The first Abbott Ministry

LegalNut said :

LSWCHP said :

What a phenomenal waste of money.

FFS, the only public servants that regularly fly First Class are departmental secretaries and that is mostly because they are accompanying Ministers who are also flying First Class. Pretty much every other public servant (and there are limited exceptions) are flying Business internationally.

Let’s hope those exceptions are identified and remedied then. I say this as somebody who has twice flown 1st-class courtesy of Foreign Affairs.

Genie said :

Although secondly… how can Abbott say he respects the public service, but announces his Ministry but not the portfolio’s. We have to wait for them to be sworn in by the GG on Wednesday before the new portfolio’s are announced.

Some of us would like to know what is happening with our jobs.

Some of us would like to see an end to apostrophe abuse.

Genie said :

Although secondly… how can Abbott say he respects the public service, but announces his Ministry but not the portfolio’s. We have to wait for them to be sworn in by the GG on Wednesday before the new portfolio’s are announced.

Some of us would like to know what is happening with our jobs.

Surely that’s reason enough to take 12 months stress leave in the APS?

Although secondly… how can Abbott say he respects the public service, but announces his Ministry but not the portfolio’s. We have to wait for them to be sworn in by the GG on Wednesday before the new portfolio’s are announced.

Some of us would like to know what is happening with our jobs.

thebrownstreak69 said :

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

The Dept was disbanded earlier this year. Thanks, Julia.

The Department was disbanded but the portfolio wasn’t.

Climate Change went to the Department of Innovation and a million other things. The Energy Efficiency side went to Resources, Energy and Tourism.

Putting all other matters aside, may I say thank god for some sanity returning to government naming conventions!

Sophie Mirabella. Hahahaahaahahaaaaahaahaaaaaaaa!!!

Thank god for small mercies.

LSWCHP said :

CraigT said :

If this is a sign of things to come, then not all is bad:
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/julie-bishop-orders-bureaucrats-to-fly-in-business-for-overseas-trips/story-fncynjr2-1226719451164

I would have given my left testicle to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where Julie’s directive was discussed.
HaHAHA. Suffer in your jocks, overpaid, arrogant DFAT-wits!

First class seats? The terrible suffering of business class? Jesus f*cking wept. I can’t believe this is serious. Nobody has ever flown first class in the history of my company, not even the owners. For many years even senior staff (like me) flew economy to the US, the middle east and elsewhere, and I would’ve given my left nut for a business class seat.

What a phenomenal waste of money.

FFS, the only public servants that regularly fly First Class are departmental secretaries and that is mostly because they are accompanying Ministers who are also flying First Class. Pretty much every other public servant (and there are limited exceptions) are flying Business internationally.

Frankly, that is pretty reasonable and there was no indication that the DFAT staffers were put out by the fact they were flying Business. In any case, Economy Class for long-haul international travel is a false economy if you want to get the most out of people on the ground and get productivity out of them in the air. Business is a reasonable compromise but the hoopla over the fact that Ministers generally travel First Class is hilarious.

I note there hasn’t been any complaint about the fact that the PM travels private.

poetix said :

Attorney-General and Minister for the Arts amused me.

Arts was his first choice (he’s a previous arts minister as well).

CraigT said :

I would have given my left testicle to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where Julie’s directive was discussed.

I would have given both to see her reaction when it was first brought to her attention….=D

I guess a reasonable move and pretty hard to justify spending top dollar when everyone else is tightening their belts.

And labor, for the last 2 years at least, has mastered “constructive dismissal” processes across the aps. Personally I can’t see the libs being able to be harsher, given the expertise that has been demonstrated so far by their predecessors…

johnboy said :

Very surprising with a shortage of women in cabinet that Marise Payne didn’t get a better run.

The libs don’t have gender quotas for women. Labor do. I guess if there was a mister for men portfolio or an institute for men’s affairs etc. I could suspect a sexist conspiracy…

CraigT said :

bikhet said :

johnboy said :

Apparently Krystalnacht is coming for the dep secs in the next couple of days.

I think you mean “Nacht der langen Messer.”

Er, I call Godwin’s.

I doubt very much the Young Liberals will be sent around to all the houses of pubes who are registered members of an allied right-wing splinter-group in order to murder them all.

Nor are they likely to undertake a pogrom against Jewish members of the APS.

CraigT said :

More hyperbole from an Arts graduate, no doubt.

This is the second time I’ve been accused of being an Arts graduate. I’m tempted to go you for libel!

CraigT said :

If this is a sign of things to come, then not all is bad:
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/julie-bishop-orders-bureaucrats-to-fly-in-business-for-overseas-trips/story-fncynjr2-1226719451164

I would have given my left testicle to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where Julie’s directive was discussed.
HaHAHA. Suffer in your jocks, overpaid, arrogant DFAT-wits!

