Stephen Conroy is an idiot

[2020hindsight]

... While I like labor acting fast I would also like to know exactly what’s been going on behind the scenes. I do not think that just because of a crisis they can try any ill conceived idea they can come up with (anyone keeping count?).

2020 are you saying we should be kept in the dark? Surprising statement from you ...

Seems that the Treasury and the RBA like to keep their advice confidential. Seems that they are not normally bound to say anything whatsoever ... (though on this occasion they agreed to do so).

On the other hand (and lol - as they say , these economists have a lot of hands ), there's a bumper sticker attached below which could arguably apply I guess. (except that it never has under Libs either apparently).

Here's crikey's take on last week's grilling :-

http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20081022-Ken-Henry-grilling-senator-wheel-spinning.html

Ken Henry's estimates grilling: senatorial wheel spinning
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane writes:-

Stephen Conroy, representing Wayne Swan, was there first ... until Treasury officials joined him at the last moment followed, eventually, by Henry himself.

Treasury Dep Sec David Gruen read a fascinating opening statement – if you’re fascinated by such things -- on the current economic environment and the pointlessness of trying to produce meaningful and useful forecasts during a crisis of unprecedented size and speed.

This confirmed what we’d previously heard from Laura Tingle in The AFR – that there were no Treasury forecasts – not even preliminary ones – that formed the basis of the Government’s bank guarantee and economic stimulus measures. Instead, Gruen explained, it was better to consider the likely risks to growth rather than wasting time trying to churn out forecasts that didn’t add anything useful to our understanding of the situation.

But bugger all that, the Coalition Senators wanted to get onto the point-scoring. Helen Coonan and Eric Abetz, at his officious best, led the charge, but that came a cropper against Henry, who seemed tired – surprisingly – and irritable at having to repeat himself every time a different combination of words was tried on him.

Conroy points out not normal to discuss "what had occurred between Treasury/RBA and ministers" ... but Henry "wanted to clear it up"

Stephen Conroy tried to run some interference by pointing out that the entire debate was actually about what had occurred between officials and ministers, which in normal Estimates circumstances ... is out of bounds, but Henry declared himself eager to make an exception and clear the matter up.

Eventually, Rudd and his officials might wonder at the wisdom of so readily dragging Cabinet discussions into the open for the sake of a minor political grassfire, but that can wait.

....
“Far be it from me to offend anyone, and especially you Senator,” Henry began drily, “ but there’s been some misunderstanding about the term ‘cap’.” He went on to explain the difference between a cap on the guarantee and a cap at which point deposits would be treated as wholesale lending and thus attract a cost to access the guarantee.

Abetz looked like Henry was speaking to him in Swahili. His Coalition colleagues, furious at failing to get anywhere, then tried to ping Henry for refusing to answer questions when he declined to detail his discussions with the Reserve Bank, and then started chasing their tails on what advice he had provided on refusing to answer questions.

It costs a lot for senators and senior officials to sit around and spin their wheels like this.

 

[2020hindsight]

SUMMARY
1. I guess Moxjo I was asking a serious question - why indeed aren't the Opposition being briefed!?
2. And speculating that it might be that the Govt don't trust them to act responsibly with the info. (just speculating - not judging).
3. Heck it must suit the Opposition anyway ... They don't have an official opinion on Carbon Trading / AGW / CC etc because they claim they aren't privvy to the scientific data that the govt allegedly are.
4. And now they don't have an official position on the Guarantee because they claim they aren't privvy to the economic data likewise.

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2400976.htm

LEIGH SALES: After Wayne Swan's announcement this afternoon, is this the final change on the bank deposits policy or is it possible that we might discover some more unintended consequences?
.....
LEIGH SALES: George Brandis, what's the Coalition's opinion of the revised policy?

GEORGE BRANDIS: Well, we'll be announcing our attitude to that when we have received briefings from Treasury, from the Reserve Bank and from APRA.

