Miscellaneous comments from 15 November 2010

The new Victorian State treasurer, Kim Wells, sounds as if he is singing a new tune on housing, population growth and manufacturing. Or it sounds like that in an article by David Rood, "Economy too reliant on housing, says Wells," December 27, 2010 The Agehttp://www.theage.com.au/victoria/economy-too-reliant-on-housing-says-wells-20101226-197xv.html

"VICTORIA needs to move beyond its unsustainable dependence on building houses to fuel economic growth, according to new state Treasurer Kim Wells.

In his first interview since assuming the role, Mr Wells said Victoria needed to broaden its economic base by rebuilding the neglected areas of agriculture and manufacturing. Mr Wells promised every coalition election policy would be delivered by the 2014 poll.

''We have an enormous reliance on building brand new houses in this state - I don't think long term that that is sustainable,'' he said."

Moreover, Kim Wells had already spoken on this issue prior to the election in his Shadow Treasurer State Budget Reply of 6 May 2010:

http://www.kimwells.com.au/show_article.php?item=302

"The Victorian Economy

World economies finally appear to be improving from the lows experienced following the global financial crisis.

However, despite more optimistic forecasts in this Budget than last, the Victorian economy remains fragile.

Furthermore, the Brumby Government has failed to address the major underlying issues of high population growth, housing affordability and real structural change within the Victorian economy.

The Victorian economy has been increasingly reliant on the housing sector and population increases to drive growth.

Last financial year, Victoria's population increased 2.2 per cent - 70 per cent of that increase due to overseas migration.

Access Economics in its September Quarter 2009 report described population growth as "underpinning" the State's economic growth.

However, housing affordability is a real issue for many Victorians.

A median-priced house in Melbourne now costs more than eight times the average annual pre-tax wage of $63,000, making it extremely difficult for home buyers.

According to a recent international housing affordability survey by Demographia, the average Melbourne household would need to spend over 50 per cent of its annual income to pay for the mortgage on a median-priced house.

The survey also found Melbourne housing was ''severely unaffordable."

Out of 272 cities surveyed, Melbourne was rated the third most unaffordable.

Housing affordability is approaching levels where many first home buyers and new residents in Victoria will be shut out of the market.

This is due to:

* 1. the supply of new housing blocks failing to match the strong demand from population growth;
* 2. stamp duty payable on an average Melbourne family home being the highest in Australia; and
* 3. the Brumby Government's decade of inaction on the issue and its failure to properly plan for the state's significant population growth.

And of course, State Labor is further reluctant to do anything on the issue because of its vested interest in benefiting from the continual increase in stamp duty payable on rising property prices.

However, it is now crunch time and the Government has failed to address the critical issue that the Victorian economy now requires a wider, more stable economic base for continuing growth.

Last month's Commsec state economic analysis reinforced this view, rating the Victorian economy third last for economic performance among the eight State and Territory economies. It noted that "there is little to separate Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania" in the economic league table.

Under Labor, Victoria's manufacturing sector has continued to decline and the State's export performance can only be described as mediocre.

Since 1998-99, manufacturing's share of the Victorian economy has fallen by nearly a third to just over 11 per cent.

Victoria's export volumes are barely matching levels of a decade ago.

Victoria's share of national merchandise exports has decreased from 20 per cent in 1999 to just over 9 per cent a decade later.

Even New South Wales was able to grow its exports by 36 per cent since 2001, while Victoria's exports have fallen 22 per cent - the worst performance of any State.

The Brumby Government has failed to fix the infrastructure and regulatory blockages impeding our internationally competitive enterprises. "

Is democracy looking up in Victoria? Is hope possible in the early 21st century?

At candobetter.net we will all be watching closely.

The abundance of four common species of bumblebee in the US has dropped by 96% in just the past few decades, according to the most comprehensive national census of the insects. ...

Editor's comment: Thank you, Vivienne. This coment has been republished as the article Climbing human population's food sources threatened by bumblebee population decline?

CIA Agent Ray Davis shooting Pakistanis deserves Pakistani Justice

[Ed. This comment was originally placed as an article, but we have published it as a comment due to its length.]

When will the United States and Israel learn that sending their respective military cloak and dagger agents to criminal missions in foreign countries is not part of liberty and justice.

May US CIA agent Ray Davis receive proper Pakistani justice, according to Pakistani law.
If he is found guilty and summarily executed, so be it a lesson for US spying.

How else is the Pentagon to change its terrorism behaviour?

John Marlowe

In the debate about refugee funerals, no one has yet discussed the morality of a government granting rights and privileges to undocumented aliens far in excess of what is granted to citizens.

In October 2001, I was being held in Silverwater Prison Sydney, on remand, on federal (ACCC) charges. When my mother died in Perth, I was refused permission to leave NSW to attend her funeral. I believe all states and territories have similar rules in not allowing prisoners to attend interstate funerals.

Had the funeral been in NSW, I would have been obliged to pay my own transport costs. As well I would have had to pay the transport and accommodation costs ot two guards. I saw how this substantial cost prevented aboriginal prisoners attending funerals in Bourke or Brokern Hill from Sydney.

Now a precedent has been set, I would support the commonwealth funding funeral visit costs for all Australian prisoners. Especially across state borders, under section 92 of our constitution.

David Hughes

* The ACCC case can be found on their website, putting "HUGHES" in their search box.

For those who want to send a message to the Coalition (who take notice of the readers of the Weekly Times) on whether cattle should be kicked out of the Alpine National park – please
go here and vote YES.

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

So far it’s 60% of voters who want the cattle kept up there. Editorial comment: As of 1:20PM on Saturday 5 March, the vote is 51% in favour of removing cattle from the National Park and only 49% in favour of keeping them in the park.

Editorial comment: The following was originally posted as a comment to the article What recourse do victims of nuisance dog barking have? of 18 Jul 11. As a bug in the earlier version of Drupal, from which this site is built, prevents links to pages, other than the first comment page from working, I have reposted the comment here.

These dogs are everywhere in Manitou spgs, Co., (Not sure whether this is a place or what? - Ed) where k 9s are respected more than people. Since Manitou doesn't subscribe to the aspca, it's a real battle to impress upon code enforcement that noise is an issue. As a retired individual and a combat vet. I truly appreciate my silence. But when the code officer doesn't live in town and is a dog owner, well you're really pushin' chain. Basically in my humble opinion it's a real matter of consideration by the dog owner, if they don't give a crap about your life, etc, then why shouldn't I use every legal effort to make that owners life as miserable as they make mine. I know that sounded petty but I'm open to alternatives. One of these owners happens to be deaf, doesn't know noise from silence. But the village puts up with such, and since I seem to be the only one complaining ( my auditory abilities are better than normal ) I'm the odd ball. This doesn't preclude a valid complaint, but when you're one against the whole village of dog owners, you may as well have leprosy. I can only hope that some these inconsiderate owners, someday get the annoyance of their lives by some screaming red headed triplets. I like animals, I have raised children, dogs, and can shoe a horse, all the time in doing so there was never a complaint by others to me to manage my animals. Inconsiderate, this is the bottom line for those with animals that cause this nuisance.