We were referring to the highly successful BER program that both boosted struggling building contractors & created jobs for builders, labourers and other tradies during a very sharp downfall in the global economy caused by cowboys on wall st, as well as providing infrastructure to future generations of Australian school kids.

I definitely hate funding cuts to universities to pay for Gonski reforms.

If churches & religious organisations paid fair company tax on their commercial endeavours, there wouldn't be any need for university funding cuts.

LOL Gonski :lol:

Great branding but no one even knows what it is!

Ultimately its a funding formula...only could a Labor govt consider a funding formula to be "reform" ...just more bureaucracy that will standardize education and allow for less control at the local level.

Kelly O'Dwyer: Gonski Reforms – one size fits none.
http://www.kellyodwyer.com.au/modest-member-gonski-reforms-one-size-fits-none/
June 11, 2013

With the Productivity Commission and business groups highlighting the economic disadvantage of increased regulation, it’s perhaps surprising the Australian Education Bill (known as the “Gonski” bill) is the latest example of such folly.

I’m not talking about the original legislation, but some 71 pages of amendments tabled last week, just hours before the debate in the House of Representatives. That debate was guillotined after 90 minutes, thanks to a gag motion moved by Rob Oakeshott and supported by Labor. All the amendments were waved through.

There was no review by a parliamentary committee. There was no time for individual MPs to consult their local schools and communities to understand how the proposals would affect them.

Indeed, efforts were made to silence many of the affected parties by signing them up to onerous confidentiality arrangements. All this urgency, even though the Commonwealth government is yet to reach agreement with most of the states (that actually run schools) and critical details have been reserved for as- yet unseen regulations.

Significantly, in the rush to avoid scrutiny, neither the original nor supplementary bill contained a regulation impact statement. Such statements should force a consideration of the costs and benefits of new regulation and impose a brake on legislation-happy governments.

The Australian Education Bill will now inflict an administrative burden on every school in the country. It requires each school to develop, publish, review and implement school plans each year, and the Commonwealth has to approve each plan.

What’s more, the legislation appears to give the Commonwealth minister unprecedented power to direct individual schools. This is a first for independent and Catholic schools, and a big increase in the Commonwealth’s role in state schools.

The one-size-fits-all regulation means added administrative costs for schools and education authorities and a bloated bureaucracy at the government level. What’s more, the potential opportunity costs are enormous – do we want principals focused on filling out forms or do we want them to concentrate on driving better teacher performance and educational outcomes for children?

The bill also provides the infrastructure for a meddling Commonwealth government to attempt to drive uniformity across the school system, when we should be emphasising local autonomy to engender competition and responsiveness.

Sunlight really is the best disinfectant. A proper and transparent consideration of regulatory impacts is essential if we are to prevent the exponential spread of red tape.

Unfortunately, Labor has consistently demonstrated contempt for its own rules, which require regulation impact statements “unless [the] impact is of a minor or machinery nature and does not substantially alter existing arrangements”.

The Minerals Resource Rent tax, the Fair Work changes, the Future of Financial Advice changes and the national broadband legislation all passed without an impact statement. This must change.

Before drafting legislation, we must ask whether there are better ways to address an issue – and indeed, whether an issue needs to be addressed at all. Only then can we stop the growth in red tape that, as the Australian Education Bill highlights, isn’t just strangling businesses, but inflating government and weighing down community organisations as well.

Edited by blacka: 13/6/2013 11:35:55 AM

So you'd rather the government sit back and let the free market do its thing?

Isn't that what caused the GFC (and subsequent double dip we are now experiencing) in the first place?

No...how can a free market have caused the 'GFC' when we dont have a free market

You sound like me before i started reading Ron Paul and the everything else from there :d

The 'GFC' was more a result of government intervention in the US housing market and the bundling and rebundling of the associated debt that sprung from that.

Debt and Government caused the 'GFC' more than any non existent free market....derivatives played their role but that was the end result of other things, like a casino/speculative investment culture. Which in the opinion of some has its root causes in our debt and fiat paper currency based financial system.

Ron Paul's been mentioned, back away slowly guys.

:roll:

What about Alex Jones?

Better? Just filling in the dots for u in advance... :p

People who just poke their finger at others with smart arse remarks and zero engagement with an issue....Ron Paul has done more to further liberty than any of the dullard politicians in this country.

At least notorganic has some sort of question or discussion point to work with!


Edited by blacka: 13/6/2013 01:13:53 PM

I'm yet to see a Teacher that doesn't back Gonski.

