Archive for November, 2006

Barbarians at the gate or the purest form of capitalism

Published
by
Brian
1 year, 10 months ago
in Markets
. 25 Comments

For Australian investors private equity funds have been very much under the radar. Not any longer. Since the Qantas play, coming on top of the Myers stores, the attempt on Coles, the PBL (Packer) joint venture, the similar deal with Seven Network, the foreshadowed or actual privatisation of Flight Centre, Rebel Sport, Super A-Mart, APN News Media (now discontinued), DCA Group (diagnostic imaging and aged care), Cleanaway and Colorado (shoes and clothing) all with the involvement of private equity funds, and more foreshadowed, there is a sense that the whole market is in play.

Private equity firms have been called the Barbarians at the gate, a swarm of locusts, a herd of elephants or the purest form of capitalism.

Terry McCrann put the standard modus operandi with typical bluntness:

Continue reading ‘Barbarians at the gate or the purest form of capitalism’

The Dysfunctional Rabble and the National Pork Party

Published
by
Robert Merkel
1 year, 10 months ago
in Federal Elections, Politics and State/Territory Elections
. 20 Comments

One minor surprise that came out of the Victorian election was the resilience of the Nationals, who retained all their seats and pinched Mildura back from independent Russell Savage. I don’t know much about the specifics of Mildura local politics, so I certainly don’t have any special insight as to why the good burghers of Mildura decided to give an independent the toss this time around. Savage himself stated that it was likely about a Nationals campaign forucssing heavily on the Nowagi Toxic Waste Dump, to be built south of the town.

But, more generally, what did the National Party do to fend off the Liberals in their existing seats?
Continue reading ‘The Dysfunctional Rabble and the National Pork Party’

Melbourne grogblogging

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Culture, Life, Notices and Urbanism
. 46 Comments

David Tiley is taking suggestions for venues for another Melbourne grogblog. I really enjoyed the last one when I was in Melbourne in October at the Fad Bar, and I’m sure lots of LP people will be interested in going. Of course, arguing about venues is only the beginning of the fun to be had.

The Fifth Most Popular Party

Published
by
Gummo Trotsky
1 year, 10 months ago
in Politics and State/Territory Elections
. 18 Comments

According to Sue Hewitt in today’s Hun ):

Family First has emerged as a new political force in Victoria, polling as fifth most popular party across both houses.

That’s the sort of political analysis you have to settle for when you wake up too late to get to the corner shop before all the copies of The Age have been sold.
Continue reading ‘The Fifth Most Popular Party’

More Sunday video

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Film, TV, Video etc, Iraq, Levity, Middle East, Politics and War
. 8 Comments

Over at Blogocracy, Tim Dunlop has posted a link to some footage of Saddam and his aides discussing their “slingshots of mass destruction” strategy for beating the American invasion:

In the video, Mr. Hussein, wearing a double-breasted gray suit, aims a slingshot, shoots an arrow at a door using a crossbow (as aides scamper out of the way) and swings a mock gasoline bomb over his head with a rope. He urges his aides to get such weapons into the hands of Iraqis.

“Let’s use all the methods we can,� he tells his generals. “These methods can be made at home.�

Later he says, “Let’s talk to the minister of industry to see if we can mass produce this.â€? Tariq Aziz, Mr. Hussein’s close adviser and deputy prime minister, pipes in, “This can be shown to our group of people, who can introduce it to the others.”

The footage is here.

Frankenstein/Godzilla lyrics charity challenge

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Culture, Levity, Music and Notices
. 80 Comments

j_p_z throws down the gauntlet:

It’s been a while since there was a good, funny contest around here.

Accordingly, I propose to donate to charity $25 per pop (for the first ten entries, up to $250) for anyone who can write the following:

Alter a stanza or lyric from a well-known pop song to include and topically accomodate either Frankenstein or Godzilla. Other movie monsters are acceptable too, provided the twist is remarkable enough to warrant one. (In other words, don’t get too easy! — and good luck using the Night of the Living Dead!)

