I was proud to announce today our policy to introduce a national curriculum for maths, English, science and history.
The curriculum will bring consistency and sense to eight separate systems that produce varying degrees of success. A key component will be our close engagement with the states to ensure appropriate regional requirements are met. This will be a system that is not shackled by ideology but is developed via consensus and agreement.
The nationwide curriculum is the third plank in our education revolution, together with maths and science students having their HECS bill slashed under our $111 million proposal and $450 million a year being provided for four-year-olds to have 15 hours per week of pre-school learning.
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
Goodbye Billy Thorpe
I was very saddened to learn this morning of the death of Billy Thorpe.
Billy was at the forefront of Australian rock music and he led the way for other great acts such as ACDC, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel and many others.
I had the privilege of seeing him on stage at a festival a couple of years ago. It was a hair raising experience being up on the side of the stage watching him perform. He was tight, loud, funny and hugely entertaining.
As Billy used to say, "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday."
No more tomorrows for Bill. Vale The King!
Billy was at the forefront of Australian rock music and he led the way for other great acts such as ACDC, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel and many others.
I had the privilege of seeing him on stage at a festival a couple of years ago. It was a hair raising experience being up on the side of the stage watching him perform. He was tight, loud, funny and hugely entertaining.
As Billy used to say, "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday."
No more tomorrows for Bill. Vale The King!
Focus and discipline
It's time to take half a step back and examine where we are.
All this news of poll leads, preferred Prime Minister, "star" candidates and policy leadership is all well and good, but we're a long way from from where we need to be come election time.
We have 16 seats to pick up nationally. That, historically, is a very tough ask. People have responded extremely well to our team, seeing us now as a credible alternative government. However, we cannot expect John Howard and the government to stand idly by while we march into office.
The increasingly personal attacks on us are only the precursor to a wave of negative campaigning. Howard will seek to divide and conquer, both within our team, but also with the voting public.
As I told caucus yesterday, we must hold firm, keep our discipline, focus on policy leadership and credibility, and keep away from engaging at the personal level. Whilst we would all love to shout down the crass and feral attacks from the conservatives, only by showing great dignity and resolve will we give ourselves the chance to pick up those 16 seats needed to form the next Federal Labor Government.
All this news of poll leads, preferred Prime Minister, "star" candidates and policy leadership is all well and good, but we're a long way from from where we need to be come election time.
We have 16 seats to pick up nationally. That, historically, is a very tough ask. People have responded extremely well to our team, seeing us now as a credible alternative government. However, we cannot expect John Howard and the government to stand idly by while we march into office.
The increasingly personal attacks on us are only the precursor to a wave of negative campaigning. Howard will seek to divide and conquer, both within our team, but also with the voting public.
As I told caucus yesterday, we must hold firm, keep our discipline, focus on policy leadership and credibility, and keep away from engaging at the personal level. Whilst we would all love to shout down the crass and feral attacks from the conservatives, only by showing great dignity and resolve will we give ourselves the chance to pick up those 16 seats needed to form the next Federal Labor Government.
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Nobody talked nuclear to anyone
This story about Ron Walker, Hugh Morgan and Robert Champion de Crespigny not talking to John Howard or Ian Macfarlane about nuclear power plants is starting to smell.
Sure John Howard talks to his friend Ron Walker. But he didn't talk to him. Not really.
Why the great expanding defence? Why the inscrutable clucking about integrity? Why the defensiveness?
My challenge to Mr Howard is this: tell the people when you started formulating a nuclear power plant policy. Tell the people when you started talking to your mates about your plan. Tell the people why you commissioned a report on nuclear power when you already knew the answer.
Tell us John Howard.
Sure John Howard talks to his friend Ron Walker. But he didn't talk to him. Not really.
Why the great expanding defence? Why the inscrutable clucking about integrity? Why the defensiveness?
My challenge to Mr Howard is this: tell the people when you started formulating a nuclear power plant policy. Tell the people when you started talking to your mates about your plan. Tell the people why you commissioned a report on nuclear power when you already knew the answer.
Tell us John Howard.
The Celebrity of Politics
Today's Herald Sun has a light puff piece about the "Politics of Celebrity" in relation to Maxine McKew's run against John Howard in Bennelong and other "celebrities" in parliament.
