The Baillieu name had surely reformed its rent-seeking ways since family scoundrels played no small part in sending the state of Victoria broke in the depression of the 1890s.
Michael Cannon’s “The Land Boomers” informs us William Lawrence Baillieu settled his debts for sixpence in the pound in a secret arrangement in 1892.
But now, it seems Victoria’s Premier, Ted Baillieu, is reverting to type. If the report below is correct, he’s considering selling off Victoria’s public assets—akin to the family silver—in order to provide necessary infrastructure.
That’s stealing from our forebears, Ted, like Jeff Kennett did in the 1990s – and you a Geelong supporter!
Our natural monopolies, such as ports and water supply are OURS, Ted, not yours to sell to corporate rent-seeking raiders.
It’s not as though there aren’t far better capital works funding alternatives, Ted, but it will take a bit of intellectual rigour and courage. I think you might be up to it.
For starters and God’s sake, why not employ former Sydney Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull’s solution before you consider taking Victoria down the path of selling off its heritage – again?
And this 2009 British video supports with evidence the case put by Lucy Turnbull.
Thanks, Ned! Good post. I used your phrase about Ted heading off down to Cash Converters in a radio interview this morning. (Mentioned it was a commentator on my blogsite.)
So Ted is heading down to cash converters with what remains of our public assets?
With all the moaning in the news about raising productivity, after three decades both sides of politics don’t get it, and have converged into the same flunky non-productive
Model, namely NEO-LIBERALISM EQUALS NON PRODUCTIVITY OR HOCK OFF
ECONOMICS. By fact they continue to hock off public assets shows they have a distorted non-productive tax policy that penalises Labor and glorify’s speculative rake-off gains and free lunch. What worker
Starts his first day at a business being told liquidate assets by going down to cash converters, until nothing is left including no enterprise, which is why there is a crisis
In leadership in the west, they teach to get rich is to liquidate your foundation to balance the books, but to not change the system sending you broke, the distorted tax system.