I'M NO OSCAR WILDE

Competition, as the theory goes, raises productivity and does it in an efficient manner. Globally, competition has been a dominant discourse for several decades. The IMF and World Bank are both major proponents of the theory and believe it holds the key for developing countries. In Australia, competition has been a major policy driver for at least the last fifteen years. In 1995 the National Competition Policy (NCP) was enacted. The NCP was a heavily centralised, federally driven policy that aimed to remove barriers to competition. The NCP is heavily influenced by the theory of contestability. The theory of contestability makes the distinction that a perfectly contestable market is not possible in real life; therefore we talk about the degree of contestability of a market.

From a business perspective, the more contestable a market, the better off a society will be. Individuals love choice - it drives innovation, development and works for the consumer. However, in a limited market, like regional Australia, the affects on the community can be different to those of their metropolitan counterparts. Drive down most regional centre’s main street and you will see that a street lined with small, independent business are a thing of the past. In fact, independent, small businesses are so scarce they become part of marketing strategy of towns that still have them – a relic of yesteryear. Regional businesses are for the most parts, clones of each other. The same stores, the same window shop fronts, the same employees. Gone are the independence, novelty and sense of community that used to personify regional town centers. But wait – wouldn’t a successful contestability policy mean that the same businesses wouldn’t keep appearing in regional towns? That competition would bring with it diversity and consumer choice? It’s clear that that hasn’t been the case.

The problem lies in the theory of contestability, which is different to perfect competition. Contestability does allow for larger firms to be dominate, just as long as there are a few small firms and the larger firms don’t engage in anti-competitive practices. However, that hasn’t been the case. Recently there has been a great deal of outcry from local business owners over the perceived anti-competitive behaviours of the tow major grocery giants - Coles and Woolworths. A recent assessment from the Commonwealth Bank found that both companies are opening up stores in areas without sufficient population to support them. In other words, these firms are willing to run at lower than normal profits (or losses) to dampen competition from other small firms. It mimics the anti-competitive behaviours of the global super chain – Starbucks- that became known for putting stores across the road from another, to secure majority consumer share.

Contestability in this form sets a precedent and we are seeing it in regional centers. If every grocery store is a Woolworths: if every hardware shop is a Bunnings and every coffee store is a Starbucks then we are losing something much more vital than choice, we are losing a sense of community.

But, like all good competition an underdog is bound to appear.

2012 is the international year of the Cooperative. A Cooperative or Coop is a democratically run, collective based association. A cooperative is different from other forms of private or public organisation in that its members, who directly run the organisation own it, make decisions democratically and use capital for mutual rather than individual benefit. Cooperative’s activities are primarily commercial, but in essence they are community members wanting to provide an authentic service for their town. More and more Cooperatives are appearing in regional centres because of need to put community before maximising profits.

The International Co-operative Alliance explains the core values of cooperatives and why they are vital to economic and social development around the globe:

“Co-operatives are enterprises that put people at the centre of their business and not capital.

“Co-operatives are business enterprises and thus can be defined in terms of three basic interests: ownership, control, and beneficiary. Only in the co-operative enterprise are all three interests vested directly in the hands of the user.

“Co-operatives put people at the heart of all their business. They follow a broader set of values than those associated purely with making a profit.

“Because co-operatives are owned and democratically-controlled by their members (individuals or groups and even capital enterprises) the decisions taken by co-operatives balance the need for profitability with the needs of their members and the wider interests of the community.”

These core values might seem too sentimental, even unrealistic – definitely not a full alternative to contestability policy. However, this collectivist model should not be disregarded entirely. While competition and capitalism promotes individualism, cooperative economics, looks to build society and it’s something regional towns should heavily invest in. For as long as competitive capitalism is left to dominate regional areas, the independent character of community owned town centers could disappear entirely.