PS Strange time to be fighting fellas, when you're supposed to be cooperating. / war cabinet etc.
:topic Reminds me a bit of the Vote of No Confidence in Winston Churchill's Direction for the War - mid 42 I believe - and the British Govt had to air its linen for all the world to hear - including the Nazis . http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932063-1,00.html

 

[2020hindsight]

Reminds me a bit of the Vote of No Confidence in Winston Churchill's Direction for the War - mid 42 I believe - and the British Govt had to air its linen for all the world to hear - including the Nazis

:topic parallels here?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932063-1,00.html

... Conservative Sir John Wardlaw-Milne, who has great Indian interests and has lost much Far Eastern wealth during the war, proposed a motion of "no confidence in the central direction of the war." Nineteen signed with him.

A by-election seemed to prove that the British public was wrathier after Tobruk than ever before.

Cried Laborite Alfred Edwards in a speech at Leeds: "Libya has been lost on the playing fields of Eton. If Rommel had been born in this country he would by now have been a sergeant — not a field marshal. Our tank divisions in Libya have been directed by cavalry officers, not a man being trained in mechanized warfare. Until recently some of them even insisted on wearing their spurs. This is not a joke."

Sniped the leftist Tribune: "At the moment [Churchill] is in America assembling the raw material for new perorations with which to bemuse and befuddle the British public."

But even Winston Churchill's keenest critics suspected that in his great Parliamentary scene he would come off little, if any, worse than before.

Doubtless he would try to draw the maximum attention away from Tobruk with handsome paragraphs about his conversations with President Roosevelt, a Second Front, other future possibilities. But there were more realistic reasons why Parliament's candle of criticism was likely to sputter and die before the Prime Minister's breath.

Sir John Wardlaw-Milne's motion was tactically bad, and his friends of the arch-Tory 1922 Committee were hotly angry with him on that account. His motion would allow Prime Minister Churchill to call for a vote on the motion,...

The reason was old but still good. As the sober Economist put it: "This is a crisis of leadership as well as of confidence. The two go together. Mr. Churchill is still the only possible leader; and a Parliament which sought to bring him down might well bring down Parliament itself."

PS Speaking of recent international meetings, and upcoming travel plans for the PM - to G20 mtg in America - "[Churchill] is in America assembling the raw material for new perorations" etc :-

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=282298

Imagine if Mel Watt and Peter Weir went to China for a meeting -
Headlines...
Leaders meet to discuss "Hu Watt Wen and Weir"

 

[2020hindsight]

Headlines...
Leaders meet to discuss "Hu Watt Wen and Weir"

Also this meeting just ended :-
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/26/2401304.htm

 

[Mofra]

Turnbull might be scoring some points with multimillionaires and a few offshore financial institutions, but not with mums and dads who now have security over bank deposits.

He may also be scoring points with the grey army, some of whom had purchased income streams via some of these mortgage funds who are freezing their redemptions.

Article in The Age yesterday pointing the finger squarely at Ireland government for first guaranteeing deposits, causing a massive flight of capital from European banks to Irish institutions. The European leaders were forced to follow suit to stop the flow, and Australia had little choice but to follow suit.

 

[rederob]

He may also be scoring points with the grey army, some of whom had purchased income streams via some of these mortgage funds who are freezing their redemptions.

Yes, and as pointed out in other threads, why should government extend guarantees beyond bank deposits?
Mortgage fund income streams are dependent on maintaining deposits, not on withdrawing equity.
We can make the same argument for people investing in blue chip equities to have an income from dividends.
Brandis thinks Conroy doesn't get it.
Brandis and many others haven't got a clue.
There is a limit to what the government can guarantee.
Had the regulators been smarter the limits should have been set a long time ago at realistic and prudent levels.
As for retail deposits requiring a "fee", Turnbull has played a political card on this hand while claiming bipartisanship. Turnbull is being just a little too clever as his bluff has been called.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

I would agree he is an idiot.

But, a dangerous idiot, taking the Labor Party down in to shambolic remembrances of the last days of the Whitlam Government.

His latest media bill is nothing more than a political move by his faction, and has nothing to do with good governance.

gg

 

[drsmith]

With his fettish for red underpants, he's an idiot with a difference.

 

[Julia]

His latest media bill is nothing more than a political move by his faction, and has nothing to do with good governance.
gg

It is, as Kim Williams has said, specifically designed to pay back News Ltd for their criticism of the government.
It's not a sure thing that it will get through. Let's hope the Independents show a bit of backbone for once.

