Dear Editor,
The editorial (19th August, 2009) correctly rejects Gerry Wood’s crazy idea of taxpayer’s funding an abattoir. It goes on to say: “No business operated by any government anywhere at any time has worked well.” Of course this is true.
One therefore must ask the obvious question; why has the NT News never supported the privatization of the NT Government’s poorly performing businesses?
The obvious “business” to sell off would be PowerWater, which continues to provide very ordinary service whilst at the same time gobbling up millions of taxpayer’s dollars.
But obviously TIO, the Government Printing Office and the Darwin Bus Service, just to name a few, should all be sold off. There is no reason whatsoever to throw taxpayer’s money at these businesses.
And finally, if we really need a new jail, then call worldwide tenders from proven jail operators to design, construct and operate a new correctional facility somewhere in the greater Darwin area. There really is no valid reason for the taxpayer to run jails if they can be run more cheaply and efficiently by private enterprise.
With Gerry Wood’s massively expensive and mostly unnecessary “shopping list” together with the perilous state of the Henderson Government’s finances, surely now is the time to bite the privatization bullet?
Dave Wane
19th August, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The recent turmoil in the ranks of the Henderson government says more about the majority of the people who make up this horribly inefficient, extremely wasteful, but very “spun” administration, than any individual Labor member.
Most observers of NT politics would be well aware that almost all Labor members of parliament previously fed at the taxpayer-funded trough prior to embarking on a political career. In my view this total absence of any real marketplace experience is at the heart is the heart of the failure of this NT Labor government.
Whilst Alison Anderson is of course very much a loose cannon, and has seriously damaged what remains of the Henderson government’s credibility, she does make at least one very valid criticism of the waste and mismanagement of funds allocated to Aboriginal housing.
Whatever the real ratio of administration costs to actual housing costs actually is under the Henderson government’s administration of the “Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program” (SIHIP), there is no doubt that there has been plenty of squandering of taxpayer’s funds on unnecessary bureaucratic process and more than likely the usual government bungling.
Anyone who has ever worked in Aboriginal “communities” would be well aware that housing designed by public servants and “consultants” are rarely if ever appropriate for the needs of aborigines. Large expensive suburban-style-bungalows are the last thing aborigines require.
Territorians who have been to Beswick would be aware of the older (still-standing) housing – constructed of concrete blocks. These houses consist of a front verandah, an outside covered laundry, internal ablution facilities, a kitchen and bedrooms. There are no glass windows, instead concrete breeze-blocks. However, the design of housing is relatively easy to construct, has very low maintenance and lasts for many years. If Alison Anderson is fair-dinkum about providing effective and appropriate housing for aborigines, then I suggest she inspect these dwellings. In my opinion these hoses could be built for around $500,000 – half the cost of a suburban bungalow style that is currently being built.
Forget the bureaucrats and consultants. The federal and territory governments should immediately call for expressions of interest (and quotations) from experienced remote area NT builders to design and construct houses built from concrete panels or reinforced concrete blockwork. Provided that a few basic criteria are met, the cheapest proposal for each community should be accepted and construction started immediately, before the wet. Simple really!
In the history of the Northern Territory parliament since self-government, the Labor Party has not been served well by members with aboriginal blood. Of course, again like most of the fully-white Labor members of the assembly, to my knowledge, there has never been a part-aboriginal member of the NT parliamentary Labor Party who has not previously been on the taxpayer-funded payroll. As a result, a money-grows-on-trees attitude is rife throughout the Labor government of Paul Henderson - hence the massive debt burden and astronomical wages bill for the extra 4,000 public servants that this government has forced Territorians to wear.
Whatever of the outcome of the current parliamentary crisis, hopefully a strong, efficient government will emerge that gets on with things with the minimum of fuss and least cost to the taxpayer.
Territorians do not want another all “spin and bloat” government like that of Henderson to sneak back into power – with renegade aboriginal members still intact. Territorians deserve better. Territorians deserve a stable committed government.
As the Rudd Labor government continues to wreak havoc upon the Australian economy with jobs-destroying schemes like CPRS “Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme” and other unnecessary interventionist, anti - free-market measures, Territorians more than ever require a well-managed team of dedicated members to form the next government and provide sound economic leadership.
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
14th August, 2009
Most observers of NT politics would be well aware that almost all Labor members of parliament previously fed at the taxpayer-funded trough prior to embarking on a political career. In my view this total absence of any real marketplace experience is at the heart is the heart of the failure of this NT Labor government.