-PB

Most of them dont know what to back as most people including teachers do not even know the detail of what 'Gonski' is....

Its the perfect 'designed by a boffin with a catchy name so it must be good' policy :lol:

It implies that they'll get a payrise. Of course they'll back it.

The GFC had less to do with the government and more to do with banks spending beyond their means. Signing people to loans that they know they can't pay back in order to possess houses that are now worth nothing because of the subsequent market saturation.

The government rebranding the debt doesn't change the debt in any way. The money is still owed.

not really......explain to me that if it's so hard to get a job and there are job jobs out there the unemployment rate remains the same???:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

i have been facecious for some time now about finding a job, i have noticed a huge change in the employment market.......when i have advertised for tradesmen over the past 3 years i would be lucky to get 10 applicants, 75% of them were not Australian licensed and the remainder were backpackers or unlicensed so it was extremely difficult to fill positions....quite often the candidate would not last the trial period set down......

from October last year through to February i employed 2 apprentices and 4 tradesmen, when i advertised i received 87 applicants for the 2 apprenticeships and 49 for the tradesmen's positions, i have not seen levels of interest this high for years and years....but miraculously the unemployment figures remain the same, love to see what % of the workforce are casual or part time compared to 5 years ago, must sniff that info out......

You mean this BER?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/m-shadecloth-forces-first-ber-rip-off-admission/story-e6frgczf-1225845583633

or this one?
http://www.centraltelegraph.com.au/news/were-getting-ripped-off-wowan-pc-battles-for-best-/706709/

or how about this?

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/teachers-fear-bullying-if-they-tell-of-school-building-rorts-20100320-qn7h.html?skin=text-only

Oh, and those struggling building contractors?

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/honest-tradies-broken-by-ber/story-e6freuy9-1226078050374

and you call me out of touch, two area's where i have been involved and have first hand experience..............

oh thank you.....someone who understands.....[-o< [-o< [-o<

it's only you're opinion who says the BER was highly successful, tell that to the businesses that it sent broke, i worked on the BER and wasn't paid for 7 months and did work that was signed off by the government and was never paid for, it's was a shambles, plans sent out marked up with red felt pens, just like the insulation scheme,the solar scheme and now the NBN mismanaged fuck ups

welcome to the forum stevie wonder

An explanation of the difference between Liberal
and Labor/Greens

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

If a Liberal supporter doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a Labor/Green doesn't like guns, they want all guns outlawed.

If a Liberal is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a Labor/Green is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned
for everyone.

If a Liberal is gay, he quietly leads his life.
If a Labor/Green is gay, he demands legislated respect.

If a Conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A Labor/Green wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a Conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Labor/Greens demand that those they don't like should be banned.

If a Liberal is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A Labor/Green non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a Liberal reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A Labor/Green will delete it because he's "offended."

This is literally the stupidest thing I have ever read.

Righties and lefties in an argument over economic principals? Shocker!

yeah but it will be worth the uproar...watch the abuse.....;) ;)

Sorry mate, calling bullshit.

http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/anao-report-on-ber-fact-meets-narrative.html

It's one of those situations where your anecdotes just aren't enough. I'm sure if you aired some actualmproof that the government didn't pay you for work completed you would be a Liberal Party hero.

You mean like this?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-03/subcontractors-owed-money-over-ber-projects/4293868

This is a builder problem, not a government problem.

What would happen if a builder went bust in the same situation, but in the private sector?

don't care if they are not enough for you Matt,it's the truth... and all they would say is that was a commercial arrangement......

everything you say i call bullshit so off you go now....run along;)

no builder problem, the government didn't pay him so i didn't get paid....he put in the variations as requested by the project manger representing the BER works and didn't honour his paperwork......so instead of blowing good money after bad you right it off as a bad debt.......

you really need to run a business for a while to see how unjust the system is for business owners....seriously

Who didn't pay you? A builder or a government department?
Have you ever had a customer not pay for work completed before?
What paperwork do you have to show for the work you completed but weren't paid for?
Did you seek legal advice?

;) yep that's the one.!!!!!:-s ;) ;) but Matt has his head in the sand..out of touch......

I currently run 3 businesses, and am about to start a fourth in a new industry. Other than having to pay exorbitant amounts of money for public liability insurance, I fail to see how the system is "unjust" for me.

Seriously.

Sorry mate, calling bullshit.

It's one of those situations where your anecdotes just aren't enough.

I'm sure if you aired some actual proof that this is the case you would be a ALP/Greenie hero.;) \:d/ \:d/ \:d/

What kind of proof would you like? My ABN's?