There has been an unforeseen spin-off in Queensland following the suspension of the home insulation program nationally and the reduction of the solar hot water subsidy from $1600 to $1000.

In 2009 the Queensland government introduced a solar hot water home installation program which was contingent on the applicant getting the federal subsidy of $1600; the Qld government would then arrange for a home installation at a cost of $500 to the homeowner, the balance, after the $1600 federal subsidy, would be paid by the Qld Government.

Of the initial 47,000 applications only 1600 had been installed when the Feds reduced their subsidy, effectively putting the cost to the consumer (or the Queensland state government) up by $600. As a result the Qld scheme has been suspended with 45,000 homeowners left in limbo.

It’s true the forces of darkness took all five positions for the Federal Electorate Council at one recent ALP branch AGM in the Blue Mountains, but that’s no guarantee the FEC will be hostile towards Templeman should she win the rank-and-file for Labor in Macquarie on 20 March.

With the exception of Blaxland-Glenbrook, the remaining four branches will return a comfortable majority of lefties to the FEC which renders the Ptolemy triumph somewhat irrelevant. As for the SEC, it was a 3:2 loss, not a clean sweep. And Trish Doyle got up because Branch members admired her run against Searle even if she didn’t have the numbers for the Presidency.

Finally, the proposition that Ptolemy has any political future in Macquarie or anyplace else is comical. More likely he’ll be expelled for bringing the ALP into disrepute and for actively seeking to destroy branch unity so that the union movement can regain supremacy.

I took advantage of a special offer for first class air travel. Two First Class tickets, cost of $9000. Booked online. 50kg luggage allowance each, complimentary chauffeured pickup from home to go to the airport. Very nice, very classy, very swish, very happy. Airline called back later that day to say that I must have $17 ready (each way) to give to the driver upon pickup because I live just beyond the “free” distance from the airport, despite living in metropolitan Melbourne. What?!?

Vision Group Holdings, the listed ophthalmology group, are on a slippery downward road. Sources close to the company say that the board are considering cancelling all dividend payments so that they can pay their doctors more — a possibility that does not appear palatable to investors.

At the same time they are heavily involved in litigation with a potential multi-million dollar claim for breach of contract instigated by Dr Kitchen, a former director and leading ophthalmologist. If Dr Kitchen is successful in his action it might mean other doctors will leave the group.

The Bundaberg practice acquired from Dr Kitchen is now slated for closure as the group is unable to attract an ophthalmologist work under the current pay structure. The share price has declined markedly losing nearly 42% of value since November

Victorian WorkHealth Program is a waste of money. In March 2008 the premier of Victoria announced a $200 program to screen every worker in Victoria for a health check. This was in the form of $40 million every year for five years.

Since July 2009 the program has performed 80,000 health checks at an average cost of $40 per person. So that is $3.2 million. The goal by the end of June this year is for 117,000 health checks or around $4.8 million.

So where has the rest of the $40 million from this year gone? Advertising must be eating up a sizable chunk with TV ads, newspaper and magazine. If this program was really about improving the health of workers surely a lot more than 10% of the budget should have been spent on health initiatives!

Tertiary students in Melbourne are being given Myki concession cards for free at the moment. Yesterday, when getting my transport concession card, all students in the line where told that could get a free Myki card, but for a limited time.

Despite many saying that they did not want one, they were told to fill out the form anyway. It made getting your concession card a very time-consuming process as the line at Melbourne Central was very long.

Maybe the guy taking digital photos of all the students “getting their Myki cards” had something to do with it? Staged publicity much?

I just heard today that Fremantle City Council withdrew its regular weekly advert, the Port City Column, because they weren’t happy with some story the Fremantle Herald wrote.