The notion is nothing new – complete a PhD without relying on paper, that is, literature, analysis, data collection and reporting by electronic means. In the middle of my third week of my PhD I have the following:

• - Laptop Computer
• - iPad
• - iPhone
• - Instapaper 
• - Dropbox
• - Google Docs
• - Endnote 
• - Skype 
• - Kindle

My system currently involves - Skyping with my supervisor (as she lives in Canberra), organised by using Google Calendar and sending summaries and notes of my readings via Google Docs. My notes are created by utilising ‘Notes’ on my iPad or using Microsoft Word on my Laptop.  My readings are either eBooks (Kindle or iBooks) or online journal articles saved with Instapaper. I keep a record of all my literature and references using Endnote. All my notes, summaries and literature are backed up using Dropbox. 

So far, so good. 

There are the aspects of my PhD that I believe will work in my favour, including: 

• - The thesis will use a discourse analysis as a main methodology 
• - There is no perceived data collection
• - My supervisor is extremely keen to use electronic means  
• - I’m a firm believer in the concept of ‘anywhere anytime’ learning

However, there are aspects of my PhD that I believe will make it difficult, including: 

• - A large component of my thesis is a historical analysis of literature, which may not be available electronically 
• - I’m a ‘scribbler’- and by that I mean I like mind mapping as a cognitive tool. I’m yet to find an efficient mind mapping tool that I like .

It’s only very early days, but my Paper Less PhD is in full swing. I’m hoping that I can keep a running account of my progress. I’m hoping that in the end, the only piece of paper I use is the certificate at my graduation. 

Young people get a pretty bad rap these days. We are overtly generalised as lazy, disregard loyalty to our employers, are poor fiscal managers and are too self absorbed. However, the worst and possibly dangerous assumption is that young people are no longer politically engaged.  

Today, traditional political parties are struggling to maintain financial members. Both Labor and the Liberal/National coalition have had declining membership figures for the better part of a decade. In 2006 the Australian Bureau of Statistics put party membership at just 1.3 percent of the voting population. The pattern is global too, with most western democracies showing a large drop in party base support. Third party groups like the Greens and The Liberal Democrats in the UK have seen a small increase in their overall numbers, but in the whole, people are no longer joining political parties. The largest sub group who seem to have abstained more than any is that plucky little go - getter Gen Y. 

And, it gets worse. I come from a rural town 500kms from the Sydney where even bringing up the topic of politics will be greeted with large groans and a general look of disgust. Where the biggest political activity is complaining about actually having to vote (even after explaining that they are not made to vote but simply to turn up to a school hall every four years).  The majority of the people I know in my home town want a democratic government, but like a well behaved subservient child, they want it to be seen and not heard. 

But is there any substance to fall in member rates?  Are political parties destined to be hollowed out numbers men/woman without any external democratic support? Do political parties serve only a function of office?  If you are young and from a rural setting, can you be politically engaged? 

I think the answer lies in how you define engaged.

Political parties are no longer the central hub of political engagement. Large differentiations of opinions, mixed with an explosion of informational technologies mean that you don’t have to be part of a political party to be engaged. I’ll use my friends back home as example. Sure, they find some of the democratic process tedious, however, if make a grandiose statement like ‘paternity leave should extended to a full year and big business should pay for it (A Liberal/National proposal) or ‘Ethics classes should be compulsory for all public school students (A NSW Labor initiative), then an argument will in doubt ensue, usually a pretty knowledgeable and passionate argument. The semantics are variable, but passion for policies that affect them directly can’t be ignored, they’re engaged, just not with a political party. 

Put them online and they become even more engaged. Behind the sometimes mindless drivel of social networks, there is usually a feverish argument regarding a political policy or parliamentarian. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have given the younger generation the opportunity to be reengaged without the burden of a perceived dull democratic system. You only have to see the success of online activist site GET UP or the social media campaign of the now President Barack Obama to see that the youth of today are engaged - just not with archaic model of yesteryear. 

To further prove that online activism has some gravitas, one only needs to look at the major two parties in Australia as they come kicking and screaming to the new age. The Australian Labor Party and The Liberal Party have taken major steps towards a better online presence. Most major politicians are now on Twitter and Party websites allow for more community and political engagement. The need to involve the young in the political process is the driver for such change. The Australian Greens have since been the pioneer in this regard, but the gap is closing as the major political parties realise that political engagement is more than attending monthly branch meeting that lasts an hour. 

