Things you can’t say in the office…
February 28, 2013
From James Paterson
This week in America everyone’s talking about the ‘sequester‘ – enforced spending cuts that President Obama says would be a “huge blow to middle class families” and his staff say would be “devastating“. The Cato Institute helpfully puts the cuts in context, and as this excellent chart from the Mercatus Center shows, government spending will still massively increase even after the sequester.
Personally, I’ll believe the US government is serious about reducing spending when they stop funding projects like this. But then again, at least they didn’t drop $100,000 on painting a pedestrian crossing, like Sydney City Council.
And if you think that’s silly, what about this list of things governments are banning?:
Spare a thought for North Koreans. It was bad enough already that it’s illegal to leave, as this powerful essay in the National Geographic in 2009 captured, and that thousands are locked in gulags. But now they can’t even choose their own haircuts.
We’ve already told you how dangerous the Gillard government’s proposed anti-discrimination law could be. But we’re not as creative as the team at Swaab Attorneys. Here’s their helpful list of things you can’t say in the office. We might be violating the new law just by including that link!
This week’s long read is again from the excellent City Journal, on why Washington D.C. is fast becoming America’s second city because of big government.
And finally, make sure you watch this great new video from Topher on the true cost of taxes (you’ll remember Topher from his important video on free speech last year).
Here’s what else the IPA said this week:
- Sinclair Davidson, Mine tax didn’t add up – The Australian
- Tim Wilson, Fat chance scare tactics will trim us – The Courier Mail
- Chris Berg, Censorship standards come from a personal place – The Drum
- Chris Berg, An assault on diet – The Sunday Age
- Simon Breheny, Freedom fighters will save the HRC – The Australian
- Alan Moran, Innovation sorely lacking in Gillard’s industry move – The Herald Sun
- Tim Wilson, Tim Wilson condemns human rights commissioner for failing to defend free speech – ABCNews24
- Simon Breheny, Gillard Government seizure of inactive bank accounts is an attack on property rights – FreedomWatch
- Tim Wilson, It’s sick to tax the food of the poor to subsidise the choices of the rich – FreedomWatch
- James Paterson – Conroy wants to shut down individual TV shows – FreedomWatch
- Simon Breheny – High Court rules on free speech cases – FreedomWatch
- Tim Wilson – WARNING: This post discusses delicious fatty food and alcoholic drinks you may enjoy – FreedomWatch
- Simon Breheny – Criminal penalties for failure to comply with PED investigations is absurd – FreedomWatch
- Chris Berg – Important piece in The Age on the coercive power of regulators – FreedomWatch
- Tim Wilson – Unintended consequences, Coke and pizza edition – FreedomWatch
- Simon Breheny – Fact-checking the Australian Human Rights Commission – FreedomWatch
- James Paterson – Hypocrisy and free speech – FreedomWatch
- Simon Breheny – Senate committee reports on anti-discrimination bill inquiry – FreedomWatch
- James Paterson – John Roskam’s letter to IPA members – FreedomWatch
Click here to view Hey on the web | Click here to forward this email to a friend | Click here to unsubscribe
Institute of Public Affairs | Level 2 | 410 Collins Street | Melbourne | Victoria | 3000 | Australia
| Subscribe to Hey... what did I miss, delivered each week for free directly into your inbox. |
