Teacher Laptops Should Be Deemed As Essential Tools And Supplied

I wasn't too pleased to read the other day that teachers in Victoria were being forced to enter lease agreements for outdated Apple computers and that the lease would lock them in until 2016. Their students would have far better computers, probably paid for by taxpayer dollars, as opposed to the computers that the teachers would use (and pay for).

I don't fancy being locked into anything especially if I have no choice in the matter. If a laptop is deemed by the government to be an essential tool for all teachers then surely the relevant education department should be responsible for providing them. I don't get this. In this country if a uniform is required then the company has to issue it. If personal protective equipment is necessary then the company has a duty to supply it.

How can we be in a situation whereby the teachers have inferior products to the generation that they are supposed to be teaching? It's like having a university lecturer whose experience is dated and irrelevant. Oh, wait....

Aren't the youth of today supposed to be tomorrow's leaders? What happened to the Education Revolution from the Australian Labor Party? Ha, I like the reference to "in a Rudd Labor Government" throughout the linked document. That didn't last long. I guess now that KRudd is no longer in charge the Labor Party doesn't have to honour those particular promises.

Get your act together, the Australian Government, and provide for education outcomes that are necessary in this country.

What's Julia Gillard's New Slogan?

Before the last federal election Julia Gillard had the slogan "Moving Forward". Whenever she was asked a question relating to policy and mistakes made by the Labor Party the answer was always the same - "We're moving forward".

Now that Labor is floundering in the polls and there is some talk from her party that has reached the media, with the possibility that she will be replaced, she doesn't seem to be moving forward anymore. Now she's stated "I'm not going anywhere".

I think this is the point where Gillard has gone as forward as she's going and has stopped just prior to moving backwards. It's as though she hasn't felt the knives in the back yet, perhaps they're still being cleaned after deposing Kevin Rudd, but they are certainly out. I said at the end of last year that she would lose her position before the next election and be replaced by Stephen Smith, the current minister for defence, and he has been very quiet of late. Strange, that.

Let's see how long Gillard runs with her new slogan.

Nice To See Some Love For Our Politicians

I received a flyer in the mailbox a couple of days ago. It was for Bill Johnston, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, and he was calling for three "Have Your Say" public meetings. One of them was held in the City of Canning car park. The missus and I went for a walk that morning and who should we see but our local member? Yes, he was sitting next to a table alongside his vehicle with an aide. And NOBODY was there to talk to him.

I almost felt sorry enough for him to go and have a chat but he is a Labor politician and so, by definition, I dislike him intensely. Still, if the missus wasn't with me I probably would have said something. And not nasty or anything. Perhaps it shows that the locals care more about policies that affect the nation than those that affect state politics. I was surprised that the local member had made himself available for the public and no-one showed the slightest bit of interest. Shows that the state of politics is pretty sad, methinks.

Gillard Has Declared 2011 a Year of Delivery and Decision for her Government.

So, Julia Gillard has declared 2011 a year of delivery and decision for her government. Well thank goodness the Labor Party has actually achieved something after three years in charge - a decent slogan. Is anybody still buying this shit? And how the hell are you going to increase job opportunities when unemployment is hovering around the 4% mark which is generally regarded as full employment?

Wake up Australia. The years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 we just as good for delivery and decisions. Still plenty of time this year to deliver and decide. I'm sick of this political spin and bulldust.

What Will Julia Gillard Be Doing After August 21st?

It struck me tonight - What will Julia Gillard, our current prime minister, be doing after the election on August 21st? It's seems all the more clear that she won't be prime minister at least. Tony Abbott needs to keep his mouth, and those of his deputy Julie Bishop and shadow treasurer Joe Hockey, shut for another three weeks for that to happen though.

I watched Julia Gillard tonight on the 7:30 Report with Kerry O'Brien. He asked the tough questions, to which many she feigned to laugh, but she answered very few of them no matter how pressing Kerry was. One of my colleagues commented that she has no credibility.

- I don't think that Julia is cut-out for a job as a stockbroker or share trader - she doesn't like to speculate.
- I don't think that Julia is going to get a job race-calling on the track or providing opinion on footy matches - she doesn't like to comment.
- I don't think that Julia has a future as an autobiographer - she has nothing to say about herself.
- I don't think that Julia will become a talk show professional guest - she has not done anything to brag about or appear to have any achievements to be proud of during her time in government.
- I don't think that Julia could be a patron of any organisation - she doesn't care for the sick and underprivileged (Kevin Rudd didn't even get a phone call from her when in his hospital bed after having his gall bladder removed).
- I don't that that Julia could become a scriptwriter - her message uses the same words each day but says very little.

- She does have a future as a newsreader or actor - she reads from a script very well.
- She does have a future as a surgeon - she really knows how to stick the knife in.
- She did have the possibility of becoming the Western Bulldogs' full forward but Barry Hall appears to have done enough to cement his position for this year and possibly the next. Julia will be too out of shape in two seasons time to take over.

At least Pauline Hanson was still interesting after she finished in politics.

Kevin Rudd Has Too Much Gall

Well, obviously the gall of the man reached amazing levels. That's got to be why Kevin Rudd went to hospital to have his gall bladder removed today. How else do you explain it?

There were a few theories at work:

- The knife from Julia Gillard and her mates went in so deeply that it struck the gall bladder.
- He's doing it for the sympathy vote in the upcoming election.
- The doctor wanted to take the piss out of him after the rest of the country had had a turn.
- Being kicked out of the prime ministership by his own party after having taken his party to the greatest number of seats ever was just too galling for him.
- He was desperate to lose a bit of weight after not having time to exercise.

Interesting that he went to a private hospital and not a public one. Mind you, with the fact that if you earn over A$75k/yr you need to have private health insurance or pay a higher Medicare levy in this country. Not really surprising at all in that case, after all.

Just Like Tony Abbott

I took an online quiz, Federal election 2010: What's Your Politics Tool, this morning to show from the multitude of libertarian, authoritarian, conservative and progressive political figures what my political leanings are. Interesting result. Not only do I have the same ears as Tony Abbott but I also share his political views.

Just like Tony Abbott.