February 2012
26 posts
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WatchGood Game’s review of Dear Esther was not glowing of the game/experience, but it was hilarious.
The utterance of the tale was telling of a twist in fate, and a fold in my leg pants that I thought I’d ironed out three weeks prior
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The Economist has a great post about Labor’s leadership troubles that went up yesterday. Here are the more memorable highlights:
“Ms Gillard has come out of her bitter rivalry with Mr Rudd as a strengthened leader who will be able to stare down her critics. Their fight, after all, was never about policy or strategic direction.”
“In the end, her colleagues held their...
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Dear Friend,
I’m sure you’ll have closely followed the leadership election.
As a member of the ALP I wanted to write to you personally about those events.
I share the frustration of many Labor Party members when you see the Party turning inwards.
Well yesterday we put that behind us. I received the overwhelming support of my colleagues to continue as Labor’s Leader and as Prime Minister. I...
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Labor's Next Problem
‘Haha there are so many, James, where do you even begin?’
Yes, yes, you’ve had your fun. Back to work.
Prime Minister Gillard has one glaring problem staring her in the face as we speak: four of her ministers voted for Kevin Rudd in the leadership ballot this morning. This can mainly be seen as a result of Labor Party politics. Labor leaders do not historically choose their own...
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Retrospective
I’ve often wondered why there hasn’t been an Australian political TV drama, and then I realized that it would have a hard time competing with reality.
Time for a bit of retrospective. I don’t think anyone would assume that tonight the caucus is sitting around the campfire singing Kumbayah and toasting marshmallows. From what I’ve been reading, the level of vitriol we heard...
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“There’s no way Labor would be so stupid as to even think about changing...”
– Me, for the past two years. Guess I was wrong.
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“You are right to say we are not coming before you to say we have a definitive...”
– S**t Tim Geithner says via wonklife, which Ezra should totally rename to ‘wonklyfe’
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Kevin Rudd has confirmed two things – that the faceless men are running the Labor Party and that the instability at the top of this government is damaging our country.
Kevin Rudd’s statement tonight confirms that this government is unworthy to continue in office.
Only the Coalition can provide the strong and stable government that will address the issues facing our country and restore hope,...
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Prime Minister Gillard and I and the overwhelming majority of our colleagues have been applying our Labor values to the policy challenges in front of us and we’re succeeding despite tremendous political obstacles.
For the sake of the labour movement, the Government and the Australians which it represents, we have refrained from criticism to date.
However for too long, Kevin Rudd has...
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Well Done
It is as if carrying the card of the Labor party didn’t already come with enough baggage. But after tonight, the past four years of our policy successes and reforms now amount to nothing in the eyes of the public. Any time talk of politics enters a conversation I am in the questions immediately swing to sideshow leadership speculation, scurrilous rumors, infighting, party conflict and public...
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“The Labor Party is not about a person, it’s about a purpose. That’s...”
– The claws are out: Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan on Kevin Rudd.
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Keeping Medicare Universal: Medicare must be kept...
It seams strange having to discuss this, but means testing the Private Health Insurance Rebate (PHIR) has brought up questions as to the validity of publicly funded universal health care in Australia. Tim Wilson of the Institute of Public Affairs (who’s motto I think should be, ‘Government. Eww!’) stirred up just such a question on this weeks Q&A.
Let’s be clear:...
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Obama's 2013 Budget
The New York Times has made a useful (and very pretty to play with) visualization of Obama’s new budget. Ignoring the fact that it will never pass congress (none of his have so far), it is none the less an important gauge of the President’s priorities for the coming year. So what appear to be his priorities?
Federal Highway Administration receives a 103% boost in funding
...
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Throw your sticks and your stones / Throw your...
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2012 Worldwide Cost of Living Index
The Economist Intelligence Unit has just released their new Cost of Living Index for 2012. The highlights? Currency movements over the past year have seen Swiss and Australian cities move strongly up the rankings as some of the most expensive in the world to live in. Also of note: despite recent economic events, Western Europe still retains 24 of top 50 costliest cities.
The top ten:
Zurich...
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Fixing Healthcare in Australia
With the Federal Government recently passing changes to the Private Health Insurance Rebate, I thought now was a good time to revisit proposals to improve healthcare finance in Australia. Currently our public/private system creates huge amounts of overlap, mainly because people with private health insurance are insured twice; once by the public system and another by their private health insurance....
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“If economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.”
– George Bernard Shaw
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jupitermission:
Hey, remember when you asked me...
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Eight Reports You Should Read
Feel like you’re not up to date with the full state of affairs in Australia? Well here you go! Five reports and papers that will not only expand your horizons, but make you sound super smart if you quote them.
Five Bad Habits of Healthcare: How New Thinking about Behavior Could Reduce Health Spending - World Economic Forum
The Real Effects of Debt - Bank of International Settlements
Do...
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Australian economic inequality: We would like a...
With the Occupy movement filling headlines across the globe, leaving an empty vacuum instead of solutions to their vaguely stated complaints, it is important that we look to Australia, and our own economic situation here at home.
While we pride ourselves on our egalitarianism and in our belief in a ‘fair shake of the sauce bottle’ for all (as one former Prime Minister put it), we must...