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[senahorse]

Do the Liberals' changes to the NBN have to go through parliament?

I should really know this...

Apparently not, they can change the technology to FTTN without having to go through the Senate.

 

[Jintor]

Right, but they've got contracts and stuff that are with the government, not with the sitting party, so the gov. can't go around just breaking contracts willy-nilly. Not sure how much red tape and costings they'd have to sort out first though.

There was an article about this floating around I saw a few days ago, not sure where it's gone...

 

[senahorse]

Regarding breaking contracts it all depends on the break clauses contained within those and considering a lot of contractors have had problems meeting their targets, especially with the build side of things this may not be out of the question. They can also renegotiate said contracts to transform them into more lucrative FTTN deployment contracts, which in some cases will be more beneficial to the prime contractors as it will guarantee more sustained work.

Most of the contracts are only valid for another year or so anyway, and I think most of those will be completed. It's going to take a while to renegotiate with Telstra and to produce a viable FTTN design, as well as contracting production of all required materials. None of this will happen overnight and I think there's no chance that we will have 25Mbps minimum by 2016, maybe 2018.

edit: the optimist in me hopes that the 'audit' shows that it makes more sense to continue with FTTP (as well as potential cost blowouts with Telstra negotiations), albeit with some changes to fix "Labor Waste".

 

[Dead Man]

dude. it's how you fucking get shit done. get dem votes, get dat majority, den pass DEM BILLS

I don't want it, you can keep it.

This is probably a good argument for electronic ballots. A quick tap/click on a candidate/party can reveal preference flows and party platforms, allowing even complete idiots to make a semi-informed choice.

Though then the trustworthiness of electronic voting machines would need to be highly scrutinized.

Turnbull agrees: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-...ronic-voting-could-cut-informal-votes/4947370

Although the article does shit me a bit, I would have liked them to take three seconds to check the numbers rather than just repeat what a politician was saying. Maybe they did and just wrote it that way, anyway, reporting standards and all that :/

 

[markot]

They should just make it top 10 for preferences, and you have to pick.

So even if theres 49599429 candidates, you can only pick 10.

 

[shanshan310]

They should just make it top 10 for preferences, and you have to pick.

So even if theres 49599429 candidates, you can only pick 10.

I like this idea.

 

[markot]

I also think they should enlargen the senate.

10 per state, 3 per territory. Proportional system.

 

[markot]

Also, anyone think PUP will have any staying power? I hope theyre the one nation protest vote of the stupids for this election >.<

 

[Elaugaufein]

Rand's philosophy is almost entirely a philosophical justification for libertarianism. I don't see how you could separate political or economic libertarianism from self interest.

Yeah, not going to argue that, the political uses of libertarianism are usually thinly veiled desire for the economic bits and nothing else. There is a reason I'm not a libertarian after all, despite agree with a lot of their tenets , and it pretty much comes down to it's tendency to be a bit myopic in that regard and that I am a deeply cynical creature who really doesn't think that any industry who's first action in the presence of regulation is to try and capture the regulator is going to play nice without regulation.

Libertarianism philosophy does predate Rand (by a significant amount) and it's not all "fuck you, got mine". Self-Interest is not necessarily hostile to others, (e.g it is in my self-interest to not have mobs of the poor roaming the streets lynching anyone in my income range therefore I should make sure that even those who are less well off are satisfied). It really comes down to how short-sighted you are and I'll grant that Rand's enlightened self-interest is basically the ideological equivalent operating by Quarterly Reports.

 

[markot]

Most libertarians these days start off by taking Atlas shrugged seriously >.<

 

[Elaugaufein]

On the topic of the NBN , let me point those of you in this thread at this:

I expect it to make f' all difference but hey opportunity cost is low: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitio...r-a-fttn-nbn-in-favour-of-a-superior-ftth-nbn

Most libertarians these days start off by taking Atlas shrugged seriously >.<

*wince*.

 

[Fredescu]

Libertarianism philosophy does predate Rand (by a significant amount) and it's not all "fuck you, got mine".

I know, historically it's a dogs breakfast of different ideas, but anyone calling themselves a libertarian without qualifiers today is likely to be of the "small government" type. Rand has been a huge populariser of those ideas.

 

[Elaugaufein]

I know, historically it's a dogs breakfast of different ideas, but anyone calling themselves a libertarian without qualifiers today is likely to be of the "small government" type. Rand has been a huge populariser of those ideas.

Yup. No argument there.