So, are the youth of today politically engaged? Most certainly so, but their engagement is present in alternative environments and it’s the responsibility of the political parties to harness these new arenas and provide a voice for truly engaged, young individuals. Until such time, I fear that quite incorrectly the youth of today will seen but not chosen to be heard. 

Analysing Hegemony using an iPad am I being ironic?

Unless you work in the arts

Unless you work in the arts and live in a regional city

Unless you work in the arts, live in a regional city and want to afford something realistic  – like private health insurance.

There is this article swimming around the internet at the moment that paints a glowing picture for the current state of the arts in Australia. The article boasts a large profit of close to a million dollars, sighting the famous, (read: seen on television) star-charged stable of performers and curators (Cate Blanchet and Andrew Upton) as chiefly responsible for returning The Sydney Theatre Company to the black after three consecutive years in deficit.  However, if you take a closer look, this article is poised as a giant smokescreen as to the true state of the arts in Australia.

In short – it’s in trouble.

The arts in this country is struggling, but it’s not the usual suspects that are the culprits, those being:  

Talent
Education
Resources
Exposure
Venues

We have those in spades. Instead, it’s ‘bums on seats’.

The last paragraph in that article reviles the true horror of the situation - the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra reported a modest surplus of $31,420 after posting a deficit of more than $800,000 in 2009. It’s not a new argument that the arts shouldn’t be judged on market revenue but it’s becomingly incredibly clear that it is and will continue to be into the foreseeable future. Putting a market value on the arts in a country tied to neo-liberal policies is making life increasingly difficult for anyone who sees them wanting to pursue art as a career, or, heavens forbid if you actually want a career in the arts and live in a regional centre.

It puts the problem into context that if the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra can ONLY scrap together thirty odd thousand what chance does a regional production company have in justifying its existence with large profits. Chasing profits in regional arts is a zero sum game and is leading to the profession in dire straits. You only have to look local jobs advertisements in the sector to see that not only are arts professionals unpaid and overworked, but there are very few opportunities for growth and professional development. Unlike teaching and nursing (professions that can’t indicate success through profits) professional arts workers can’t find stable work in the regions and thus head to cities where work and opportunity is somewhat more available.

This all comes at a time where the New South Wales government is eagerly pushing its Evo-Cities campaign - a campaign which looks to get families out of the big city and in to regional centres. The allure comes complete with the promises of smaller traffic; cheaper housing and stress free living.  And while this sounds great – for arts workers it usually means coming to a new town and finding a job outside of their chosen career.  If they are successful in finding a position chances are they won’t be considered successful because not many programs outside of cities run a profit.

Many regional positions are government funded. They rely on funding in a series of yearly cycles. Therefore, regardless of how successful they believe their programs or positions to be, yearly budgets dictate whether they can do it for another year.  The stress therefore on tickets sales is unfortunately a larger indicator as to money spent wisely. This means that art programs in regional centres are geared for profit or at least to break even. It leaves only a small amount of room to be ‘edgy’ or ‘experimental’.  The yard stick is ‘bums on seats’ not creativity integrity and because of this, regional areas are struggling to nurture and regain artistic talent.  

I’m not suggesting that this isn’t a problem in major cities, but what I’m trying to highlight is the extreme void of artistic professionals in regional areas.  Governments need to direct more funding towards regional artistic projects. That way, more professional will venture outside of the capitals and bring with it, the expertise and creative talent to produce some seriously excellent work. More government funding will see those people already in regional areas gain the creative freedom and not be burdened by how much something makes. But most importantly, more government funding will mean that artistic professionals can settle in regional areas, buy a house and contribute to society without the ever looming yearly funding announcements to look forward to.  

This week The Economist published this article, arguing that during the large resources boom Australia should direct more funding to the arts. They should of course, but to be more specific, what’s badly needed is the need to foster artistic talent outside of big cities, because regional centres don’t have Cate Blanchet and Hugo Weaving, they just have extremely talented people who aren’t searching for profits they’re just trying to get by doing what they love.

Disclaimer: I don’t work in the arts, but I am affected by it on a daily basis ;)

The international airport in Ho Chi Minh City is a frustrating experience, the lines are incredibly slow, purchases are extremely expensive and the people are a tad rude. In essence, the airport I’m now sitting in is the exact opposite to the country I have experienced in the last three weeks. 

