Earl Hood

Robbie it might have been my worst post ever but isn't it interesting that the events of the past 24 hours add credence to my main criticism of Abbott. He is out to destroy his political opponents. He is a dangerous idealogue, in my opinion. The fact that we now have a succession of Royal Commissions into all things Labour is testament to my case. Pink bats for heavens sake, then a RC not into corruption in certain industries, but into 5 specific unions. The next year will see former PMs Rudd, Gillard and then Shorten called up to these enquiries, the unions and the ALP having to fund hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend themselves. I think I smell a politically driven vendetta. We know of your obsession with Julia's alleged involvement with a slush fund with her boy friend back in the 90's and that you were appalled by the pink bats program but really should these be the Governments top priorities while they are presiding over the dismantling of what is left of Australian manufacturing. The real issue is that Tony has taken the whole system down to a other level into the dirt because what goes around, comes around and the next time Labour gets in, Tony in particular will need to ready to face any number of Royal Commissions. No one wins with this politics of revenge! Manufacturing is dead but the new growth industry is for lawyers and judges. Oh and you can add financial planners and their new powers to fleece the poor and ignorant of a goodly portion of their superannuation funds.

My God RS there it was written as plain as day and they still traded these guys in! Unbelievable.

Yes your right I forgot about his good work with the local CFA, gee I should have been on to that, and his love for his mother and Grand Mother and all the love he has for his wife and daughters as well. . Thanks for reminding me what a great family man he is. And there is no doubt he is a man of action, never ending movement and interaction. But what has that got to do with his political decisions, his pathological hatred of anyone who opposes him and his obsession to destroy his political opponents. I see him as a very dangerous ideologue, who in league with Ruppert (El Diablo) Murdoch would love to transform the political landscape to see his party rule forever. Make no mistake whatever Tony does is all about Tony and his ultimate pursuit of power.he is just as obsessed as Rudd and Gilliard. I won't be canonising him any time soon myself. But Cardinal Pell, his mentor may beg to differ of course with my thinking.

Hogan can play centre half back you know. It could be a goer, not unlike Neitz's development. Learn how the big forwards play as a backman. Then go forward. Also takes some of the pressure off in his firstbyear. Just an option if all the talls are available and a contingency plan for if Chip does a runner in 2015.

Ok it is Vladimir, my mistake and budgie (predictive script issues). he was according to the Age hanging out with surfies behind the break, incognito, like they did not know he was there but of course all the media were waiting on the beach for him to come in. Not sure where your golf reference comes in? Birdie, golf buggy? Anyway when do you think we will see Tony with his mates in the various factories he kept going for years up to September, warning them of the wrecking ball, Carbon Tax, only now to walk away as if he never met them. It is now their fault.

Well is there a more bloated, over paid industry in OZ except perhaps for the financial sector and parts of the legal fraternity. They all have something in common, big egos, limited, talent, insular thinking. There is no doubt you could cut deep into the AFL clubs to save money and loose very little, as long as you do it right. The fact that Danks got so far into the system with his unproven, hardly legal, snake oil products speaks volumes about the calibre of managers in charge of AFL and NrL clubs.

Yes a profile of a man's man just like Alexander Puttin don't you think? Interestingly, Robbie that we are now seeing Tony in the sea, no buggie smugglers, now he hangs out with the cool surfing set, incognito. however we now never see him in fluoro vest, hard hat and safety glasses, arm in arm with manufacturing workers. He was their mate before September, now he is pouring absolute Shyte all over them. Greedy fat cats now apparently! Shyte who would want a fair weather friend like Tony Abbott, I ask? Anti intellectual, Rhodes Scholar, economic illiterate who studied economics. He certainly is a complex man, our Tony.

Ummm DL not sure where you are coming from on this one. I am usually at loggerheads with Robbie on political issues but I don't think he has ever been an advocate for the tragedies that go on in Bangledesh, India etc. I believe your image is from Bophal and the disgraceful behaviour of Union Carbide who just walked away from the disaster that killed thousands and continues to kill thousands every year. UC just rebadged themselves as Dow Chemicals, I believe and moved on. Not sure what this has to do with the textile industry?

Please DL what would LordWeaver be thinking now? Choirboys, really!

Robbie I think it is the Bradmill buildings I see driving back from Geelong just before the Westgate. A great industrial structure and icon but I notice the low level buildings have been demolished and the iconic multi-storey part of the Mill is deteriorating with graffiti and broken windows, quite sad if it all goes.it is part of our industrial heritage and some of it should be preserved.

