Privatising Gov't. assets

Joe Hockey says the states should privatise government assets to raise funds ear-marked for improvement of infrastructure. The Q. premier says "No way Jose - without a prior mandate to do so from the electorate!"

I hope Mr. Newman has studied the un-mitigated shambles left for Victoria to contend with after Kennett had sold everything in sight during the 1990s. All the promises of cheaper utility and transport costs have turned out to be 'furphies', while transport infrastructure is perhaps in a worse run-down condition than it ever was before the 'coming of Kennett!'

Goodonyer Cam. For the first time, I agree whole-heartedly with a stance of yours!

Regional irritation.

Some new form of irritant is causing discomfort in several Asian capitols and most of the Australian states.

What, or who could be responsible?

Pyning for Gonski?

"When in government, we will commit to the agreed level of school funding as prescribed in Gonski" or, an undertaking to the electorate clearly to that effect by Mr. Rabbit's group.

Apparently that was then... this is now.

HO HUM!

Machiavelli alive and well in Vic. parliament

   
In a nutshell, the governing parties in Victoria now lack a majority on the floor of the lower house with about a year of their 'fixed' 4 year parliament yet to run. Because of alleged bias in favour of the bereft government, the speaker has become a target for the vitriol of 'those opposite' to the extent that he shut-down parliament altogether for the last fortnight due to 'persistent unruliness'. Resuming the bun-fight yesterday and, with only a week left of the pre-xmas session, he produced another (on the face of it) questionable stunt by banning two opposition members from participation in proceedings for 6 days (aka the only sitting days remaining) before the circus moves into holiday mode! This action miraculously restores the government's one seat majority until the parliament next meets in 2014. Wow!

Unbelieveable?! Not the action itself so much... as the fact that we continue to pay these worthless buffoons to carry on with their moronic capers!!!

Are these the polls that count...

... or the polls the government counts on?

Coalition polling has started to go south already! The new government's combination of apparently doing nothing for a time, then fumbling a number of critical policy issues once they had surfaced post-election, putting a key regional relationship under the hammer as a result of their hesitant reaction... and, lately going all secretive in their interface with electors, must have weighed heavily on their credibility(?)

Is that persistent background 'whirr' in my head a spot of tinnitus affecting my own hearing... or, the sound of leadership buzz-saws limbering up in the right wing?

 

Ashes to ashes?

This arvo, I heard that Michael Clarke has been charged by the ICC with sledging during yesterday's early wind-up of the first test at the Gabba. The naughty word he used was bleeped on this morning's TV news so, I too have sanitized my cartoon by substituting a visual gesture for Clarke's phonetic gymnastics.

Did they do this sort of crap back in Bradman's day? I think not.

What I do on a rainy day...

Stay in-doors doing cartoons of course.

Tomorrow, a brother-in-law has a birthday, so I put together a one-page e-Card for the occasion this morning.

Good news for Victorian crooks?

According to a recent news report, Victorian prisons, other 'correctional' facilities and, even Police holding cells, are bursting at the seams with little or no prospect of relief in the near to medium future. I imagine other states may be suffering the same problems... with the hairy chested (but, thick-headed) variety of 'law and order' politicians generally rampant in Australia at the moment?

An immediate reaction might be to apply a 'by-pass' system to delivery of convicted felons, similar to that used to divert emergency ambulances from grossly overflowing hospitals? Except that, every other form if incarceration is chock-a-block as well.

They'll be wanting to resurrect ye olde English HULKS next ... whilst maybe 'foxing' around to find some god-forsaken patch of unclaimed land unto which our surplus convicts might be ... er... transported perhaps?

Billy the blind miner's dog.

Ms Gillard (who was she again?) has joined in the spy controversy, giving her audience some words of wisdom on behalf of the group driving the Ozbus when it actually ran over Indonesian sensibilities.

Not that it hasn't been zig-zagging all over community feelings since being driven by the new outfit.

I spy ...

As the spying drama remains topic of the day ... here's a bird's-eye view.

OK...it's a mess! Moving on...

Spying on 'friends' is probably considered pure bastardry by ordinary people of any nationality. But, only if you get caught!

That Australia has done both is patently obvious to anyone with half a brain. Despite the smoke-screen about everyone does it, so that makes it 'alright', own up and move on ... before the collateral damage really gets out of hand!

BTW... make sure any demonstration of regret doesn't result in another dose of unintended embarrassment for all concerned.

Spies like us.

What is it about human kind? Many of us are innately driven to spy on our fellow humans. Not only in the interests of group security (which may be justified in some circumstances, since our species seems to naturally spawn dangerously evil desire in defective minds)... but also, simply because we CAN!