 

[drsmith]

Let's hope the Independents show a bit of backbone for once.

The only bone they have is the one in the finger they constantly show to the electorate.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

It is, as Kim Williams has said, specifically designed to pay back News Ltd for their criticism of the government.
It's not a sure thing that it will get through. Let's hope the Independents show a bit of backbone for once.

I heard Conroy being interviewed this evening by Richard Aedy of the ABC Media Report on Radio National.

It was an insipid, limp show largely due to Aedy's deferential questioning style.

Nonetheless it showed what a muppet Conroy is.

He was all over the place, and quite amusingly baffled by Aedy's "let off the hook" style.

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/player/rnmodplayer.html?pgm=Media%20Report&pgmurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fprograms%2Fmediareport%2F&w=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fmedia%2F4570018.asx&r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fmedia%2F4570018.ram&t=Communications%20Minister%20Stephen%20Conroy%20on%20media%20reform%20legislation&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fradionational%2Fprograms%2Fmediareport%2Fcommunications-minister-stephen-conroy-on-media-reform-legislat%2F4570018&p=1

The above is a link.

gg

 

[Julia]

I heard Conroy being interviewed this evening by Richard Aedy of the ABC Media Report on Radio National.

It was an insipid, limp show largely due to Aedy's deferential questioning style.

Nonetheless it showed what a muppet Conroy is.

He was all over the place, and quite amusingly baffled by Aedy's "let off the hook" style.

I have no idea how Richard Aedy manages to hold down a job as a journalist. He is passive and useless imo.

 

[sptrawler]

Conroy should be named Captain FW, sorry example of where politics are going. Sad just very sad.

He always is talking everything up, his acid tonque and agressive demenour doesn't seem to fit.lol

Comes over as an aggressive loony who is out of his depth, to me he borders on feral lunatic fringe.
My personal opinion only

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Conroy should be named Captain FW, sorry example of where politics are going. Sad just very sad.

He always is talking everything up, his acid tonque and agressive demenour doesn't seem to fit.lol

Comes over as an aggressive loony who is out of his depth, to me he borders on feral lunatic fringe.
My personal opinion only

It would appear Rob Oakeshott has the same opinion.

Conroy's bill is history. What a muppet.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/mp-rob-oakeshott-predicts-proposad-media-laws-will-be-dropped/story-fncyva0b-1226598487642

THE federal government will drop its proposed media law changes rather than force them to a doomed vote next week, key Independent MP Rob Oakeshott predicts.

gg

 

[MrBurns]

Just watching Conroy on the ABC and he appears to be some sort of fool. The entire government appears to be inadequate.

Posted Oct 08' nothings changed except $billions have been wasted.

 

[sptrawler]

It would appear Rob Oakeshott has the same opinion.

Conroy's bill is history. What a muppet.
gg

I doubt it was ever Conroy's bill.
More likely McTernan, Gillard bill. That required a bully to bash it through.

 

[Miss Hale]

Just watching Conroy on the ABC and he appears to be some sort of fool. The entire government appears to be inadequate.

Posted Oct 08' nothings changed except $billions have been wasted.

I agree. Conroy appears to me like some sort of fool too. He reminds me a bit of that kid in the class at school that wanted everyone to like him but no one did because he was just pathetic.

Very much hope this bill doesn't get up.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

I agree. Conroy appears to me like some sort of fool too. He reminds me a bit of that kid in the class at school that wanted everyone to like him but no one did because he was just pathetic.

Very much hope this bill doesn't get up.

When the playwrights get going in 10 or 20 years time on this mob of disordered muppets, promoted beyond their competence, it will outplay Don's Party, for all the wrong reasons.

At least Whitlam believed.

Conroy et al are players.

It would not surprise me in the future to see Conroy in a skirt at Crown Casino throwing a ball.

gg

 

[Miss Hale]

When he made that joke about the red underpants it made me shudder. I don't want to ever think of Conroy and underpants together

 

[drsmith]

When he made that joke about the red underpants it made me shudder.

The biggest worry about that comment is that in his mind, he wasn't joking.

He sees himself as a god.