So I recently went for a fantastic walk down to Shipstern’s Bluff and Tunnel Bay. On the way down, I went past the clearly marked signs to the new Three Capes Walk, which opens with much fanfare this week.
The images I have seen do look incredible and it looks to have been very well done, but there has been considerable public debate about the how expensive the track fees are. Now I am not totally convinced there isn’t or won’t be opportunities for the public to use the track without paying the hefty $500 fees. But maybe I am wrong, in which case this particular walk may be one that remains restricted to those more affluent or willing to spend more on wilderness experiences.
Is there still a budget emergency?
Despite the fact that the level of national debt continues to rise and the possibility of a yearly budget surplus to counter it still seems a long way away, the language used to describe the national economy has changed dramatically since Malcolm Turnbull’s ascension to the leadership. The recent series of Stereosonic music festivals were marred by two drug-related deaths at successive events and numerous other drug overdoses. A lot of what was written and said about the events has been around what a tragedy these deaths are and why didn't the organisers do more to protect people. I don't wish to be insensitive to the victims' families, but I feel that this type of narrative neglects the really important aspect of individual accountability for our choices and their consequences. I understand it is considered poor taste to speak I'll of the recently deceased which is why I held off posting this for a few weeks. But I want to make a comment because I think there is a worrisome attitude that needs to be spoken about, even at risk of hurting a few feelings.
When Joy Division sang Love will tear us apart, they couldn’t have been talking about the government.
In light of Ian Macfarlane’s cynical defection to the Nationals last week, I wondered what it would take to tear this coalition apart. Considering the divergent views of the progressive moderates and the neanderthals of the far right, as well as the differing priorities of its country constituents and the business lobby, the Coalition must be complex marriage of convenience that only continues to counter the perceived greater threat of the Labor Party. But those types of alliances tend to fray when the unifying threat appears weak. I wrote a few weeks ago I had been impressed with the mainly rational response to the Paris attacks and the lack of Islamaphobic bile on social media. I obviously spoke too soon, because it has seemed to increase exponentially in the last few weeks.
Tony Abbot, obviously feeling that his recent efforts at white-anting Turnbull’s leadership were too subtle (note I’m note saying they have been at all subtle, but he and I hardly see the same reality), decided he had more to give, so he stepped out and reminded a lot of people that we (except for Bill Shorten watching his approval rating plummet) really are glad of our nation’s change in leadership. A lot of people have been in the local news this week urging Tasmanians to come to watch the test match which is tipped to draw a very poor crowd. The underlying message being hinted at- sometimes quite explicitly- is that a low attendance would jeopardise Hobart’s chances of attracting games in the future.
I don’t know if I can say anything that hasn’t already been said about Donald Trump and Tony Abbott’s distasteful and ignorant public outbursts this week. While Trump has almost lost the ability to shock anymore, Tony Abbott’s complete lack of irony as he spoke about our cultural superiority in areas such as human rights and separation of church and state was almost jaw-dropping.
Sadly, it is so easy to take the people we care for the most for granted. You don’t realise how much of a hole in your life their absence would create. This has been put into fairly stark contrast in recent years having lost several people dear to me.
Since we were bombing ISIL before it was cool, I’m hoping we remember to stop before it becomes cliché.
Aside from a fairly strong suspicion (later supported by the US ambassador) that Tony Abbott was awfully eager to start offensive actions overseas to deflect from his awful domestic performance I was generally in favour of the initial bombing campaign against ISIL. |
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