Both Judith and I have op-eds in The Australian talking about Ted Baillieu.
Where did he fall down? Police, planning and public transport – the three Ps premiers need to get right but that so often trip them up. Being a premier is a much more difficult task than being prime minister. State governments are the largest funders and providers of human services and citizens are intolerant of lack of or inadequate provision.
Judith is being generous. Me? Less so.
Victorians were quietly angry in 2010. Once you consider the declining public transport standards, alcohol-fuelled street violence, skyrocketing electricity and gas bills, the bungled implementation of the Myki ticketing system, the gold-plated desalination plant, the perceptions – rightly, as it turned out – that crime was on the increase and increased nanny state interventions, there was much to be angry about.
The arrogant, aloof, out-of-touch Brumby government found itself out of office.
Baillieu had a long list of problems to be fixed. Yet his only achievement – getting rid of the police chief – is looking more and more like an accident. His anti-corruption commission is toothless. Public transport is still poor. The Myki card rollout was a disaster. It also turned out that Victorians had been overpaying for water and Baillieu couldn’t work out that people might want their money back.
Political appointments under the Brumby government have been maintained, and some of those individuals have been promoted.
Baillieu fixed none of the problems he was elected to fix. He failed to stamp his authority on the public service and was unable to articulate why his government should remain in office. On present polling, the ALP will return to government at the next election.
Update: Roger Franklin over at Quadrant Online has similar views:
But back to that farewell speech, when those things dearest to Baillieu were given heartfelt voice. So what were the high points of his time in office, the things he valued most? Two items topped his list: the belief that multiculturalism is Victoria’s “greatest strength” and his abiding love for our local “arts community.” Apart from testifying to the pernicious influence of his party’s multi-cultists on the ex-Premier’s thinking, the former also explains why that affront to free speech, the state’s anti-villification statutes, survived party room efforts to scuttle them; likewise that lawyers’ picnic, the Human Rights Charter.
I now live in Queensland.
I think its time for a referendum.
Can someone who is still alive kindly turn the lights out on Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and South Australia (and sneakily WA).
Or at least bulldoze the crap into the sea.
The greens would be happy at all that flat country that the kangaroos can hop around in their top paddock!
NoFixedAddress
8 Mar 13 at 12:29 am
The councils of Canberra and Darwin do not count at all because we all know there are no lights on there.
Despite what they think!
NoFixedAddress
8 Mar 13 at 12:32 am
Apologies everyone for deleting the “Red Ted is Dead” thread – I was cleaning up some old drafts and selected it was deletion by accident. I’ve tried to recover with no success. Let’s keep the Ted comments in this thread now – he was a nice person who was a poor premier.
Samuel J
8 Mar 13 at 12:47 am
Samuel – is he a nice person? I’ve never met the man and given the circles I move in that’s somewhat strange.
Sinclair Davidson
8 Mar 13 at 1:00 am
I will miss him very much if it leads to 3 more years of Gillard. This although remote is a possibility.
kelly liddle
8 Mar 13 at 1:04 am
Yep. Nice summation.
The thing which highlighted how clueless they are/were is how they failed to exploit all the low hanging fruit Brumby left just dangling all the place.
For example, why Baillieu didn’t strap the colossally stupid desal plant around Labor’s neck every single opportunity he got I will never understand.
I mean, the thing’s such a gift, yet it seemed he didn’t want to sound like too much of a meanie about it.
Memo to Dr Napthine: Make those irresponsible Labor bastards pay for that politically until the day the lease runs out in nearly 30 bloody years!!!
Ant
8 Mar 13 at 1:06 am
Ant – yes exactly. There is a lot to sheet home. But the Liberal government now owns all those Labor stuff-ups.
Sinclair Davidson
8 Mar 13 at 1:09 am
Sinc – some people say that he is nice. I’ve never met him, so I’m just using hearsay on that.
Samuel J
8 Mar 13 at 1:13 am
John Elliot calls him a gentleman, but too gentlemanly for politics.
Gab
8 Mar 13 at 1:14 am
So basically, the man was a wet rag
How the eff did he end up leading the state party?
Dan
8 Mar 13 at 1:49 am
Yep a floppy fail whale.
Always knew he was going to be useless. Good riddance.
CC
8 Mar 13 at 2:05 am
John Elliot?
gee….
Is that how come the Victorian Labor/Liberal Party are still going.
Make sure the punters never see what jolly folk they are?
Next thing they will be hanging Ned Kelly again….
Nah wait. I think I saw a wren.
Maybe it was a drug addicted football player.
Ahhh no… it was a manix idiot flashing down the back lane.
But guess what Victoria…………
Your state is stuffed.
One for the Tax….All for the Tax…
After all… you got that blue t shirt with stars on it and corrupted it.
