Ok, nobody has actually said that the best form of healthcare is a job. Nor has anyone said the best form of wealthcare is a job.
However, it’s certainly no sillier than the vacuous: “The best form of welfare is a job”!
Scott Morrison’s reluctance to introduce lockdown measures in response to Covid-19 does seem to underline the priorities of this government. I mean, if you think about this in terms of how they’ve framed climate change action then their slowness is perfectly consistent. “No, we understand the threat perfectly and we’re talking action, but it’s calm, measured action and we won’t be panicked into doing something which will affect our good friends and donors workers in the affected industries.”
Similarly, when it comes the Coronavirus, the Prime Minister knows that some action needs to be taken and, failing that, something needs to be said about the action that his government intends to take. So we have daily announcements about his intentions and how the best medical advice is being followed.
- “I’m going to the football.”
- “I’m not going now because of the way it would be misrepresented.”
- “Nobody should be going to the football because it’s Monday and my advice is to stay home.”
- “People are defying my advice so I’m telling you I’m going to make the advice compulsory if you don’t start doing the right thing.”
- “No schools aren’t closing. Kids are perfectly safe and I’m happy to send my kids to school.”
- “How dare you ask me if I’m actually sending my kids to school. My family is off-limits. Let’s concentrate on what matters; keeping the economy going and making sure that people are all right. To ensure that’s happening we’re announcing a second stimulus package because the first one was so well-received in the media even though nobody’s actually received anything yet. Not only that I’m forming a committee to advice us and we’re putting on experts in the fields of mining and industry to tell us what’s really important during a crisis.”
And so on…
Of course, I’ve resisted the temptation to be pedantic and point out some of Scottie’s inappropriate use of language like when he told us to “reconsider the need for unnecessary travel”. (If you think about that, there is – by definition – no need for unnecessary travel so if one rethinks the need for it one may decide that it is actually necessary!) When he said: “This will be a difficult six months. It could be longer,” I didn’t point out that while the next six months will be difficult a six month period won’t be longer than longer six months no matter how difficult it is I’ve tried to refrain from being un-Australian with regards to hoarding toilet paper, and I have attempted singing that tune from High School Musical “We’re all in this together”. However, it it does get hard when the Prime Minister’s press conferences start to follow that familiar pattern.
- We are doing all that we can.
- We would do more but it’s not our job.
- The states are responsible for almost everything.
- We don’t think that (insert latest SNAFU) was badly handled.
- SNAFU was badly handled but it was one lone public servant/Labor’s bad planning/Gladys Berejiklian
- We’re sending in the army.
As it stands, we’ve been warned by Morrison to be careful what we wish for when it comes to a lockdown because whatever action gets taken, we’ll be stuck with for six months.
It’s a shame that he didn’t give the same warning before the election and tell us that whatever happened we’d be stuck with it for three years.
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They cannot escape from the ‘Cargo Cult’ mentality that has arisen concerning tourism.
I am sure we must have existing quarantine facilities, they are pretty much like detention centres. Taking these tiresome JetSet people to a cosy motel and having the ArmedForces look out for them is probably the wrong way to go about things.
and has Angus Taylor’s portfolio of 2000 hairdressing salons had anything to do with them being declared essential
meanwhile
Scotty from marketing pleads with us to ignore everything he has announced except todays announcements
but to ignore them tomorrow
all whilst plotting how to blame Labor and the greens and gladys for all our woes
but wait.. there’s more
stay tuned for further proclamations about what they plan to do
most of which will remain notional
because to actually do something is to risk getting it wrong
Today I announce the creation of a new National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) that will coordinate advice to the Australian Government on actions to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social effects of the global coronavirus pandemic.
That’s additional to…..
The National Cabinet, comprising State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, continues to lead the national response at a government level. The Australian Government’s National Security Committee of Cabinet’s COVID-19 Taskforce and the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet continue to take decisions that determine the Commonwealth’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The existing National Coordination Mechanism based in the Department of Home Affairs, which coordinates the cross jurisdictional response to non-health aspects of the pandemic, will report to the Commission, as will the Coronavirus Business Liaison Unit based in the Treasury Department.
