Shocking mass killing in New Zealand. Much grieving to be done and (we hope) gun policy to be greatly tightened. Our best wishes to survivors and loved ones of the dead and injured.
A two horse race may be won by either horse. Yet Australia’s coming Federal election looks all over but the shouting. Labor’s ‘soak the rich’ strategy looks a winner. Compare this with the Hawke-Keating government, where ‘prosperity for all’ was the equivalent slogan, and this was delivered. Economic reform increased productivity and that made real wages higher with inflation falling. Despite the massive recession in 1990-91, with Keating as PM, after admitting responsibility for ‘the recession we had to have', Labor was reelected.
Once the Liberal-National team proved itself competent and united, the Howard-Costello government was elected and continued with policies to increase productivity and this allowed real wage increases without inflation. Sadly for Labor, (and the rest of us) the incompetent Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government was tipped out and Tony Abbott had a smashing victory. Sadly his policies were not designed to raise productivity, and neither did Turnbull’s blundering government.
Scott Morrison is far more decisive than Malcolm Turnbull but apart from ‘kill the budget deficit’ there is no clear set of policies to increase productivity. Bill Shorten is behind Morrison as preferred Prime minister but Labor is securely ahead of the disunited Liberal-National mob. I use the word ‘mob’ because disunited sheep seems the simplest description of the unhappy ‘marriage’ between Libs and Nats.
We all know disunity means death, whether it is in war, economic policy or sport. Why the political grouping that should provide unity is so disunited defeats sense. As Mrs Thornton said this morning, every parliamentary grouping that wishes to form government eventually collapses, and only a term or two in the wastelands of opposition will show it the need to get united, formulate a set of policies and create an attractive narrative.
Kulture
Scrabble anyone? On a light-hearted note, Fiona Prior views the latest Bill Nighy vehicle ‘Sometimes Always Never’. More here.
Sporting life
Wonderful to see the much maligned male Aussie cricket prevailing from 2 zip against Indid at home. Bring on the world cup, when Australia’s best batsmen will (presumably) be greatly strengthened by the inclusion of Smith and Warner. Or so we hope. Somehow their inclusion means two blokes who have scratched and fought to make Australian make cricket competitive again. The coach, the new captain and new Vice-captain(s?) need to make the reinclusion as smooth as possible.
AFLW is reaching its climax for 2019. Why is their season so short? Why the ‘divisional’ structure which looks like only the best two teams will make up the final four. I repeat my wish for a regular season with games played before the bloke’s games, as the Seconds used to do.
And, next Thursday, Henry and son Bert will be at the first of AFLM, Carlton vrs Richmond. Last year Carlton surprised everyone, including Richmond, by kicking the first 5 goals against the reigning premiers, then for the sest of the season looked pretty hopeless. New recruits mostly very young and my prediction is the team does well for the first half of the season then runs out of energy.
Still, a good half season would give us all hope. As we have for the Coalition's eventual return to govern this potentially great nation.
Image of the week