Not only that you have wrens xavier mob in charge of the unions and the government and possibly control the APS.
But what the heck….. you have one UP sideney dont ya
Fucked your state…
do i care
Bring back Jeff….
He cannot run a fucking woolen mill but he can run a state
NoFixedAddress
8 Mar 13 at 2:34 am
Napthine is as weak and as wet as Red Ted. Nothing much has changed.
It is too late now to ram home the blame for all of Labor’s stuff up. The Libs now own all those problems. Pure political genius.
The Victorian Liberal simply don’t stand for anything. Napthine promised to deliver ‘storng stable government’. But a strong stable government to do what? That’s the question nobody in the Liberal Party has asked of themselves since Kennett was defeated.
Being in government is the end in itself. It is not seen as a means to an end.
johno
8 Mar 13 at 6:45 am
Ted always struck me, as ‘who? Me! What am I doing here?
He may be a ‘nice’ bloke as some would say, but certainly not, foreman material!
Hubert East
8 Mar 13 at 7:18 am
Ant @ 1.06
I couldn’t agree more.
The desalination plant stinks and no one responsible should have got away with it. That includes the mad perfessor who runs around like a chock with its head cot off!
Hubert East
8 Mar 13 at 7:28 am
In a situation where there is a lack of money often the kindly country vet can’t complete the tests which will lead to a diagnosis.
Without a diagnosis you can’t commence rational treatment but being kindly the vet will then try what is called ” response to therapy”.
This is essentially a non plan – try a treatment and see what happens and then review….
Repeat until there is a cure or death.
Some commentators seem to be recommending euthanasia at the initial consultation and while that can be a humane option radical invasive surgery also needs to be kept as an alternative.
Poor kindly country vet might need to have some steel inserted in his spine first.
John Cowperthwaite
8 Mar 13 at 7:57 am
Ted may be dead but Napthine is on a short walk to nowhere if I am to believe he’s offering the Fedral Guverment an olive branch and as well is to circum to the union bullies in the Education union.
Like the 2 amigos in Camberra his constituents in the West of Vic will have his guts as they are not about doing deals with the devil regardless
Napthine may be short lived as well and good riddance to him
Ted is a kind respectful man and that doesn’t go well in politics at a leadership level … sadly
Aussieute
8 Mar 13 at 8:06 am
Specifically, the Overland thing was indeed totally accidental.
They had Overland on toast over the fudged crime stats but simply didn’t move on him. It was left to the likes of Westin to engineer a palace coup with Ken Jones.
Overland was stuffed, not only over the crime stats but his use of Operation Briars phone taps to cut off personal criticism, but Ted wouldn’t move on him.
Now he has been caught up in the whole Westin thing, which wouldn’t have happened if he had – justifiably – demanded Overland resign.
That is, WITHOUT a massive redundancy.
I also see the limp dishrag Georgiou’s hand in that one too.
Leigh Lowe
8 Mar 13 at 8:17 am
Out here in the west of the continent, Victoria is regarded as the socialist rust belt state – sort of like an upmarket north Korea. FFS I know ardent ALP types who believe retirement heaven is Victoria!
And sad, isn’t it, that the Liberals are no more conservative than then ALP right-wing. What a treat to wake up, turn the computer on and read that Napthine is handing an olive branch to the Red Queen!
I suppose if you are in charge of a den of communist vipers then you have little room to move politically. So given present political trajectories, I suspect Victoria might be detaching itself from the main Australia and ultimately join Tasmania.
Sigh.
I had no idea Australians could be that effing stupid, but there you are, you have a state where the political choice is reduced to, to, to, ………
Louis Hissink
8 Mar 13 at 8:18 am
Touted future leader Matthew Guy is Napthine’s former chief of staff. Napthine is a failed former leader. My guess is that Napthine has agreed to keep the seat warm for Guy while a deal is done in the next six months to move him down from the Legislative Council to a safe seat in the Legislative Assembly. Presto! The Libs are back in the game at the next election. They can’t win it with Napthine in the chair.
Tom
8 Mar 13 at 8:27 am
When a Roman Consol arrived in a country to demand its submission, he would always start by noting he was coming in peace.
Token
8 Mar 13 at 8:28 am
Nobody thought that when Kennett was cleaning up the garbage. How far the state has fallen.
Token
8 Mar 13 at 8:29 am
Dead Flaillieu was an absolute disaster for victoria.
The worst possible leader of a lacklustre bunch of directionless parasitic socialist idiots who don’t even have the courage to admit that’s what they are.