 

[Fredescu]

I was reading through this not so long ago: http://raikoth.net/libertarian.html

It's a good summary of arguments against the typical anti welfare anti government action etc libertarian ideas.

 

[hidys]

And here we go. The "Commission of Audit" has advised that Abbott break his election promises and proceed to do huge spending cuts. This is exactly what Howard did.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/9/10/abbott-urged-cut-govt-spending

 

[r1chard]

On the topic of the NBN , let me point those of you in this thread at this:

I expect it to make f' all difference but hey opportunity cost is low: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitio...r-a-fttn-nbn-in-favour-of-a-superior-ftth-nbn

You know what's about 10,000,000,000 times more effective than a change.org petition?

Anything.

More specifically, write a letter to your MP. Email if you can't stretch to a letter.

 

[Fredescu]

And here we go. The "Commission of Audit" has advised that Abbott break his election promises and proceed to do huge spending cuts. This is exactly what Howard did.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/9/10/abbott-urged-cut-govt-spending

"Tony Abbott should emulate Queensland's move to introduce thousands of government job cuts"

Welp.

 

[Jintor]

Follow Newman? Oh boy.

 

[jambo]

Cross posting from AusGAF:

http://www.zdnet.com/turnbull-may-tap-switkowski-for-nbn-7000020443/

Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski is well qualified to head NBN Co, incoming minister Malcolm Turnbull says. But no appointment can be made until the new government is sworn in, he said.

"Ziggy Switkowski is obviously one of our most distinguished business leaders," Turnbull told ABC radio on Tuesday.

"He would be very well qualified to be chairman of the NBN Co."

In July, after NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley quit, Turnbull hinted that he may sack board members from the organisation responsible for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The company is currently led by board chair Siobhan McKenna.

However, Turnbull said on Tuesday that he couldn't comment now on any particular board appointments.

"Any such decisions will be taken by a new government after it is sworn in," he said.

"That's likely to happen early next week."

-__-

 

[DrSlek]

On the topic of the NBN, my colleagues dad went to a town hall meeting in Hindmarsh where the new Liberal MP, Matt Williams was present. My colleagues dad used to be a technician for Telstra.

He asked the MP why FTTN was the better option and received the standard party line response. To which he explained why it was wrong and carefully explained how FTTP was superior and a cheaper option as well. Williams actually had no clue about any of that and was extremely surprised, then asked for his phone number in order to get more information about FTTP later.

 

[CrazedProfessional]

Follow Newman? Oh boy.

Quickly, make Albo Opposition leader and put Swan on the front bench, make this government fall like a house of cards!

 

[markot]

Sophie Mirabella likely to hold Indi in tight battle with independent

boo

 

[hidys]

Quickly, make Albo Opposition leader and put Swan on the front bench, make this government fall like a house of cards!

I too hope Albo becomes the leader. He seems like he may be able to tear down Abbott plus I put 5 bucks on it.

Edit: Appears to be a false alarm.

 

[Omikron]

Sophie Mirabella likely to hold Indi in tight battle with independent

boo

Still 1k votes behind according to the AEC.

http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-17496-218.htm

 

[Jintor]

Sophie Mirabella likely to hold Indi in tight battle with independent

boo

urrghhh

ABC agreeing with the AEC, McGowan still slightly ahead

 

[Fredescu]

That's just Antony Green's opinion, but he's been wrong about a bunch of close calls lately, so just wait and see.

 

[wonzo]

Cross posting from AusGAF:

http://www.zdnet.com/turnbull-may-ta...bn-7000020443/


-__-

Ugh, fuck Malcolm Turnbull.

 

[shanshan310]

You know what's about 10,000,000,000 times more effective than a change.org petition?

Anything.

More specifically, write a letter to your MP. Email if you can't stretch to a letter.

Might just do that.

"Tony Abbott should emulate Queensland's move to introduce thousands of government job cuts"

Welp.

Well shit.

 

[Elaugaufein]

And here we go. The "Commission of Audit" has advised that Abbott break his election promises and proceed to do huge spending cuts. This is exactly what Howard did.

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2013/9/10/abbott-urged-cut-govt-spending

Not what it says. That's the head of previous commissions. Though I wouldn't expect much difference.

 

[senahorse]

Here comes the razor gang, at least we are stopping those pesky illegals.

 

[CrazedProfessional]

Atleast we're getting the ROADS OF THE FUTURE, right guys? Guys?

 

[senahorse]

Tony the infrastructure prime minister*


*NBN does not equal infrastructure.

