In the wake of the Prime Minister’s $6 billion weekend spending spree, I couldn’t help reflecting on a piece I had read recently on the purchasing power of election promises.
Federal election 2004 will be memorable for several reasons, not least, the clash between the Lying Rodent, Prime Minister John Howard’s latest nickname, and the Road Rager, as Liberal Canning MHR, Don Randall, has dubbed Labor leader, Mark Latham.
Mark Latham’s promise to give up to $75 million a year to Western Australia to attract major new gas and processing projects to the State largely went unnoticed at the weekend.
Last week’s State Scene lifted the veil on the unwitting moves by Premier Geoff Gallop and Energy Minster Eric Ripper that are helping Alinta further tighten its stranglehold over Western Australia’s domestic and industrial gas markets.
State Scene has long argued that the Court-Barnett Liberal duo’s most disastrous move was privatising the Dampier-to-Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP).
At this time of year it’s perhaps not surprising that our universities start making new appointments as they prepare to compete for the hearts and minds of students-to-be.
I hate to be a killjoy when our Olympic athletes have performed so well, but I did feel it was time to put some of the bragging in context – but a little less subjectively than Roy & HG did in the various tallies they provided.
Labor enjoyed watching Prime Minister John Howard searching for explanations after one-time Defence Department officer Mike Scrafton belatedly surfaced to claim the PM knew the so-called kids overboard claims were phony.
Overshadowed by some clever politicking by Labor leader Mark Latham on the US Free Trade Agreement, the Federal Opposition’s industrial relations policy has failed to get the scrutiny it deserves.
As the past two State Scene columns have considered the forthcoming State election – predicting Labor will win in the legislative assembly, thereby forming the next government, and the conservatives will re-gain control of the legislative council – this w
Mr Barnett’s so-called new policy (‘Liberals release IR plan’ WA Business News August 5) is not new, it’s back to future – back to the unhappy days of the Court Government’s unfair industrial relation
As the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre begins the process of opening its doors to the public, the foreshore building has attracted a fresh round of analysis/criticism.
Last week State Scene outlined the likely outcome of the forthcoming State election, which Premier Geoff Gallop will call for sometime between October 2004 and February 2005.
