME THE MONEY more
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- Wobblyone on Guess who? Betcha Bob Brown would find it a safe seat... lol, lol, lol. more
- Wobblyone on Rudd wasn't killed... he topped himself Heh, heh, heh, heh, Oh Boy...I don't think KRUDDY is quite finished yet Phil. I think he might sink a shiv in right up to ... more
- Phil of Springwood on Rudd wasn't killed... he topped himself Houston, We Have a Problem!!Prime Minister Gillard says "The Reality of the Matter Is" thats a similar quote that Beattie ... more
- Anthony Gettings on Guess who? Whats he doing on the weekend more
- Shorty - Tingalpa - Brunswick Heads on Commissioner Bob Atkinson Just a suggestion Bob Atkinson.. If we need helicopters & fixed wing aircraft - Anna Blight might have some of her (OUR) $3 ... more
- shaunna on Guess who? I think its Ian Maurice 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.