The habit affects us in all walks of life. Particularly rife in politics and business, it is doubtless driven by power-lust, pre-occupation with secrecy, envy and meglomania. More often than not, the only fruit it bears is intense embarrassment for the perpetrator(s), as is the case today with Australia as a corporate entity in its relationship with Indonesia.

My reaction is ... serves us bloody right!

Full circle?

Today's cartoon is a kind of addendum to one posted within the past week. The new PM appears to have closed the boat loop by looping the loop? He started off sloganeering to stop boats... now he's giving them away!

Let's hope there's no basis to reports alleging that some elements of the Sri Lancan navy are up to their elbows in facilitating people-smuggling, rather than actively participating in efforts to stop the trade!

Small Potatoes

As I've probably mentioned here previously, my favourite branch of the cartooning game has always been comic strips. Of course, the subjects and formats a 'toonist is invited to deal with, almost always dictate the form of humorous illustration to be used. Only rarely does the scope of op/ed work (in which most of my contracted stuff fell) lend itself to the sequential panel method of humorous comment. In their pure form, comic strips were usually free-lanced to publishers as a stand-alone feature. At least, that was my experience during the 'print' era.

Early in the 1980's the editor of a fortnightly national computer news-paper/magazine approached me to author a comic strip, in his words...  'to lighten the tone of the IT jargon-filled organ a little'. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. Despite ZERO experience or familiarity with IT (this was around the time the first Apple desk-top was being launched) I almost immediately had to dream up a story-line which would sustain a feature based on the computer industry for a reasonable period of time. What evolved was Rare-Bits which, after a stuttering start, went on to run for about10 years before it finally died with the whole mast-head itself. More on that saga in the future.

Well into the electronic publishing era (c2004) a second chance at strip work occurred when Travelweek, in which my op/ed cartoons and travel industry 'nabob' caricatures had been appearing since the late 1970s, was undergoing a make-over. Instead of my usual single panel cartoon comment, I suggested we could do a 'sunday' type comic strip which could perhaps explore the humour inherent within the travel industry more adequately than the extant vehicle. My mate, the editor (who had been in charge since I started as a contributor) agreed ... and Small Potatoes was born,

Below is the 'trailer' published the edition before SP proper got aired for the first time in April 2004, plus another example from later in that year. Also, there are a couple from 2005. Interestingly, the 'sand-castle' one was initially rejected because the ed. thought it a little too close to the tsunami event itself

. Can't remember if it was published later ... but, no matter, I was paid anyway.

Vic. parliament shut-down.

Anyone notice? The 'lower'-house in the Victorian state parliament was shut-down until November 26. by the Speaker a couple of days ago. He cited repeated rowdy and unruly behaviour on the part of members. Was that the real reason?

Facts may lead doubters to think the government-appointed speaker was actually motivated by something else. With the government trailing in opinion polls, it has become imperative they avoid a vote on any crucial matter which may lead to toppling them on the floor of the house. They used to 'enjoy' a one seat majority in the house ... counting on the support of a former elected government member who, mid-term, was accused of doing something very naughty in parliamentary terms and, chose (or was obliged?) to resign from the party pending the outcome of legal investigations. For a  time this precarious situation worked... but, a festering relationship with the government in general and, apparently, the speaker in particular, has the allegedly errant 'independant' vowing to vote with the opposition on controversial legislation.

Creating some breathing-space?

Snakes alive!

Local newspapers have alerted denizens of this area to beware of snakes as the weather starts to warm up (hopefully) around the outskirts of greater Melbourne.

Apart from its main safety intent, the warning also triggered today's cartoon in the absence of any other overtly lampoonable breaking news.

Rock spiders.

Not much about today's news to elevate the spirit. Especially, not the disclosure that investigations carried out by international law-enforcement agencies working together, has un-covered a world-wide ring of child pornography peddlars operating in many countries including Australia. One heartening aspect of the affair was the parallel announcement that 65 of the low-lifes have been 'busted' by local cops.

If I truly hate anything with a passion... it is the kind of human pond-scum who abuse children in any way. I hope they put every one of the guilty bastards away for ever!

My word, Clive!

Mr. Palmer caught uttering a JFK speech verbatim as being one of his own?!

What was he thinking? Does he think at all? Or, is he just another buffoon taking his place in the Canberra vaudeville show?

Meanwhile, 'bye to Kevin '07.

Adults back in charge?

Yet another hubris-tinged slogan uttered by our new PM. in the immediate aftermath of the recent election.
Less than 24 hours into the new parliamentary first session... and, the unruly, unedifying and barely articulate slanging match has resumed with his own new ministry minions actually leading the charge!

Nothing has changed at all ... except the idiots have swapped deck-chairs!

The Supermarket Duopoly.