Whilst Alison Anderson is of course very much a loose cannon, and has seriously damaged what remains of the Henderson government’s credibility, she does make at least one very valid criticism of the waste and mismanagement of funds allocated to Aboriginal housing.
Whatever the real ratio of administration costs to actual housing costs actually is under the Henderson government’s administration of the “Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program” (SIHIP), there is no doubt that there has been plenty of squandering of taxpayer’s funds on unnecessary bureaucratic process and more than likely the usual government bungling.
Anyone who has ever worked in Aboriginal “communities” would be well aware that housing designed by public servants and “consultants” are rarely if ever appropriate for the needs of aborigines. Large expensive suburban-style-bungalows are the last thing aborigines require.
Territorians who have been to Beswick would be aware of the older (still-standing) housing – constructed of concrete blocks. These houses consist of a front verandah, an outside covered laundry, internal ablution facilities, a kitchen and bedrooms. There are no glass windows, instead concrete breeze-blocks. However, the design of housing is relatively easy to construct, has very low maintenance and lasts for many years. If Alison Anderson is fair-dinkum about providing effective and appropriate housing for aborigines, then I suggest she inspect these dwellings. In my opinion these hoses could be built for around $500,000 – half the cost of a suburban bungalow style that is currently being built.
Forget the bureaucrats and consultants. The federal and territory governments should immediately call for expressions of interest (and quotations) from experienced remote area NT builders to design and construct houses built from concrete panels or reinforced concrete blockwork. Provided that a few basic criteria are met, the cheapest proposal for each community should be accepted and construction started immediately, before the wet. Simple really!
In the history of the Northern Territory parliament since self-government, the Labor Party has not been served well by members with aboriginal blood. Of course, again like most of the fully-white Labor members of the assembly, to my knowledge, there has never been a part-aboriginal member of the NT parliamentary Labor Party who has not previously been on the taxpayer-funded payroll. As a result, a money-grows-on-trees attitude is rife throughout the Labor government of Paul Henderson - hence the massive debt burden and astronomical wages bill for the extra 4,000 public servants that this government has forced Territorians to wear.
Whatever of the outcome of the current parliamentary crisis, hopefully a strong, efficient government will emerge that gets on with things with the minimum of fuss and least cost to the taxpayer.
Territorians do not want another all “spin and bloat” government like that of Henderson to sneak back into power – with renegade aboriginal members still intact. Territorians deserve better. Territorians deserve a stable committed government.
As the Rudd Labor government continues to wreak havoc upon the Australian economy with jobs-destroying schemes like CPRS “Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme” and other unnecessary interventionist, anti - free-market measures, Territorians more than ever require a well-managed team of dedicated members to form the next government and provide sound economic leadership.
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
14th August, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
PowerWater tariff increase.
Dear Editor,
A correspondent to these pages (NT News Letters to the Editor 15th July, 2009) asks the very valid and obvious question about where the money from Power & Water’s 28% rate increases since 2005 has gone. As he says, it clearly has not been spent on maintenance.
This correspondent’s concerns regarding why we have a third world electricity supply system yet pay ever-increasing tariffs is of course justified, and easy to explain.
Power & Water, like just about every NT Government department or instrumentality is burdened with a massively top heavy, mostly unnecessary, usually ineffective but very expensive bureaucracy. In simple terms there are way too many highly-paid “chiefs” gobbling up millions of dollars of revenue that could be better spent at the “coal face”. Furthermore all these executives and so-called managers appear to have little or no management ability. Instead of focusing on efficiency and productivity, they are keener on empire building.
Whether it’s Health, Education, or indeed any area of the NT Government, the same bloat, waste and inefficiency is commonplace throughout all sections of this government. For example, the recent Education review revealed systematic failures within that department, citing amongst others - a culture of “self-interested fiefdoms” operating within that huge bureaucracy.
The Martin/Henderson governments have increased the size of public service by up to 4,000 people since they came to power. Many of this extraordinarily high number are of course highly paid “executives”. But what have these well remunerated mandarins achieved for Territorians? There would be very few Territorians who believe that so-called service-delivery in any area has improved since 2001.Most Territorians would say that Electricity supply, Health and Education, to name just three, have gone backwards during the Martin/Henderson years. And of course, crime has increased, even with an increase in police numbers.
Territorians who have followed the decline of New South Wales under the Carr/Iemma/Rees government to a near bankrupt position, and similarly the parlous financial mess that Queensland finds itself in under the Beattie/Bligh administration should be very concerned that all the same mistakes are being made right here by the Henderson government.