I finished my teaching last Friday. I had finally become accustomed to the eating times in Da Nang (11am Lunch, 5pm Dinner) when it was time to leave. I packed my ever-growing backpack and said a very long goodbye to my roommates and support staff at GVN.  Before I was planned to leave however, I was invited to spend my last night in Da Nang at the International Fireworks Competition. At first, the thought of an International Fireworks Competition baffled me –how does one “compete” in the art of fireworks exactly? How is it scored? Who gets an invite? How do they celebrate if they win? The answers to a lot of these questions are have stilled been unanswered. 

The International Fireworks Competition is an annual event held in Da Nang around April. This year there were five teams competing; England, South Korea, China, Italy and Vietnam.  The event draws crowds from all over Vietnam that results in an already dense town swelling to unbelievable proportions.  Transport in the city practically comes to a halt, which is impressive as the majority of people in Da Nang mostly ride motorcycles.  A small group of us made our way into the city centre, to be greeted with several hundred thousand people lined to the pavement, waiting in anticipation. The fire works were terrific and although getting home was a slow experience, the politeness of Vietnamese people made it somewhat bearable. We never found out who won, but when the aim of the sport is to blow up as much stuff as possible, then, I believe everyone wins. 

The next morning I left for Ho Chi Minh City.  Ho Chi Minh City is a great deal larger than Da Nang, not only in population but in outlook. Da Nang has a small village feel to the whole place, where western culture is present, but not dominant. Ho Chi Minh is different, the city feels soulless – one big tourist spot for overweigh foreigners to gorge on. 

Before leaving Vietnam I payed a visit to The Vietnam War Remnants museum. Operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975 as the “The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government [of South Vietnam].” Later it was known as the Museum of American War Crimes, then as the War Crimes Museum until as recently as 1993. Its current name follows liberalisation in Vietnam and the normalization of relations with the United States. The museum is a stark reminder of the brutality of the west during the war - photos of mutilated bodies, decapitated heads as trophies and death hang in full view. It’s a gruesome, horrible place that just reinforces the nuances of global political power and the people who get caught up in it. 

I’m leaving Vietnam with an overwhelming feeling of decisiveness. They say the best prisons are the ones we make ourselves and after all these years, Vietnam is a truly independent country, except they have allowed a rampaging unregulated capitalist system to take over, without the necessary social structure that a responsible government can provide. It’s almost as if they have replaced one dictatorship with another. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61931606@N04/

Today the heat in Da Nang is stifling. Smog and pollution act as a thermal incubator – maximising the suns ample heat. The streets are deserted and the fans are on high as the majority of Vietnamese are having their daily nap. The daily nap occurs every day at around 12:00pm and goes for usually two hours.  The shops close, the traffic dissipates and the constant noise that is associated with Vietnamese city life ceases.  It’s an interesting custom, one of many that I have experienced since my time here. 

New customs and traditions have come thick and fast during my second week volunteering in Vietnam. Some traditions I have come accustomed to, like, my day starting at 6:30am and having lunch at 11am. Some traditions I’m struggling to get used to, for instance in Vietnam the teacher never pays for anything.  I’m constantly being asked to go to coffee with the students so that they can practice their conversation skills, the students insist on paying, even though they barely have any money.  I feel so horribly uncomfortable that at one point this week I refused to go with them.  I keep having to remind myself what I was told at the start – “the student pays until they are the teacher”. It’s this level of respect and honour that is engrained in the people of Vietnam that I think I find the most uncomfortable, which I think is more a reflection of myself than anything else. The students here are incredibly hard working and extremely grateful – it’s an entirely humbling experience. 

This week I have settled in to my teaching course and found myself volunteering in the children’s program when I have spare time. My lessons range from appropriate uses of the words ‘Can’ and ‘Can’t’ to the impact of e-commerce on traditional trade, so – it varies. Within the children’s program I’ve been assisting with daily duties (feeding, reading, physiotherapy) and have been able to contribute to GVN (Global Volunteer Networks) projects. I spent last Friday removing concrete slabs and large weeds so that the children at the Red Cross centre could have a place to play soccer. I also donated money to go towards a new wheel chair for Tam who is a disabled boy from the orphanage. The old saying of ‘money goes a long way’ is still very much alive here in Vietnam where even the smallest of donations can make a big impact.  

