Ineffective Terrorism; 23/11/15

November 23rd, 2015

Public Service Pricks

Been a long time writing. After my heart attack mid-2011, I decided to be more active, to stop my physical decline and combat the stress of my condition (since I could not obtain mild sedatives legally to reduce my acute anxiety state). A few falls later, I slowed down again, but still managed to fall getting up from the toilet and knock myself unconscious for about 30 minutes and open up my scalp. Losing about a litre of blood before I managed to call for help and crawl to the door to let in the medics.

I spent a few days in hospital, in an isolated room because my MRSA infection had still not been officially cleared up (actually, smart, because I have four topical MRSA outbreaks since my original 2007 escape). So I stopped risking my life further by having unnecessary exercise, and increased my smoking instead (which actually increased my stress because of the huge cost of the tobacco tax). My physical condition declined, and in an effort to have HealthNSW offer me remediation, my doctor asked the RMS to not renew my driver's licence unless my case was reviewed by a specialist.

To date, my licence has been cancelled for two months, and I have spent thousands extra surviving and getting a specialist driving instructor report that I have no medical condition that would affect my driving. Still, my licence has not been returned, so tomorrow I appear in court trying to get it returned before I decide to open my throat outside Parliament House in protest.

The Uncivil Serpents Win Again

Gillard Gushes, Abbott Has No Costello

Julia Gillard has agreed to the demands of a group of three independents, in order to form a government. Tony Abbott, on the other hand, rejected them outright, displaying a nonchalance that tells me he thinks he knows something.

Accept that the Coalition is completely owned by the Public Service. Accept that Labor follows Public Service advice with no question, because it knows it can be ruined and lose power if it upsets its mandarins.

Then it all makes sense.

The promises made to the independents, although the specifics are not revealed yet, pretty much folllow Labor stated policy (except for the mining superprofits tax).

The public servants have shown the ability to only recommend policy they think should be done, and provide cogent arguments against policy they don't like. The same public servants have been very willing to administer government policy in such a way to minimise benefits to the electorate while maximising embarrassment to the government.

Perhaps Abbott has been promised that Labor will be put in such a damaging position by faulty Public Service advice that it will be forced to renege on its promises to the independents. Only one independent MP has to change his side in a crucial vote and we are heading for a new election.

If Gillard is dumped by Labor, as most predict, that could also provide an impetus for instability. The keeping of promises, even if in name only, is tied closely to the power of the leader of the government.

We will be heading for a general election well short of the three years we are guaranteed. That is certain. What are unknown are the twin answers of when and how.

A confusing issue concerns honesty. This concept is ignored by party politicians, not if they want to keep their seats. But independents must keep their electorates happy. The independents' electorates show a preference for their members to side with the Coalition. Abbott might be counting on this. The problem for the independents is that they choose which government is best for their electorate, and this may not be the choice of the electorate (although they did vote for independent representation).

All Your Fault

Neville Angove

 Have been having an argument with the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission. This brought to mind a comment made late 2009 on TV by a spokesman for the NSW Department of Health, Dr Ian Smyth. He said something typical of doctors and civil servants, about a report that about 400 hospital patients in NSW were dying from golden staph infections each year (this is less than a third of the number calculated for hospital acquired golden staph infections, and golden staph deaths account for only 25% of deaths due to hospital acquired infections).

He said that these deaths were a minor matter.

If the NSW Commissioner of Police said that the deaths in custody of 400 people per year, regardless of their medical state when arrested, was a "minor matter", than he would face certain charges.

But doctors are immune. And the civil service employees control their own destinies (they write the rules, decide what rules will be enforced, and then report on how well they are doing their jobs). This point was sorta highlighted by cardboard cutout, NSW Premier Keneally, about laying the blame for an expensive stuffup in the new public transport fare system. She said the persons responsible would be found and punished.

THIS I GOTTA SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Typically, instead of highly-paid civil servants finding the mistakes, it was consumers who found the mistakes. I wonder who will be paying at least the cost of reprinting the faulty brochures?