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Category: John Barilaro

  • Lessons for Labor, Liberal’s nuclear error, and lucky Barilaro

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    A lull in politics gives us some time to assess how the political parties are travelling, and since the May election result, most of the focus how been placed on the Coalition – the messages that it can take from their election loss and how they can become a better political party and return to office at some point in the near future.

    But what are the lessons for the Labor Party? The did win the election, but victory tends to gloss over any problems a political party might have, and move those problems into the ‘too-hard’ basket. But both major political parties received record low primary votes in 2022 and while it’s possible to win elections through strategic preference voting flows, these types of election victories are difficult to navigate.

    While it’s difficult to see the Liberal–National Coalition gaining enough traction over the next three years to pick up those 18 seats it needs to win the 2025 election, it’s easier to see Labor losing seats to Greens or other independent candidates. It’s something they need to be careful of, and their main opponents at the next election might be the Australian Greens and teal-styled independents, and not the Coalition.

    And after being thoroughly outplayed on the Climate Change Bill, Peter Dutton has tried to get the Coalition into the climate change debates by throwing in nuclear energy into the mix, even though countless government reports have established that nuclear is not a viable industry in Australia. Including a report the Coalition commissioned in 2019, less than two years ago, which confirmed all of the findings of previous government reports.

    If the Coalition had the courage of its convictions, it would have installed nuclear power many years ago – they’ve been in office for 51 of the past 73 years – as well as installing a nuclear reactor in each of their electorates. But they didn’t and never will. The time for nuclear energy in Australia was in the 1960s, and that time has passed. In 2022, it’s a conservative tool to wedge Labor and cause political trouble: that’s all it is.

    It’s the gift that keeps giving to NSW Labor – John Barilaro, the man who is now claiming he’s “the victim” in the New York Trade Commissioner debacle, arguing that just because he changed the job from a public service appointment to a political appointment, it can’t be possibly argued that it was purely to benefit himself. Even though – lucky man! – he ended up being benefitted and was appointed as the New York Trade Commissioner. All purely on merit, apparently.

    The worst part of this is that these political figures expect the public to believe these fantastic stories and accept them as truth. Politics in NSW has been corrupt for a long time, and it’s hard to see this changing. And Victoria is not too far behind, with corruption and misconduct apparent in both the government, and the opposition. Why is there so much corruption in state politics?

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    The post Lessons for Labor, Liberal’s nuclear error, and lucky Barilaro appeared first on New Politics.

    This post was originally published on New Politics.

  • Barilaro trade office saga and NSW Corruption Inc

    The case involving the former NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro being appointed to a plum state trade office job in New York over the top of another appointee shows NSW Corruption Inc still rules. Jim McIlroy reports.

    This post was originally published on Green Left.

  • New South who? Where is Team Australia?

    It might be hoped that the candidate selection process to fill a plush role as NSW Senior Trade Commissioner in New York is as grubby as things get in the state’s politics, but that’s probably too optimistic. The process that led to the appointment of colourful former deputy premier John Barilaro to the role was…

    The post New South who? Where is Team Australia? appeared first on InnovationAus.com.

    This post was originally published on InnovationAus.com.

  • Greens Power, Fighting The Last Election And More Corruption In NSW

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    The Australian Greens have had their most successful election campaign ever – four seats in the House of Representatives, 12 Senators and 12.25% of the primary vote all across Australia. These are excellent figures and a promising result for progressive politics.

    But how well will they be able to work with the new Labor Government? To pass their legislation, Labor will need the support of these 12 Greens Senators – and one other, likely to be independent Senator David Pocock – but what will Labor need to give up to get the support of the Greens, and how will the Greens compromise their agendas to get the approval of Labor?

    Around 80 per cent of Greens preferences flow to the Labor Party, and these preferences are critical for Labor in the House of Representatives. And what do the Greens receive in support? Public animosity, if the comments from National Secretary Paul Erickson are any guide, when he suggested the Greens spend most of their time criticising Labor achievements and downplaying their progressive credentials.