First class seats? The terrible suffering of business class? Jesus f*cking wept. I can’t believe this is serious. Nobody has ever flown first class in the history of my company, not even the owners. For many years even senior staff (like me) flew economy to the US, the middle east and elsewhere, and I would’ve given my left nut for a business class seat.

What a phenomenal waste of money.

Ronald_Coase said :

milkman said :

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

Not quite.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/we-got-it-wrong-on-warming-says-ipcc/comments-e6frg8y6-1226719672318

Or just the usual OZ? A bit like those easy credit loan sharks? No facts, no problem!
http://johnquiggin.com/2013/09/16/cant-quote-cant-link/

ROTFL! I just followed the link to the Oz article.
A few points.
1/ It’s written by Graham Lloyd, who has poroven himself to be totally clueless on this issue.
2/ His source is…..drumroll….THE DAILY MAIL
3/ He says, “The IPCC was forced to deny…(X)”.

In other news today, Graham Lloyd was forced to deny that he is the bastard offsrping of Elvis Presly and a female lizard from the planet Xenu.

That’s how this works, right, Graham?

Ronald_Coase said :

milkman said :

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

Not quite.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/we-got-it-wrong-on-warming-says-ipcc/comments-e6frg8y6-1226719672318

Or just the usual OZ? A bit like those easy credit loan sharks? No facts, no problem!
http://johnquiggin.com/2013/09/16/cant-quote-cant-link/

I’m impressed that after so many years of such extremely poor coverage of climate change that The AUstralian is now so far ahead on this issue they are printing analyses of a report that hasn’t actually been issued yet.

Well done, Oz.

milkman said :

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

Not quite.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/we-got-it-wrong-on-warming-says-ipcc/comments-e6frg8y6-1226719672318

Or just the usual OZ? A bit like those easy credit loan sharks? No facts, no problem!
http://johnquiggin.com/2013/09/16/cant-quote-cant-link/

bikhet said :

johnboy said :

Apparently Krystalnacht is coming for the dep secs in the next couple of days.

I think you mean “Nacht der langen Messer.”

Er, I call Godwin’s.

I doubt very much the Young Liberals will be sent around to all the houses of pubes who are registered members of an allied right-wing splinter-group in order to murder them all.

More hyperbole from an Arts graduate, no doubt.

johnboy said :

Apparently Krystalnacht is coming for the dep secs in the next couple of days.

Given the number of labor flunkies Julia installed as dep secs that doesn’t surprise me one bit.

If this is a sign of things to come, then not all is bad:
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/julie-bishop-orders-bureaucrats-to-fly-in-business-for-overseas-trips/story-fncynjr2-1226719451164

I would have given my left testicle to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where Julie’s directive was discussed.
HaHAHA. Suffer in your jocks, overpaid, arrogant DFAT-wits!

And I am writing to Eric Abetz as we speak concerning the small matter of half the public service having been inflicted (at vast taxpayers’ expense) with political indoctrination sessions by Commissars from the following organisation:
http://www.themaygroup.com.au/

Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

‘The APS has not yet achieved gender balance across all levels and functions – and some agencies have a significant way to go. There are many reasons for this, often grounded in unconscious practices, assumptions and judgements that favour a ‘masculine’ style and approach to work.’

In this session, learn about

What is unconscious bias?
How does it affect women at work?
How can it be overcome?

johnboy said :

Apparently Krystalnacht is coming for the dep secs in the next couple of days.

I think you mean “Nacht der langen Messer.”

Ditching research, science, innovation, the digital economy and women seems very 1950’s.

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

Not quite.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/we-got-it-wrong-on-warming-says-ipcc/comments-e6frg8y6-1226719672318

poetix said :

Attorney-General and Minister for the Arts amused me.

Could easily happen in a middle eastern country beginning with “I” (other than Israel perhaps) and the minister could imprison poets thus fulfilling both portfolios in one hit. Not amusing any more, is it? 🙂

PantsMan said :

Eric Abetz as the “Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the obliteration of the leftist, biased, bludging Public Service”…

There, fixed it for you.

Not until after they spend the next few weeks writing legislation to abolish themselves though.

Eric Abetz as the “Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the obliteration of the leftist, biased, bludging Public Service”…

There, fixed it for you.

On the plus side, at least the portfolios have sensible names. Damn naming conventions under RGR were ridiculous. Was literally counting the days until a Minister for Paperclips and Canary Yellow Post-Its (but not other coloured post-its) was named.

On the down side, the line up is more stale and male dominated than the senior ranks of the Vatican.

Cormann’s got Finance? Words fail me. And Concetta has social services, they should have given her Mental Health! She’d be over-qualified.

spinact said :

What! No Climate Change?

The Dept was disbanded earlier this year. Thanks, Julia.

johnboy said :

CSIRO staying under Industry

I think that’s CIRO now.

What! No Climate Change?

I see they solved the problem of who to appoint to the science portfolio…by eliminating the science portfolio.

Attorney-General and Minister for the Arts amused me.

Very surprising with a shortage of women in cabinet that Marise Payne didn’t get a better run.