Terry Barnes has a must-read piece … at Catallaxy Files

While many residents have chosen to cut back or mothball their annual light shows, they’re very, very unhappy about having to do it.

In shops and over neighbourhood fences, this forced seasonal economy has been a favourite topic, and blame hasn’t been aimed at infrastructure investment and smart meters. Instead, it’s being put squarely on Julia Gillard, her Green allies and a carbon tax that’s still hated whatever Labor strategists may say. Her recent energy White Paper means nothing to these hard-working aspirational voters: Ms Gillard is simply the Grinch who stole Christmas from the children of Boganville.

Written by Sinclair Davidson

January 8th, 2013 at 3:08 pm

Posted in Uncategorized

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The political commentariat like to tell us, in their own special all knowing and condescending way, that elections are fought about the future, not the past, and that the carbon tax no longer matters; witness Peter Brent recently in the Australian. The problem is that almost anywhere I go people are complaining about energy cost increases and they do not seem to have forgotten about the carbon tax at all. They are reminded of it every time they open their latest electricity bill.

The other reason the voters won’t forget about the carbon tax is that the issue is not only the tax itself, but the egregious breach of trust that saw it introduced. People feel betrayed; and breach of trust is very hard to recover.

Brett

8 Jan 13 at 3:18 pm
Ms Gillard is simply the Grinch who stole Christmas from the children of Boganville.

Liberty quote.

Yup – when the ‘burbs finally realised that the green obsessions meant impinging upon the recreational activities Australians love so much – a lot of which involve motor fuels and/or electricity – the blowback from the heartland was going to be awesome.

Myrrdin Seren

8 Jan 13 at 3:28 pm
It’s significant that The Grinch is green.

blogstrop

8 Jan 13 at 3:30 pm
I just got back from Hong Kong.

They’d fire Gillard out of a cannon if she made electricity more expensive.

Infidel Tiger

8 Jan 13 at 3:33 pm
Good point. It’s now actually a regular thing to see shop windows without lighting at night.

These disgusting lowrenters have North Korea as their objective.

JC

8 Jan 13 at 3:35 pm
What a great pic, IT. Lighting like that is so aesthetically beautiful.

The greens-scum and their liars party mates think it’s evil.

Fuck they’re despicable.

JC

8 Jan 13 at 3:37 pm
While many residents have chosen to cut back or mothball their annual light shows, they’re very, very unhappy about having to do it.

In shops and over neighbourhood fences, this forced seasonal economy has been a favourite topic, and blame hasn’t been aimed at infrastructure investment and smart meters.

He’s taking the piss, surely!

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 3:39 pm
Having read that piece in the Spectator yesterday, I felt that the ALP bandits & Green tree-huggers, won’t know what hit them when retribution comes finally.
It beats me how welded to the Parliament House steps these drongos are. Their lies and stupidity seem boundless.

Hubert East

8 Jan 13 at 3:42 pm
Electricity, Australia’s natural advantage.
Coal and gas running as rivers of cheap energy…..of course the comrades want to shut that advantage down, their mission is to sabotage markets and capitalism and living standards, since 1917.

Alfonso

8 Jan 13 at 3:44 pm
He’s taking the piss, surely!

I see our representitive from the class of green puritanical overlords is expressing his disdain for the crass entertainment of the masses.

You would never see such a wasteful display of your precious car-bins in that in your inner city address, would you Grey!

Token

8 Jan 13 at 3:55 pm
No I was expressing my amusement at Terry Barnes chutzpah.

First they came for the christmas decoration, but I was not a christmas decoration, so I did nothing.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 4:05 pm
why is Sid Maher nominating Gillard Australian of the Year
He has his article headlined ‘Resilient Julia a Prime Pick’ and every time I glance at it for some reason I read as ‘Resilient Julia a Prime Prick’

My eyes playing tricks – you can nominate here:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/australian-of-the-year

val majkus

8 Jan 13 at 4:07 pm
Only they can save themselves by electing an alternative member for Issacs. But in doing so they will condemn their abodes to inundation by the rising seas.

