Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

F Kendall: "And you consider that a "frightful lie", Eliot?

Okay. here's another one:

A contentious regional grants program that Labor branded as blatant pork barrelling before the election will go ahead, after the Rudd Government reversed its decision to axe the scheme.

The $236 million program was scrapped in this month's budget even though the previous government had approved 115 community projects.

The Government claimed the program had been discredited by an Australian National Audit Office report last year that found it had "fallen short of an acceptable standard of public administration".

But Regional Development Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday reneged on the Government's budget pledge to dump all applications that had not received contracts, saying it would fund up to 86 of the not-for-profit projects worth a total of $30 million.

Richard Tonkin:  "It still amazes me that the CEO of Halliburton slipped in and out of South Australia so quietly."

Not quite as quietly as if you had not posted this, Richard.  Thank you....and I have passed it on.

Hi Richard, yep, Rudd has little comparative power to the pressures pushing for it – the entire nuclear industry of the US and the energy supply to such; added to that the local interest groups added to that the military complex and nuclear side to that; added to that the financial windfall for those involved. Bigger than Kev.

Hence the main recommendation from the Chair of security at the 20/20 that it all happens-nuclear waste dump(acquisition of Abo land and depowering opposition by ATSIC etc, rail infrastructure, acquisition of island of Darwin for depot, enormous markets in this region – China , Indonesia – with nuclear plans now, India to balance the denied Iran Pakistan pipeline), nuclear energy – needed if we are to reprocess, nuclear weapons – MIC sweetener and testing here anyway, and the power plant building here. All would be better to wait until nuclear fusion , not so far away now methinks although I do think our only defence against Indonesia and China (should diplomacy fail and others decide to take our resources) are bio and nukes. The standing armies outnumber ours and the modernism is now equal or ahead in some areas to our own. Especially our – snicker snicker – non armour coated ageing Abrams white elephant tanks.

Rudd is smooth and clean and very smart.

David R: "errr - forgive me for mentioning this, Eliot (far be it from me to be accused of failing to spot irony) - but how many trucks do you think will be on the road when diesel is over $2 a litre?"

Gosh, you've got me there, David. Lemme guess. Not many?

With oil prices at $139.98 a barrel in Singapore overnight, what kind of a fool would build a overland railway across Australia when there are so many trucks on the road?

David R: errr - forgive me for mentioning this, Eliot (far be it from me to be accused of failing to spot irony) - but how many trucks do you think will be on the road when diesel is over $2 a litre?

And you consider that a "frightful lie", Eliot?   To me, it's seeing a gecko as an alligator.

I notice on this site:

http://www.gsr.com.au/our-trains/the-ghan/platinum-service.php

that there are/were plans to introduce a "platinum service" on the Ghan, for "the discerning passenger looking for the next level of comfort".  24 large cabins with double beds, spacious ensuites and 24 hour room service.  Now, I wonder who will snap those up?

And will the platinum passengers, like the Gold, also receive a "certificate of travel" and "collector" stickpin when they disembark?  Ah, those are the kind of perks that make the $1920  Gold fare well worth it, don't you think?

F Kendall: "As yet, Rudd hasn't told us the frightful lies that Howard told on an ongoing basis, in order both to villify boat people, eg, and to take us to war."

Well, actually, there's this porker...

In September 2007, Rudd lamented the loss to Australia of "that great Chinese entrepreneur in the solar industry business, Mr Shi, Zhengrong Shi and his decision, that he couldn’t actually sustain his business in Australia, had to invest in China instead. One of the reasons is, the absence of an effective renewable energy target."

 In fact, there are other reasons why a solar panel maker might choose China. According to the Washington Post, Chinese polysilicon research firm executive Shi Jun says Chinese companies are saving millions of dollars by not installing pollution recovery systems when manufacturing the polysilicon used in the production of the solar panels:

"He said that if environmental protection technology is used, the cost to produce one ton is approximately $84,500. But Chinese companies are making it at $21,000 to $56,000a ton".

As yet, Rudd hasn't told us the frightful lies that Howard told on an ongoing basis, in order both to villify boat people, eg, and to take us to war.

A few stumbles and disappointments weigh nothing against that, to my mind.

Quite a few people on this talkboard see Rudd as just the same as Howard, and yes, they're both politicians ... quel surprise. But, to my mind Rudd has done nothing as yet as remotely unethical and manipulative as Howard ...and so still looks much better to me.

All our costs are covered by the revenue that we generate from the business and, as I said, our operational earnings before interest, tax and depreciation have been growing each year at about 65 per cent."

Mr Fullerton has also rejected the IPA's suggestion that freight services will be cut when the line is sold off.

"We plan to add and additional service between Adelaide and Darwin because the five services that we currently operate are full. And putting more services on improves our profitability at an operating level and improves our cash flow.

It takes time for business to change old habits but a growth rate of 65 per cent a year seems to be quite healthy. The five services that operate now are at full capacity and additional services will improve profitablility.

The high cost of fuel will encourage more business onto rail. The future looks bright for the railway.

Richard, is Rudd any different to Howard? I don't think so. I think he is going to disappoint a lot of people and that is already happening. Failed to take account of the likely impact of the drought on revenue - can you believe that - thinks it will rise by 20%.

A nuclear waste dump? I would not be too confident that he would oppose it. As for Halliburton et al, it will be business as usual. Can we expect anything to change there if the Republicans lose in the US? Probably not but if Hillary gets in they should probably think about getting out of Iran before she blows the place off the map.  

So who will buy Freightlink? The buyer would no doubt be looking for some sign from the Government that any investment there will be worthwhile. You will need to stay on your toes I suspect.

Would love to be a fly on the wall at a Board meeting of Freightlink. That no doubt would give one quite a scoop.

But maybe rail freight generally is not such a good investment. The company (forget the name) that traditionally transported much of the Eastern grain crop wants out of it. Some deal was struck to keep it operating at least this year.

Hi Richard, astute of you as usual. KBR et al obviously expected a bit more transit happening.

Perhaps they had not expected the High Court action to take so long.

Now there is a win the government can take any Aboriginal/other person' land and give it to a private group for private profit.

With the 20/20 Security meeting sporting the choice for Chairman of a pro-nuclear waste/weapons/energy government stooge it is left to one to guess that the whole gamut is still on the agenda of this much better iced government cake action. Against, apparently, the wishes of most of the group that chaired group came up with pronuclear waste dumping here and all that goes with that "sweetened" by the nuclear weapons option.

Thus all land needed for the dump can be taken, and wanna bet along which rail line and which port (note the confiscation of the Aboriginal land in the islands off Darwin for a depot) the world's nuclear waste shall cometh unto us?

The US nuclear industry and energy supply is too great a priority to allow a few greenies and Abos to block such refinancing and needed rebuilding by blocking its Non Nevada waste dumping.

The same players are all there, just better "cloaked".

Let us be aware. See who buys the shares.

Richard: Yep, Angela, the delay wouldn't help. Do you think that nuclear dumps will happen under Rudd? First thing this Govt did was knock on the head the most pressing need for a dump, the India deal.