I spend a great deal too much time in the blogosphere but one thing it means is that I know about events in the news practically the moment they happen, so when Darlene Taylor posed a comment at LP just then saying 'Steve Bracks is about to resign' I went straight to the Age's website to discover that he had indeed resigned, about two minutes earlier.
None of the online sites seem to give a specific reason but suggestions are that it's a combination of the pressure over the Murray-Darling Basin agreement and pressure over the drink-driving son.
If it's the drink-driving son then they should both be on their way to family therapy right now. Imagine being that kid.
If it's the river then he's been an idiot about it -- this Victoria First mentality in 2007 is even more ridiculous than it was all the way through the 20th century. Yes, Howard's agreement has all sorts of things wrong with it, but speaking as an Adelaidean who knows that one could live on the tap water here for at least three weeks, rich source of protein that it is, and who knows that Adelaideans will be left standing when all about us have succumbed to superbugs because our immune systems have been being toughened by the water for so long that natural selection has started to kick in -- speaking as a swill-drinking Adelaidean I'd just like to say gently that the river belongs to the country, not to bloody Victoria, and that the only place it can be saved is at federal level.
If it's just the kid and the river, he's bonkers. He should have kept his job, which he seemed to be doing very well, sent the kid to be re-educated, and done the deal about the river.
But it may be something else.
Now I'll go and watch the morning TV news.
5 comments:
I don't know what to think about the river deal. Victorians got their shit together quicker than NSW in the water-saving stakes and the thought of rewarding NSW's slowness with more water is galling, but that doesn't mean we are entitled to a bigger 'share', especially since we're managing ok with a smaller one.
Bracks is a smart man. It'll be interesting to see what he does next.
Maybe Steve just got thoroughly sick and tired of it all... after 8 years he's entitled to a change.
Maybe for ONCE a politician really does want to SPEND MORE TIME with his family...
Hmmm, what a good idea, Steve. Lovely wife, kids growing up.
We hound those politicians who just hang on and on and on. Why not give credit to one who didn't?
John Cain Jr just got fed up with it all: but he faced the humiliation of dozens of trams parked in the central city for several weeks, with factional Ministers refusing to budge, adamant Tramways Union, etc.
Bracks had a more functional government, by far.
All the best, Bracksy.
We thank you for de-Jeffing Victoria, and for so much more...
Ambigulous,
Warragul,
Victoria
No, Wil, I don't have it 'wrong', I just have a different take on it -- I'm condemning the Vics for their parochial attitude, rather than for their (admirable) efforts to deal with the water situation on the ground, as it were.
It's precisely this state vs state bullshit -- from everyone -- that I think everyone needs to get over, and quickly. The state borders are unnatural boundaries and the river doesn't recognise them. It needs to be a federal issue, but once Howard's paws are firmly off it, the states and the feds may yet be able to hammer out a deal.
Why anyone would trust Howard to do anything about it once he gets the power is beyond me. His power-grab was pure politics, and he clearly has no plan other than "this is something. I need to be seen doing something, therefore I will do it".
Bracks is going out on a high, and who can blame him for doing that.
Hanging on until you are lame duck is not a good look.
As for the river thing, I agree, it's his one low point.
And as for the Vics putting a ton of water back in the river: Hmmpphh. Go driving around Mildura some time and look at the number of overhead sprinklers still in use. Drive around and look at the amount of open-ditch irrigation channels. THERE IS A LONG LONG WAY VICTORIA CAN GO YET. City water restrictions don't count for squat.
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