Google, as we know, is our friend. Particularly, it seems when you’re a government staffer and you want to rubbish “any other views” in answer to a Dorothy Dixer. Now, as we also know as citizens who are alert to and alarmed by the proceedings of Parliament, the volume of Dorothy Dixers in the Senate has now been increased but this pernicious practice has always marred the accountability functions of HoR Question Time. Or at least in this blogger’s living memory.
What’s weird is when you’re in part responsible for Peter Costello’s rantings.
Which I am.
As is well known to purveyors of popular prescription drugs, extortionate loans and popular online card games, blogs attract many more hits than the average lonely website. Hence the continuing traffic we get from those who are fascinated by whether Missy Higgins is a lesbian.
So an estimable blog like LP or – and this is relevant – John Quiggin’s – whose daily readership is up there (in our case, around 4000 now) is near the top of an enormous number of obscure google search strings.
Anyway, in Question Time on Tuesday, the Treasurer of Australia, Mr Costello, was asked -
Has the Treasurer heard recent statements bolstering arguments for further reform of Australia’s workplace relations system? Is the Treasurer aware of any other views?
His response was to quote the usual neo-liberal suspects – the OECD, the IMF and the Reserve Bank Governor. Apparently, regressive and antediluvian opposition to much needed reform – contra these august institutions/personages – came only from the Honourable Member for Lilley and one David Peetz – a labour economist. Costello conceded that he doesn’t know David, but he (or his trusty taxpayer funded staffmembers) did some googling and found that (shock! horror!) the said David Peetz has been doing research with the ACTU into union delegate effectiveness. But – and here’s the rub – David is a poet. A bard. In fact, the resident bard of Workers Online.
But that’s not all:
He not only writes poems, it further emerges that David Peetz sings in the trade union choir.
Now, I don’t know whether or not Mr Costello’s lauding of Alexander Downer as Australia’s most prominent and best vocalist is meant in jest. Nor do I want to know.
But, and this is most assuredly the rub, dear comrades, I am responsible for this factoid that the Treasurer has retailed to the eager audience of the Daily Hansard – by virtue of a comment at John Quiggin’s blog on the occasion of the Bob Gregory fest.
And therefore I wish to correct the record.
David no longer sings in the Trade Union Choir. He’s gone solo. No, not really. He’s in a folk group these days.
All of this perhaps goes to show that google is not the Treasurer’s friend. Professor Peetz, far from being an eccentric labour economist sitting around a Brisbane waterhole somewhere on the southside whistling The Ballad of Joe Hill to himself, is in fact a very distinguished and internationally published and cited authority on employment relations.
So to the degree that I singled out David as a songsmith, and contributed to Peter Costello’s Question Time performance, I want to put the facts on the record. If there is a record – I’m sure David will give due notice of his forthcoming CD. And if I know David, I’m sure Mr Costello will find an appropriate place in the liner notes.
So, honourable blog readers all, my answer to Costello’s question:
Would it be possible that David Peetz and Wayne Swan know what’s better for the Australian industrial relations system than the OECD, the IMF and the Reserve Bank Governor?
—- is —- Yes.
Probable.
Certain.
Google that, Costello staffers!
The singing labour economist beats the singing google detective.
Professor or not, he’s still a Labor hack whose opinions are close to worthless in comparison to the OECD, the IMF and the Reserve governor. To dispute that is Bjelke-esque. Swan gets demolished every day in parliament – he really has risen above his intellectual station.
C.L., David was my honours supervisor. If I knew my way around a chi squared and econometrics as well as he does, maybe I’d be a Professor too. I think you can distinguish between David’s opinion columns in the C-M, and his scholarly work, but the former are well grounded in the latter.
I think you’ve missed the irony in Costello’s answer, C.L. I’m not belittling him – he does Question Time almost as well as the sainted PJK (but that’s a high bar to jump for a pale imitation…). But Swanny is fond of quoting that trio (OECD, IMF, Reserve Bank Governor) against Cos, so he’s getting his own back. If I were Swanny, I wouldn’t rely on such dubious sources.
I thought you were one of the tv question time viewers, C.L., surprised you didn’t pick it up.
Swan, in my view, would be better (when he’s not quoting Griffith profs) to quote my favourite German intellectual (not the unintelligible Habermas) – Pope Benedict XVI.
Or if he really has to, Cardinal Pell, who’s saying some good things on IR.
WTF, Missy Higgins is lesbian?!!
What about Sarah Blasko? Did you ever suss that one out?
Which is worse, to have your opinions buried for eternity in the vast comment threads of a blog, where only Google and God will ever reach them, or to have them buried for eternity in Hansard, unavailable except to futilely searching political historians?
What about Sarah Blasko?
She’s married. Well, was at least…
Cl is displaying ignorance normally left at Tim Blair’s blog.
David Peetz is highly respected with regard to labour economics and has been for some time.
I should point out he has, from my reading, pointed out the woeful productivity record where individual contracts are in offer.
I have yet to see any empirical work with regard to employment and unemployment.
US experience has employment not being as strong as OZ but unemployment being lower.
Also Mark, to be fair, the rules of Question Time make it pretty hard for Oppo members to ever really shine.
Except the m. for Adelaide
Homer has googled the Professor and deserves credit for that. Like I said, his opinions are massively less noteworthy than those offered by the OECD, IMF and Reserve Governor. Denying that is just nutty.
Well, tell that to Mr Costello next time he rubbishes the IMF and the OECD when they say something derogatory about government policy, C.L.
On the member for Adelaide, Kim Beazley needs to diet. The tv seat is often obscured by the leader.
CL, my very favourite catholic friend ( actually I have no friends now since they all put their fees up this year) I have seen little from the IMF and OECD in RECENT times on the productivity potential of labour market deregulation but I have seem quite a bit on the employment effects which as I said previously are clearly positive.
right again on Q/T. It was Malcolm Fraser who pointed out that Q/T is all in favour of the government.
I remeber when Paul was in full cry and frequently won bets on answers he gave that were wrong.
Costello is even worse and the journos are no better.
Mark,
you are entirely correct as well
My friendship will always be pro bono, Homer.
I can afford that price CL but are you getting a bargain or a lemon?
Ok, who likes this one?:
Its fully [sic].
Um, yeah, Naomi!
Still it does give me the chance to highlight David’s work on IR – like this column today in the Courier-Mail.