These “mistakes” are of course directly attributed to the poor judgment and lack of “real world” experience of Henderson, the members of his government, and their advisors – almost all of which previously fed at the taxpayer-funded trough – and obviously still do.
What are these mistakes?
*A systemic environment of poor management; leading to massive over-manning, waste, inefficiency and low productivity across the entire NT public service.
*A stubborn philosophical unwillingness to dispose of costly and potentially financially crippling state-owned businesses such as TIO and PowerWater. Even Anna Bligh (from the ALP left) had to eventually bite the privatization bullet, albeit way too late.
*Excessive regulation of businesses (to appease the unions) and increasing control over the lifestyle of Territorians (to appease southern Labor-do-gooders). In other words, like all the southern Labor administrations – the creation of a straight-jacketed nanny-state.
*Unwarranted intervention in the marketplace, such as the now abandoned scheme to create “low-cost” housing in Palmerston.
*And generally, a “drunken-sailor” approach to the spending of taxpayer’s funds – throwing money at anything that comes along – as if money grows on trees.
Maybe the arrival of Inpex and other oil and gas companies may buy Henderson and Co more time.
However, Territorians should remember that Queensland was once resource-rich and wealthy. Whilst Queensland is still resource-rich, it is now in serious financial difficulty –thanks to the same kind of mismanagement that is occurring here under the Henderson government.
Territorians should be very concerned at the direction our once great and freedom-loving Territory is heading!
Yours truly,
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
18th July, 2009
A correspondent to these pages (NT News Letters to the Editor 15th July, 2009) asks the very valid and obvious question about where the money from Power & Water’s 28% rate increases since 2005 has gone. As he says, it clearly has not been spent on maintenance.
This correspondent’s concerns regarding why we have a third world electricity supply system yet pay ever-increasing tariffs is of course justified, and easy to explain.
Power & Water, like just about every NT Government department or instrumentality is burdened with a massively top heavy, mostly unnecessary, usually ineffective but very expensive bureaucracy. In simple terms there are way too many highly-paid “chiefs” gobbling up millions of dollars of revenue that could be better spent at the “coal face”. Furthermore all these executives and so-called managers appear to have little or no management ability. Instead of focusing on efficiency and productivity, they are keener on empire building.
Whether it’s Health, Education, or indeed any area of the NT Government, the same bloat, waste and inefficiency is commonplace throughout all sections of this government. For example, the recent Education review revealed systematic failures within that department, citing amongst others - a culture of “self-interested fiefdoms” operating within that huge bureaucracy.
The Martin/Henderson governments have increased the size of public service by up to 4,000 people since they came to power. Many of this extraordinarily high number are of course highly paid “executives”. But what have these well remunerated mandarins achieved for Territorians? There would be very few Territorians who believe that so-called service-delivery in any area has improved since 2001.Most Territorians would say that Electricity supply, Health and Education, to name just three, have gone backwards during the Martin/Henderson years. And of course, crime has increased, even with an increase in police numbers.
Territorians who have followed the decline of New South Wales under the Carr/Iemma/Rees government to a near bankrupt position, and similarly the parlous financial mess that Queensland finds itself in under the Beattie/Bligh administration should be very concerned that all the same mistakes are being made right here by the Henderson government.
These “mistakes” are of course directly attributed to the poor judgment and lack of “real world” experience of Henderson, the members of his government, and their advisors – almost all of which previously fed at the taxpayer-funded trough – and obviously still do.
What are these mistakes?
*A systemic environment of poor management; leading to massive over-manning, waste, inefficiency and low productivity across the entire NT public service.
*A stubborn philosophical unwillingness to dispose of costly and potentially financially crippling state-owned businesses such as TIO and PowerWater. Even Anna Bligh (from the ALP left) had to eventually bite the privatization bullet, albeit way too late.
*Excessive regulation of businesses (to appease the unions) and increasing control over the lifestyle of Territorians (to appease southern Labor-do-gooders). In other words, like all the southern Labor administrations – the creation of a straight-jacketed nanny-state.
*Unwarranted intervention in the marketplace, such as the now abandoned scheme to create “low-cost” housing in Palmerston.
*And generally, a “drunken-sailor” approach to the spending of taxpayer’s funds – throwing money at anything that comes along – as if money grows on trees.
Maybe the arrival of Inpex and other oil and gas companies may buy Henderson and Co more time.