Faster Affordable Sooner

 

[Jintor]

Not what it says. That's the head of previous commissions. Though I wouldn't expect much difference.

Ah, good point.

I thought it was odd that the advice would come so fast. They're taking it slowly and responsibly after all

 

[Fredescu]

They will slowly and responsibly do exactly what John Howard did. Hope you don't own property in the ACT.

 

[r1chard]

Tony the infrastructure prime minister*


*NBN does not equal infrastructure.

Faster Affordable Sooner

Infrastructure is just a euphemism for roads. I expect nothing else to get a look-in.

 

[Jintor]

Incoming A-G offers some views.

A promise to remove the Bolt sections of the Racial Discrimination Act is again in there. Not to fire up the Bolt debate again, but saying that Bolt was prosecuted 'merely because he expressed a controversial view' is... disingenuous.

In other news, the possibly incoming Sports Party Senator seems alright so far. I guess my beef is more with the preference system, given that I doubt very highly anyone beyond his primary vote even knew they were voting for him.

 

[CrazedProfessional]

Sounds like Bolt has buddies.

 

[Elaugaufein]

Incoming A-G offers some views.

A promise to remove the Bolt sections of the Racial Discrimination Act is again in there.

Not to fire up the Bolt debate again, but saying that Bolt was prosecuted 'merely because he expressed a controversial view' is... dyisingenuous.

Heh. The Bolt Report is pretty much a love letter to the coalition its hardly surprising they'd like it to continue exactly as it is. The only thing that surprises me is why anyone from the ALP or Greens appears on it and provodes it with a claim to balance.

It makes about as sense as Gillard's concession to the religious groups on gay marriage.

These people won't vote for you ever. Appealing to them is pointless.

And yes this works the other way too, I wouldn't expect the Coalition to show up to a socialist rally on a university campus either.

 

[Jintor]

I think 1 polling station left in Indi to count with McGowan leading by 1000 votes, but postal votes have yet to be assessed... ABC's Anthony Green thinks it'll go to Mirabella, but he was real wrong about Bandt this time around so who knows

 

[senahorse]

It makes about as sense as Gillard's concession to the religious groups on gay marriage.

That frustrated the hell out of me.

 

[hidys]

That frustrated the hell out of me.

I'm also convinced that that concession hurt her more than help. Given that no one I talked to thought her position was genuine it didn't her credibility.

 

[lexi]

And yes this works the other way too, I wouldn't expect the Coalition to show up to a socialist rally on a university campus either.

I love how this post shows that the equivalent to Bolt's show isn't even on TV or radio. There is no progressive voice in the media at all.

 

[Jintor]

Mirabella 759 votes behind McGowan in Indi. 3 Polling places remaining on 2PP + postals.

Going to be a nailbiter.

 

[Elaugaufein]

I love how this post shows that the equivalent to Bolt's show isn't even on TV or radio. There is no progressive voice in the media at all.

It wasn't really my goal, I just couldn't think of anything equivalent on TV, which didn't mean it doesn't exist, I don't watch a lot of TV these days and what I do watch its stuff I've seen elsewhere and know I want to watch so I don't do a lot of random watching.

We do kind of own the intratubes and social media (#askbolt and #imvotingliberal where kind of hilariously one sided and not in the direction the people startinh them had hoped (#askbolt my have gotten a bit tasteless too from what I remember). The only real competition we have there are libertarians.

I'm not really sure how you'd get a progressive voice on standard media ,of any real scale, any corporation of a requisite size to do standard over-the-air media is likely to have vested interest in not doing so and publicly funded channels usually have a charter mandating impartiality.

 

[bomma_man]

I love how this post shows that the equivalent to Bolt's show isn't even on TV or radio. There is no progressive voice in the media at all.

NOT SO FAST PINKO

OW that electioneering has ended it's timely to consider how future media coverage will influence perceptions of the new government.

Perhaps it won't resemble those years when so much reporting was devoted to barking the Howard government out of office.

The Rudd-Gillard era will inspire no fond memories, but friendly journalism was vital to Kevin Rudd's success in 2007, and lacked any scrutiny of serious character flaws that everyone eventually saw.

So it's important to notice if hostility resurfaces among former Howard-hating journalists and commentators, under some pretext like "keeping the bastards honest".

What follows doesn't pertain to the Mercury or similar regional newspapers, which rightly focus on local matters.

It's about how treatment of national and international news strongly reflect a tribal consensus of the media classes in key mainland capitals.

That consensus is clearly seen in the Canberra press gallery, among senior editors who shape its work and, above all, in that monolith employing more journalists than the rest combined, "our" ABC.