Sorry, youse is all rooted.

Pickles

8 Jan 13 at 4:11 pm
You know, I did notice that Christmas light extravaganzas were nowhere near as common this season.

C.L.

8 Jan 13 at 4:17 pm
When the commos are kicked out this year I suggest we construct a huge Roman type Catapult at the FoolishbHouse in Scamberra ,and HURL the defeated pollies and their Aparatchik into a disused quarry so they land on big rocks! We could charge 5bucks to watch. .it could be used to retire debt incurred by the Crazy gang.It would take a while to get rid of jooLIARds Disinformation crew ,leaving her and the turdman till last?

Borisgodunov

8 Jan 13 at 4:18 pm
PS. We could leave it there to encourage the next lot to toe the line ,and work for the People instead of themselves!

Borisgodunov

8 Jan 13 at 4:21 pm
Ms. Gillard pointed her finger at the “gold-plating” of electricity infrastructure being a major driver of price hikes, rather than the carbon price

And Sydney’s gold-plated electricity infrastructure is struggling today.
So higher prices and still blackouts.

stackja

8 Jan 13 at 4:43 pm
I was going to have a chop at the author for indulging in stereotypes as lazy shorthand for building a narrative, but then I saw he was actually a resident, so was actually taking the piss out of himself. So well done that man.

As for the carbon tax – things like the RET and the desal plants have done more damage to the family budget than the carbon tax, but Gillard and the entire green movement owns electricity price increases now, and have inextricably linked them to a failing political movement called ‘climate change’. The payback is going to be immense.

And to think 5 years ago they were actually campaigning that prices need to go up to cut consumption.

brc

8 Jan 13 at 4:47 pm
It’s ensickening is what it is.
Old news but I just found it.

Figure 2 makes me angry.

jumpnmcar

8 Jan 13 at 4:49 pm
Another side-effect I have noticed this year is the isolated christmas light houses have become shrines, unfortunately they have also attract the hoons and such, so much so that some are shutting down completely.
What a shame – Still the anti-christians will be happy, another case of the ALP pandering to their future electorate – the fools!

GoWest

8 Jan 13 at 5:03 pm
And don’t forget what these pricks have done to the simple joys of driving a fine motor car, or smoking a cigarette, or firing someone whos hopeless and you don’t like.

Indolent

8 Jan 13 at 5:07 pm
“It’s significant that The Grinch is green.”

It’s also significant that green is the colour of envy.

The Beer Whisperer

8 Jan 13 at 5:19 pm
I just got back from Hong Kong.
They’d fire Gillard out of a cannon if she made electricity more expensive …

I don’t know about Hong Kong, except that the electricity comes from coal, however In self-sufficient Australia, households are paying one-third more for electricity than those in Taiwan and South Korea – two of the biggest buyers of Australian coal.
The ALP deserve to be demolished in the next election but, I don’t know why, Mark Dreyfus is one member I would take particular relish to see lose his seat.

manalive

8 Jan 13 at 5:28 pm
Her recent energy White Paper means nothing to these hard-working aspirational voters

The energy white paper is a complete con. The gold plating that Gillard talks about is what is needed in seriously hot days like today around the country. Without the gold plating, our electricity supply would certainly be at risk.
The other issue discussed is about new technologies that will help reduce power. She talks about smart meters and they are a complete dud. Unless all your electricity usage is late at night, these devices will cause electricity bills to go up, not down.
She then tries to discuss how we are supposedly going to have $250 of cuts to our electricity bills.

Andrew

8 Jan 13 at 5:29 pm
The ALP deserve to be demolished in the next election but, I don’t know why, Mark Dreyfus is one member I would take particular relish to see lose his seat

Emerson and Swan are the two realistic people to lose their seats that I want gone. It would be nice if Plibersek goes, but that seems unlikely.

