I suppose you have been following the "grilling" given to Treasury chief Dr Ken Henry by the Libs the last few days, about the guarantee over savings.

But wait a minute! Who's that sitting on Henry's left? Could it be? Not...? And why is he looking down like that?

He keeps covering up his face.

You get the impression he's trying to hide from the camera.

Not hiding from the camera but surrpeticiously emailing questions to other Labor senators to ask.

Although I hold Stephen Conroy personally responsible for the Brimbank stack that brought us a succession of Councillors who've systemmatically milked the city for their own and the party's benefit and made the residents' lives a misery, I do acknowledge that he is a capable person in his own right.

Pity that his judgment in supporting and protecting his stack was so flawed he let Labor becoming synonymous for a foul smelling cesspit. Labor control of local government has done more to destroy the party than any other level of government. I hope they think about this when they are sent to Coventry in NSW and Victoria.

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24615427-15306,00.html

THE Rudd Government's national broadband network plans are at risk of unravelling with Telstra threatening not even to put in a bid.

The fracas has the potential to derail the Government's election commitment to spend $4.7billion of government funds to help the private sector build a broadband network.

"While the Government's policy was born from good intent, it is now clear the Government has forgotten about the customers somewhere along the way," iiNet chief Michael Malone said.

Now we know what Stephen Conroy was doing sitting next to Ken Henry

http://news.theage.com.au/national/treasury-chief-henry-to-front-media

Treasury head Ken Henry will address the National Press Club as the government and opposition row over economic figures prepared by his department.

Opposition frontbencher Andrew Robb on Tuesday accused Treasury of manipulating forecasts in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, released last week, to spare the government embarrassment.

"It has got a smell of manipulation about it," he told parliament.

===

With Conroy involved, it's something we should have guessed from the beginning.

What an idiot. What a real idiot. Conroy is such an incredible idiot.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/net-censorship-plan-backlash

the head of one of Australia's largest ISPs has labelled the Communications Minister the worst we've had in the past 15 years.

Separately, in Senate question time today, Greens senator Scott Ludlam accused the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, of misleading the public by falsely claiming his mandatory censorship plan was similar to that already in place in Sweden, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

Michael Malone, managing director iiNet's main purpose was to provide the Government with "hard numbers" demonstrating "how stupid it is" - specifically that the filtering system would not work, would be patently simple to bypass, would not filter peer-to-peer traffic and would significantly degrade network speeds.

"They're not listening to the experts, they're not listening to the industry, they're not listening to consumers, so perhaps some hard numbers will actually help," he said.

Malone concluded: "[Conroy] is the worst Communications Minister we've had in the 15 years since the [internet] industry has existed."

Much of the opposition to Senator Conroy's plan revolves around the fact that, unlike his earlier promises, he now wants to make the filtering mandatory for all Australians.

"It is happening in two other countries - China and Saudi Arabia, that's who he's lined himself up with," said Malone.

In Senate question time today, Senator Ludlam asked the minister to explain, but Senator Conroy dodged the question.

Branch stacking Conroy was never going to make a halfways decent minister.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/telstra-not-beaten-yet-on-broadband-20081215-6z1o.html

TELSTRA has declared war on its former owner, the Federal Government, and has most of the artillery it needs to win.

"We have choices. And we think that they are very viable choices. And we can build faster," said Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo.

"Telstra's board will have to explain to its shareholders why it has decided to sideline itself from a process that will shape the Australian communications sector for the next decade," [Stephen Conroy] said.

--

Nice one Steve. See how they've sidelined themselves.

This was an arrogant Telstra stuffing up by not submitting its NFN bid correctly - ignoring the requirement to exp;lain how it would involve small and medium size businesses.

In this instance, Conroy is right on the money - both legally and morally - and telstra deserve to be excluded. Can't say i'm too unhappy about it, either.

Conroy headed for oblivion already wrote:
What an idiot. What a real idiot. Conroy is such an incredible idiot.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/net-censorship-plan-backlash

the head of one of Australia's largest ISPs has labelled the Communications Minister the worst we've had in the past 15 years.

Separately, in Senate question time today, Greens senator Scott Ludlam accused the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, of misleading the public by falsely claiming his mandatory censorship plan was similar to that already in place in Sweden, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

Michael Malone, managing director iiNet's main purpose was to provide the Government with "hard numbers" demonstrating "how stupid it is" - specifically that the filtering system would not work, would be patently simple to bypass, would not filter peer-to-peer traffic and would significantly degrade network speeds.

"They're not listening to the experts, they're not listening to the industry, they're not listening to consumers, so perhaps some hard numbers will actually help," he said.

Malone concluded: "[Conroy] is the worst Communications Minister we've had in the 15 years since the [internet] industry has existed."

Much of the opposition to Senator Conroy's plan revolves around the fact that, unlike his earlier promises, he now wants to make the filtering mandatory for all Australians.

