Mood:
cheekyTopic: election Oz 2007
Picture: a new day dawns after federal budget night signifying something, but what exactly?
As Prof Ian Lowe of the (Melbourne!?) Conservation Foundation on abc 702 this morning points out there is a big climate change attention deficit in this year's electoral budget. We do like Prof Lowe too.
Picture: Call us the perjorative 'Howard hater' if you have to, but it seemed to our eye the 'Prime Miniature' John Howard was looking quite grumpy on TV last night sitting left of his Treasurer Peter Costello. This image only a minute or two in via ABC here . It didn't seem to improve through the 1/2 hour broadcast.
This climate change concern echoes Senator Brown (Greens) outrage on the World Today yesterday. But how did Senator Brown get the advance copy of the green segment of the federal budget? See our theory below.
We woke early today and by chance got the picture(s) above and below with the suitable weather dimension re climate worries, raising the question, electoral sunrise for the Coalition or fading streak?
Pictue: Not Happy John #2, about 15 minutes into the broadcast half way through, which we would caption as not quite the proverbial 1000 yard stare but still quite grim.
And we emailed as below to the allegedly early working Crikey.com.au team banned from the budget lockup yesterday in a grotesque restraint of trade on that increasingly mainstream meeja outlet. (We still haven't seen it in our email inbox either said to arrive at 6am today (?), at time of writing 7.37 am. Maybe they cancelled the schedule in exasperation, or maybe they are going to go the government legally for that restraint of trade? )
[Our internet server had an email delay according to their tech support advised 17/5/07, so no fault of crikey.com.au at all ]
Picture: Startling vapour trail over Sydney about 6.45 am of the morning after the Budget Night.
Our email to a Green Party staffer copied to Crikey reads:
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 5:22 AM Subject: scurrilous theory Costello leaked to Greens to hurt PM? Re: [Greens-Media] Costello wilfully negligent on climate change
and note probing on abc coverage last night, missed Laurie Oaks on 9 which
might be important on this also.
Costello answer being taskforce due to report in a month, and kerry obrien
attacking that Ken Henry in Treasury had a trading scheme in 2003 /4 which
was declined. Ouch.
So its being fed into the election timetable, if at all.
But what I am wondering is Who leaked the green segment of the budget to the
Greens with Senator Brown on World Today yesterday with Chris Uhlmann abc?
Here is a scrurillous theory - Howard looked fairly grumpy on the tv last
night. Did Costello's people leak the lack of climate change allocations to
Greens knowing it would cause alot of anger, exposing Howard PM as the one
who held up the show in 2003/4 as per red haired Kerry questioning? To
damage Howard within the Coalition? A bit of prime ministerial treasurer
tension leveraging Bob Brown?
I wonder. Poor grumpy John Howard. Poor planet.
Tom McLoughlin.
Picture: Not Happy John #3, at 22min 57 sec of the Video On Demand ABC website.
We were responding to this press release on the broadcast list:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 8:45 PM
Subject: [Greens-Media] Costello wilfully negligent on climate change
Costello wilfully negligent on climate change
Canberra, Tuesday May 8, 2007 Australian Greens climate change
spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, said Treasurer Costello's 12th
budget demonstrated that he is negligent and reckless when it comes to
climate change.
Senator Milne said "Peter Costello talked tonight of 'the emergence of
climate change' over the next decade. Clearly he has no understanding
that climate change is already biting Australia and the world, and has
been well understood for many years.
"Tonight Mr Costello allocated not one new cent to the development of
clean energy technologies. Not even the Government's favoured solutions
- so-called 'clean coal' and nuclear power - scored a Guernsey.
"Has the Government finally seen the light that these are not 21st
century responses to this massive challenge?
"Surely the absence of any such program makes it clear that the
government's nuclear plans are no more than a wedge against the ALP. If
they were serious about setting up a nuclear power industry in
Australia, the Government would be moving to fund that shift.
"There is no change to the absurd situation that massive subsidies to
the fossil fuel industry swamp the few token efforts that seek to create
the impression of action on climate change.
"$22.3 billion to Auslink, the vast bulk of which is set for roads,
makes a mockery of the $60 million for alternative fuels which Mr
Turnbull reckons will reduce Australia's dependence on oil imports.
Until we see structural change, with support of public transport and
removal of perverse GST and FBT incentives for private car travel,
Australia's greenhouse emissions from transport will continue to
balloon, and our vulnerability to oil depletion will be further
entrenched.
"With no targets, nothing serious for energy efficiency and crumbs for
renewable energy, the fundamentals of a climate change strategy are
still not in place. The patience of Australians must now surely be at an
end."
Contact Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562...........................
Picture: Grumpy PM at 23 min 2 sec
And notice this about Big Business collecting and nourishing their investment in captured Big Parties literally [also covered in critical terms in the Aust Financial Review as well]:
Senate to reveal budget night largesse: Greens
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has described the Liberal Party's annual
budget night fundraising sessions that occur in Parliament House as a
warp on Australia's democracy, that require a rigorous Senate
investigation
"The lines are inappropriately blurred when a minister can charge to
have drinks with wealthy corporations in one hand and spend Government
money with the other all under the same Parliamentary roof." Senator
Nettle said.
"The NSW Leader of the Opposition has called for an inquiry into
political donations in Macquarie Street, so it's also appropriate for
the Federal Parliament to investigate donations occurring on Capitol
Hill.
"The Senate needs to address the types of fundraising that can occur in
Parliament House to make sure that the Parliament does not become a
Liberal Party donations festival, given that these parliamentary budget
night dinners now rake over a million dollars for the Liberal Party.
"Recent reports that Ministers charge guests to attend lavish diners at
Parliament house tonight should cause significant concern to those who
care about the transparency of Government.
"Like other people I do not want to see the nation's seat of Government
become little more than a cash register for the Liberal party.
"If the Government hasn't got the guts to ban political donations from
corporations, then they should at least be banned from taking money
within the grounds of Parliament House on the day the Government spends
it - on budget night.
"Australia should catch up to best practice by closing the tills of
Parliament on budget night " Senator Nettle said.
NB Senator Nettle will give notice of a motion this week in the Senate
to establish an inquiry into these matters.
Contact - Kristian Bolwell: 0411638320
Picture: looking forward, eyes swivel at 26 min 17 sec re drought assistance exceptional circumstances (National Party boondoggle?), and again at 28 min 22 sec at mention of the joint strike fighter and retiring in an 'orderly way' the F 1-11, which is widely criticised as a poor budget process in defence circles.
Picture: At 29 min 28 sec