Andrew

8 Jan 13 at 5:31 pm
She then tries to discuss how we are supposedly going to have $250 of cuts to our electricity bills.

By using less no doubt. These trogs are anti-electricity. It’s actually hysterical when you think about it.

JC

8 Jan 13 at 5:31 pm
Beer Whisperer these people are not envious. They are to varying degrees sociopathic with their dear leader being the worst. They have no empathy with the hoi polloi who are merely objects. These people think they are the elite who know the rules the masses should live by. The rules don’t apply to them of course.

Indolent

8 Jan 13 at 5:37 pm
@jump : that linked PDF certainly gives me that blood-boiling feeling.

How on earth have we squandered – there is no other word for it – our natural energy advantage?

The report you linked notes that ‘Australian prices were steady from 2002-2007, but jumped 40% and are expected to increase another 30% from there’.

How is it that the jump coincided with the Rudd government? Or is it just that the Rudd government got elected on the same wave of climate-idiocy that caused the electricity jump?

Either way, it needs to be reversed, NOW.

Our power should be so cheap our suburbs look like lighting festivals every day of the year. Every pensioner who wants an AC should be able to run it.

There is literally billions of dollars flowing out of household budgets into the overpriced power maw. It’s either flowing overseas as idiotic carbon taxes, or straight into the pockets of ‘green energy’ companies.

Fix that, and the country would be rocketing ahead. It’s no wonder small business is dying everywhere – disposable income has been reduced and electricity costs have rocketed.

Are there any stupid defenders of the climate faith that want to throw up a suggestion that this is a good thing?

brc

8 Jan 13 at 5:55 pm
Patterson Lakes is full of people like the Danihers — Cashed-Up Bogans, or CUBs. CUBs are hard-working and successful tradesmen, small businessmen and retirees. They’re loud and brash, don’t care overly about what others say or think of them, or are much interested in the wider world — as long as they can enjoy the material fruits of their labour.

This describes my mates from Patterson Lakes to a T. They are rusted-on Labor and Leftarded to the extent that when Bolta was found guilty, hubby crowed at me, saying, “You’re boyfriend’s a racist, he’s guilty!”

Mind you, when I went to see Mark Steyn with Andrew Bolt also being in attendance for the IPA, I offered to get my mate a ticket – I wind him up something chronic at times.

Anyway, even this staunch Labor man has had enough. He told me after Gillard scraped in that he couldn’t do it.

After all these years, there was no way on earth he would vote Labor while she’s in the House. He’s planning on holding his nose and voting for Abbott.

I work in a blue collar world, and Gillard is a joke there, as is ‘global warming’.

Bring on the election, I say!

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 6:04 pm
Can I suggest when rolling up to vote on election day we carry with us our electricity bill and use it as proof of identity when marking our name off the roll.

The AEC workers won’t give a toss but it will make great viewing on TV when the networks do their live crosses from polling booths and see everybody waving their bill around with a smile on their face.

Maybe the LNP could work this into their election strategy.

Splatacrobat

8 Jan 13 at 6:05 pm
As I
m a Victorian, I’m now a victim of another stupid green scheme A month prior to Christmas, a lass came knocking to install a meter board meant to automatically cut out all or any drift of power from TVs when turned off only at the remote. As I’m elderly suffer balance problems and have bung knees, I never turn off at the blasted power points as they are set low and half behind the furniture. Well I’ve discovered that Red Ted’s gift–to ostensibly lower my power costs– means that I can watch the bleeding TV for one hour at a time. The bleeding thing cuts out every hour- poof, even when I’m using a DVD .
I have just about had i,have cursed it up hill and down dale and wonder what will happen if I simply unplug the bugger? Seriously I am thiking of paying to parcel it up and send it back to Treasury Place with a sharp note from a dis satisfieed global warming sceptic–telling Ted he;s wasting money and borrowed money at that due to the crippling debts left by a decade of the Labor(read mafia) movement and its all encompassing penchant for waste.