Example: (from The Beatles’ “And I Love Her”)”

Bright are the stars that shine,
Dark is the sky.
I know that Frankenstein
Will never die.

A few simple rules:
1. Original song must be relatively well-known, within reason (e.g., a parody of Yes’s “I’ve Seen All Good People” qualifies, but a parody of Yes’s “Gates of Delirium” doesn’t.)

2. The only two songs you can’t use are the Dolls’ original “Frankenstein,” and Blue Oyster Cult’s original “Godzilla”.

3. Special $50 jury prize for anyone who can work Godzilla into “The Monster Mash.”

4. Entries that are too “easy” can be summarily disqualified by a general chorus of booing. Be clever! And try to get those monsters into the end-line rhyme, whenever you can!

5. Charity recipient will be chosen by the author of the “best” entry (winner to be chosen by spontaneous general acclamation) from among the following options:
a. Doctors Without Borders,
b. Salesian Missions,
c. some well-known international anti-hunger org (suggestions welcome),
d. Sisters of the Road [homeless outreach and food programs], or
e. LP itself.

Hop to!

Update: Extra bonus…

Special $50 Jason Soon Honorarium for the best riff on a Dylan song.

Jobs, care and justice

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Economics, Feminism, Industrial Relations, Markets, Politics and Sociology
. 7 Comments

Via Andrew Leigh, a link to UniSA Professor Barbara Pocock’s Clare Burton memorial lecture [pdf].

As Andrew writes:

Much better than most social scientists, the lecture melds lived experience and data, as well as taking account of both shortage of money, and shortage of time.

I’d agree - Pocock has done a superb job of interlinking people’s stories with empirical data, and she makes a very important point about the labour market which is often missed. While there’s much concentration on how time poor skilled employees are, there’s little analysis of the fact that such employees are often able to effectively outsource their care responsibilities - both for themselves, and for those close to them. What the work/life balance debate misses, because it’s usually framed in terms of white collar and professional employees, is that the working conditions for personal service workers can be totally destructive both of their own future security and the needs of people who depend on them. Pockock also builds in a perspective which sees networks of care as global and meshed in with a global labour market. What’s also interesting is the philosophical frame from Sen and Nussbaum she uses to understand and interpret contemporary economies of work and care.

I think the point that emerges from a reading of Pocock’s lecture is that while the labour market increasingly functions as one that has at its basis the model of the individual contractor (whether or not working arrangements are formally contractual), individuals are actually embedded in networks of social and family responsibility which this paradigm is necessarily blind to. Some of those who support an individualised labour market would argue for some sort of social security net. But we’re always told that low wage work is a good in itself. Perhaps, but the debate’s frame ignores its effects on those to whom the low waged worker is responsible - there’s been some interesting research done on the effects of welfare to work policies in the US where for instance minimum waged single mums often have to travel for up to four hours daily to work in service industries located close to those middle income people who create the demand. The effect on their children of the deprivation of their time can be severe, and childcare is again a debate that’s concentrated far too much around a middle class model. Pocock’s lecture has the virtue of drawing attention to similar social pathologies in the Australian context, and of making both global and philosophical connections.

Mediocrity rules (apparently)

Published
by
Aaron Hewett
1 year, 10 months ago
in Politics and State/Territory Elections
. 89 Comments

Well that’s nearly the end of it. A boring, predictable election campaign followed by a boring, predictable result. With the exception of a few seats in the lower house where the votes are tight and the fifth seats in the upper house regions, most of the seats have been decided. Bracksy will be immortalised in bronze.

Bracksy will, of course, will live to see himself in bronze. A fate possibly not reserved for Peter Garrett. After soiling his credibility with the environment movement last week, greenies are likely to make him into a bronze statue also - but with him trapped inside it.