The GVN house is full of amazing people from around the world, that are both supportive and caring – again, a humbling experience. We all celebrated Easter together by hiding ‘Hershey Kisses’ (because they don’t have Easter eggs in Vietnam) around the house and then jumping on bikes to attend a wedding. The entire house (11 people) was invited to the wedding of one of our project managers - Mr Fueke. We were greeted with overwhelming hospitality because in Vietnam, weddings are more dignified if people attend them from overseas.  Vietnamese weddings begin at the ridiculous time of 8am. There is barely a ceremony, instead there are two large receptions (one for the groom and one for the bride), where the main aim (as far as I could tell) is to drink as much as possible and sing karaoke songs that stream from a poorly played synthesiser (you’ve never lived until you’ve attempted Hotel California in front of an adoring Vietnamese audience).  The bride has three outfit changes and the groom looks constantly uncomfortable. It’s an incredible spectacle full of colour, laugher and bad singing. 

The traditions of the Vietnamese people are standing strong against the bombardment from the west. The pride, exuberance, passion and respect the people in this country display are something to be admired.  They have very little in terms of material possessions; instead they have a devotion to self-improvement and a whole- hearted respect for their fellow man. 

Vietnam - a humbling experience. 

Head here http://www.flickr.com/photos/61931606@N04/ to see some photos of my trip. There are also photos of my trip to Marble Mountain, a tourist attraction outside of Da Nang. It’s a beautiful cliff side village with tunneling caves that celebrate all things Buddhist. 

 ‘In Vietnam – we don’t use the word “privatise” we use the word “equitise” (sic)’ - Lecturer at Da Nang University .

Equitisation: is a Vietnamese English term that denotes the conversion of a state-owned enterprise in Vietnam into a public limited company or a corporation.

Vietnam exists in a parallel universe - a universe that is still inhabited by the USSR, where communism is a viable option for economic democracy. The humid, dusty streets are littered with socialist propaganda and the stoic presence of their dead workers party leader Ho Chi Minh is plastered everywhere. In reality however, they have been abandoned. They have been left to pick up the remains of French colonisation, Chinese invasion, global communism and ‘The American War’. They more accurately live in a ‘quasi-socialist’ state – where public organisations don’t privatise they equititalise. The invisible hand of the capitalism isn’t so hard to see in Vietnamn where object poverty can be seen directly in front of a Pizza Hut. The free market has infiltrated Vietnamese daily life and ‘opportunity’ is a buzzword that gives hope to thousands of young people who have grown up with parents who’ve faced terrible living standards, a totalitarian regime and direct fall out from the American War. But, before one can have a glimpse of western society’s ‘opportunity’ they must learn to speak English.

English in Vietnam is seen as a gateway to better employment and prosperity. I was told very early when I arrived that if you speak English than your chances of success more than double. The people here fall over themselves to join in an English conversation, so, as you can imagine – I found myself extremely qualified to volunteer to teach English. It’s been a week since I’ve landed, my stomach is still holding strong, I’m getting used to the heat and I’m quite used to being stared at wherever I go (It’s quite rare for a Redhead to be seen walking around rural parts of Da Nang city – or so I’m told). My first week volunteering reads something like this….

My first week has been one of a culture shock, but in this week I’ve been introduced to a culture that is trying to fuse strong tradition with the advances of an ever-present western world. One gets the feeling however, that they are enjoying their new sense of freedom and  opportunity. 

Tomorrow statewide media are going to have field day with the atmospherically level of votes the Nationals received in the Bathurst electorate at yesterdays state election.  At the time of writing – The Nationals candidate Paul Toole sits on an extremely large 73.5% of the primary vote, while Country Labor candidate Dale Turner sits on 26%. This results in an almost history making 36% 2pp swing against Country Labor. 