    It would be better if the negotiations between Labor and the Greens are fruitful and result in outcomes in the public interest. Each party needs to maximise their own interests, and push their own agendas, but after nine years of policy paralysis provided by the Liberal–National Coalition government between 2013 and 2022, it’s essential Labor and the Greens resolve their differences and provide the community with government that acts in their interest.

    The 2022 federal election is well and truly over, but the new Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, wants to fight this election all over again: climate wars, culture wars, blame games and asserting that he didn’t see a need to change very much of what the Coalition offered at this recent election. The former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, did once say “the lady’s not for turning”, but that was Thatcher, and Peter Dutton ain’t no Margaret Thatcher.

    It’s an odd position for a new leader to adopt, especially after a thumping election loss, where the issues the Coalition presented to the electorate were comprehensively rejected. But perhaps the man’s not for turning, and is prepared to suffer the political consequences for his lack of action.

    And the state of NSW always has difficulty shedding its reputation as the ‘state of corruption’, this time, it’s the former Deputy Premier, John Barilaro, who’s taken up a trade commissioner position to the United States, a position he created while he was in the NSW Government. The position had been offered to another more highly credentialed person, but then Barilaro resigned from politics in October 2021, the offer to the other more highly credentialed person was rescinded and – can you believe it – eight months later, Barilaro is offered the $500,000 job.

    Yes, it is unbelievable, but this is New South Wales, where anything goes. We have a feeling the NSW ICAC might be busy with a new investigation, and it could take some time to unravel what actually took place. And, it has the potential to bring down yet another NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet.

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    We don’t plead, beseech, beg, guilt-trip, or gaslight you and claim the end of the world of journalism is coming soon. We keep it simple: If you like our work and would like to support it, send a donation, from as little as $5. Or purchase one of our books! It helps to keep our commitment to independent journalism ticking over! Go to our supporter page to see the many ways you can support New Politics.

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    The post Greens Power, Fighting The Last Election And More Corruption In NSW appeared first on New Politics.

    This post was originally published on New Politics.

  • NSW Corruption Inc exposed

    Jim McIlroy argues that we need stronger laws, at both the state and federal levels, to uncover and punish government corruption.

    This post was originally published on Green Left.

  • NSW gets serious about drone deployments

    The NSW government is using drones to survey and 3D map flood affected areas in the state, in a bid to reopen several sections of road which have been closed since the March floods.

    Drones are being used extensively on the Oxley Highway in the state’s north after dozens of landslips cut access between Forbes River Road and Gingers Creek Roadhouse.

    The government hopes the data can be used for the temporary reopening of roads and permanent rebuilds.

    Drones are being used to survey and model flood sites which are unsafe for crews.

    “Our drones have allowed us to get a flying start on understanding exactly what damage has been done so our engineers can work out what is required to fix it – from how many tonnes of rock and debris need to be removed to the data we need to build 3D modelling of the slopes affected,” said Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for flood recovery John Barilaro.

    “Best of all, they can take images from multiple angles without putting workers’ safety at risk.”

    Transport for NSW began trialling drone technology in 2019 for the management of incidents, congestion, assets and equipment. It expanded the program to disaster response, including the 2020 Blue Mountains bushfires.

    “Our flying squad is being put to good use right across Transport – from determining the right dimensions of a new bridge to assessing the condition of a fauna fence or inspecting difficult to reach infrastructure such as the top of bridges or overhead power lines,” said Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole.

    Mr Toole said drones offered safer access to unstable sites damaged by last month’s floods.

    “Drones are playing a critical role in our efforts to restore access on key roads like the Oxley as quickly as possible, allowing us to get a close-up view of the damage well before it was safe to send crews into these areas,” Mr Toole said.

    “Access is still dangerous and difficult in many areas where we’ve seen these landslides but drones have meant we can determine the full extent of damage that can’t be seen from the road.”

    The post NSW gets serious about drone deployments appeared first on InnovationAus.

    This post was originally published on InnovationAus.