"It is happening in two other countries - China and Saudi Arabia, that's who he's lined himself up with," said Malone.

In Senate question time today, Senator Ludlam asked the minister to explain, but Senator Conroy dodged the question.i can understand why conroy wants to filter the internet.he wants to save us from websides like sunrra and other winshing websides that make negative comments about the alp.

manfred wrote:
]i can understand why conroy wants to filter the internet.he wants to save us from websides like sunrra and other winshing websides that make negative comments about the alp.

Are you seriously suggesting that the ALP is uing filters to eliminate criticism, because if you are the Ombudsman would be very pleased to hear this news.

Telstra stuff-up wrote:

and telstra deserve to be excluded. Can't say i'm too unhappy about it, either.

That's the whole point. Telstra are not being excluded. They are going to stand up and fight in the marketplace, not at Conroy's place.

Telstra excluded? wrote:
Telstra stuff-up wrote:

and telstra deserve to be excluded. Can't say i'm too unhappy about it, either.

That's the whole point. Telstra are not being excluded. They are going to stand up and fight in the marketplace, not at Conroy's place.

Telstra have been excluded from consideration in the tendering process to build the NBN. They can build their own network if they want but they will not receive the $4.7 billion of public investment.

Telstra are so arrogant, talking like it doesn't matter, that the govt should change the rules for them, that the requirement to provide details of SMEs was "trivial".

I'd be diasppointed if the govt backed down, but I don't think they will because all the other bidders will be ready to take legal action if telstra are re-admitted.

I have sympathy for Telstra employees but none for their management, and the company should be held to account, but it will just sack workers and pay Trujillo and US managers bigger 'danger' money remuneration.

Trujillo and company will no more accept responsibility for running Telstra into the ground than do the managers of major US companies, such as the US car makers and those spurious dealers in sleight of wealth' the Investment bank managers.

The public have NO SYMPATHY for overpaid, CEOs.

What's a bloody ALP branch stacker doing, running the country's telecommunications policy?

We are all doomed to dial up internet connections. Wait for it.

The problems with putting a branch stacker in charge of something important seem to have slipped under the radar for the moment.

Conroy stands accused of politicising Australia's IT program, which is exactly what we expect of a Labor party branch stacker with Conroy's abilities.

It's gone from irony to farce, and very soon folks - your billions and mine - it will be disaster.

Get a load of Conroy's latest statement below.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24838266-662,00.html

THE Federal Government has distanced itself from a report that found internet censorship technology under consideration is flawed.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the Internet Industry Association (IIA) report was commissioned and paid for by the former Howard government.

It was "not an analysis of the ALP's policy", he said.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/web-censorship-plan-heads-towards-a-dead-end/2009/02/26/1235237810486.html

Web censorship plan heads towards a dead end

By Asher Moses
February 26, 2009 - 2:54

The Government's plan to introduce mandatory internet censorship has effectively been scuttled, following an independent senator's decision to join the Greens and Opposition in blocking any legislation required to get the scheme started.

The Opposition's communications spokesman Nick Minchin has this week obtained independent legal advice saying that if the Government is to pursue a mandatory filtering regime "legislation of some sort will almost certainly be required".

Senator Nick Xenophon previously indicated he may support a filter that blocks online gambling websites but in a phone interview today he withdrew all support, saying "the more evidence that's come out, the more questions there are on this".

An expert report, handed to the Government last February but kept secret until December after it was uncovered by the Herald, concluded the proposed scheme was fundamentally flawed.

The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has consistently ignored advice from a host of technical experts saying the filters would slow the internet, block legitimate sites, be easily bypassed and fall short of capturing all of the nasty content available online.

Here's privatisation for you. Carpetbagging thieves.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25113002-2862,00.html

OUTGOING Telstra boss Sol Trujillo will head home to the US with a payout estimated at more than $20 million.

The man who boasted about personally axing 10,000 Telstra jobs will quit as CEO in June.

Telstra's share price has slumped from just over $5 when Mr Trujillo took over the company in 2005 to yesterday's price of $3.68 - a decline of more than 25 per cent.

Mexican-born Mr Trujillo becomes the last of the three amigos - the trio of high-profile US Telstra appointments -- to pull out.

The Stephen and Jack show continues

http://www.theage.com.au/national/conroy-criticises-handling-of-theophanous-case-20090727-dyu4.html

A SENIOR Rudd Government minister has slammed the police investigation and public prosecutor’s failed rape case against state MP Theo Theophanous as the veteran Labor MP announced he would quit politics at the next election.

Asked if the dropped charge against Mr Theophanous had damaged his Government, the Premier said: "That’s for the public to judge.

What do you expect from Stephen Conroy? He has lost his branch stacker and numbers man in Theo.

Time you went as well!