As Dale Turner’s Media and Communication officer for the campaign this is both humbling and destroying. I’m completely gutted. However, before statewide media tries to analyse what has happened from outside the electorate, I thought it would be best to try and explain how this result may have occurred. How this result is well above the state wide average and how it can’t just be a result of NSW Labors ‘failings’. I’m relatively new to the Labor Party and this was my first big campaign, so much of what will be described here will have a background of naivety aligned to it.  This is in no way a Maxine McKewn type rant; it’s more objective and is in no way a representative view from the Country Labor Party. 

The Past: This large defeat has it’s making in the past.

Only sixth months ago actually, during the recent Federal election, Country Labor received a very big loss to the Nationals – John Cobb wining over Kevin Duffy with 60% to 39% 2pp margin. This might be not too significant to the state election except until you look at two things. Firstly, this result saw a 25% increase to the Nationals primary vote and Second, Lithgow and Bathurst had been moved from the Blue Mountains electorate of Macquarie to the more regional Calare electorate. The Nationals have had more and more exposure to Lithgow and Bathurst, it just needed someone prominent to lead a challenge. 

Antony Green (ABC’s Chief electorate analysis) made the comment last night that The Nationals had been trying to win the seat for years, in reality - they hadn’t.  Gerard Martin, Country Labor’s retiring member for Bathurst is an extremely popular and formidable figure in the electorate.  Martin worked pretty tirelessly for the electorate and comfortably defeated the Nationals in 2003 and 2007. However, the profiles of the Nationals candidates  (both Lithgow councillors) were never that great and one would assume we would have seen a bigger contest if a more desirable candidate emerged. I’m not suggesting that these campaigns where not fought hard, it’s that obviously the reputation and incumbency of Martin was a big factor to overcome.  The fact being, the Nationals never really had a candidate with the popularity and history of Gerard Martin, until arguably 2011.  

The Present: ‘In politics, it’s all about the people’

Gerard Martin (our campaign manager) told me this while we were campaigning. I had been furiously working with Dale to make sure we had good online exposure that we could use to talk to more people and get our message across.  Dale was relatively unknown before the election, but had an extremely good reputation for hard work and ‘getting results’. This however, was not enough.

Paul Toole as I was told by a Nationals campaign worker is a ‘once in a generation’ type of politician based purely on one thing – popularity. I don’t completely agree with the whole ‘once in a lifetime’ hyperbole but his statistics are harder to argue with. 

During the last local government elections, Paul Toole (mayor) received a staggering 52% of the vote and left the remaining 48% to be fought over by another 24 candidates.  The Mayor of Bathurst is extremely popular, not just Paul but his entire family, including his Dad who missed out on a state seat to Country Labors Mick Clough.  Paul Toole could have ran as an independent and would have still been hard to beat, but combined with a National party that has a large expenditure at hand, Toole became a sentimental favourite with a large reach in the community.  You only had to watch Paul Toole hand out ‘How to Votes’ at the Bathurst pre-poll to understand the popularity, most people knew him personally and vice versa.

Now, I’m the first person to tell you that the Nationals Campaign here in Bathurst was light. Light on detail, light on policies –real small target stuff.  However, when you asked around the community it was usually the same old stuff  - ‘yeah, I’ll be voting for Tooley ‘(his affectionate nickname) or Tooley has got it in the bag’.  A majority of people in Bathurst are friends with Paul Toole and it was last night reflected in votes. Gerard was right; it IS all about the people.

The Future: The death of Country Labor Party?  – Not likely

Andrew Stoner has come out and claimed that Country Labor is dead. I think he is wrong. Our campaign is proof that there is life for the Labor Party in rural and remote areas.

I’ll start with our Candidate Dale Turner.  Dale has worked harder than anyone in this campaign in the face of some truly strong community opposition.  Dale never took the 13% margin Labor held for granted and was out everyday door knocking, fielding interviews, taking meetings and generally, increasing his profile.  Dale went from a relatively unknown to a political contender, if he were up against the Nationals candidate from 2007 things could have been different.  My biases are on display here when I say that the integrity that Dale has displayed during the election is pretty awe-inspiring.  Throughout the campaign we were hearing comments like ‘great candidate – wrong election’ and ‘Dale is a terrific candidate but we are going with Tooley’, that didn’t deter Dale and he carried on, determined to give it 100%.  If the Country Labor keeps producing candidates like Dale Turner we will ultimately not only survive but also prosper.