Having said that, I consider the previous victorian labor gubberment to have been one of the worst in this country’s history, a veritable cavalcade of cretins, a retinue of marxist misanthropes responsible for landmark examples of idiocy such as:
- the refusal the dam the Mitchell and building the stupid desalination plant instead (riddled with union rorts ect)
- Myki disaster
- Revenue cameras gone wild
- Attacks on civil liberties and discrimination against white people (yes, they basically proposed that)
- Insane over regulation
- Insane greenfilth idiocy – see the results of the 2009 fires
- Refusal to enforce the law, so melbourne now has a reputation as a city full of dangerous anti social drunken yobs and violent black criminal morons (BIRM)
- Destruction of the police force (see above)
- yuman rites fascism and pandering to braindead muslims (BIRM)
- etc, etc, etc
That Flaillieu did nothing to reverse or rectify any of the disasters above is why he was such a tragic, inexcusable failure and why he had to go.
The infuriating thing is that O’Barrell is almost as bad – and to add insult to injury I actually voted for the liberals in NSW in 2010.
This is why I’m so iffy about the Abbott Monster – I fear he’ll be as spineless as the two liberal imbeciles I’ve identified above.
Not. Good. Enough.
Rabz
8 Mar 13 at 8:32 am
Red Ted certainly lived up to his name. The only thing he could think of to ‘save’ himself was to tell us he was going to get tough on ‘speeders’ (read: raise revenue off people who stray a little bit over the limit). Not once did he even talk about giving venues back the right to decide whether or not to allow smoking on their OWN property. He talked briefly about de-regulating the taxi system, but seems to have backed down after the taxi cartel chucked a hissy fit. Speed limits are still too low, he even proposed lowering them further!
I’m glad he’s gone and I hope the Liberals take his failure as a message. We want a strong, decicive, small, non nanny-state government. We want a Jeff! He might have got voted out quickly but he changed the state for the better and would have won his last election had it not been for stinking independents.
MattR
8 Mar 13 at 9:01 am
MattR, you are making the mistake of thinking, like Kennett, that the purpose of government to these modern day political science ninnies advising politicians is to make the place better. They don’t think that way. It is just about getting the prize of office.
Entropy
8 Mar 13 at 9:21 am
Is it not traditional to do as little as possible until a month or so before the next election. And then you are Mr Bountiful.
john malpas
8 Mar 13 at 9:34 am
This Dr Napthine apparently used to make a quid or three as a country vet.
For his sake, I hope he hasn’t thrown out those metre-long rubber gloves that vets use when doing the more unsavoury aspects of their chores.
If he is going to tackle the awesome corruption, incompetence and stupidity of the A.L.P. (as Ted NEVER did) then Napthine will need those gloves and a decent drench pit.
The A.L.P. have NEVER been held to account for the billions of dollars of Victorian taxpayer’s funds they wasted on Myki (which STILL doesn’t work reliably); the North-South pipeline (now rusting away); the utterly unnecessary desalination plant (also rusting away); or the $1 million they paid to regrettably find A.L.P. Water Minister, Tim Holding (a supposedly “crack” member of the S.A.S. in the ‘weekend warriors’ play-army) when he got himself irretrievably lost, just 500 metres off the formed path in one of his own parks.
It is long past time when somebody in the Liberal Party donned those long vet’s gloves; did the business (as only a vet can) and stood back and watched the collective eyes of A.L.P. Caucus bulge as their corruption and incompetence is brought to light.
They owe us billions.
The taxpayers need to know that!
Up The Workers!
8 Mar 13 at 9:38 am
I don’t agree with many of Judith’s assessments. Public transport is no way near as bad as people say it is in Melbourne and I am quite sure that delivery times have improved. While crime statistics are higher, this is somewhat due to there being morepolicenput on the beat. Police numbers have grown a lot quicker under this Government. The PSO’s have also been rather good as well.
You could hardly blame Ted for Myki as it would have cost more to get rid of the machines and implement a new system. That was all Labor’s doing. I think people also forget the massive GST shortfall Ted was hit with. While he made many poor decisions, I think some people are becoming a bit hysterical with their criticisms off Ted
Andrew
8 Mar 13 at 10:06 am
@up the workers
Agree. I wish the Libs had/would bring Labor to account for the obvious and blatant corruption that was THE main characteristic of their rule. Labor spent lots of time denying the need for an anti-corruption commission because they were, like, honest and stuff. Even my dog could see they were as crooked as his back leg. But Ted missed a prime opportunity to bring them to account and score some major political capital. Why? Did he not want Labor to do the same in revenge when moronic voters eventually let Labor back on the government benches?
Spitfire
8 Mar 13 at 10:28 am
But it is quite an achievement to take a pile of decaying organic matter like Myki and make it WORSE, i.e. no day tickets. Dumb and dumber. Thus, this occasional user of public transport is an ex-user of public transport.
