grodscorp@grods.comThe Secret Diary of Brendan Nelson: Bourke
 | Posted by The Editor on Thursday 10 April 2008, 7:35 pm Categories: Politics Tags: Bourke, BrendanNelson, LiberalParty, ListeningTour |
Today’s episode of Bren-doc Nelson’s Magical Listening Tour diary takes us out to rural Bourke.
Bourke is one of the quintessential towns of western New South Wales. We arrived from Sydney and had the opportunity to spend time with 50 or so seniors in the new ‘Back O’Bourke’ tourist development.
Do you think they bus in seniors to Liberal political functions the way they used to bus in seniors to tapings of The Midday Show because it’s the only way to fill seats?
These are men and women who have either been born in Bourke or spent most of their life in Bourke engaged in backbreaking work that has driven the economic development of this important part of Australia.
No group of Australians know more about drought and water management issues than the people of Bourke.
Except for drought and water management scientists and experts. But, you know…
Surviving on the pension, cost of living pressures…
Drink!
…and of course, water and the sense of isolation that the people of Bourke feel were issues foremost in their mind.
Isolation? Move to Sydney.
Whilst there has been some rain in the north and north-east of the Shire it’s still important that the farming community have the necessary financial support to restock and get their farms and businesses moving again.
Again, as for many parts of remote Australia, getting young people to university if that’s what they choose to do is a real financial struggle in need of further policy development.
Can’t wait to see a bit of, what did you call it again? Oh, policy from the Liberal Party, Dr Nelson.
The Aboriginal people of Bourke and Brewarrina are also after additional funding to support a men’s group that is facing the scourge of domestic violence and also the development of a facility for Aboriginal women in need of support.
Simple, Bren-doc. Ban the booze, ban the porn and abolish permits. Job done.
As one of the Bourke old timers said to me, ‘We’re very proud of the way the Aboriginal people are facing up to their problems. They just need a bit of help from the rest of us and especially in creating and finding jobs.’
Amen to that.
GrodsThink Ep.31 (16/9/08)
Thursday 10 April 2008, 7:57 pm #Ant Rogenous
Ed, there’s a typo in your headline. I’m pretty sure you meant to write “… Brendan Nelson: berk”
Thursday 10 April 2008, 7:58 pm #The Editor
And some sort of reference to the fact that he’s a doctor, of course.
Did you know he’s a doctor, Ant?
Thursday 10 April 2008, 7:59 pm #Bridgit Gread
I wonder if he’s taken one of his Strats on tour.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 8:01 pm #The Editor
He said in a fluff interview in one of the weekend paper magazines last Saturday that he’s still working his way through Bon Jovi. He’s been working his way through Bon Jovi since he became opposition leader. Do you think his theme tune might be Livin’ On A Prayer?
Thursday 10 April 2008, 8:03 pm #Bridgit Gread
It might be Someday I’ll be Saturday Night, given that at the moment he’s about 4am on a Wednesday morning.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 8:18 pm #steve
From Nelson’s ABC interview:
But the truth of it is, Joseph, that when we get emissions trading, carbon trading, we will almost certainly see the price of petrol go up further and I think we need also to make sure that that LPG subsidy is maintained and kept. We just can’t afford to lose that $2000 subsidy for people who want to go to cheaper fuel.
Funny that, I seem to remember Costello scrapping the LPG subsidy a few budgets ago.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 8:30 pm #steve
Yes it was the Liberal’s 2003 budget that introduced exises on LPG and Ethanol from July 2008. I’m just not sure that Nelson is telling the truth about “that $2000 subsidy for people who want to go to cheaper fuel”. Haven’t the Liberal’s made it a subsidy to protect people from the Liberal’s higher priced fuel due to the excise being imposed?
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/13/1071125711088.html
Thursday 10 April 2008, 8:41 pm #cosmicjester
hmm, handouts for farmers for drought and to send their kids to uni. buttering up the nats for that merger?
I love this forward thinking vision, there is nothing that cant be solved with a handout
Thursday 10 April 2008, 9:09 pm #steve
This is typical of another tactic the Liberals used year after year. Set up a program with great fanfare but fund it shortterm so it will collapse. From ABC interview in Goulborne.
Well, speaking of losing things, there’s a local Pharmica therapy programme that has been federally funded and that funding continues up until June this year. It’s based in Wodonga and among other things it coordinates local nurses and GPs to help addicts get off drugs like heroin. When that funding runs out there’s no state-based funding, there may be no federal funding and it may be forced to close its doors. What’s your suggestion about what should happen to programmes like that?
DR NELSON:
That sort of programme must be maintained at all costs. I cannot for the life of me understand why it wouldn’t be and I will be very, very happy to take that cause up personally. I know that our local MPs would be working on it but look I’ll do whatever I can. I’ll get the details of that, Joseph, and get stuck into that.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 9:38 pm #steve
“That sort of programme must be maintained at all costs. I cannot for the life of me understand why it wouldn’t be…”
How do you think that the budget surpluses came about Nelson? It was from setting up programs like that and letting the funding run out so that the program failed from lack of funding or the states had to pick up the tab and then be accused of being financially irresponsibility. It was repeated numerous times over numerous Liberal budgets in all states. An absolute scam and disgraceful way to run a country.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 10:09 pm #brerrabbit
Nelson’s referring to the $2000 rebate you can get on an LPG conversion.
So it has nothing to do with the price of fuel anyway.
I often put $5 worth of fuel in the car. It’s not ‘cos I’m struggling (Nelson’s assumption), it’s because I know fuel’s cheaper in the next town but I need to get there to buy it!
Thursday 10 April 2008, 10:16 pm #Mikey
But … he and his ilk were in government for 11 years. Where the fuck were they then on their listening tours? What about all that regional partnerships money that went to fucking train museums and dredging canals that dredged themselves?
Who the fuck is he kidding? He’s like an Eddie Munster version of Ruddy when the Rudster was in opposition.
Thursday 10 April 2008, 10:29 pm #steve
Thanks brerrabbit, I still can’t understand why they would announce a excise where there was none for 2008 in the 2003 budget and then in the 2006 budget put on a $2000 subsidy. With all this shuffling around they’ve managed to confuse me, glad someone can follow it. However it is slowly becoming less murky.
Friday 11 April 2008, 5:43 am #steve
So the LPG history goes like this.
Pre 2003: Cars convert to LPG from petrol because it is cheaper and cleaner with no subsidy or excise imposed.
2003 Budget: Liberals announce an excise is to be put on LPG from July 2008.
2006: Because the Liberals have announced an excise in the future, LPG conversions begin drying up as it is less economical. So a subsidy is announced to prop up a feasible industry the Liberals have damaged.
2008: Nelson goes on Magical mystery tour determined to maintain LPG subsidy.
July the excise begins. Nobody knows whether the subsidy will be maitained until budget night or if something like ethanol will be the preferred fuel of Government choice. Surely a preference for ethanol will amount to a split between Nelson and the National Party.