Jazza

8 Jan 13 at 6:10 pm
I agree with Brett that this Govt and their pathetic tame media cronies are truly off their collective rocker to think the carbon dioxide tax is not still a burning issue. They also forget that there are a great many Australians who received no ‘compensation’ whatsoever and we cannot wait to vote.

Tracey

8 Jan 13 at 6:16 pm
I actually like the UK Spectator. It has a right-wing tendency but most contributors feel has happy as bashing the Tories as bashing Labor and often very funny and good review pages. If you want to read cynics about Western bombing campaigns you would be more likely to read it there than the Guardian

The Australian version, which initially I brought a few times in hopeful expectation, is relentless on political message, mindlessly partisan and rarely remotely funny. Perhaps the UK has a bigger population and so a bigger talent pool to draw on, but at 22 million you would have thought Australia could support a funny, non-partisan and intelligent conservative magazine.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 6:17 pm
Jazza, ours lasted not ten minutes before the younger inhabitants of Megan Mansions ripped it out and told us it was a complete waste of money as it would halt the recording of our various TV programs when it cut out. Unplug the bugger.

Megan

8 Jan 13 at 6:24 pm
The Tories are in power there, dimwit. It does make a difference. Who wants to bash conservatives here when there are enormous whales like Gillard in the ocean to harpoon?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

8 Jan 13 at 6:29 pm
I’ve never heard of that, Jazza. Glad I didn’t get one though. What a waste.

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 6:30 pm
The Tories are in power there, dimwit. It does make a difference. Who wants to bash conservatives here when there are enormous whales like Gillard in the ocean to harpoon?

Not talking about you guys, you can bash whoever you like.

It would just be nice if there was a genuine Australian version of The Spectator, that’s all.
Intelligent, irreverent, iconoclastic and witty conservatism.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 6:34 pm
Nilk

Your friends are long time sufferers of Stockholm Syndrome.

It is amusing and pungent that it took Gillard to make them see sense.

.

8 Jan 13 at 6:37 pm
Jazza, when you artificially crank up the price of electricity due to compulsory fairies at the bottom of the windmill power garden plus punishment taxes, you then need to pretend you care. Hence the meter.

You reckon any elite anywhere has hour long tv sessions?
Bwaaa…. Ted has as much chance as Julia of re-election.
You can enjoy that prospect for free, without crony priced power.

Alfonso

8 Jan 13 at 6:39 pm
Jazza I’ve had a couple of doorknockers over the last few years trying to get in the place so they can give me ‘free’ stuff.

I don’t let anyone in if I can help it, and I like to also explain that they aren’t free, because they’re paid for by the government.

That seems to kill off any desire for conversation, I find.

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 6:40 pm
Yes they are, Dot, but they’ve got a long way to go, unfortunately.

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 6:44 pm
It would just be nice if there was a genuine Australian version of The Spectator, that’s all. Intelligent, irreverent, iconoclastic and witty conservatism …

….how remarkably irrelevant.

manalive

8 Jan 13 at 6:49 pm
….how remarkably irrelevant.

Sorry manalive, I just can’t work myself up into a righteous outrage because christmas lights cost more to run these days. Maybe its the weather? Its hard to be indignant when its so hot.

I just don’t think such a piece would ever run in the UK Spectator or if it did it would be deliberately tongue in cheek. Or maybe this was tongue in cheek and I missed it. I mean people talking over the fence about “the forced seasonal economy”?

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 6:55 pm
Feel free to leave any time, Grey. No one has a gun to your head forcing you to stay here. Adios.

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 7:01 pm
Sorry manalive, I just can’t work myself up into a righteous outrage because christmas lights cost more to run these days.

What an arsehole.

.

8 Jan 13 at 7:02 pm
So, Grey, will you be able to work yourself up into a sense of outrage when our oldies start dying from the extreme weather that’s been a part of the climate here forever?

