Aussie blogosphere typing and talking in 2008

NEILSEN/NETRATINGS

	Australia: Average Web Usage Month of January 2008 Home Panel   Sessions/Visits Per Person 38 Domains Visited Per Person 66 PC Time Per Person 35:55:25 Duration of a Web Page Viewed 00:00:52 Active Digital Media Universe 11,147,323 Current Digital Media Universe Estimate 14,787,181

 

Goggle Trends result for 2008 using search terms "kevin rudd" and "rudd government"

 

At least 11 million Australians are regular internet users and it seems that, in comparison to the global internet, local users spend slightly more time online per month on average than the rest of the world, visit fewer domains but visit more often, and spend longer on each web page.

Some reports indicate that Australians have created around 2 million blog sites.
Many of us are also likely to look up Kevin Rudd on Google.

On the NSW North Coast there are conservatively at least 80,000 people who can access the internet each day at home, work or by a public access site. 

All of which will make it interesting to monitor the progress of that new wiki Oz Ideas  (set up as an alternative forum to the Rudd Government's Australia 2020 Summit).

Sick to the back teeth: Iemma. Ditto: NSW voters

On the back of recent polling showing the lowest approval rating for a state leader in a decade, NSW Premier Morris Iemma is yelling about possible libel action and saying that he is sick to the back teeth with allegations of collusion between the development sector and government ministers.

Morrie isn't the only one who is fed up.

New South Wales voters feel much the same way about the feeble response to the problem over the years by both Labor and the Coalition.

 

Not since the Askin era have we seen such naked corruption at state and local government level.

Indeed, many of the development companies mentioned unfavourably in various commissions and inquiries from that period are still close to the NSW Government and some are operating on the NSW North Coast today.

Including one group which was repeatedly mentioned during investigations into the 1975 disappearance and murder of Juanita Neilsen during community resistance to the redevelopment of Victoria Street, Kings Cross. [Thanks to Clarencegirl for pointing me in the right direction here]

 

It's all there on the public record somewhere if you really want to look, Morrie.

No-one is looking after the interests of coastal towns anymore, least of all the NSW Government, and no hissy fit in front of the cameras will make this disgraceful state of affairs go away.

Pollies spend up big on travel before leaving office

The Canberra Times (27/02/2008) details the extent to which our federal politicians spent up on overseas travel in the first half of the 2007 election year.

The Times reported:

Pollies spend up big on travel before leaving office

They were on the way out but they went up, up and away at our expense first.

Retiring politicians fill nine of the top 11 places of backbenchers with the heaviest use of taxpayer-funded overseas travel for the first half of the 2007 election year, according to Department of Finance figures.

Those leaving Parliament (seven MPs and two senators, who do not go until June 30 this year) shared in a total of more than $2.5million spent by federal politicians on overseas travel between January 1 and June 30, 2007.

Leading the retirees' pack (five Coalition, three Labor and one Democrat) was the former Liberal minister Senator Kay Patterson at $37,082.24.

Then came Labor's Ann Corcoran, already rolled for preselection for the safe Melbourne seat of Isaacs when she racked up $30,659.12.

She was followed by Liberal Kay Elson, who retired from the Queensland seat of Forde, at $28,540.14, ahead of NSW National Ian Causley, at $28,382.24. Mr Causley was deputy speaker in the last parliament.


The 13 government front-benchers totalled $1,663,673.74, well over half the $2,568,277.31 spent by all 226 federal Members and senators.

The portfolios that commanded that their ministers travel led the way, with former foreign minister Alexander Downer at $380,853.64, followed by former trade minister Warren Truss at $305,773.66, former prime minister John Howard at $238,809.55 and former defence minister Brendan Nelson at $222,056.04.

Read the report at:
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/articles/1191186.html?src=topstories

What do I say to Iemma's plan to privatise NSW electricity supplies?

NO!

That loud enough for you, Mr. Iemma? Get the picture yet?