Yup….we sure have plenty of committees. Not a lot of action, but plenty of committees, announceables and positions for serial board directors
Kaye Lee
I am thinking that they now need a committee to co-ordinate all the other committees
made up no doubt with ex Liberal staffers and members plus a scattering of donors
Re:
Perhaps his family, particularly the children, should be off limits but one wonders why he had them front and centre at the declaration of the election. Or are such questions also off limits? And who gets to decide?
I notice “Jen” is no longer mentioned in every announcement and “curries” are no longer a panacea for everything. Small mercies.
Yet none of them had any problems about the constant attacks on Julia Gillard’s partner.
He’s a hairdresser so he must be gay, cried the masses.
Allegation has surfaced regarding the haste passengers were disembarked from the ship, no passport check, no health check, expedited by a NSW fed liberal, whom, so the story goes, had some high profile friends on board. I think I believe it. This corrupt, lying, thieving pack of sewer dwellers would go to any lengths to protect their own.
AUSTRALIA NOW HAS A FASCIST COALITION GOVERNMENT
1) If you look at this comment you’ll be left scratching your head.
Tahlia Jade to Pensioners Veterans and Seniors Discussion Group
2) Everyone needs to understand this very clearly:
3) The Democratic Australian Government HAS NOT shut down until August (or later). The Democratic system HAS BEEN shut down by the PM.
4) Read that again:
The Democratic system of government in Australia has been shut down.
5) The PM has declared emergency powers to take exclusive rule over Australia and all decisions are now being made by the “National Cabinet”.
6) The “National Cabinet” is made up of a number of our favourite people, including: McCormac, Frydenburg, Cormann, Littleproud, Porter, Payne, Potato, Reynolds, Hunt, Fletcher, Cash, Pitt, Ruston…
7) The National Cabinet makes decisions behind closed doors and then the PM tells us the wonderful things they have decided to impose.
8) There is no longer a Shadow Cabinet in place to monitor government ministers.
How good is anything anymore?
STOP THE BOATS!!
When they are refugees legally fleeing from impossible political regimes and in fear for their lives.
UNLOAD THE BOATS!!
Without waiting for COVID-19 testing results to come back to the boats and release citizens of the USA (United States of Apartheid) into the Australian public to infect innocent Australian citizens.
Where, oh where, are Kevin Rudd and Ken Henry when you desperately need competent leadership in the time of a national crisis??? Remember the GFC that Australia never felt thanks to the decisions taken by those two thinking persons and the Labor government? Now compare that scenario with the actions of the present incompetent incumbents of the Treasury benches …..
Re:
Not according to a whole host of others, including Anne Twomey who see the membership thus.
But perhaps you have another source? Or another ‘National Cabinet’?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/leaders-in-unprecedented-national-cabinet-to-tackle-coronavirus-20200313-p549wd.html
The biggest mistake ScoMo has made is sidelining the Opposition. Now he cannot blame Labor for the consequences of any decision made post-23 March 2020 until parliament sits again.
The biggest mistake ScoMo has made is sidelining the Opposition. Now he cannot blame Labor for the consequences of any decision made post-23 March 2020 until parliament sits again.
You jest. What opposition? Oh sorry of course, you must mean that rag tag team of half wits led by that useless suck hole Anthony Albanese. Give me a break FFS give me a break.
NEC @ March 28, 2020 at 5:05 pm, I see your point about fascists running the show.
We are now one announcement away from full Lock-Down.
The predictive programming of news outlets showing interviews with scared people calling for an immediate Lock-Down tells me where Murdoch wants to take this. Using the Army to enforce quarantine measures on returning tourists should be a wake-up call. The next phase may well be straight to Martial Law, leap-frogging the more strict measure now imposed in much of Europe. If Scotty-from-marketing, or more specifically Scottys handlers, gets infuriated by watching too many people still finding solace in nature, playing in the parks, going for a swim, etc expect to see more of the Army with guns and armed vehicles on the streets ‘protecting’ the beaches and parks from possibly diseased asymptomatic citizens.
Once Lock-Down happens expect forums like this one to be shut down, ‘to limit misinformation’ will be the reason given.
The subliminal edit will be ‘Take your narrative from the news, nowhere else peasants’.
Orwell would be perhaps surprised at how easily it happened.
One other concern is the hotels being used for quarantine. From what I have seen they do not have windows that open to fresh air. That means the rooms must be air-con. But, do other residents in the same building share the same air? If they do then the hotels are nothing other than incubation cubes, much the same as ships were. Are our health advisers aware of this possibility?