I agree Tunbridge. it's all a bit touchy with the Greeks and the Ottomans. A bit overblown I agree. Just a small issue based around the fall of Contantinople and the end of the Roman Empire but then maybe stuff going back to 1453 can't be compared to the bitter rivalries of Melbourne versus Collingwood going back to the 50's.

Just had a look at the Defence Ministers tirade on TV about the ABC's reporting about allegations about the behaviour of the Navy and some of those despicable refugees. He is absolutely incensed, didn't speak about this for several days because he needed time to calm down! He is now demanding yet another investigation into the ABC over just this one report from a single reporter in Indonesia. I mean why stop there? Lets have a Royal Commission. For heavens sake where did they dig this David Johnston up from? As a defence minister, I am worried if someone takes a shot at his beloved Navy, he will declare war on the nearest suspect country and start shooting. At the moment we are looking at wall to wall royal commissions, inquiries and reviews, like we really need another inquiry into a single ABC report. Gee I thought the Adults were in charge or did I get that wrong? Did they mean the dolts?

Morrison himself under questioning on this issue said there was capsicum spray used to subdue some people after the boarding. It was thought then some refugees may have fallen on the engine exhaust. That is the official OZ view. So yes some heavy handed action did occur it seems. In the end it is the vacuum of facts coming from our end that hands the political ground to your competitors.

Hannibal I will go with what SPCmanagement has put on the record, thanks. Sloane has zero credibility, she just follows company orders. But really what the SPC workers are earning is a furphy. The real problem is the high dollar, the EU dumping canned fruit here at below cost and of course a plant badly in need of modernisation.

It is interesting that the liberal member for the Shep area has called Tony a liar over the SPC issues. Gee that is odd for a guy who spent three years calling everyone else a liar. Takes one to know one I guess. Tony would have known a lie when he heard one because he is full of it himself. Blue tie and all!

I still think it gets back to supply and demand. We have a rising demand for IT skills, plumbers, electricians, engineers, you name it. We have failed miserably in the last 30 years to train enough of them. We have brought in large numbers of skilled migrants but it is still not enough to meet demand. Those skills are in short supply and at the moment there is no competition from overseas but it will come one day in the engineering consulting area perhaps. There are thousands of trained professionals in India and China looking for opportunities here so one day that will happen and costs will likely fall. Basic trades I think will hold there price because parents still urge their kids to get a degree while the real opportunities could be in the trades. Demand for the right trades will remain high and they will be paid well. Governments made the decisions in the 80's to sell off, or break up the big utilities, SECV, Gas and Fuel, MMBW for efficiency reasons but there was always going to be a cost, training. These state government organisations as well as other subsidised companies such as GMH did all the apprentiships and Graduate Engineer placements. Once they were nobbled the 80's

So tell me Robbie when will any facts come out of Morrison's office, pray tell us? The ABC reported, as well as others on allegations about injuries to turned back refugees. They had no avenues to confirm the allegations with the Government because Morrison is too important to talk to mere journos, we know that. So journos are left to talk to the Indonesisian end. Why do you expect? My guess is that something did happen in the boat turn around. Some heavy handed actions took place but we will probably never know. Very reminiscent of Peter Reith and the so called children overboard. We have never learned the truth there, though most most right thinking citizens hold him in utter contempt for his lies. He has little credibility with any one outside the current Government of course.

Biff we all know we need to bring back Workchoices mark 2. If we can just take the big stick to the SPC types, the cleaners who cant speak english well, the casual workers, I reckon we turn the whole economy around. I am sure the employer associations, with all their experience and knowledge, could not be wrong. They would know the real reasons why we struggle in so many industries. Nothing to do with the high dollar, under investment in capital improvement, f*** all investment in skills and training, f***all innovation, leadership and whatever. This is what is holding us back, these semi skilled fat cats!

Good heavens DL Is that Scott Morrison on the right? In my report in post 301 of the Carbon Tax thread on my failed mission to Canberra in January to talk sense to Morrison, I saw such a strange device in Morrisons office.

Robbie what about this! You wouldn't guess it's me would you. The Hood master of disguise!

I am happy to stand by my comments. It's a cheap shot. And by the way my name is not hoody, I am The Hood, arch criminal, master of disguise and the nemesis of certain International Rescue organisations!

Great to see whatever low life (liberal?) that put that together was happy to gloat on the tragic deaths of those people off Christmas Island in a cyclone for a cheap shot at Bill Shorten. Thanks for that Robbie!

Thousands?

DC i don't know I am still lying down thinking of England. You'll have to give me some time. I am desperately awaiting advice from Lord Weaver. Is he anywhere to be seen, my eyes are failing me!

DC at this stage I believe we need LordWeaver to step in and provide advice. God knows we need someone to lead us into the promised land!