Parliamentary Corridors History's Inspiration: Robust Opposition & Parliamentary Committees
A cold, calculating indifference to matters of taste is generally the effect of want of feeling; as affected moderation in politics is (nine times out of 10) a cloak for want of principle.
Hazlitt despised "dry abstract reasoners" who saw policy-making as a process of negotiation and compromise. He celebrated "zeal in the cause of liberty" and the relentless pursuit of ‘the last, best hopes of man.’ Hazlitt did not fear radical change; he celebrated it as a necessary balm: So society, when out of order, which it is whenever the interests of the many are regularly and outrageously sacrificed to those of the few, must be repaired, and either a reform or a revolution cleanse its corruptions and renew its elasticity.
· Cold & Calculating [Common Dream]
Strictly Staysafe: Australia’s Middle East - 500 deaths & 5500 seriously injured
Today NSWs' holiday road toll has reached unlucky 13.
Most politicians remain apathetic about road trauma. Until parliamentarians accept that much of the behaviour on NSW roads is criminal and inject road safety policy into their law-and-order lexicon, as well as make fundamental changes to the structure and strategy of road safety management, the crime and carnage on our roads will continue to worsen.
The high profile, NSW parliamentary Staysafe uncovered how those in authority were shirking their missions. ‘The Staysafe committee was particularly surprised at the admission by senior government road safety officials that they were likely to fail to achieve the Premier's year 2000 road safety targets. In 1995, the Premier committed his Government to achieving road trauma targets of fewer than 500 deaths and fewer than 5500 serious injuries by 2000. In the view of Staysafe, there is a need to wake up and shake up the road safety administration in NSW to ensure that appropriate and sufficient policy and program development is in place and in operation to challenge a complacency among road safety administrators that they are doing enough and need do no more.
· Fearless Findings of the most efficient Parliamentary Committee [SMH]
Jobs for the boys: the politics of conflict
The recent appointment of Max the Axe to Macquarie Bank's Sydney Airport has inspired Crikey to put together a list of pollies and staffers who have abandoned the public service in favour of the rewards of the private sector without leaving a dignified gap of up to two years like occurs in the US.
· Exclusive Club [Crikey]