Where does the money go?
A topic that dominates “CityNews” columns and other media, is how the ACT’s Labor-Greens coalition government collects and spends your money.
Category Archives: politics
ACT Minister links a tender to philanthropy
More questionable behaviour from an ACT Minister
Previously I reported that there remains a looooong list of dubious matters involved with the proposed building of a Common Ground apartment complex on Section 72 Dickson. These date back to the infamous Dickson land swap.
Continue reading ACT Minister links a tender to philanthropy
Bridget McKenzie and alternate facts
Australian political dishonesty
This piece is based on the extraordinary goings-on of an Australian federal minister – and her use of alternate facts to pretend that there is nothing wrong when the Auditor General has reported otherwise.
ACT Minister continues vandalism behaviour
Berry Bulldozers Dickson Residents again
The year begins with yet another event around Dickson section 72 (Dickson parklands) involving ACT Housing Minister Yvette Berry doing her best to upset and alienate the voters within the inner north, just in time for the 2020 elections.
Parrots and ACT politicians
Using the media to mislead the residents
Taking the time to observe the many birds in our garden provides a complete distraction from the more serious matters of life.
Well, at least this is what it should be.
Molonglo – An ACT Government planning mess
When the ACT Legislative Assembly voted in October to establish a committee to examine the planning problems that plagued the development of the Molonglo suburbs of Wright and Coombs, it would follow that this signalled that someone may be paying attention to what residents have been saying for the last few years.
At least that is what we should be thinking.
Making a mess of hospital developments
How political decisions overrule logic and good planning
First the good news. The ACT government is committed to adding overdue facilities to the Woden Valley Hospital.
ACT Government and changing flood map information
How did the water recede from the ACT Flood Map?
Here’s an issue now being looked at in the inner north – and no-one has yet to work out what happened.
Continue reading ACT Government and changing flood map information
voting for the empty chair in 2020
Next year on October 17, the date for the ACT government election, voters must choose a government for the following four years.
Given the views about current ACT politicians, the thought of being compelled to vote is a real dilemma. The leadership chair that trusted politicians should occupy is empty. Yet by this time next year, voters need to put someone in that empty chair.
Canberra’s Community Councils
Canberra, our bush capital, is a good place to live (no surprises there). Part of the credit for this goes to residents who have put in time and energy over decades to bring people together through neighbourhood groups and the larger combined community councils.
These community leaders encourage debates (usually friendly) and exchanges of information on a whole range of issues, with planning and development being the usual hot topics (thankfully, not always).
ACT planning lacks good governance
This opinion piece only scratches the surface of the enormous problems we have here in Canberra with planning and development. The whole of the planning system has been corrupted by decades of bad management and the development of a culture that has residents as the enemy to be tricked and out manoeuvred. Click here for my piece in City News.
Yvette Berry does herself no favours in Woden
Yvette Berry as ACT sports minister attended a recent Woden Valley meeting and totally trashed all the ideas that residents put forward for much needed and well-overdue sports, recreation and cultural facilities for Woden – where there are 20 plus towers of apartments about to appear. And as yet – no facilities are being planned for the area. WTF?? Click here for the opinion piece in CityNews.
ACT planning’s brutal behaviour goes unchecked – again
Before the 2016 ACT Elections, the chief minister promised that there would be a panel formed to bring about master planning for the precinct around the Manuka Oval. That panel was to meet by the end of 2016. Did not happen! Instead there have been games, spin and alternative facts. The most recent insult being a meeting called that pretended to be about Manuka planning – but was simply a waste of people’s time. Another broken commitment by the ACT Chief Minster. Another insult to the intelligence of residents by Andrew Barr and his planning barbarians. click here for the opinion piece in City News.
It’s not easy being green around Kippax centre
When developers eye off ACT Government green spaces – the trend in Canberra is that those developers get to buy that land and the people lose yet another piece of precious community open space. This is happening with land behind the Kippax shops in west Belconnen in Canberra.The local Labor member is Yvette Berry and she loves to show up with a shovel to be photographed when community land and green spaces are being removed from the public ownership. Click here for the opinion piece in City News.