However, Territorians should remember that Queensland was once resource-rich and wealthy. Whilst Queensland is still resource-rich, it is now in serious financial difficulty –thanks to the same kind of mismanagement that is occurring here under the Henderson government.
Territorians should be very concerned at the direction our once great and freedom-loving Territory is heading!
Yours truly,
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
18th July, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Not an unpublished NT News Letter - but relevant to the NT
This was a response to a column by Janet Albrechtsen in "The Australian". http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/janetalbrechtsen/index.php/theaustralian/comments/beware_the_faceless_men_of_nsw/
One can only guess where all these wrong decisions (not to privatise electricity or Cessnock jail, being the more recent ones)will eventually place the already tenuous finances of Australia’s largest state.
Do the union bosses who control this pathetic government have no conscience whatsoever - that they can allow their state to become bankrupt?
There is no doubt that the public sector unions have, through the weak Carr/Iemma and now Rees Governments held the productive people of NSW to ransom. Whilst the union officials and hundreds of thousands of (mostly unnecessary) NSW Government employees are living on clover, ordinary people in NSW are doing it hard as the recession bites and REAL world jobs become scarce.
Off the subject slightly, but here in the NT the Martin and Henderson Labor Governments have all but created a clone of the failed state of NSW.
All the same ingredients have been poured into the “stew”; 3,000 extra public servants have been hired since Labor came to power: rules, regulations and taxes are on the increase, and a host of grandiose (but mostly unnecessary) public expenditure projects have been undertaken. Whilst, like NSW the levels of productivity in Police, Education, Health and Power-Generation have become abysmal.
Yes the southern Labor disease that has crippled NSW has already made its mark here in the NT. And now with the recession and without Costello to keep the money supply coming I do not see us avoiding becoming a full-blown casualty of the NSW Labor sickness - a virtual tropical clone of that failed southern state.
One can only guess where all these wrong decisions (not to privatise electricity or Cessnock jail, being the more recent ones)will eventually place the already tenuous finances of Australia’s largest state.
Do the union bosses who control this pathetic government have no conscience whatsoever - that they can allow their state to become bankrupt?
There is no doubt that the public sector unions have, through the weak Carr/Iemma and now Rees Governments held the productive people of NSW to ransom. Whilst the union officials and hundreds of thousands of (mostly unnecessary) NSW Government employees are living on clover, ordinary people in NSW are doing it hard as the recession bites and REAL world jobs become scarce.
Off the subject slightly, but here in the NT the Martin and Henderson Labor Governments have all but created a clone of the failed state of NSW.
All the same ingredients have been poured into the “stew”; 3,000 extra public servants have been hired since Labor came to power: rules, regulations and taxes are on the increase, and a host of grandiose (but mostly unnecessary) public expenditure projects have been undertaken. Whilst, like NSW the levels of productivity in Police, Education, Health and Power-Generation have become abysmal.
Yes the southern Labor disease that has crippled NSW has already made its mark here in the NT. And now with the recession and without Costello to keep the money supply coming I do not see us avoiding becoming a full-blown casualty of the NSW Labor sickness - a virtual tropical clone of that failed southern state.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
PowerWater past its use-by date
Dear Editor,
The hopeless Martin/Henderson Government, having pretty much completed its work of turning the NT into a clone of the failed state of NSW, now plans to throw more taxpayer’s money at the terminally ill “PowerWater”. And to find these funds for the extra treatment this seriously diseased “patient” requires they will be increasing power charges by 23 per cent.
If ever there was an argument for the NT Government getting out of the electricity generation business – this latest outrage is it. The assets of “PowerWater” are of considerable value and therefore could easily be packaged together for sale as a going concern to a number of possible buyers from power-generation industry.
The sale of “PowerWater” would of course provide this poorly managed, wasteful government with much needed cash, but would of course also wipe out the need for any more injections of taxpayer’s funds into this hugely bureaucratic, poorly-run utility.
Even if power prices rose slightly under a new privately-owned electricity company, the taxpayer’s liability – present and future would be zero.
A wise and prudent government would immediately call for world-wide expressions of interest for the purchase of “PowerWater” and the provision of cheap and reliable electricity to Territorians.
Is the current Henderson Government “wise and prudent” or as I said, just a clone of the failed NSW Government?
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
The hopeless Martin/Henderson Government, having pretty much completed its work of turning the NT into a clone of the failed state of NSW, now plans to throw more taxpayer’s money at the terminally ill “PowerWater”. And to find these funds for the extra treatment this seriously diseased “patient” requires they will be increasing power charges by 23 per cent.