So how did others cope on election night and its aftermath? I’m sure the Laborites are smiling about the result not being as bad as it could have been. Greens (like me) are anxious to find out the end results, particularly in the upper house, but are generally happy about how we went in the election. Family Firsters will be too busy attending church or popping out babies and the Exclusive Brethren won’t know the election result because they’re not allowed to read newspapers or use the internet. The Liberals are possibly a little disappointed that they couldn’t do better but are generally happy with picking up a few seats and not losing too many. Peter Ryan and the Nationals will be elated because they picked up some extra seats and should retain party status.

I don’t think many will be too disappointed about the election result. Which is probably a bad thing and a sign of how mediocre the campaign really was.

Elsewhere [by MB]: Graham Young at Ambit Gambit dissects the result, and thinks that the Greens might have missed capturing part of the potential protest vote, and that therefore there’s some hope for the Democrats in next year’s Federal election.

Sunday Video: Charleston at UHLS 2006

Published
by
Robert
1 year, 10 months ago
in Culture and Film, TV, Video etc
. 8 Comments

Perth’s Sharon Davis went to Minneapolis for the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2006, where she won the Solo Charleston competition. Video of the performance is over the fold (Sharon is first up).

Continue reading ‘Sunday Video: Charleston at UHLS 2006′

Link to Victorian count live blogging

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Culture, Notices and State/Territory Elections
. 118 Comments

It’s all happening at The Poll Bludger.

Saturday Salon

Published
by
Kim
1 year, 10 months ago
in Miscellaneous
. 44 Comments

An open thread where, at your weekend leisure, you can discuss anything you like.

National Forum polling on water and the Victorian election

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Climate change, Environment, Politics and State/Territory Elections
. 12 Comments

From today’s Crikey email:

The Victorian election is the first to be held since the crystallisation of the link between the drought and climate change has fundamentally shifted the politics of both the environment and infrastructure across Australia.

Quantitative and qualitative research conducted by Graham Young and me for The National Forum shines a light on the importance of these issues. Water has been one of the few issues in the campaign to get much traction in the public mind. In our quantitative polling, 36% of 250 respondents nominated water as a key issue.

While Melbourne faces only level two water restrictions, regional cities are not so lucky. Bendigo and Ballarat are both at level four, and Geelong is about to join them. Victorian voters are keenly aware of the water crisis, and many have made the link with climate change. The polling is intriguing, therefore, in that it sheds light on how these issues will play out electorally.

The story is good news for the Bracks government. Respondents were appreciative of the appointment of John Thwaites to a portfolio including water, and there’s no evidence that voters are inclined to ascribe blame to Labor.

The Baillieu led Opposition has tried to dramatise the issue by promising to build a desalination plant, and a new dam on the Maribynong River. Neither promise has cut much ice with voters in our focus group. They’re sceptical about whether desalination is either viable or cost effective. And the dam is dismissed with scorn, with one focus group participant deriding it as “fatuous�. Several respondents pointed out that for a dam to fill, you need rain.

As David, 80, of Fairfield, put it, “Perhaps Family First could all pray for rain�.

Baillieu’s promises seem to be consistent with the Liberals’ policy approach generally – promising quick and expensive fixes to problems voters perceive as ingrained. But they’re met with scepticism, while Labor’s policy work on water was characterised by Jamie, 59, of Frankston:

“Bracks and co were the first to realize that water needed real attention. A dedicated, senior minister. Again, real policy takes time and work. They started 4 yrs ago.�

There’s probably a message for the Federal Government too. Voters are sceptical of responses which can be characterised as “pulling a rabbit out of a hat� and respectful of a record of serious recognition of environmental issues and their infrastructure implications.

Elsewhere: Graham Young discusses the Greens’ lower house chances.

Place your bets

Published
by
Mark
1 year, 10 months ago
in Markets, Politics and State/Territory Elections
. 27 Comments

Centrebet is again trying to make the Victorian election an interesting proposition for punters by offering odds on the number of seats Labor will win. In the Queensland election, I tipped 60, while the Poll Bludger tipped 58. In the end Labor won 59. I’d covered 58, 59 and 60 for $70 each and won $840. The odds were a reflection of the fact that most MSM pundits were tipping in a range from 50 to 53.

