Funny, isn't it?
These politicians have kids who will grow up to inherit a right mess, if the scientists are right.
Just read an article by former Age journalist Terry Lane in the Swinburn Institute of Social Research, (why is Lane a "former" Age columnist when the Age has deteriorated so badly from a few years ago, as to op-ed... because people like Lane have been booted??), on the anniversary of the Yes Minister shows.
He seems to indicate that a lesson in understanding modern government is offered, in the capture of government by a conservative civil service: that politicians are increasingly frightened of challenging the information provided them by pen pushers and more recently spin doctors, in coming to policy decisons based on genuine logic and adequate information.
But, exacerbating the problem is the embrace by both a now politicised public service as well as politicians in the embrace of ideological neoliberalism as manifest thru now legally constituted lens like FTA's,which indicates the aims of a shabby doctrine developed in the think tanks by folk like Samuel Huntingdon, that owes nore to Hobbesianism than Locke, and is at best an alibi for the dismemberment and ransacking of civil society; this in the interests of scavengers, profiteers, opportunists, predators, criminals and grubs feeding off the sheep's corpse of civilisation. Particularly when at the expense of the rest of humanity.
Garrett's problems indicate how deeply the mindset has penetrated government, even to the extent of its enveloping of erstwhile progessives as accomplices in the whole dirty process, as outlined in the lead in by Gary.

From where I am standing there has been no bungle in the delivery of significant measures, for our household, to cut back on energy costs and emissisions.

The insulation is installed- I took on the responsibilty of overseeing it's proper installation, realising that Garrett might be too busy to hold my hand - and the money from the Green Loan has been put to good use.

Many seem to be throwing their hands up in the air as if nothing has been achieved.

Money spent on the insulation roll out is much more basic and sensible than the closed down and expensive solar panel
grant.

The swing in Altona would be a big concern to all Labor.

Les
a 12.3 per cent swing against the Brumby Government at the weekend's Altona byelection in Victoria is a big swing, especially when the changed voter support went directly to the Liberal candidate rather than to any of the independents or the Greens.

Altona is in Labor's western suburban electoral heartland. Previous byelections in that heartland have resulted in in which double-digit two-party swings against the Brumby government. The electoral ground is shifting in Victoria.

Gary,
Perhaps it demonstrates that the Greens have no economic answers (street cred) at the bottom end of the market.

Les,
the Greens have been popular in the inner city seats in Melbourne not the Labor heartland in the western suburbs. Voters in Melbourne are fed up with failing transport systems and the rise of violence on the city streets.

joe2,
there does seem to be misinformation about the insulation scheme. Thus David Burchill says in The poor logic of a spending spree:

Until last Friday, when the deadline for installers to lodge their trade credentials at last expired, hundreds of likely lads such as Omar were treading our suburban streets, smiling sweetly and presenting themselves as the environmental representatives of the Australian government; all the while busily removing perfectly adequate insulation from homes and replacing it with insulation that is probably no better in quality and may be dangerous.

My understanding was that there had be little or no insulation in the house before you could access the govt's subsidy.

Paul,
lets not forget the intense corporate lobbying to protect corporate interests. The companies want something in return for their political donations and payment for access to power.

Gary, there are some scammers around in the insulation industry trying on this "I am from the government" line.

They do it also in the energy business, door to door, in my area, as well.

And yep, the insulation was supposed to be confined to those who did not have any, or who had degraded material.

Wish people would take the time to dob in the shonks, because the program is far to valuable to let them destroy
it.

Sorry Peter S Stock- had thought I'd had that covered unde the heading, "grub".