Greed mixed with stupidity

I couldn't believe the news today that some elite Melbourne private schools were charging $20,000+ for year 12 tuition fees.

And that some were charging as high as $16,000 for prep!

How much should it cost to educate a kid each year?

$20,000+ per annum school fees just seems way out of control.

The message to parents must be 'drop your wallets here and we'll buy your child success'.

And don't forget that these schools are receiving Federal government support.

'In 2004-'05, non-government schools received $5451 per student in funding from the Victorian and federal governments in addition to compulsory student fees from parents. Government schools received $9700 per student and can only charge voluntary fees.'

Inequality seems to have gone completely mad in education spending and priorities at the moment.

The so-called Latham hit-list doesn't seem like such a bad idea when you see such terrible funding outcomes.

I sincerely hope Labor have the guts to take on private schools and the creeping sense of middle class entitlement and greed that currently inflicts our society.

Power & Greed

Every now and then in my day to day life I meet a complete and utter power hungry cvnt, and I like to think "their day will come".

That others will see in them what I see.

And block that persons progress.

But now that Nelson has made himself the leader of the opposition I can see that such thinking is just blind optimism...

The Champagne has been bought!

Bicipolitics is calling the election for Labour. Let the celebrations begin!

WOO FUCKING HOOOOOO!

-Timboy
-Al
-Cam

Election Day Top Ten

In the spirit of the new socialism... group blog post!

C: Welcome Timboy
T: Clears throat... mumbles thanks

Todays topic is "Top 10 things to say to the schmuck handing out 'how to votes' for the Libs".

10. Sorry, do you have one from the Islamic Federation of Australia?

9. How about you go for growth and get fucked?

8. If you happen to have some leftover Champers tonight, could you just send it round to my place? Us lefties can't afford it.

7. Don't get too happy, the only thing that is narrowing is my hateful glare.

6. If I vote this ticket, can I get my election bribes paid out in cash?

5. I'm going to vote like a donkey, not like an ass.

4. Don't you hate it when you show up to a function and someone else has the same T-Shirt?

3. You'll be working in Hungry Jack's while I'm still a fair weather labour voter.

2. Can I borrow a dollar for the sausage sizzle and 11.7 billion dollars to fix the healthcare system?

1. We're coming back!

BHP and Rio

Reading about BHP's 'friendly' bid for Rio (don't you hate it when your friends aren't returning calls?) gives one pause for thought. The undercurrent of commentary in the Australian media is that a merger would presage ongoing export growth in the commodities sector and hence be good for Australia. A merged BHP and Rio would exploit synergies to increase production and move product more efficiently into the hands of buyers. And a merged BHP and Rio would be able to exploit its market power in the negotiation of commodity prices - especially iron ore - with China and other growth economies. This is where a note of caution must be sounded. In recent history, a high iron ore price has been a net positive for the Australian economy, and a strong positive at that. Greater prices mean that marginal projects will be funded, non-marginal projects are more profitable, exploration becomes economic, employment grows and even government coffers are filled with increased corporate and personal tax receipts. However, whereas a high iron ore price is generally good news for Australia when it results from the natural order of things - the workings out of supply and demand in relatively decentralised markets - the same may not be true when higher prices are a function of a BHP-Rio monopoly. In all monopolies, the most profitable thing to do tends to be to underproduce to some degree while maintaining a higher price than would be achievable in a more competitive market. So it might be that a merged BHP and Rio would hold back production to a greater degree once merged. This would lead to lower investment in the Australian commodities sector, lower employment and a net negative effect on the Australian economy. So a high iron ore price, while good for Australia right now, is not an unequivocal benefit and is not something that we should necessarily view as a positive coming out of a BHP-Rio merger.

More food for thought: would a merged BHP-Rio have monopsony power in the acquisition of labour in the commodities sector?

Talking to the taxman about poetry

Days fall over each
Other sliding into space.
Carpe diem cvnt.

they vote

and i'd dare suggest that they'd be susceptible to the odd barrel of pork

Poor Johnny

Even his friends have left him (and he can't buy them back):

'Top Private Schools Lash PM's Policy - The Age'

Could the swing go really big? Could Rudd's momentum mean a blowout on election day? Voters often don't want to be on the losing side and consequently changes of government in Australia often come with big swings. Momentum begets momentum. I'm not calling a big swing... it could still be close. But I did decide yesterday that some seats that could be affected in a really big uniform swing were paying too much for labour, so I laid down some little bets.

$5 each on Labour to win in: Aston (paying $50), Higgins ($45), Casey ($36.25), Dunkley ($24.25) and Macarthur ($15.25). Do I think any or all of these bets will come off? Probably not... but I think they are reasonable value. And it means I can afford to buy the champagne if Costello goes down in flames.

sales taxes, licencing fees, stamp duty

they're everywhere

Paul Keating on Workchoices

'WorkChoices is nothing more than a bitchy ideologically based attempt to break down the wages and working conditions of the lowest-paid Australians; in the main, women and young people.'

Amen

he also calls Workchoices 'Goebbellian-titled'

and

'John Howard has mauled the one group in the community that successfully took on the fight against inflation and who co-operated in the dismantling of the centralised wage system to keep that victory in place. Not one bit of thanks or acknowledgment has he given them. After all, if they were the wreckers and thugs he says they are, how could we have possibly had a 2.5 per cent inflation rate consistently over the past 16 years?

One thing is for sure, if the inflation rate does jump, as the Reserve Bank believes it will, because the Howard Government has done nothing with the supply capacity of the economy for 10 years, while pumping the demand side with five rounds of tax cuts, John Howard and Peter Costello won't know what to do about wage rises.'

Argh, nothing like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise boring campaign.

another competition...

i do love them...

Don't lose the detail of this memorable (if interminable) campaign in the tired and emotional haze of Election Night 2007. Make a note of your favorite hustings moments now ... and send them to us!

Crikey today announces its inaugural No Party Preferred Election Awards. We'll be the judge, but you need to provide the nominations.

The categories are (envelopes please):

The Evolution-Of-Dance Award for most excruciating YouTube campaign moment.
The Pork-Me Plate for the most gratuitous spending pledge.
The Latham Handshake Clasp for biggest campaign cock-up.
The Dennis Shanahan Medal for the most courageous spinning of a bad news moment.
The Suspend-Your-Cynicism Cup for the most inspiring campaign moment.
We want your suggestions. Simply tell us your candidate, the moment and why you're nominating them. The best suggestion for each category will win a whole bunch of Crikey goodies, including socks and DVDs. Vote as many times as you want, for one or all categories.

Send your entries to Boss@crikey.com.au, with Crikey Election Awards in the subject field, by 5pm, Thursday 22 November. All the winners will be announced in our midday edition on Friday 23 November.

presently i'm thinking...

1. stephen fielding's walking the streets. the 'bank fees' episode wins by a nose over 'the one about fuel taxes'
2. half a million for indonesian monkeys
3. hehehe probably as per two. or that junior minister who wanted to raise the GST.
4. the australian's coverage over last week's polls
5. cha right... hehehe yet to occur. but i am in the middle of the west wing's presidential race between santos and vinnick. that's drop-your-guard politics.

Wouldn't read about it

Unbelievable.

If you swallow Bindeez children toys the body metabolises them into GHB!

Something tells me they are going to start making appearances at Dance parties this summer!

Alex Had a Good Idea Today

If cigarettes could only be purchase unbranded at a pharmacy, that would be a good thing. In many ways I'm a libertarian, but I don't disagree.

Also, I think Alex is quite handsome.

And it is comic genius when Alex uses my computer to edit my blog post to say that he is quite handsome. I wish I could have his children.