New ACT Labor Minister goes neoliberal
Chris Steel became an ACT Labor Minister about a year ago. Watching him recently at a Weston Creek Community Council meeting I became aware of how these Labor politicians have so easily accepted the arguments of the classic NeoLiberals. It is all about market forces. Click here for my opinion piece in City News.
2020 ACT Election draw near
Already the positive spin has commenced in the media portraying how wonderful this dreadful government is. Click here for my piece on this election campaign for 2020
time to do something about West Basin
a call to all ACT politicians to do something
There’s misleading information being used to justify apartment developments on West Basin. It is overdue for all our local politicians to get involved. more on this from my opinion piece in City News – click here.
and for a later article on this — click here
Politicians and the company they keep
Do our politicians keep the right company?
How does a group of otherwise sort-of-reasonable people get convinced that they are doing humane and considerate things when they allow the development of the city to happen in such a barbaric manner. click here for more
The ACT Government occupies another universe?
Which universe do Barr’s ‘barbarians’ occupy?
ACT residents have become convinced that the ACT Government operates in a completely different universe. This separation is having a huge impact on people’s lives. click here.
How green are the ACT Greens?
Greens fail to protect the local greenery
During the last decade the ACT Labor Party has depended on the ACT Greens to form government. What has come of the ACT Greens? Click here
The move to move out Zed Seselja
Absent Zed the butt of meeting’s jokes
“Meet the Candidates” forums for the coming Federal election can be fun, can be interesting, can be boring and can sometimes change your mind on a candidate. Click here for my opinion on one such forum.
What makes for a local federal politician?
Up the hill and far away from Canberra’s issues
CANBERRA voters are about to elect Federal politicians to represent the people of the ACT. But do they? Click here for my piece on this in City News
Be afraid, the barbarians are inside the gate
Warning! neoliberal labor at its worst
I wrote a piece about the barbarians now running the ACT’s government – click here for the piece in CityNews.
Labor’s mess, but where do the Libs stand on planning?
The ACT Greens/Labor coalition government has a host of ministers who are making a mess of the planning and development of Canberra’s urban environments. The question asked by the community sectors is where do the ACT Liberals stand on these planning issues. Click here for my piece in City News on this topic.
West Basin blatantly a property deal
With the Christmas release of the draft City and Gateway Urban Design Framework, the ACT Government’s City Renewal Authority undertook media advocacy during February for an apartment suburb on West Basin. The ACT Government continues with its proposal for West Basin against the opposition of the Canberra community – click here.
Protesting the Dickson promise that never was
No surprise here! The ACT Government often plays with the truth.
Here’s my piece in City News on this.
When bureaucrats bully residents
The ACT Government has a sad history of very nasty behaviour by some bureaucrats towards the residents. This is not new and it continues today. Unfortunately when it occurs our elected politicians tend not to want to hear about it – they turn away.
This is the story of one such incident – it is bullying at its worst.
Here’s my opinion piece in City News.
Lack of trust in ACT Government
End of year thoughts
Congratulations to all the residents who care and work hard on planning matters – endlessly. The shocking thing is that those in government, on all sides, now take it as normal that they are not trusted and respected. It is not something anyone should simply live with.
I wrote for City News on this topic – click here.
Planning strategy of smoke and mirrors
People want the bad stuff to stop now
On December 5 our blessed planning minister, Mick Gentleman, ascended Mount Ainslie to hand down the 2018 ACT Planning Strategy. This was just another media performance to try to convince someone that this government takes planning serioulsy.
It does not.
Here’s my piece in City News on this silly performance.
Climate Change
A country run by dangerous idiots
We are still being governed by idiots – who will see the country suffer now and into the future to appease their own interests and their mates in the coal industry. The good news? They are guaranteed to be gone at the next federal elections.
Click here for the story.
Remember they are people
The ACT Government and public housing
This is a slightly revised version of a previous post of mine previously written as the government moved to close the public housing along Northbourne Avenue in Canberra as part of its Urban Clearances programs
Rebecca Solnit
Trump and on not being inattentive and indifferent
Rebecca Solnit has written about regimes such as Trump’s do not last forever.
Heritage? What’s That?
