TINA

from The Age, 28th April 2008
link to article from The Age

The last 3 sentences are of interest:

Mr Lenders, who grew up on a Gippsland dairy farm and was briefly a Young Liberal, said there should be a debate on how Victoria handles population growth.

But it was the Government's role to help make Melbourne liveable, not to determine how big it grew.

"I'm not quite sure what governments do about that," he said. "If we are trying to have a vibrant economy, people will want to come and live here."

First sentence above is not controversial, but at least a debate could give an airing to the issues that are impacted by population growth.
The second sentence shows how governments in this country "govern", by excluding themselves from issues that governments should deal with. Lenders is using the TINA (there is no alternative) argument, he probably means that because the ALP is funded by the growth lobby we should allow the lobbyists to set policy and the governments role is purely one of management.
In the last sentence he purposely confuses the reasoning behind the current rate of immigration, there is no question that Australia is an attractive destination, it is the role of governments (state and federal) to govern for all Australians and set about creating and implementing policies to that aim, instead of allowing those who are able to give big donations to political parties and have a large lobbying infrastructure to do it for them.

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Treasurer John Lenders: "I think a state of excitement in treasury can imply that you are not doing your job."

Full article:
Mr Excitement? Not me, says state money manager
Treasurer John Lenders: "I think a state of excitement in treasury can imply that you are not doing your job."
Photo: Roger Cummins
Melissa Fyfe
April 27, 2008
JOHN Lenders wants you to know he is not an exciting kind of guy. In fact, the state Treasurer admits people may think he is dull and, yes, he loves spreadsheets.
Mr Lenders, who will step out of the shadow of Premier John Brumby, Australia's longest-serving state treasurer, to deliver his first budget on May 6, also wants you to know that his non-excitable pair of hands is a safe place for the state's finances.
"If the accusation against a treasurer is that they he is a dull person but has an addiction to spreadsheets, it is probably a very good addiction for a treasurer to have," said Mr Lenders, in response to a comment once quoted from an unnamed critic.
"I think a state of excitement in treasury can imply that you are not doing your job, which is to prudently manage resources."
In an interview with The Sunday Age, the career politician and former state Labor Party secretary saidgovernment revenue would be about $37 billion, up from $34.3 billion last year.
He said Victoria's economy was still growing strongly despite global financial problems. The drought recovery forecast in last year's budget, however, had turned out to be "patchy".
Mr Lenders, who had held the portfolios of finance, education, industrial relations, WorkCover and major projects, said there would be no money in this budget for the Eddington transport plan, as it was still up for public discussion, and the Government had not formed a response.
He said there would be no extra money — beyond an already committed $150 million — for the construction phase of the channel deepening project.
He would not be drawn on relief for home buyers in the forms of cuts to stamp duty, or the business wish list of tax cuts, such as land, payroll and WorkCover.
Mr Brumby decided to give the Treasury job to Mr Lenders over a younger colleague, Tim Holding, partly on the grounds that Mr Lenders is a family man. As such, Mr Lenders said, he was guided by thinking about opportunities for his three adult children.
Mr Lenders, who grew up on a Gippsland dairy farm and was briefly a Young Liberal, said there should be a debate on how Victoria handles population growth.
But it was the Government's role to help make Melbourne liveable, not to determine how big it grew.
"I'm not quite sure what governments do about that," he said. "If we are trying to have a vibrant economy, people will want to come and live here."