It’s been happening in Europe, when pensioners can’t afford either heating or cooling, and speaking for myself, I’m missing the aircon but I’m still not looking forward to my next bill.

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 7:10 pm
nilk, I don’t do outrage.

I am sorry you can’t afford to run the air-conditioning. Was the increase to the pensions insufficient to cover the increased bills? It probably doesn’t cost that much more to run than the computer.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 7:13 pm
Yeah right. Running a CPU and DDR ram costs as much as air conditioning.

Fuckwit.

.

8 Jan 13 at 7:28 pm
It probably doesn’t cost that much more to run than the computer …

hm, there you go nilk, you have a choice: air conditioning or computer.
Isn’t that what free enterprise is all about — choice?

manalive

8 Jan 13 at 7:30 pm
It probably doesn’t cost that much more to run than the computer …

Sure, he’s right, when you’ve got a computer this size.

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 7:37 pm
Had an interesting day at work today, where the highlight was one of two refrigeration systems compressor seize (it was not interesting in a good way). Why is this relevant to the thread you may ask, well the quote for repairs had a $780 ex gst component for 6kg of R22 refrigerant. That figure is correct. 80% of that price is due to the carbon tax as R22 is a significant and persistent GHG. As the Kyoto protocol states that R22 is 1810 times more potent a GHG than CO2, thus it attracts $23 x 1810 = $41,630.00 per tonne carbon tax plus gst (interestingly the climate change government website used to have a link on what you would have to pay for various GHG, but that page has mysteriously disappeared). Obviously, there are other costs at play including the base cost if refrigerant, margin etc, but it’s still a hefty whack for 6kg of gas.

The ramifications to the economy are potentially significant, especially with farming and food security. However, that’s a story for another day and outside my area of expertise.

What did concern me when discussing all this with the refrigeration mechanic, is that there are organisations out there now pushing alkane hydrocarbon substitutes, propane or heptane I think. These gases attract only $23 per tonne or $0.023 per kg. As an Engineer, my assessment is that this is far from ideal. Refrigeration systems are not robustly built like other dedicated hydrocarbon systems and they’re in close proximity to non-intrinsically safe electrics. Add confined spaces like you find in sealed cool rooms etc and you have a pink batts loss-of-life type disaster waiting for that final spark from faulty wiring.

Rohan

8 Jan 13 at 7:41 pm
Well, Grey, now you’ve got your sneering done with, I keep getting pension decreases. I work for a living. Sure, it’s not one of those high-falutin jobs like you seem to have, but it’s one I like, with people I like, for a company I like.

Makes a huge difference if you ask me.

We downsized because I don’t want to pay for a 4 bedroom house when there are only 2 of us (used to share with another single mum), and yes, an eye on the incoming tax hike was a factor.

Manalive, I’ll go out and buy one of those machines that move air around eventually, but until then, I still have my internet.

Choice is indeed a wonderful thing.

(Although I do miss the aircon and ducted heating lol)

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 7:44 pm
These “educated “buggers are good at figures ,put them in a gulag where they can work out how many rocks a day they crush to earn their bowl of soup?

Borisgodunov

8 Jan 13 at 7:48 pm
Jazza I’ve had a couple of doorknockers over the last few years trying to get in the place so they can give me ‘free’ stuff. I don’t let anyone in if I can help it, and I like to also explain that they aren’t free, because they’re paid for by the government.

As well as door-to-door spruikers, I often get telemarketers telling me I need some of these ‘free’ power switch thingies. Given I turn all my power boards off at the mains when not in use, I don’t need them, and when they say I should get some because they’re ‘free’, I rejoin that they’re not ‘free’, they’re paid for by the Taxpayer. Mostly, they find it incredibly hard to understand this obvious point.

