One of the areas in which the Rudd and Gillard governments have departed from precedent and respect for office is the way in which announcements have been made.
Many appointments are formally made by the Governor-General in Council (either under the Constitution or an Act of Parliament). Before Rudd, as far as my memory serves me, an announcement of an appointment would only be made after the Governor-General had signed the appointment. The typical words would be something like
The Prime Minister / Treasurer / Minister is pleased to announce that the Governor-General has accepted the Government’s recommendation to appoint <name of person> to <position>.
Over the last few years, though, there have been many examples of the Government pre-empting the Governor-General’s decision, such as the most recent
The Government is pleased to announce it will recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of Mr Peter Harris as the new Chair of the Productivity Commission.
As if the announcement couldn’t wait until the Governor-General had signed the instrument of appointment.
So too with elections. To my knowledge, no Prime Minister – except Julia Gillard – has pre-empted the Governor General. In fact the media has had a watch on the street leading to Government House in Yarralumla for the Prime Minister to drive to the Governor-General and then, and only then, announce that the Governor-General has agreed to dissolve the House of Representatives and issue writs for election.
Gillard has thumbed her nose at precedent and respect for the Office of the Governor-General by announcing a date without the approval of the Governor-General (did she even speak to the Governor-General before the announcement?).
Imagine if the Coalition had shown such disrespect to Quentin Bryce.
Splitting hairs.
Juliar doesn’t need to travel to Yarralumla.
She can just ask Short Willy (Minister for Employment of his Relation in the Workplace) for his dear old mother-in-law’s O.K., and everything’s hunky dory!
Short Willy can get the old girl to sign things when he goes over to see the missus and billy -lids.
Just because they are all A.L.P., doesn’t mean they must necessarily be inefficient in EVERY thing they do!
Up The Workers!
2 Feb 13 at 9:51 am
Thanks Samuel.
Whenever I contemplate this toxic clown collective the first concept that springs to mind is dignity.
Well actually, it isn’t, but you get the idea…
Rabz
2 Feb 13 at 10:01 am
Excellent. The Governor-General is an anachronism.
There is nothing “dignified” in maintaining this remnant of colonialism in 21st century Australia.
1735099
2 Feb 13 at 10:02 am
SamuelJ, firstly a terrible estimation of the present value of McClelland’s pension and now this dross….
Basic finance
2 Feb 13 at 10:06 am
Basic finance – would you like to give us your calculation of the PV?
Samuel J
2 Feb 13 at 10:14 am
Dignity:
http://images.watoday.com.au/2012/01/26/2917412/gillard300-300×340.jpg
C.L.
2 Feb 13 at 10:14 am
It does seem poor manners on the part of Ms Gillard. It’s only a brief phone call or visit, after all, even if she disagrees with the existing protocol.
candy
2 Feb 13 at 10:16 am
Not interested in doing it myself Samuel J, I just couldn’t let your poor calcs go unmentioned. My simple point remains that you need to use a proper discount rate – I would argue that at the minimum a long-term government quasi-risk free rate but more likely with a risk premium as there does exist a chance that future parliaments will change the pension scheme. Simple point that you could rectify pretty easily.
[Aggressive newbies don't tend to last long - just sying. Sinc]
Basic finance
2 Feb 13 at 10:20 am
Those expecting any sort of good form from Ms Gillard will be sorely disappointed. She was raised on the fringes of society (don’t be fooled, Mitcham SA had many little pockets of austerity and underclass housing) with limited exposure to any Australian ethos and general good manners.
And she was never going to receive them from the miserables in the Socialist Forum. Bruce Wilson et al found a kindred soul.
James of the Glens
2 Feb 13 at 10:29 am
More dignity.
Rabz
2 Feb 13 at 10:32 am
Samuel – I’m hoping the Coalition will be very disrespectful to Ms Bryce. Should they announce her sacking before or after the swearing in ceremony?
Sinclair Davidson
2 Feb 13 at 10:33 am
Another typically intelligent contribution from the numbers chappie. Probably needs to find another country more to his liking, though. Perhaps not a Muslim one as he is sporting the cross; at least he is a Christian.
James of the Glens
2 Feb 13 at 10:37 am
Maybe you still labour under the misconception that the Governor General actually holds a legitimate appointment let alone any kind of High Office. She is subservient to the PM, who is Head of the listed Corporation that is Australia.
Paul
2 Feb 13 at 10:42 am
There was a news item on the GG’s tour of flooded areas which included the snippet that the GG was called away for an urgent phone call…. they suspect it was the PM chatting about an election date.
kae
2 Feb 13 at 10:43 am
James – there is no such creature as a commie Christian.
Rabz
2 Feb 13 at 10:49 am
Sinc, I’d expect the Coaltion to demonstrate dignity by privately offering Bryce the opportunity to resign (health reasons?) but if she refuses, advising Her Majesty to determine the appointment and then announce the Queen’s decision. Hence they never pre-empt the decision.
Samuel J
2 Feb 13 at 10:49 am
Don’t be hard on the GG guys. Why just the other day she came to
interruptvisit a bunch of disaster workers with the premier trailing along in tow. She was stylishly dressed for dirty work in her special disaster program outfit of moleskins and a pale pink rural womens’ shirt that may or may not have been copied from the Anna Bligh days. Her Excellency gave one and all a rousing and uniquely inspiring speech, which was overridden only by the enthusiasm of its delivery.Entropy
2 Feb 13 at 10:51 am
Mmm, I think you’re right, Rabz..
James of the Glens
2 Feb 13 at 10:51 am
Dignity and Gillard should not appear in the same sentence.
