Lawyers, rockstars, and a guy who worked in a shop
July 1, 2010
Some things change:
Australia has a female PM.
Some things stay the same:
No-one in Cabinet knows what the rest of us do all day.
We did a count. Only 9 out of 19 cabinet ministers have worked in the private sector. Of those 9: 7 were lawyers, 1 was a rockstar, and Tony Burke worked in a shop.
That’s right… because everyone who doesn’t work for the government (75% of us) is a lawyer, musician, or shop assistant.
With the federal election maybe only a month away we need more candidates like Clint Webb – here’s his TV ad (don’t worry – it’s humour).
In the wake of the G20 meeting this comment from a Financial Times journalist a few years ago is still relevant.
Apparently the Washington Post needs a special reporter to cover ‘conservatives‘. Last Sunday The Washington Examiner asked whether the ‘conservative beat‘ was like the ‘crime beat’ or the ‘environment beat’. Vanity Fair explains how the whole thing turned into a joke.
If you haven’t already read the Rolling Stone article that forced Barack Obama to sack General Stanley McChrystal it’s here – it’s amazing reading.
From the Nanny State files: The Victorian government will force fast food companies to put calorie counts on their menus. This article in Reason from November last year explains why this policy won’t work.
Here’s what IPA staff were talking about this week: today is the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the GST and Professor Sinclair Davidson celebrates. In last week’s Spectator Australia, Tim Wilson urged Ken Henry to resign, and in the Herald Sun on Saturday, Alan Moran said the new PM still supports bad climate policies.
Oh – and in The Australian Financial Review I said Kevin Rudd’s downfall was his own fault. And in the Sunday Age Chris Berg said Rudd’s demise is good news for Gough Whitlam.
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