The dire state of heritage in Canberra
I have a new piece on City News that goes part of the way to addressing the sad state of heritage under this ACT Government.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
George Monbiot on the signs of change
George Monbiot writes about the signs for change. Please make it happen.
corrupted government planning
Seeking a new generation to step up
Once you realise how corrupted the ACT Government is – it would be so easy to get depressed and walk away.
Planning battles
A win for inner Sydney
Lorrie Graham has posted on her blog about a win within her area of Sydney.
ACT Government stupidity
Where to put a rubbish dump
Canberra once had a reputation as being a planned city. Not so any more.
Richard Denniss
Essay: Dead Right, How Neoliberalism ate itself and what come next
Recommended reading for all of us as we try to work out what the hell happened with democracy and how our governments have ruined this country.
Threat to democratic processes in planning
Planning in Canberra
the sage continues….
Planning in Canberra
2020 ACT Election forecast
Observing the current government and its attitude towards the electorate, it does make you wonder about the 2016 election results and whether this will be repeated in 2020.
Katherine Murphy
and the ship of dangerous fools
Social Housing vs community spaces
With Canberra having such an informed and aware community, one would have thought that a community-focused government planning minister would have surfaced by now – one being committed to development and the future growth of the city while simultaneously embracing the enhancement of (rather than reducing) the city’s amenities that are admired internationally.
equity and talent in cabinet
Government and religion
In Australia we have a small band of conservatives who work tirelessly to have their brands of religion have a greater influence on government and the country’s laws.
Luckily till now they are more of less not so successful – well most of the time.
In their last round of attempts to achieve more religious freedoms (whatever that meant) – what would have been more applicable would have been to remove religion and the influence of such religious fundamentalists completely from the workings of government.
Meanwhile in a land not far away – things are going from bad to worse.
Click here for the story in the Guardian.
Federal COALition
we are being Turnbulled – over and over again.
politicians lie
Michael Leunig
George Monbiot
Bill shorten on equality
Bill Shorten unleashes on Turnbull
Welcome Bill Shorten, the next Prime Minister of Australia
despots galore
alternative facts
David Marr on equality
being Trumped & being Turnbulled
trump
a Telstra NBN story
Another mess made by Malcolm Turnbull
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154819656957544&set=p.10154819656957544&type=3
Populism
Populism now divides, yet once it united the working class
The words populism and populist have no simple, coherent meaning.
All Liberal – all men
click on the image for the story – and wonder which century these people live in?
post truth & politics & energy
A good article summing up the state of politics, where truth is an option to be discarded.
New Poster: Fakewit
Inequality
What we can learn about fighting inequality from Australia’s convict past
Analysis shows that while land values per acre rose at 2.2% per annum, land rents fell by 0.3% per annum in the 1800s. Powerhouse Museum/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Being Trumped
They marched to demand Congress DO THEIR JOB and remove the President from The White House. click here
Malcolm gets a pay rise
Being Turnbulled again
click on image for the video
moratorium on Tony Abbott
Today Tony Abbott called for a moratorium on wind farms.
Share this if you think it’s time for a moratorium on Tony Abbott.
Fake Trump
Another laugh – well maybe? click on the image for the truth.
NO is NOT enough
New book by Naomi Klein
this is my second post on this book:
here’s a new review of the book on The Guardian – click here
Continue reading NO is NOT enough
Pauline Hanson on excluding the artistics
Setting the record straight!
Yet again the media has misunderstood what Pauline Hanson said!
Rebecca Solnit on Trump
It’s Time (again)
It is definitely time for all forms of peaceful and concerted actions to adjust our democratic structures to deal with the damage being done by forces that have resulted in Trump and his cronies being where they are.
Noam Chomsky
Neoliberalism Is Destroying Our Democracy
the democracy experiment continues – but will it get beyond the influence of neoliberalism
inflammable clading
Nothing wrong here!
oh how we wish we could believe the Minister and the building industry spokespersons – of course here in Canberra we have the laws in place! But – we all know better than that.
Man of the onions
says it all.. the idiot of Australian politics
NO is NOT enough
New book by Naomi Klein
“This is one attempt to uncover how we got to this surreal political moment. It is also an attempt to predict how, under cover of shocks and crises, it could get a lot worse.
