She could be the seventh Chaser.

Yep, they often cop it for the absence of girl Chasers.

Also, with the politicians on an extended break, the ghouls from the press gallery have no one to bait and let’s face it, they would be unable to get off their backsides and suss out a real story so they leave it to hacks like this Annabelle Crabb to write crap.

Don’t worry they will all be back to form soon enough!

The fact that they can’t suss out a real story is the issue, and that Annabel Crabb’s lint is about as substantial as political reporting gets. That’s the worry, Howler. The entire Rudd government is taking shape before our eyes. All its strengths and all its weaknesses are being set into place now. You’d think that those responsible for reportin on and analysing those strengths/weaknesses as they play out over the next few years would have an interest in that - but they appear to be waiting for diary details of Jasper the cat.

Thanks Kim.

… but why are you amazed that a journalist wrote something silly and her editor printed it??

[BTW, I thnk it more likely that the way policy and political events are reported, contribute to the WEALTH of bad policy, rather than the ‘paucity’ of bad policy.]

It’ll be interesting to see how Julia Gillard’s desire to reduce entrenched poverty is translated into “practical” policy. I trust she is able to shift the focus of some well-heeled public servants onto such a grubby, sordid, errrkky task: dealing with the real unwashed, not the other non-povvo “Great Unwashed”.

It seems Kevin will back her, after his intriguing directive that every Labor MP should visit a homeless shelter. So, forget Annabel and the Press Gallery’s flim flam… let’s get down to work on something difficult and important and long-term.

cheerio

Probably. No, most certainly. Rudd is always on the job.

At this time of the year, the big name journalists take the ‘free bees’ (overseas holiday and the like) in return for a ‘puff piece’. Tis part of the package.

Where has the Bolta gone? And who is paying?

Time will tell.

In my experience, this was correct. Canberra was dead over xmas. There were heaps of Senior executive servants staying back late over xmas, but you would be surprised how many public service managers seem to think the Austrlian Government will collapse if they aren’t there to lose sleep over their pissy little area of responsibility, something like a change of government probably shaves 5 years off their life.

I escaped Canberra over the Xmas/New Year break so I wouldn’t know how busy it was, but note that it was Rudd himself who was talking about how public servants should be working through the holidays (among other quotes):

“There’s a large agenda of work, and I’d much rather have the public service hard at work over the summer rather than down at Batemans Bay with you folks,” he said.

and another article about Rudd cancelling leave for public servants.

Also, with the politicians on an extended break, the ghouls from the press gallery have no one to bait and let’s face it, they would be unable to get off their backsides and suss out a real story so they leave it to hacks like this Annabelle Crabb to write crap.

Don’t worry they will all be back to form soon enough!

“The CPSU would raise hell and then some if the government dared cut holiday pay over xmas.”

Please explain.

In my experience, this was correct. Canberra was dead over xmas. There were heaps of Senior executive servants staying back late over xmas, but you would be surprised how many public service managers seem to think the Austrlian Government will collapse if they aren’t there to lose sleep over their pissy little area of responsibility, something like a change of government probably shaves 5 years off their life.

The CPSU would raise hell and then some if the government dared cut holiday pay over xmas.

If only they could have left this particular part of the cargo, on the plane trip back. A long time for him to contemplate, meditate and wonder. Penny Wong would handle things far, far better, anyway.

Awesome is the power of a piffle plinker when he hits his straps.
We’ve recently endured a year long campaign, the kids are still on hols, the tennis is on, an orgy of righteous retribution awaits cricket tragics at the WACA, yet at the height of the Silly Season, Andrew Elder, like the Pony Express of Blogdom can be relied upon to deliver the goods.
What a trooper! And well spotted Andrew, Ms Crabbe is being flippant.

Here is Andrew’s blogsite motto:
“I want to be well governed and well informed. Is that too much to ask?”

Gotta hand it to a bloke who knows what he wants. Especially when he’s “Back to work!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwrVGK2tZxU&feature=related

I would be amazed if any ‘rank and file’ public servants actually had any leave cuts. As for those further up the food chain, surely none of them would be naive enough to think that there would be time for a holiday shortly after a change of government.

Enough were kept back that the local paper was reporting there was a bit of an economic boom for local businesses, as instead of Canberra emptying out over xmas/new year as it normally does, people were staying behind to work. Normally its a bit of a ghost town over xmas (not sure if bus timetables still go to their Sunday/public holiday schedule even during the week over this period, but they used to).