On anti-foreign influence legislation
Jock Webb writes: Re. “Walker: what will anti-foreign influence legislation cover? Everything, it seems.” (Wednesday)
Surely, this should catch the Minerals Council, all the foreign corporations trying to dodge tax, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and all the petroleum lobbies, Peabody Energy and a host of others, including the Australian Christian Lobby, who I would bet has foreign funding. The Sydney Morning Herald reveal on what Andrew Robb does for his 880 000 a year also makes one think. Apparently nothing is required, so this looks like a payment for services rendered. The China FTA anyone?
On congestion during Christmas
Edward Zakrzewski writes: Re.”Every Christmas, the same question: ‘why are there so many people in my city?’” (Tuesday)
Jason writes “you can double the size of Armidale and it won’t move the needle on Sydney”. Sure, but if you doubled the size of Armidale, Tamworth, Bathurst, Orange, Lithgow, Forbes, Wellington, Mudgee, Dubbo etc etc. What a difference that would make.
All previous attempts at decentralisation have involved subsidies, inducements and phantasy projects which always result in ‘grant farming’ and disappear as the gentle mists of morning after expiry.
If the continued metastasizing of the Great Wens on the coast is to be halted (ha!) and even reduced (double ha!) this could easily be achieved by cdasing to subsidise and featherbed them.
If the urbanoid basket weavers and latte bathers had to pay the full cost of their water supply, their sewage disposal, their food supply and their generally gold plated lifestyles then they would be a great deal less crowded.
Unfortunately that would mean hundreds of thousands of useless mouths to feed if they moved beyond the sandstone curtain.
How about an internal passport system for when they attempt to escape the crumbling concrete wastelands?
Paper shuffling is not a useful skill set.
… as well as “… ceasing to subsidise..“.
And we might finally find out who funds the IPA.