Cold-Hands

8 Jan 13 at 7:49 pm
Manalive, I’ll go out and buy one of those machines that move air around eventually, but until then, I still have my internet …

I’m sorry nilk.
Grey’s airy dismissal of your concerns annoyed me so much I was overcome by my sarcasm demon.

manalive

8 Jan 13 at 7:52 pm
Oh, and if Dreyfus goes in Isaacs (currently held by Labor with 61.02% 2pp), we’ll see an historic rout of Queensland proportions. Fingers crossed and cricket bats ready!

Cold-Hands

8 Jan 13 at 7:53 pm
Rohan

Those prices can’t be right and there’s no way the carbon tax has anything to do with the price increases. There’s no way the gillard tax could be more than the actual purchase price.

How do I know this? I know this because back in July 2012, on threads here called “Day 25 of a broken promise” and “Day 26 of a broken promise” the lefty brains trust and carbon tax apologists that visit the Cat told us so! /sarc

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 7:58 pm
And just to jog a few memories regarding so-called Greenhouse Gases and the rent-seeking and distortions Glowball Worming has encouraged:

Jiangsu Meilan Chemical in China and Navin Fluorine International in India, among others, committed to capture and destroy HFC-23, an unwanted byproduct of the production of HFCF-22 (hydrochlorofluorocarbon), a refrigerant banned in the European Union and United States because it depletes the ozone layer.

HCFC-22 is also a “super greenhouse gas” that is 1,810 times more potent than carbon dioxide, while its byproduct HFC-23 is 11,700 times more harmful.

But the Chinese and Indian companies produced far more gas – and thus received far more CERs to sell – than was necessary, according to an investigation report by the CDM methodology experts panel in 2010.

In June 2010, two environmental NGOs – CDM Watch, based in Bonn, and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), based in London – discovered this gross misuse of the CDM and supplied proof of it.

“HFC-23 credits don’t represent real greenhouse gas reductions,” explained Diego Martinez-Schuett of CDM Watch via email. “Buyers then used those false reductions as permits to pollute further in Europe.”

Even US companies game the system.

Major publicly traded U.S. corporations, including Dow Chemical, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Cabot Corporation, have secured multi-million-dollar dubious carbon credits to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions in Europe

Cold-Hands

8 Jan 13 at 8:02 pm
Gab, I wonder what prices the companies with the alternatives are charging. Going rates per kg of propane is around $2.53 kg at Supergas when I last filled the BBQ cylinder. If these crowds are charging $20 per kg, then they’re rorting the system.

I might go talk to the Supergas manager and if he’s willing to cut me in on the deal…

Rohan

8 Jan 13 at 8:09 pm
I work in a blue collar world, and Gillard is a joke there, as is ‘global warming’.

Bring on the election, I say!

Liberty Quote.

jumpnmcar

8 Jan 13 at 8:16 pm
Rohan, well as long as the alternatives are guaranteed not to corrode the hardware (tubing etc), then go for it.

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 8:18 pm
“A Victorian Essential Services Commission report last September showed that household electricity bills in that state rose ten per cent on average in the year to June 2012, and 35 per cent over the past three years”

Yeah, mine went up 27% in one hit on July 1st.

Chris M

8 Jan 13 at 8:26 pm
But Cold-Hands, that’s not the daddy of all GHG. Sulfur hexafluoride wins that title, at 23,100 times CO2 equivalent and persistent at up to 3200 years.

So what is this gas used for? Enchants for ah, we’ll, photovoltaic panels and other such things that’ll save the planet…

Rohan

8 Jan 13 at 8:27 pm
Healthy people don’t need air conditioning at home. Needed for the elderly, frail/sick and perhaps ill little babies/children though. Useful in a heat wave.
Also the obese ones who really suffer in the heat.
Apart from that heat is quite survivable. (speaking from one in Queensland).

candy

8 Jan 13 at 8:28 pm
We were in Singapore two years ago and were amazed by their Christmas lights, especially in the city centre. They seemed to enjoy Christmas there more than we do here, they seemed to enjoy everything there more than we do here.