And it’s a plan for how, if we keep our heads, we might just be able to flip the script and arrive at a radically better future.” — From the Introduction
Turnbull not so generous
Being Turnbulled
Once Australia was a leader in supporting equality and was generous in its assistance to other countries. Oh how things have changed. Here’s a post from Michael Moore on the greedy nature of the Turnbull government – click here.
Emmanuel Macron
The world leaders are stepping forward! – click here for the story
A tale of two parklands
Very strange things happen in the urban design planning space in Canberra.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton makes a fiery commencement speech at her alma mater – taking aim at Trump and his colleagues. She makes the speech nearly 50 years after graduating from Wellesley College in 1969
Being Negative
The message from ACT Labor friends
There’s definitely something evil being played out locally.
George Monbiot
George Monbiot on how dark money is subverting democracy in the UK.
Click on the banner above
ACT labor and the need for new leadership
Very strange events have been unfolding since the local ACT elections in late 2016.
Monbiot on Terrorism
Nicole Lawder, a Liberal who has your back
We expect a lot of our politicians. People rightly expect their elected representatives to do just that – be representatives of the people who elected them. That’s not always a success story.
Remember they are people
A lot has been written about the ACT Government’s announcement to establish small government housing estates on community-zoned land in Weston Creek suburbs.
Hillary Clinton
Inventing the Wicked Witch: Review of Susan Bordo’s The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
Penguin - Michelle Smith, Deakin University
Hillary Clinton
A message to all the purists liberals
see message below – very appropriate for all those who bought the lies
Hillary Clinton
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
I have already reviewed this book – click here.
However I cannot stop pondering the challenge this story throws up for anyone interested in equity, fairness, and the role of the media in so many aspects of our daily lives.
If we had a real media, this story would have been totally different. Instead what happened here was the total manipulation of the media and through them members of the public, by all forms of malicious groups of people and individuals.
Architecture
a note to the ACT Chief Minister
About the architecture along Northbourne Avenue
Hillary Clinton
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
It was on hearing certain phrases used over and over again on Australian TV programs talking about the 2016 US election campaign that I became suspicious that we were witnessing a lazy press.
Almost daily the media was taking the same phrases and words and using them over and over again – with no evidence that they could be accurate except that they were the words and phrases being used by most journalists and commentators at the time.
On the basis we were supposed to accept their words as fact.
Being Turnbulled
Australian Values – The Master of Spin
Australians are again being subject to being Turnbulled. Yet Again.
Neoliberalism has run its course
A few stories on this topic – and the world needs more people to identify this and to lead the change away from this nasty ideology.
SHOUT and Jon Stanhope
Sometimes you wonder just what is going on in the heads of our local government and its bureaucrats who make funding decisions.
Quarterly Essay – David Marr
David Marr – The White Queen
From the publishers: Most Australians despise what Pauline Hanson stands for, yet politics in this country is now orbiting around One Nation. In this timely Quarterly Essay, David Marr looks at Australia’s politics of fear, resentment and race. Who votes One Nation, and why? How much of this is due to inequality? How much to racism? How should the major parties respond to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim voices? What damage do Australia’s new entrepreneurs of hate inflict on the nation?
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – in the news
click on the image for the piece in the Canberra Times.
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – Media Release
A group of Community Leaders met late last night to discuss the outcome from last week’s Weston Creek Community Council Meeting, which had to be postponed due to an overwhelming attendance.
Inappropriate letterboxes to be replaced
Following the resignation of their highly paid CEO, it seems that our postal services need to recover some of the revenue it has been paying out in the last few years.
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Oh how we wish for more voices to be critical of the current political class and their hangers-on – and I include many journalists as being hangers-on.
Land Development – who should fall on that sword
When a system is broken, how easily it is to point the figure at one person and say “It wasn’t me, it was that person over there.”
Continue reading Land Development – who should fall on that sword
Clive Hamilton on Turnbull
being Turnbulled!
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide.
The Medicare barn
Medicare was great. Having a universal health care system was the envy of many other countries.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman on PUTIN
Time for some fun – and a new song from Randy Newman…
Being Turnbulled
Again – workers are being Trumped – and Turnbulled
Click on the image for the piece by Andrew P Street – about how workers are to be further exploited by the decisions endorsed by the Prime Minister – and he loves it.