I would suggest a "celebrity of politics" exists in that every politician from every party becomes a celebrity of sorts when they join the parliament. Some take on more celebrity than others - just look at Pauline Hanson or Natasha Stott Despoja for instance. Others lack the charisma, good looks, intelligence or startling comments to generate "celebrity" status. Some prefer to remain anonymous, known only to their constituents. But even they are a minor celebrity, whether its officially opening a building or having a cup of tea with the punters in a country hall.
The point is, we shouldn't get hung up on the celebrity of any politician. Yes there are high profile politicians and candidates. There always will be. It's what they say and do that counts.
I would suggest a "celebrity of politics" exists in that every politician from every party becomes a celebrity of sorts when they join the parliament. Some take on more celebrity than others - just look at Pauline Hanson or Natasha Stott Despoja for instance. Others lack the charisma, good looks, intelligence or startling comments to generate "celebrity" status. Some prefer to remain anonymous, known only to their constituents. But even they are a minor celebrity, whether its officially opening a building or having a cup of tea with the punters in a country hall.
The point is, we shouldn't get hung up on the celebrity of any politician. Yes there are high profile politicians and candidates. There always will be. It's what they say and do that counts.
Monday, 26 February 2007
No damage to the US alliance
I'd like to note my comments on this site last Monday:
"Our alliance is not threatened by a clear, independent position on Iraq."
And Mr Cheney's comments on the alliance during his visit when asked about the withdrawal of approximately 500 Australian combat troops?
"I don't see any prospect of damage to the alliance."
Exactly.
"Our alliance is not threatened by a clear, independent position on Iraq."
And Mr Cheney's comments on the alliance during his visit when asked about the withdrawal of approximately 500 Australian combat troops?
"I don't see any prospect of damage to the alliance."
Exactly.
Clean Coal
The message from Labor is clean and clear.
When it comes to the coal industry, we need to invest in reducing emissions. We need to invest in protecting our export industry. We need to invest in protecting jobs and ensuring the future wellbeing of all people associated with the industry.
Our $500m clean coal policy will transform the industry, protecting and generating jobs, opening up opportunities for the export of successful clean coal technologies. Consider the scope of these technologies and the major impact they could have on emmissions:
* Coal gasification, whereby power plants gasify the coal with the resultant synthesis gas used to run a turbine that produces electricity.
* Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), whereby the CO2 from the synthesis gas is separated, and then redirected and stored. The redirection of CO2 into geological formations is called geosequestriation.
* Oxy firing, whereby pulverised coal is combusted in a mixture of oxygen and recirculated flue gas in order to reduce the net volume of flue gases from the process and to substantially increase the concentration of CO2 in the flue gases.
* Post Combustion Capture (PCC), whereby CO2 is removed from the flue gas from conventional coal fired power stations and then stored.
We cannot realistically think the coal industry can be closed down in Australia. The effect on how way of life would be catastrophic. It is only the research and development of appropriate solutions for the removal of CO2 emissions that will contribute to a 60% reduction in greenhouse pollution by 2050.
Long term solutions such as this are only achieved by having a vision, together with the courage to take the "baby steps" needed right now.
When it comes to the coal industry, we need to invest in reducing emissions. We need to invest in protecting our export industry. We need to invest in protecting jobs and ensuring the future wellbeing of all people associated with the industry.
Our $500m clean coal policy will transform the industry, protecting and generating jobs, opening up opportunities for the export of successful clean coal technologies. Consider the scope of these technologies and the major impact they could have on emmissions:
* Coal gasification, whereby power plants gasify the coal with the resultant synthesis gas used to run a turbine that produces electricity.
* Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), whereby the CO2 from the synthesis gas is separated, and then redirected and stored. The redirection of CO2 into geological formations is called geosequestriation.
* Oxy firing, whereby pulverised coal is combusted in a mixture of oxygen and recirculated flue gas in order to reduce the net volume of flue gases from the process and to substantially increase the concentration of CO2 in the flue gases.
* Post Combustion Capture (PCC), whereby CO2 is removed from the flue gas from conventional coal fired power stations and then stored.
We cannot realistically think the coal industry can be closed down in Australia. The effect on how way of life would be catastrophic. It is only the research and development of appropriate solutions for the removal of CO2 emissions that will contribute to a 60% reduction in greenhouse pollution by 2050.
Long term solutions such as this are only achieved by having a vision, together with the courage to take the "baby steps" needed right now.
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