If ever there was an argument for the NT Government getting out of the electricity generation business – this latest outrage is it. The assets of “PowerWater” are of considerable value and therefore could easily be packaged together for sale as a going concern to a number of possible buyers from power-generation industry.
The sale of “PowerWater” would of course provide this poorly managed, wasteful government with much needed cash, but would of course also wipe out the need for any more injections of taxpayer’s funds into this hugely bureaucratic, poorly-run utility.
Even if power prices rose slightly under a new privately-owned electricity company, the taxpayer’s liability – present and future would be zero.
A wise and prudent government would immediately call for world-wide expressions of interest for the purchase of “PowerWater” and the provision of cheap and reliable electricity to Territorians.
Is the current Henderson Government “wise and prudent” or as I said, just a clone of the failed NSW Government?
Dave Wane
Woodleigh Gardens
Labor failure predicted.
Dear Sir,
Back in August 2001 when Labor came to power here in the Northern Territory I warned in these pages that the new government should be very careful how they run things if they were going to avoid becoming a clone of other failed Labor states such as New South Wales.
Whilst New South Wales is now a basket case thanks to the pathetically incompetent “stewardship” of the Carr/Iemma Government, it has become clear that the Martin/Henderson Government has in fact followed the same disastrous script as their southern Labor counterparts. Sadly the Northern Territory is of course well on its way to becoming a carbon copy of NSW.
As I predicted in 2001:
*Labor has increased the size of the already bloated bureaucracy (by around 3,000 – at an ANNUAL cost to the taxpayer of at least $300 Million.
*Labor have hired “Labor Mates” (failed public service types – some local and others from the southern states) to “run” their departments and utilities. The Health Department, The Education Department, Worksafe and PowerWater are just some examples.
*Labor has embarked on a program of unnecessary regulation in almost all areas of territory life. From the swimming pool fencing fiasco, the abolition of an open speed limit on our highways to “over-the top” building regulations designed to keep the “leech-like” union bosses on side – Labor has decided that Government and ONLY Government “knows” best!
*Labor has squandered the GST revenue on all of the above and a whole lot more, leaving us vulnerable to a complete melt-down like NSW.
Henderson and his advisors need to come to grips with the magnitude of the mess they have created and hire some REAL managers with proven track records in the REAL world to seriously overhaul all areas of government before it is too late.
They cannot continue to depend on the Inpex Gas Plant and other private sector developments to hide the extent of the financial and administrative catastrophe that this Northern Territory Labor Government has produced.
If the Henderson Government continues on the same course the NT will become another NSW, albeit with the bonus of massive gas expenditure.
Surely the writing is on the wall – hopefully some hard decisions will be made.
Dave Wane
12th October, 2008
Back in August 2001 when Labor came to power here in the Northern Territory I warned in these pages that the new government should be very careful how they run things if they were going to avoid becoming a clone of other failed Labor states such as New South Wales.
Whilst New South Wales is now a basket case thanks to the pathetically incompetent “stewardship” of the Carr/Iemma Government, it has become clear that the Martin/Henderson Government has in fact followed the same disastrous script as their southern Labor counterparts. Sadly the Northern Territory is of course well on its way to becoming a carbon copy of NSW.
As I predicted in 2001:
*Labor has increased the size of the already bloated bureaucracy (by around 3,000 – at an ANNUAL cost to the taxpayer of at least $300 Million.
*Labor have hired “Labor Mates” (failed public service types – some local and others from the southern states) to “run” their departments and utilities. The Health Department, The Education Department, Worksafe and PowerWater are just some examples.
*Labor has embarked on a program of unnecessary regulation in almost all areas of territory life. From the swimming pool fencing fiasco, the abolition of an open speed limit on our highways to “over-the top” building regulations designed to keep the “leech-like” union bosses on side – Labor has decided that Government and ONLY Government “knows” best!
*Labor has squandered the GST revenue on all of the above and a whole lot more, leaving us vulnerable to a complete melt-down like NSW.
Henderson and his advisors need to come to grips with the magnitude of the mess they have created and hire some REAL managers with proven track records in the REAL world to seriously overhaul all areas of government before it is too late.
They cannot continue to depend on the Inpex Gas Plant and other private sector developments to hide the extent of the financial and administrative catastrophe that this Northern Territory Labor Government has produced.
If the Henderson Government continues on the same course the NT will become another NSW, albeit with the bonus of massive gas expenditure.
Surely the writing is on the wall – hopefully some hard decisions will be made.
Dave Wane
12th October, 2008
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