Labor MPs, aparatchiks and rusted-ons in their youth used to bemoan wowsers yet here they are: wowsers extraordinaire.

Crossie

8 Jan 13 at 8:33 pm
But Candy I want AC

Tal

8 Jan 13 at 8:34 pm
Well, Grey, now you’ve got your sneering done with, I keep getting pension decreases. I work for a living. Sure, it’s not one of those high-falutin jobs like you seem to have, but it’s one I like, with people I like, for a company I like.

Well my apologies, I thought you were saying you were elderly and at risk of dying in the heatwave because you couldn’t afford the aircon.

But congratulations on having a job even less high falutin’ than janitor. And a brilliant use of the passive-aggressive (something I have been known to indulge myself at times).

and yes, an eye on the incoming tax hike was a factor.

Chin chin. Joe Hockey isn’t Treasurer yet. Those tax rate reductions Penny Wong fought for might not get repealed.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 8:37 pm
I am sorry you can’t afford to run the air-conditioning. Was the increase to the pensions insufficient to cover the increased bills? It probably doesn’t cost that much more to run than the computer.

What a monumentally stupid statement.

A laptop draws about 7 or 8 watts most of the time.

A desktop will draw about 60-70 watts, 150 maximum with the CPU peaked and all fans powering on.

The smallest aircons around are 1.2 kilowatts – at least 100 times more powerful than the average computer.

My aircon is a 12 kw jobbie that really blasts the heat.

Apart from that heat is quite survivable.

Survival rations are also survivable.

What I work for is a comfortable living. Which includes keepign the inside of the house within a 5 or 6 degree band all year round.

brc

8 Jan 13 at 8:37 pm
The man who invented air conditioning shoulda been given a Nobel Prize and made a saint.

Gab

8 Jan 13 at 8:43 pm
“But Candy I want AC”

Sure Tal, live and let live.
Just saying it’s not a necessity of life and we’ve had some real hot times up here. Tomorrow’s 37 (apparently) but that’s quite manageable for a healthy person.

candy

8 Jan 13 at 8:43 pm
BRC..the Grey is recovering from a catastrophic brain injury, made all the harder because they turned off his life support for 6 minutes due to cost saving electricity measures. Have some compassion..

Steve of Glasshouse

8 Jan 13 at 8:46 pm
Well my apologies, I thought you were saying you were elderly and at risk of dying in the heatwave because you couldn’t afford the aircon …

It doesn’t matter what anyone’s personal circumstances are, this country should have somewhere near the cheapest electricity in the world.

manalive

8 Jan 13 at 8:51 pm
Was the increase to the pensions insufficient to cover the increased bills.

Socialists have no shame, the bribe us with our own money.

Madam Slush will take one for the team in spring and Bill Shorten will go to the electorate as our glorious dear leader to save us from the New Communist’s Tree Food tax!

Forester

8 Jan 13 at 8:53 pm
The smallest aircons around are 1.2 kilowatts – at least 100 times more powerful than the average computer.

You know with maths like that you could be just the chap Joe Hockey is looking for do audit their spending commitments pre-election this year.

My aircon is a 12 kw jobbie that really blasts the heat.

Why am I not surprised?
My sleuths have uncovered a photo of the car you commuted to work in.

Grey

8 Jan 13 at 9:11 pm
BRC..the Grey is recovering from a catastrophic brain injury, made all the harder because they turned off his life support for 6 minutes

His?
HIS???

Grey is a bloke?
Well I never!

Leigh Lowe

8 Jan 13 at 9:17 pm
Well I’ve discovered that Red Ted’s gift–to ostensibly lower my power costs– means that I can watch the bleeding TV for one hour at a time.

It was actually the Brumby government that did this. Ted stuck with it because it was going to cost far too much to dismantle.

