Earl Hood

Who's Alexander and what's golf go to do with it; why would Tony have a Buggie if he wasn't playing golf too?

Was he incognito or was he hanging with the cool surfing set; maybe they were playing surf golf.

Finally how much have you had to drink tonight?

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.

$1.8 Million is a staggering amount...No wonder the AFL stepped in and said "Enough"

Schwab's final Press Conference he spoke very well, but once it is revealled what he actually presided over it is a total disgrace.

I wonder if he has any remorse at all?

Or just mooved on to the next project....?

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.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott--a-man-of-fire-and-water-20140207-3278y.html

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.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/bangladesh-factory-building-collapse-community

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/02/06/unionizing_bangladesh_garment_factory_workers_face_intimidation_violence_report.html

30 years ago > http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/3/newsid_2698000/2698709.stm

this is where your corporations are doing business; & sending our jobs, & values.

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?

I worry about you DC sometimes. I hope your not a teacher.

haven't you heard, choir boys are out at Melbourne, & He-men are coming back.

you may have to put up with backhair & bumfluff daisy, instead of clean shaven or nair-ed clean.

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

I was actually referring to Bradmill Textiles who were the only Denim manufacturer in Australia and prior to their demise were exporting denim to America.

I still look after the Outdoor Fabrics business; this was sold off to a Public Company in England but they are able to handle day to day matters here. This company is the remnants of Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics, Brella Industries and another manufacturer they bought and closed down in Sydney. Unfortunately they only dye and treat here now, all the fabric is manufactured in India.

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 don't think Dmitri's parents would like that.

On further thought, Christian's family wouldn't be too keen, either.

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?

In the absence of facts you decide to make it up?

There was a story by one witness, reported on the radio, who said the Navy did nothing, but let's pretend and besmirch them anyway.

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.

Judith Sloan on SPC Ardmona:

So who is telling lies? Shadow Industry Minister, Kim Carr, and local Liberal MP Sharmon Stone are a tag-team when it comes to accusing the Prime Minister of uttering porkies about the excessive workers’ conditions and restrictive practices. The trouble is that the evidence is there for everyone to read.

The SPC Ardmona EBA does provide for wages which are 40 per cent above the award; does contain superannuation contributions of 11.5 per cent (above the norm of 9.25 per cent); does allow for some cashing out of sick leave; does provide excessive redundancy payouts for the majority of workers; does provide for a day of leave to attend the Food Preservers’ Picnic and numerous RDOs; and the list goes on. And if the various allowances are so trivial, they should have been cashed out and eliminated years ago.

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!

Do you actually employ anyone?

Do you have any idea what the cost of labour is now days?

Do you have any idea what other costs there are on running a business? Probably not.

I would never advocate the return of Workchoices, it was bad policy, Tony Abbott is on record as being one of the few that opposed it, but there has to be some sort of restraint shown by both sides.

I never agreed with Hawke but the price and wage accord was a good idea, wages are out of control as are prices; one follows the other.

When you have to pay $55+ per hour plus a call out fee for a plumber a sparky or a handyman, you know it's getting out of hand. I have a company that handles my IT and they charge me $200 per hour casual rate or $150 if I buy bulk hours; that's lunacy when the work is done on line and the employee doing the job is in their mid twenties with little experience. And yes I've looked around.

My 32 year old son is on an obscene amount of money and he's a systems engineer with large company.

Something has to give or it will all come crashing down. I started a thread on Demonology in July 2007 saying we were either in, or approaching a recession and was decried by all and sundry; in 2008 we had the GFC.

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

It's a pity some of the more rabid anti Morrison posters on here can't do the same; let's wait for the facts to came out before we claim "barbarism".

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abc-head-mark-scott-admits-mistakes-over-report-claiming-navy-inflicted-asylum-seeker-burns-20140204-31z31.html

ABC head Mark Scott admits mistakes over report claiming navy inflicted asylum seeker burns

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.

