Joe’s Views and Commentary

It was fascinating to read an article in Herald Sun ( 8.11.) about the size of red tape and how it effects us. It appears that Victorian Government has increased already bloated stranglehold on Victorian businesess by some 1400 pages of laws and regulations in one year! All of us of somewhat advanced age have got used to surprises but this one really tops them all. He did we allow this to happen?

It goes something like this and correct me if I am wrong. A Minister on one of his outings meets a keen prospective party member. This chap may complain that he is unemployed at present due to nasty bosses who didn’t share his vision how to make company more prosperous and would like some new and challenging job. The Minister never let’s the opportunity go by. Hey, here is a new recruit who will no doubt appreciate some assistance and in turn help to keep my party in office.

The Minister let’s his imagination soar. What about starting a new scheme say to “beautify a suburb.” Nothing wrong with that, most people would say, even when it is completely unnecessary. Somebody has to superwise the project and why not give a try to this new and eager chap I met at a Party meeting. Surely, he could fill the position.

Never mind that this chap’s own garden looks like a section of Hiroshima after the atom bomb. Never mind that his education and training doesn’t qualify him for even the most manual job. There are plenty like him on the public service payroll. And thus a new position is created. To justify this a new department of “Suburb Beautification Office” comes into existence.

A regulation to keep this important task must now be written. What a challenging job for an underemployed public servant. He takes it on with a gusto and produces a document that would make any parliamentary draugtsman green with envy. However this new department must have some teeth in order to be taken seriously. The penalty for non-compliance is set at a level to create a fear of God by those who may be prosecuted under it.

What is this “beautification czar” responsible for? Let’s not worry about that. The reason for his existence will be found later as we go along. Meanwhile there are other important tasks to see to. Offices must be provided, new staff to be hired, stationery designed and printed etc. This newly created department receives a budget to operate on, supplemented by fines impost on poor non-compliance victims.

At this stage you may ask what is this department about? Do we really need it? What is the practical benefit to our suburb? How much will it cost ratepayers? What about extra work imposed on businesses to comply with new regulations? Questions you may well ask, but brother you’re too late. Once a new bureaucracy is established it is almost impossible to dismantle it. We are landed with it.

There was a case of one department created that had actually 40 fewer chairs than employees. But there was never a shortage of seating accommodation. Not all employees were always there and those who were didn’t stay long enough to sit down!

I am still looking for a politician who will have enough courage to call a halt to the senseless waste of taxpayers money. Such chap will go down in history as a saint.

I could hardly believe my eyes – almost as Christmas would come right now. To hear the Prime Minister of Papua & New Guinea saying that his country could do without Australia’s help! He talks about his offended pride. What does he want from us? Keep our mouths shut and watch our money to go down the drain? It seems those 300 odd millions of taxpayers dollars keeping his country from the verge of starvation mean nothing to him.

Now is the time for our politicians to take Sir Michael for his word. No more aid to your country. I am certain we could spent this amount of money on important projects right here. It may be hard, but time has come to tellsome of these petty dictators in a language they understand. Find yourself a good taxidermist and get stuffed!