Andrew

8 Jan 13 at 9:20 pm
Howard used to talk about BBQ stoppers, and this is one of them.
We had a stream of people through our place over Christmas from all walks of life (except unionists, thank The Lord Baby Jesus).
People with young families, B&B operators, farmers, mine workers, a gallery owner, a gym operator, machinery contractors, the lot.
There were two themes.
Firstly, power prices are killing them and it is Gillard’s doing.
Secondly, they were somewhat relaxed because they saw the fix as imminent (Gillard going).
And before he usual types spout off, most if these people were previously apolitical, or at least I had no idea what their leanings were, if any.

Leigh Lowe

8 Jan 13 at 9:25 pm
Manalive @7.52 it’s all good. I don’t go out partying, and other than buying books occasionally, my internet is my vice. They can have my keyboard when they tear it from my cold dead hands lol.

nilk

8 Jan 13 at 9:46 pm
LL -
So true. Over Christmas/New Years I witnessed a grassroots campaign against this Govt the likes of which I haven’t seen in 20 years.

Be it a table of long unseen relatives, local retailers, business colleagues or strangers at the fireworks the over riding feeling was utter contempt.

Rousie

8 Jan 13 at 10:06 pm
He’s wrong about the evaporative air conditioners. It is the refrigerative ones that draw lots of power. Evap units just have a small water pump (unless mains pressure will do) and a small fan/blower.Usually less than 100 watts. Absolutely the way to go in dry places like Perth, Adelaide, Toowoomba etc.

Eyrie

8 Jan 13 at 10:20 pm
Pretty useless on a humid coast though

Entropy

8 Jan 13 at 10:56 pm
Nah, sorry brc, Terry Barnes might live in Patterson Lakes but it’s still a snobbish article. I’m sure he isn’t a ‘CUB’.

It’s a lib version of Margaret Simons’ visit to Fountain Gate (see book reviews: http://podcast.thesydneyinstitute.com.au/podcasts/SIQ%20archive%20PDFs/Issue%2037,%20July%202010.pdf)

James In Footscray

8 Jan 13 at 11:21 pm
@james in footscray – yes, my first draft of the comment was somewhat dismissive. In fact I know someone who lives in Patterson lakes and is a very cultured gentleman with a very impressive collection of Australian art coupled with perfect manners. The other point I was going to make is that many of the ‘CUB’ as he calls them are immigrants or children of immigrants, and thus are very much in touch with the wider world.

@grey : it’s my choice what I spend my money on.

FYI I do have a V8 powered vehicle in the garage. But I don’t drive to work. Not that it matters either way. It’s my choice and I am harming no-one with my choice of AC or Vehicle. In fact I make others lives better when they come to visit or I give them a lift.

Oh, and you think it’s funny to criticise my back-of-the-envelope maths (yes, one zero too many) when you’re the one who suggested a computer and an AC drew about the same power in the first place?

FME those witches brews must have some special gear in them.

brc

9 Jan 13 at 12:47 am
James in Footscray: Re the Spectator article, in hindsight I think my wife and others including you are right and perhaps I shouldn’t have used the “b” word and CUB tag as descriptive shorthand for the local demographic type.

But I did emphasise in the article that Patto locals are hardworking, successful, aspirational and don’t care what people say or think. They earn the right to enjoy what they have by their efforts, and in that sense shouldn’t everyone aspire to be a bogan?

Terry Barnes

9 Jan 13 at 8:21 am
I wonder how the market for ac units is doing anyway? In the past Tubby Taylor was on every second ad break flogging off ac units but I haven’t seen many ads on TV for access yet despite this being a hot summer. Be interesting to hear from someone in the industry about the effect increased power costs are having. Pity too as ac has been a great thing to improve our quality of life. Yes, you can suffer through the heat OK but modern living shouldn’t be about suffering should it?

rebel with cause

9 Jan 13 at 4:07 pm

Catallaxy Files

Terry Barnes has a must-read piece …

85 Responses to 'Terry Barnes has a must-read piece …'

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Terry Barnes has a must-read piece …

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