Those Holden workers and those peach packers have had it too good for too long.pity the bankers didn't get a slap over the face when they came running to govt cap in hand.

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!

So, your a near-east spy?

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.

As I said pathetic and it's hoody with a small h, you've lost the right to be known as The Hood.

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

You can read anything you like into it, if you want to.

Pathetic hoody.

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!

For Coliny, Hoody, Hardy and P'y

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!

Leftists are a fascinating case study. No boats or deaths in 6 weeks, yet it's "heartbreaking what is happening now". You ought be ashamed. You'd rather be proven right than save lives at sea. How disgraceful of you.

Did we hear a word from you over the Rudd, Gillard, Rudd years when the flood gates opened and thousand of lives were lost ?

Thousands?

didn't the tas labor government just recently change it's position on logging and break with the greens?

or is it all greg hunt's idea?

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!

simplistic stereotyping may not be helpful in an argument but neither are arguments of equivalency

if you follow through on an argument of equivalency you could argue that we may as well let criminals migrate here because we already have our own home-grown criminals

which of course is ridiculous

just saying

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!

I feel it should be noted in this thread the decision under this government's watch to allow the dumping of nearly 3 million cubic metres of dredge spoil near the GBR's marine park as part of the aptly named Abbot Point coal port expansion.

This after Hunt claiming that the port expansion and dredging of waste would actually improve the water quality...

Anyone who has visited the Reef I'm sure will agree it must be protected. I can overlook stupid decisions that can be reversed, and damage that can be undone. But if these deceitful, back scratching [censored] have placed our greatest natural wonder in jeopardy, as looks to be the case, I will never forgive them.

Can we also add the excizing of some 74,000 hectares of forest from the Tasmanian World Heritage protection zone to now be available for logging, no doubt. After years of negotiation to bing the loggers and Greens to the table and an agreement, truce, reached just last year, now G Hunt had opened up the war again. Well done Greg.

By the way does anyone know the economics of old goeth logging these days? Last time I heard every log harvested was subsidised by the State Government. Time to look at that industries funding.

It's funny, I was waiting for an [censored] to bring up appalling child abuse by Priests and Brothers and equate it to Islam's intolerance of any other religion and determination to dominate and not assimilate. You win the prize.

Priests and others shocking child abuse has nothing to do with the Christian religion you utter imbecile. It's not theology fool. It's terrible choices by weak people. It's not a directive. That said, the total mishandling of the issue by an out of date clergy was also an utter disgrace. They should hang their heads in shame.

If priests and other Christian people such as brothers and nuns, all the religious orders who represent, manage and lead don't represent the Christian religion? i think you should cut the Islam religion some slack, don't you think.

If you are going to start on the actual words of both religions you will find they are very similar. How those words are interpretated will differ across time and place.

So you need to delve a bit deeper into the detail to reinforce your opinions. That is all. Stereotyping doesn't help anyone.

What is with the Left ? You're kind of sick.

Do me a favour, let's talk currently, not when witches were burned at the stake.

Gee most of the comments in my post deal with the past 40 years or so.

By the way do you often find yourself surrounded by idiots at social functions? Just wondering!

To compare Christians and Catholics to the atrocities committed in the name if Islam is truly disgusting and reprehensible. You ought be ashamed.

You are serious? I could start at the Crusades, work my way through the Spanish Inquisition and colonial conquests in the New World all the way to the modern day and the current Royal Commission into child abuse that has shocked everyone. The Christian religions have been up to mischief for centuries. I am not saying Islam is all that better or worse. The problem is organised religions in general. The older I get the more I believe they bring more trouble than whatever good they may deliver. A few years ago we thought Christian organisations did a lot of good caring for children in orphanages, parishes and schools, now we have our doubts.

Note the poster is a baptised Catholic and was educated by the Christian Brothers. I got through that experience unscathed apart from fairly regular strappings. Others suffered much more, some have suicided since. On reflection there were some inspirational brothers but there also some sadists, religious nutters and the pure evil.