Comments on: What budget lock-up was like http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/ Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:08:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Helen http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156665 Helen Wed, 20 May 2009 01:29:36 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156665 I was lucky enough to be able to stay with my parents who were living in Hackett in the 1980s/90s, right next to Mount Majura and Mount Ainslie. Bushwalking right out the front door. Crimson rosellas. Bike paths right into the city. Relaxed lunches at outdoor tables among spotted gums. Walks further afield in Namadji and Captains Flat. Peace and quiet. Sure it was probably a lifestyle suited to an older person or young children, but for a few days it chilled me right out. I didn't bother with parliament-watching until late in the piece - better than television. I was lucky enough to be able to stay with my parents who were living in Hackett in the 1980s/90s, right next to Mount Majura and Mount Ainslie. Bushwalking right out the front door. Crimson rosellas. Bike paths right into the city. Relaxed lunches at outdoor tables among spotted gums. Walks further afield in Namadji and Captains Flat. Peace and quiet. Sure it was probably a lifestyle suited to an older person or young children, but for a few days it chilled me right out. I didn’t bother with parliament-watching until late in the piece – better than television.

]]> By: Droo http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156664 Droo Tue, 19 May 2009 22:52:03 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156664 I agree Ben, I was out of order and I apologise. But please, no more Canberra bashing? I don't think you find Canberra dwellers egregiously bashing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc. so why does Canberra get picked on so much? It is a beautiful city and I, for one, feel extremely fortunate to be able to live here. Droo I agree Ben, I was out of order and I apologise. But please, no more Canberra bashing? I don’t think you find Canberra dwellers egregiously bashing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc. so why does Canberra get picked on so much? It is a beautiful city and I, for one, feel extremely fortunate to be able to live here.

Droo

]]> By: allan http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156663 allan Sat, 16 May 2009 00:36:55 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156663 Interesting article about the lock up Ben but I must also admit to being a bit cheesed off by the uninformed comments from some of the posters about Canberra. eg "I lived there for 6 months etc." I doubt if you can get to know a place well in six months. I lived there for 40 odd years and saw it grow from a town of 80,000 to a city of over 300,000. I now live on the Gold Coast which, alas for me, has none of the attractions I found in Canberra. I'm seriously thinking of moving back there. Interesting article about the lock up Ben but I must also admit to being a bit cheesed off by the uninformed comments from some of the posters about Canberra. eg “I lived there for 6 months etc.” I doubt if you can get to know a place well in six months. I lived there for 40 odd years and saw it grow from a town of 80,000 to a city of over 300,000. I now live on the Gold Coast which, alas for me, has none of the attractions I found in Canberra.

I’m seriously thinking of moving back there.

]]> By: Lefty E http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156662 Lefty E Fri, 15 May 2009 15:03:52 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156662 Lol! Remember this old turkey,<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/15/2572275.htm" rel="nofollow">whatsisiname</a>? Its funny, cos he - of all people, Mr $4 billion dollar handouts to pensioners - reckons "Kevin Rudd wasted money by giving away cash handouts". Oi, dickhead: there's a reason people stopped listening to you about 2005. Its because you cant lie straight in bed with this stuff. And oh look, sadly for ex-PM Whatsisface, actual economists blame <a href="http://livenews.com.au/budget-09/we-stuffed-up-our-boomtime-budgets-access-economics/2009/5/11/206023" rel="nofollow">.....him</a>. Lol! Remember this old turkey,whatsisiname? Its funny, cos he – of all people, Mr $4 billion dollar handouts to pensioners – reckons “Kevin Rudd wasted money by giving away cash handouts”.

Oi, dickhead: there’s a reason people stopped listening to you about 2005. Its because you cant lie straight in bed with this stuff.

And oh look, sadly for ex-PM Whatsisface, actual economists blame …..him.

]]> By: Tosca http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156661 Tosca Fri, 15 May 2009 14:49:46 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156661 Actually, this bit of mindless Canberra bashing has served to remind me of just how nice it has been since J W Howard, Canberra-basher-in-Chief, left public office. The shrill ritual Canberra bashing has all but disappeared from the daily discourse. Journalists still take the lazy option and use the word Canberra to refer to the Government or the Parliament but apart from that life has resumed its more relaxed pace and style. Actually, this bit of mindless Canberra bashing has served to remind me of just how nice it has been since J W Howard, Canberra-basher-in-Chief, left public office. The shrill ritual Canberra bashing has all but disappeared from the daily discourse. Journalists still take the lazy option and use the word Canberra to refer to the Government or the Parliament but apart from that life has resumed its more relaxed pace and style.

