Power Less

*ABC Pic: Matthew Groom explains the $30 million for Forestry Tasmania … Pic from HERE

The Tasmanian public is totally and utterly powerless to deal with the unqualified mates of the Lib/Labs – mates appointed to the boards of our loss-making Government Business Enterprises (GBE’s) who are completely out of their depth.

As a result these politically-controlled GBE’s are now imploding.

The directionless so-called directors fawn over the patronage of their political masters who – with no talent – have never run a corner store; in fact could never run a corner store and most certainly cannot run or understand a complex government portfolio.

The whole pack of cards is rapidly collapsing and we the public are paying for it.

The people are discovering an all-embracing contempt for our political masters and their appointees.

This contempt is now a major factor in Tasmanian life.

As a newcomer nothing can prepare you for that very special Tasmanian maaaaaaates experience.

Last night Minister Groom was totally unrepentant – in fact he thought he had got away with the $30 million transfer – importantly he could see nothing wrong with his conduct.

Later that night, “I want a log truck, flick me a million”, Minister for Ta Ann one Paul Harriss provided a spectacular encore on how to behave the Tasmanian way.

Other classic performers in this dance of death are Forestry Tasmania, Hydro and the new boy on the chopping block TasNetworks whose latest sneaky underhand equity transfer of $30 million of funds to Forestry Tasmania at the direction of an incompetent and deceitful Minister will be funded by us all through increased electricity bills.

Any self-respecting director of a GBE who knew how to behave would have immediately resigned when asked to spit out this sort of cash at the direction of a brain-dead pollie for deceitful political purposes.

The newly-appointed directors of TasNetworks should simply have refused.

A GBE is not an extension of the Minister’s office.

These pathetic pollies – in order to keep up the appearance of competence (and their portfolios’ solvent) – will obtain any money with the compliance of a GBE board; even if the GBE is bust.

The members of the Board pay up in order to keep their snouts in the trough of political patronage.

This must stop.

Try this for size:

In 2008 that financial genius Michael Aird paid $100 million plus completion costs for the Tamar Valley Power Station. Aird flicked it to Aurora who blew a further $260 million. By 2010 Aurora flicked the mortally-wounded power station to Hydro for $205 million crystallising a loss of some $250 million. Hydro thereby extended its own debt to over a billion. Hydro flicks the government $75 million when – with no carbon tax – it cannot service the power station debt or pay for future capital works. The newly-created TasNetworks created out of Transend and Aurora flicks $30 million to Forestry Tasmania, an outside the circle bet on the orders of the Minister.

We pay for this fairground roundabout as sacked teachers lose their jobs.

For their next trick our performing dogs will …..

Meanwhile, the people remain completely Power Less …

• Mike Adams, in Comments: I note in today’s Examiner story (Page 8) that the mates’ circus persists. Kim Booth repeatedly asked Hydro Chairman Grant Every-Burns to explain an unexplained payout of $425,000. Mr Every- Burns refused to answer. Kim asked if it were a payout to departed chief executive Roy Adair who left with a year to go on his contract? ‘Was it a termination payment for Mr Adair? Why did Mr Adair leave? What were the circumstances around that? Mr Every- Burns said ‘You’ve drawn an assumption there that I won’t even comment on and I’m not in a position to make any further comments on.’ It’d be rewarding to have these public employees on oath when fronting Parliamentary Hearings and not under ministerial orders.

• Paul Harriss: Assistance to Forestry Contractors The Government is also considering what other assistance may be made available to assist former industry participants who are continuing to suffer hardship as a result of the restructure of the native forest industry.

• Kim Booth: Harriss Grows Forestry Debts With No Plan B “Today’s Forestry Tasmania GBE examination reveals that the industry will receive public subsidies of at least $37 million this financial year,” Mr Booth said. “The only part of the forest industry that the Minister, Paul Harriss, will ‘grow’ is ongoing public subsidies to both the GBE and the broader industry, and ongoing losses by Forestry Tasmania. It is deeply alarming that the Minister could not rule out further public subsidies or equity injections into Forestry Tasmania beyond the Tas Networks injection.” … “It is now absolutely clear that both the Premier and the Forests Minister lied to the public about withdrawing public subsidies from Forestry Tasmania. It is beyond the pale to cry poverty to justify sacking teachers and nurses, while at the same time throwing millions of public money to subsidise an industry indefinitely. Further it is utterly irresponsible to continue to bleed the public purse to prop up a GBE which it is clear neither the Minister nor the Board have any idea of how to make viable or profitable.”

• Ted Mead, in Comments: Talk about retrograding to the dark ages. The first 3 articles in the online Mercury was – * More Parks development protocol. * Even more Forestry prop-ups. * Even, even more Woodchips on the Wharf. This is pure Liberal lunacy, and fiscal madness. There must be another agenda?

• Bob Brown: Hodgman Enslaves Parks & Wildlife Service The Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) signed by the Hodgman government’s minister for the environment Matthew Groom and Tourism Industry Council Tasmania’s supremo Simon Currant is selling into slavery the once-proud Tasmanian Parks And Wildlife Service environmentalist Bob Brown said today. The public, media and environment groups were excluded from the JSAP’s secret formulation. The role of Minister Groom in the arrangement with Mr Currant will be referred to Tasmania’s Integrity Commission by Brown’s environmental foundation. “The real question here is whether the Hodgman government can remove the Integrity Commission’s investigative role before this deal gets the scrutiny it deserves,” Brown said.

• Nick McKim: Dangerous Shift in Reserve Management Priorities

• Chris B, in Comments: When Will wills his wankers to wite off their kaweers after he shows them the way out will any of them whistle and show us where the core wuption lies. SHOW US THE CONTRACTS: Publish or pewish. Will I have to pay my electricity account before Ta Ann’s is settled or like the enquiry on the pulp mill be shut down before the truth comes out. Gut Whiner, his mate 40% overweight, Eric the Hunn and Wee Willy Winker are in power till 2018. AND Will they make the most of it ? Bring on another era of Cut it, Saw it, Dig it and Chip it and enhance the beauty of Macquarie Point for the all the world to admire. Change the background, insert Davey Street and imagine the right turn required to access the chip site, who needs traffic control !http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-03/log-trucks-lined-up-at-gunns-triabunna-woodchip/5569206 Rename Evans Street to Harris Boulevard. Where will the Macquarie Development guys locate the chip mill? Do not forget if protests are envisaged then you become a criminal, but we have a new democracy….Will’s Totalitarian Republic.

• David Mohr, in Comments: Two articles on forestry and woodchips in the Mercury today but no facility for online comments! Why?

• K. Stevens, in comments: … Think News Corp, think Saudi Royal Family and it all makes sense …