The second aspect is the Dale Turner campaign team.  It’s a pretty well known fact that the Nationals Campaign had to pay people to work in their campaign offices; the Country Labor team didn’t have that luxury.  We relied on volunteers that despite very large statewide polls decided give it a real go.  We even had people during the campaign call up and want to join country Labor that I would like to contribute to the amount of hard work our campaign team put in. We rarely relied on head office and unlike the Nationals it’s wasn’t a ‘franchised’ campaign that by which I mean – same photos, same pamphlets, same ads, same strategy region wide.  Ours was a grass roots campaign one that we are extremely proud of and one that sends a clear message that there are some people in the Bathurst electorate are still passionate about Country Labor.

You’ve probably noticed by now that I haven’t mentioned anything about NSW Labor and it’s recent 16-year history in government.  I’ve done this on purpose because I believe that statewide media can analyse that quite easily, they can analyse the state polls and attribute it to the ‘big swing’ in Bathurst. 

However, the main purpose behind this article was to highlight what the final count can’t, what the analysis won’t say- that Country Labor didn’t just lie down when Gerard Martin decided to retire.  That Country Labor created a campaign team out of their rank and file.  That Country Labor chose a rank and file member to be their candidate, a very honest, hardworking and electable candidate. That the Bathurst and Lithgow branches did it the right way. 

Unfortunately, during the analysis of the one of the biggest swings in Australian politics, I fear - this will be forgotten. 

Update: This piece was published on the ABC Drum website - you can see it and the nasty comments it produced here http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/45660.html

I would like to respond to your article written here.  http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/uni-students-get-a-free-ride-for-too-long-with-their-hecs-debt-20110320-1c24r.html 

It’s tough to know where to begin with an argument that is so flawed it would struggle to gain a pass as a piece of academic work. Like all good academic work, arguments must be based in fact, not anecdotal evidence to which you have some how spewed from your otherwise irrelevant state in Australian Politics. However, if we are to start somewhere - let’s begin and end with the utterly gross level of hypocrisy you have managed to display during your rant. 

I agree that there are a lot people who rort the HECS system. The HECS/HELP system isn’t a perfect one, but compared to our American counterpart, it provides people from low economic backgrounds with access to education that would be otherwise unattainable. What I don’t agree on is someone ranting about a ‘free ride’ when their higher education fee came to the grand total of zero. 

Zilch
None
Nothing
Nadda  
Free

So, Ms Vanstone, based on this - do you believe that it is both ‘egalitarian’ and ‘fair’ that we have you telling us about our tertiary repayments, when you never had any? 

HECS/HELP debts can range anywhere from 14,000 to above 100,000 dollars, is Ms Vanstone suggesting that we should begin repayments once people start making minimum wage? One would think that implementing this, would allow only people in higher earning jobs or from wealthier families to pay back their tuition fees. Others would simply struggle to pay it back. But then again, Ms Vanstone - how much did you have to pay back??

Ms Vanstone also implies that having a university degree makes you a middle class snob. Ms Vanstone obviously hasn’t spent much time in regional and remote areas where people who have obtained University degrees are vital to a functioning community (Teachers, Doctors, Nurses etc). Without them, communities would suffer and ultimately dissolve. 

I ask Ms Vanstone to carefully look at the current policy on higher education. The current Labor governments Higher Education Policy ‘Transforming Australian Education System’ based on the Bradley Review aims to have 40% of 24-35 year olds obtaining bachelor level qualifications by 2020. The result, is a higher education system that has opened it’s doors to people whom would not usually have access to Higher Education. Some courses will administrate uncapped enrolments by 2012 which can only lead to more students from low economic backgrounds attending university and because of a generous HECS/HELP system be able to pay it back in due course. I wonder, how many reforms like this you implemented during your time as Minister for Education? 

So, in essence, Ms Vanstone - please don’t lecture people on the values of equality within Higher Education. Unless of course you would like to make your argument more reputable by putting your money where your mouth is and simply paying for your education like every one else now has too.

That would be pretty equitable, wouldn’t it Ms Vanstone?