Mother G
2 Feb 13 at 10:54 am
Thankyou for the advice Sinc – I humbly bow out of active participation in these forums as they seem to only welcome robust analysis of data/calcs where it serves the group-view. I now revert back to my lurker status ….
PS. Sinc – I am a little surprised that you didn’t pick up on the obvious error in SamJ’s approach to calcs….
Basic finance
2 Feb 13 at 10:55 am
I think the first order of business for Abbott would be to appoint Peter Costello as Governor General.
This would give him some reward and compensation for Howard’s refusal to step aside back than.
Free Advice
2 Feb 13 at 10:59 am
And in the case of Ken Henry, the Government told the GG to appoint him, contrary to section 67 of the Constitution, to a $700,000 pa part time job just as ‘go away’ money.
Econocrat
2 Feb 13 at 10:59 am
‘There is nothing “dignified” in maintaining this remnant of colonialism in 21st century Australia.’
Look out Cats, the pogo from Toowoomba has found you!
Prepare yourselves for pompous prognostications and leftoid drivel.
Popular Front
2 Feb 13 at 11:10 am
Dickhead
You didn’t even realise that you must use a bank interest rate and NOT inflation alone because the money can be reinvested dickless…again, you sleazy, braindead ALP shill, do you know what internal rate of return means?
.
2 Feb 13 at 11:15 am
Um okay…having a titular President is a bad thing too. We must tell the Irish that. Since Gillard was never popularly elected, can we get rid of the anachronism of one man one vote? We must move back to 20th century anachronisms, like the politburo.
Front
Pogo is great. He actually resides in alternate realities. Ask him about it. It also means he’s never wrong.
.
2 Feb 13 at 11:18 am
Sorry dot – but you are agreeing with me – I was the one that said you need to use a required rate of return that included compensation for opportunity cost – SamJ used only inflation as the discount rate. Okay now we have that straight I am outta here!
Basic finance
2 Feb 13 at 11:21 am
I have to disagree. Judging from what we saw of them in Australian Story, Gillard’s family are pleasant, polite middle class Australians who sound nothing at all like TLS. The Altona Droner is all her own work, self-made in the crucibles of the AUS and Socialist Forum and polished at the finishing school of S&G. She divested herself of her manners and middle class upbringing as a deliberate choice to fit into the ethos of the Labore Pardy.
Cold-Hands
2 Feb 13 at 11:23 am
Yes well I apologise.
However, do you agree that the Stern report should have used a higher discount rate than 1.3% or not?
Let’s see if you’re an honest broker or not.
.
2 Feb 13 at 11:35 am
Gillard disses the GG.
Sounds like misogyny to me!
boy on a bike
2 Feb 13 at 12:26 pm
She ought to be careful.
She is simply the King of the Germans. Holy Billy might be made King of the Romans! The Papess will probably side with Holy Billy.
.
2 Feb 13 at 12:32 pm
The classic was the elimination of the word ‘billion’ from budget announcements. As highlighted in a previous post on this blog. ‘Orwellian’ does not do this party justice.
Fire and Ice
2 Feb 13 at 1:01 pm
= Why are they calling you Dot? I’m seeing this =.
I’ve sparred with 173599 elsewhere. He is utterly convinced that only HE has the answers but they are boring batshit drivel.
Popular Front
2 Feb 13 at 1:17 pm
Have an election for all in Canberra. This includes PS bosses.
Sir John Kerr is enjoying this as he watches from a far I am sure.
stackja
2 Feb 13 at 1:23 pm
“at only HE has the answers but they are boring batshit drivel.”
Unkind to batshit. Studying batshit tells you about the fruit ans insects in the area in that season, and in some cases pollen tells what id flowering.
Batshit has thus, its uses.
WhaleHunt Fun
2 Feb 13 at 2:04 pm
Just so everyone is clear. The PM phoned the GG when she was in Brisbane attending an emergency briefing about the Queensland flood disaster. The GG actually left this important briefing to go to the side and take the call from the PM because the PM was just about to go into the Press Club and drop her bomb shell. Typical of Julia to only be thinking about her political future when Queensland was drowning. Today she has tears at the press conference when her ministers resigned but had no tears,not even respect for suffering Queenslanders. For confirmation of this actually go to Micharl Packi from Fairfax. He was there and saw this disgraceful act.
Eyeguy
2 Feb 13 at 2:47 pm
The GG, in the words of my late great Grandfather, “neither use nor ornament”.
Then again he would have applied that to Toxin and TLS as well….wise chap.
81Alpha
2 Feb 13 at 3:43 pm
Basic finance. First, I did disclose how the PV was calculated – and I used 2.5% on the basis of the real. I agree that normally one would use a higher rate to reflect risk. But as far as politicians pensions are concerned, I’d argue that the are even more guaranteed than Government debt. Second, Nick Stern tried to use a much lower rate than 2.5% (not that I’m using that as justification). But at least I disclosed and you can calculate your own PV using a higher discount rate if you wish.
Samuel J
2 Feb 13 at 8:34 pm
Eyeguy says
” Today she has tears at the press conference when her ministers resigned but had no tears,not even respect for suffering Queenslanders.”
Those tears were for herself not Queenslanders.
She can bugger off. Part of a low class rorting party mostly all in on it is my guess – its a just a rotten culture in Labor and she has been just as bad trying to hang on to filth to keep her minority govt afloat.
Aliice
2 Feb 13 at 8:40 pm
There isnt any dignity here.
Aliice
2 Feb 13 at 8:40 pm