Wesfarmer's honcho Richard Goyder has made a pre-emptive strike at the possibilty that an ACCC interest in breaking the supermarket duopoly in Australia (Coles and Woolies now reckoned to own a whopping +/-70% of the market) might be taken up by the new Abbott government. He claims any move to interfere with the present 'competition' set-up would rebound on consumers in the shape of higher prices.

As a shopper myself, I don't feel prices have dropped that much (if at all) since the resurrection of Coles. I reckon if you strip out the ridiculously false low prices they charge for market leading items like milk and bread etc ... then cost some of the blatant sucker deals like 15 cents a litre off petrol (which the big-hitters also largely control retail-wise)... I'm far from convinced we're not actually worse off than when Coles was on it's knees.

Whatever, they must be mightily concerned about the possibilty of a government investigation into alleged stifling of competition by the duopoly. One thing is certain.  Their main concern will not be centred on the welfare of customers!

Meaningless sloganeering!

The world runs on slogans. Reason appears to be that leadership figures apparently believe their audiences are incapable of deciphering truth from platitudes and/or duplicity ... if the message is cut to the bare bones?

Sadly, they appear to be right.

Rhetoric and realism.

Chest-beating and encapsulating policy into trite slogans may win friends and influence people during election madness ... but, they don't go over too well in the world of real-politik. It's called painting yourself into a corner TA.

I'm surprised that dictum wasn't in your suppository (sic) of wisdom?

When the boat comes in!

Independent investigators called in to scrutinize evidence of illegal assaults performed by naval cadets whilst 'hazing' new recruits, have been temporarily thwarted by the absence of the alleged miscreants in a ship at sea on 'border control duty'.

I wonder why this inquisition was put in train when someone in 'Defence' must surely have known the suspects were on overseas duty? Or, is it just another example of the mess that department is dealing (or, maybe not dealing) with?

Back! he barked.

Well ...
Our lot says 'back to where you came from!' to a group of rescued asylum seekers. Indonesia responds with initial words to the effect ' No way Jose!'

Now follows a test of who blinks first?

A hollow croaking from Cloud Cuckoo-land

And it came to pass that John Howard spaketh forth on the subject of global warming. He repenteth his once wayward support of an E.T.S., to now encourage his brethren to abandon worship before the false idol of climate science, lest they be engulfed by an ungodly quasi-religion based on survival of their children and, all future generations of man-kind.

Ed.note: Not clear whether this epistle is core or non-core.

Hats off for the ladies.

With the whiff of horse manure still on the breeze and, only 'Lady's Day' left to complete the peak week ...here's a last tribute to the nags for another year.

Giddy-up!

Awoke to the 7am news on ABC classic FM followed by a burst of Mozart's  Eine Kleine Nachtmusik to get the bones moving. Then followed a 45 min. walk in absolutely glorious sunshine accompanied by completely still air. Unusual .... short memory of recent Melbourne Cup days is of wind and rain.  Sooo, all good for the horsey folk.

Here's another of the silly Deep End series to help celebrate the equine flavour of the day.

The Poll that counts ...

... will be the one they manage to count correctly?

I'm sure our 'sand-groper' friends will be over-joyed at the chance to grapple once more with that hideous Senate ballot paper. That looks to be the probable outcome of any challenge to today's AEC 'official result' of the W.A. Senate election, which is based on the sure knowledge that some 13 hundred plus ballots apparently went walkabout whilst the first re-count was being bungled.

'Bottom'-feeders?

Very hot hereabouts yesterday, but I was able to get the lawns cut as the sun was in decline last evening. However, a freezing Souwester is driving rain onto us as I write... so I reckon the landscaping at Gisborne will have to wait until Cup Day.

Meanwhile, back to the bottom-feeders at 'the Deep End' ...

Week-end relief

Tired of lampooning current affairs. Back to light confections, so that I may have time for other pressing engagements ... such as mowing our lawns and tomorrow, helping landscape the back of my son's property in Gisborne.

Roads to nowhere?

The level of protest about the Vic. state government's opting for road building rather than increasing public transport infrastructure, received a 'ginger-up' yesterday with the announcement of further on and off ramps planned for the east-west freeway tunnel-link. The proposal has already angered many people with a route which will traverse long established residential areas. Now, they learn that the link will also cut a swath across Royal Park (which among other attractions, houses the Melbourne ZOO) and, will necessitate loss of over 20% of park access for the (perhaps) decade of construction ... and finally, permanent loss of a small percentage of the park forever.

Of course, I'm no expert on preparing transport infrastructure for expected present and future population increases in demand. But, I think I'm a fairly competent observer of what has gone on in this metropolis over the span of my adult life. It is fair to say that every grand-plan for car-centric freeway linkages in the past has resulted only in intensified daily peak chaotic congestion and bottle-necks. Billions have already been wasted turning 'freeways' into peak car-parks with no lasting benefits for anyone except construction companies!

Yet, they press-on regardless.