]]> By: Angharad http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156660 Angharad Fri, 15 May 2009 08:22:15 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156660 For the record, there's more than one lock-up. There's the lockup the media goes to and at which the Treasurer appears, all the minor parties have their own lockups also in Parl House and there's another one in Treasury Building for people like ACOSS and other big national agencies likely to comment on the budget. And there there's a whole heap of single portfolio lockups like Employment and other ones. Never been to one of those but I know people who have:) Been to both a minor party one and the Treasury one. That was best because they had a man sitting in the corner scanning all the time for wireless or mobile signals. I had my press release and notes all loaded and ready to email as soon as I got outside and got wireless. But, you know, I 've got a short attention span adn 4 hours is an awefully long time to concentrate on one thing! For the record, there’s more than one lock-up. There’s the lockup the media goes to and at which the Treasurer appears, all the minor parties have their own lockups also in Parl House and there’s another one in Treasury Building for people like ACOSS and other big national agencies likely to comment on the budget.

And there there’s a whole heap of single portfolio lockups like Employment and other ones. Never been to one of those but I know people who have:)
Been to both a minor party one and the Treasury one. That was best because they had a man sitting in the corner scanning all the time for wireless or mobile signals. I had my press release and notes all loaded and ready to email as soon as I got outside and got wireless. But, you know, I ‘ve got a short attention span adn 4 hours is an awefully long time to concentrate on one thing!

]]> By: Ben Eltham http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156659 Ben Eltham Fri, 15 May 2009 08:19:32 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156659 Ginja, no. Ginja, no.

]]> By: Ginja http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156658 Ginja Fri, 15 May 2009 07:55:51 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156658 Is it true that they pump loud music into the lock-up like they do to Gitmo detainees? Is it true that they pump loud music into the lock-up like they do to Gitmo detainees?

]]> By: David Irving (no relation) http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156657 David Irving (no relation) Fri, 15 May 2009 07:53:21 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156657 I lived in Canberra for about six months in 1988, and I didn't much care for it. The bike paths were great (except when you had to share them with dickheads on very long roller skates, getting ready for the skiing season), but the urban design generally was, imo, frightful. It seems to have been designed by and for bureaucrats (nothing is in plain sight, and everything is hidden around a corner), and you need a native guide to find your way round for the first three months. Oh, and there didn't seem to be any pubs or proper shops, at least in the suburb we lived in. I agree with Ben about Parliament House, too. I lived in Canberra for about six months in 1988, and I didn’t much care for it.

The bike paths were great (except when you had to share them with dickheads on very long roller skates, getting ready for the skiing season), but the urban design generally was, imo, frightful. It seems to have been designed by and for bureaucrats (nothing is in plain sight, and everything is hidden around a corner), and you need a native guide to find your way round for the first three months. Oh, and there didn’t seem to be any pubs or proper shops, at least in the suburb we lived in.

I agree with Ben about Parliament House, too.

]]> By: Chris http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156656 Chris Fri, 15 May 2009 06:01:50 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/#comment-156656 dd @ 27 - Agreed they pay more in taxes, but thats what you get from a progressive tax system. I think the reason the design works so well for cars is that Canberra is so young and was built with that in mind from the start. Nice wide trunk roads with room for further expansion in many cases. However there's a high cost to the sprawl - the public transport system is pretty bad. And the roads really are much better than most other cities, even in the outer burbs, though those who have lived in Canberra a long time tell me there has been a noticeable deterioation since self government. I think the core areas are still federally funded which probably helps quite a bit. dd @ 27 – Agreed they pay more in taxes, but thats what you get from a progressive tax system. I think the reason the design works so well for cars is that Canberra is so young and was built with that in mind from the start. Nice wide trunk roads with room for further expansion in many cases. However there’s a high cost to the sprawl – the public transport system is pretty bad.

And the roads really are much better than most other cities, even in the outer burbs, though those who have lived in Canberra a long time tell me there has been a noticeable deterioation since self government. I think the core areas are still federally funded which probably helps quite a bit.

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