The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

repeat post deleted

Labor attacks government over Telstra
September 9, 2005 - 6:13PM/the AGE

Labor has accused Prime Minister John Howard of deliberately lying to Australians over the true financial state of Telstra.

As debate continues on the government's Telstra sale bills, Labor MP Warren Snowdon said Mr Howard had knowingly deceived Australians when he told them Telstra services were up to scratch.

"The Australian people have been lied to, misled, they have been conned, they have been duped to believe that somehow or another Telstra was in safe hands, would be sold and was working effectively," Mr Snowdon told parliament.

"And who's responsible for these mistruths?

"The Australian government.

"Who's the leader of the Australian government?

"The prime minister."... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/labor-attacks-government-over-telstra/2005/09/09/1125772685484.html

Fishy business, cont.:

Vaile briefed Nats on Telstra: Labor
September 9, 2005 - 6:09PM/the AGE

Labor has accused Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile of briefing his Nationals colleagues on a confidential Telstra document outlining major problems facing the telecommunications giant.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday defended his failure to let ordinary Telstra shareholders know about the document by saying it would have been illegal to pass on the information.

But Mr Vaile today appeared to admit that he had told his National party colleagues about it.

"Did I tell my colleagues? Did I tell my colleagues? Yes I did," Mr Vaile said.

Mr Vaile had been asked by Opposition Leader Kim Beazley whether he recalled being told at a briefing with Telstra boss Sol Trujillo and other executives on August 11 about Telstra's $5.7 billion plan to bring telecommunications services in regional Australia up to speed.

Mr Beazley asked whether Mr Vaile informed his National party colleagues of the contents of the briefing when he signed them up to the government's $3.1 billion plan for regional telecommunications.... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/vaile-briefed-nats-on-telstra-labor/2005/09/09/1125772685481.html

So much for the "mum & dad" investors (God, I hate that term! ) in Telstra. Played for mugs by Honest John. But then they probably voted him back in, too, at the last election, so ....

PM may limit life of terrorism laws
By Cynthia Banham and Andrew Clennell
September 10, 2005/SMH

The Prime Minister, John Howard, has left open the inclusion of a sunset clause in the Government's proposed counter-terrorism laws, amid continuing criticisms that the proposals will turn Australia into a police state.

Civil liberties groups, lawyers, Muslim organisations and opposition parties yesterday continued to warn that the laws, which give police "preventive detention" powers to keep people in custody without charge for two weeks, would strip Australians of democratic freedoms.... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pm-may-limit-life-of-terrorism-laws/2005/09/09/1125772697534.html?oneclick=true

Telstra gunslingers reloading for another battle
September 10, 2005/the AGE

The new team leading Telstra know they're in for a fight. They're ready for it ....

... Despite the intense war of words between the Federal Government and Telstra executives, led by new chief executive Solomon Trujillo, the mood inside the boardroom is remarkably calm. There is even a sense of relief that Mr Trujillo, the man employed to enact cultural change, is showing signs of doing exactly that........

"The board 100 per cent knew what it was getting with Sol," said a spokeswoman for chairman Donald McGauchie.

"They hired a tough, experienced person to do an incredibly tough job."<extracts>

<complete article>
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/telstra-gunslingers-reloading-for-another-battle/2005/09/09/1125772695310.html?oneclick=true

Shaun Carney's article from this morning's Age. Control of both houses of federal parliament should have made it simple for JH to implement his long cherished plans. Yet, over IR reform & the proposed privatization of Telstra, things are not quite working that way:



The easy is looking hard

A compliant Senate was meant to make things simple. So what happened?:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/shaun-carney/the-easy-is-looking-hard/2005/09/09/1125772686470.html

Goddess, I only hope the rest of his agenda is this hard to implement, too.

I might be being a desperate optimist right now, Deb, but I suspect that the IR stuff & the Telstra fiasco could well be JH's undoing. Simply because both directly impact on the lives & incomes of very ordinary people. The ones who voted for him at the last election because of their fear over possible mortgage rate rises under Labor. The "ordinary moms & dads". (god I hate that term!) I suspect that Howard's credibility is taking a bit of a beating with these folk. (On top of that, they're gasping at the cost of petrol. This isn't how it was supposed to be under Honest John! Their standard of living is going down the shute.) Now all we need is a Labor opposition!

Indeed.

Looks like hubris is taking down quite a few politicians

... & just when they thought ANYTHING was possible!

The Greens call for a delay on the Telstra vote in the Senate. And why the hell not slow things down, given the revelations of last week? Why the rush? The result of the vote will have repercussions for years to come.:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1457461.htm

Well, I'd like to lobby for a government buy-back of the shares that have already been sold ..... when the share prices hit rock bottom, around next week, sometime!

Clever cartoon, very clever. Look at Helen's height and compare it with the clown and the pie - guess who's going to wear it?

Senate passes Telstra sale

September 14, 2005

THE Senate today voted to sell the Government's stake in Telstra.


Well, there you go.
He got his way again ...

Despite this earlier news & all the other doubts. I'm filled with utter disgust at this government. Whose interests are they actually looking after? Sell-out, pure & simple!:

Last Update: Wednesday, September 14, 2005. 3:31pm (AEST)

Telstra jobs not guaranteed, says Govt

Acting Prime Minister Mark Vaile has refused to guarantee there will be no job losses after Telstra is sold, but says the company will have to maintain a large workforce in regional areas. .. <cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1460273.htm

And to leave it to the Nats to hold the bag! Shame, Howard!