This time around, the short odds are for a result for Victorian Labor between 52 and 54. The Poll Bludger’s prediction of 53 is at 7 to 1, the shortest odds for any seat pick.

I don’t have enough seat by seat knowledge in Victoria to make my own prediction, but you can read the rationale for the always well informed Poll Bludger call here. Interestingly, the call includes a prediction that Melbourne will fall to the Greens.

The final number of seats seems intuitively right when you compare the Queensland and Victorian campaigns. As our polling disclosed, the dynamics of the overall campaign are very similar to those of Queensland. And Labor is on similar starting points going into the poll - 62 of 88 seats in Victoria, and 63 of 89 in Queensland (ignoring by-election losses). If you want to look at the really big picture, the two differences are that Bracks are a slightly less formidable politician than Beattie (and his government was in less trouble at the start of the campaign) and that the Liberals are a much less shambolic outfit than Dr Flegg’s bumbling roadshow.

It would be more interesting really to have a betting market on the Victorian Upper House, but you’d also be a braver punter to take a risk on picking its composition.

Howard’s two wars

Published
by
suz
1 year, 10 months ago
in Foreign policy, Iraq and War
. 349 Comments

John Howard, in Vietnam for the first time, refuses to recant on his part in support for the decision to send Australian troops to fight in that disastrous and pointless war. Of course Howard is well aware when he’s asked a question like this that the elephant in the room is the equally disastrous and pointless ongoing war in Iraq. When he says that “nothing has altered my view that, at the time, on the assessments that were made then, I took that view and I took that view properly”, he may as well be talking about the so-called ‘intelligence’ about weapons of mass destruction which was used to justify the invasion of Iraq in 2003. There is no way that John Howard will ever admit that his “view”in either case was founded not on evidence but on the necessity, as he saw it, of aligning Australia with the US.

Nor will Howard ever admit to having any doubts about any policies he’s pursued in all his years in politics, apparently, especially the decisions to go to war, which have cost Australian lives (not to mention hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Iraqi lives). “I think in public life you take a position, and I think particularly of the positions I’ve taken in the time I’ve been Prime Minister, I have to live with the consequences and if I ever develop reservations I hope I would have the grace to keep them to myself.”

Grace … or arrogance? Grace … or stubbornness? Grace … or the absolute will to keep hold of power? Grace … or a complete refusal to be in any way honest with the people who elected him?

Continue reading ‘Howard’s two wars’

White Ribbon Day

Published
by
tigtog
1 year, 10 months ago
in Feminism and Sociology
. 141 Comments

is tomorrow.

wrd-banner.jpg

From the official WRD blog:

Focusing on men’s violence against women does not mean that other forms of violence are okay or don’t exist

The White Ribbon Campaign focuses on men’s violence against women. But this in no way means that this is the only type of violence that occurs, or that it is the most common form of violence, or that other forms of violence are unimportant. It simply means that violence against women is an important social problem that deserves attention.

Like other anti-violence campaigns, the WRC is motivated by the fundamental belief that *all* forms of violence are wrong, whether their victims are female or male, and whether their perpetrators are male or female. Organisers of the WRC would be delighted to see other campaigns focused on other forms of violence, such as violence against men, and these would complement the WRC.

I offer the quote above in an attempt to stymie those who always want to wrench these discussions away from discussing women’s concerns. Discussing a matter of particular importance to women doesn’t mean that men and children are being overlooked or marginalised.

Buy a White Ribbon. Wear it. Stand up against violence.

UPDATE: The comments thread has devolved into exactly the sort of gender lines argument my quote above attempted to pre-empt. If you are a victim of domestic violence looking for a supportive discussion, this is not it. Unfortunately.