Except during our closely scrutinised election periods, Aunty's usual presentation of domestic affairs is drenched with prejudices fashionable in our inner suburbs, its ideas shared at the Fairfax metro mastheads such as The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and in certain highly politicised university faculties.

SBS echoes the ABC agenda except in its "cycling, sex and soccer" mode.

SBS and ABC also rely on America's CNN, both of the Left.

Indeed the world's mature democracies rely on news coverage that frames stories largely to discredit conservative parties and implicitly defend their Left-leaning critics.

They employ increasingly sophisticated techniques such as the new vogue for "fact-checking", which is degenerating into another way to disparage opponents.

Fair-minded political reporting, from the time of Imperial Rome, has actually been the exception not the rule.

But current standards are slipping in Australia, making it harder for voters to hear both sides of crucial two-sided stories.

We risk eventual domination by oligarchs who simply fake democracy and hollow out our traditional consultation processes.

Cynics claim we have an oligarchy now but history confirms it can get far worse.

Many Australians who resent being unnecessarily led in this manner have turned to Right-leaning blogs.

These now regularly out-rate their ABC competition by presenting a veritable parallel universe of news that embarrasses Labor or the Greens, and would otherwise get little or no coverage.

A recent poll of journalist attitudes shows most of them lean heavily towards Green and Labor policies, with Greens four times more popular than the norm.

This bias is likely even worse since many refuse to divulge their choices and are highly unlikely to be Coalition supporters.

No half-awake observer could fail to notice that, excepting Radio National's Counterpoint hour, conservative views appear on the ABC only to be rebutted or disparaged.

In group formats such as Q&A or Insiders, a ritual gang-up greets any token conservative who has unwisely wandered behind enemy lines.

They are constantly bullied, talked over or interrupted, often by the host, or cop jeers and taunts from an audience allegedly vetted for political balance.

Then there are one-on-one interviews, from the Breakfast program with self-described activist Fran Kelly to Late Night Live, where ex-communist and Howard-hater Phillip Adams chats amiably with regulars chosen exclusively from the Left.

Radio National news bulletins usually feature at least one blatant plug for Left-friendly groups, unions and the like. On some uneventful weekends almost every story is a thinly-disguised press release verbiage from Left activists, read out as news.

ABC manager Mark Scott evasively dismisses such examples, claiming he doesn't ask how ABC employees vote and, anyway, all views are welcome.

Conservative views are welcome, says a long-serving Canberra commentator, only in that such journalism needs targets as well as sources.

Liberals are normally targets except when disunited or, even better, undergoing leadership challenges.

No wonder Tony Abbott refused to let ABC staff moderate the recent election debates. Why help your implacable enemies undermine your message? Over-reliance on biased news, Left or Right, impairs anyone's judgment.

But many who innocently trust the ABC are doubly ignorant from imagining they "know" many things that are demonstrably untrue.

They will remain ignorant while taxpayers are compelled to subsidise a Left-leaning collective that regards Aunty as its personal fiefdom.

Their news division, which consumes most of the annual billion-dollar outlay, may thus end up privatised, leaving the less-politicised parts (such as rural and educational divisions) in public hands.

Maybe the most intellectually bankrupt thing I've ever read

Spoiler

since last week.

 

[Dead Man]

NOT SO FAST PINKO



Maybe the most intellectually bankrupt thing I've ever read

Spoiler

since last week.

Jesus fucking christ, how many tin foil hats does it take to write something like that. CNN is of the left? That alone is insane, but then to act as if the media have been favouring Rudd? What the fuck were they on?

 

[bomma_man]

Jesus fucking christ, how many tin foil hats does it take to write something like that. CNN is of the left? That alone is insane, but then to act as if the media have been favouring Rudd? What the fuck were they on?

The funny thing is this guy has recently replaced Piers Akerman's syndicated columns. Maybe they're obliged by Murdoch to have a certain amount of absolute shite on Mondays.

Spoiler

One of the other columnists wrote a verbal splooge about Ron Paul the other month, it was the closest I've come to writing a letter to the editor. It was straight up Reddit shit.

 

[Jintor]

ABC doesn't trend left, critical thinking trends left

 

[bomma_man]

ABC doesn't trend left, critical thinking trends left

I love the cognitive dissonance.

Maybe rather than claiming that fact checking is a leftist conspiracy you should instead stop being wrong.

 

[D.Lo]

ABC doesn't trend left, critical thinking trends left

Reality has a left-wing bias.