One soggy centrist replaces another. So, better honestly corrupt incompetents too brazen to hide it than folk who seem too stupid to be successfully venal.
And Napthine – if the Libs previously decided that Robt Doyle was better…
James Hargrave
8 Mar 13 at 11:22 am
Andrew at 10.06 is closer to the mark than anyone else on this thread.
As for punned names such as Flaillieu, these add nothing to anyone’s argument beyond conveying to the reader the image of a splutterer at the keyboard.
ilibcc
8 Mar 13 at 11:43 am
With you all the way on this, Rabz. The Libs have been white anted for years. The choice is between a Left wing party of Trade Union scum, or a Left wing party of sooks who won’t do a bloody thing because someone might call them horrible names.
And I agree with you on this point: Abbott panders too much to the press.
Remember the Palin speech where she told the MSM to stick it? Can you imagine Abbott giving the same speech?
Winston Smith
8 Mar 13 at 11:54 am
Oh, stick it up your fundament, you pompous pratt.
Rabz
8 Mar 13 at 12:10 pm
True Winnie, and to try and make sweet with a bunch of marxist lunatics in the electorate who aren’t ever going to vote for him anyway.
Pathetic.
Rabz
8 Mar 13 at 12:14 pm
Napthine sounds like he should be moth-balled.
Ubique
8 Mar 13 at 12:21 pm
“Abbott panders too much to the press.
Good performance last night though from Scott Morrison giving Tony Jones as good as he got and then some. If a few more turn out like him this could be a party we can actually admire. Here’s one shadow fully on top of his brief. Jones badgered, hectored and interrupted, but he still came out second best.
Fred C Dobbs
8 Mar 13 at 1:14 pm
I sent an email to Premier Napthine yesterday suggesting he emulate Henry Bolte,can you imagine what Henry would have done with all theinformation of alp and green stuff ups,they wouldnt be game to show their faces outdoors!just imagine what he would have told the scamberra Liars ! Napthine should read Henrys life story .Onevgood thing he is a trained vet a very practical breed,not like criminal union filth with tiny uni degrees.
Borisgodunov
8 Mar 13 at 2:21 pm
Yes, this is the amazing thing. Keeping on and promoting the enemy.
Samuel J
8 Mar 13 at 5:59 pm
Costello should be publicly castigated on the basis of elevating Ken Henry to Treasury Secretary.
JamesK
8 Mar 13 at 6:06 pm
The left would be laughing their heads off about the useless idiot.
Jc
8 Mar 13 at 6:13 pm
No, he ought to be castigated for not firing his arse after Henry made a speech to 300 of his trusted advisers critical of the government. Of course Henry said he was shocked and surprised the speech came out in public. Like who wouldn’t be when you’re talking in front of only 300 people (dishonest sack of shit).
Costello should have fired him on the spot and had the wombat whisperer escorted out of the building under guard.
Jc
8 Mar 13 at 6:18 pm
Henry, Garnaut, Triggs. All the same class of buffoon who are full of their own self importance but worse than useless to Australia’s progress.
jupes
8 Mar 13 at 6:27 pm
And good old Bernie Fraser. He’s always hanging around looking for a dollar to fall outta someone’s pocket.
After doing ads for Industry Super funds showing that big winsome smile of his, someone in the government like Shane Wand, Billy Shorten(ed) or Greg Comet must have realized Bernie was still thieving air and stuck him on the Glimate Authority in order to thieve some more.
Jc
8 Mar 13 at 6:33 pm
Are they now calling themselves Digital parents.com?
You’ve got to be freaking kidding me.
Jc
8 Mar 13 at 6:43 pm
On the other, now deleted thread people were stating Ted lacked “intelligence, guts and balls”. It seems nothing he did was worthy. I believe that although not a great Premier he wasn’t a total failure. There were a number of things he did that showed that he was intelligent, had guts and balls.
I didn’t note any Cats complaining when he was holding the torch to Gillard and Plibersek over hospital funding, when other states had given up. When Plibersek gave in QLD were quick to demand the same as Vic got.
I didn’t hear Cats complaining that he wasn’t being tough enough on the construction unions back in Jan at the MYERS site or with the Teachers Union’s ridiculous claims.
I accept that he was not in Kennett’s class (not many are) but intelligence and guts he did not lack.
It is disappointing that his great loyalty (as demonstrated in supporting Geoff Shaw) was rewarded by Shaw’s disloyalty.
Roger
8 Mar 13 at 7:34 pm
If you want a friend in politics buy a dog.
Jc
8 Mar 13 at 9:16 pm
No, you are confusing popularity with loyalty. There are plenty of pollies who don’t like fellows in their own party but still display levels of loyalty. It is what keeps the party together.
Roger
10 Mar 13 at 7:43 am