Some criticism simply shows incomprehension. Democracy is both theory and practice.

I tend to blame myself for not being clear enough and too interested in making what might seem obscure jokes. What do you think?

Here is what I wrote with the names of real people changed with an alphabet soup:

DISCUSSION PRIMER: THOUGHTS ON DEMOCRACY AND PAROCHIALISM

The issue of deepening democracy, from televisual electoral politics to a more authentic community and locally founded democracy is a challenge. We need to develop a working model, and perhaps the sacking of the Wollongong City Council(and others) has given us the opportunity.

What worries me is that liberal democratic theory is not understood. But why should I expect it to be? The derivation of the word, democracy,even though Greek in origin, is simple enough. The meaning is rule by the people as distinct from rule by a single person or by a small group. Read more »

Ever wondered where we are all working these days? The latest release of the ABS Labor Force Survey tells us.(click to expand)

Health care and social assistance industries have come in as Australia’s largest employer in February, beating the retail sector for only the second time (the first being back in August 2009). Together, these two industries provide over 1 in 5 of all jobs in the Australian economy. Read more »

Those nasty unionists have been arguing for a $27 a week increase in the minimum wage from its current ‘exorbitant’ $544 a week. The end is nigh. Or so the bosses tell us.

There are about 1.4 million workers whose salary is dependent in some way on the minimum wage. Paying them a slight increase will evidently destroy capitalism in Australia if you listen to big business.

Many bosses ’earn’ in an hour what people on the minimum wage make in a week.

Last year the Fair Pay Commission froze the wages of those on the minimum wage and this freeze flowed through to a range of other workers whose low wages are set by reference to the lowest paid.

The Global Financial Crisis was the reason, supposedly. The real reason of course was to transfer more profit to the bosses. This is evidently the only thing that counts in our society.

But in Australia the GFC appears to have been more like a Great Fucken Con to force us to cut our wages and prop up the banks with guarantees so they could increase their profits. Read more »

Here was Tony Abbott in August 2008, talking about Peter Costello: "I suppose we are all publicly saying what a terrific bloke he is, what a fantastic political talent he is, how much we miss him. We love him. We want him."

Methinks the love ain’t being felt so much today, after Peter Costello wrote in The Age of Abbott’s Paid Parental Leave scheme: Read more »

In contrast to yesterday’s Essential Report which was Labor’s best poll result of the year, comes today’s Newspoll via The Oz which is probably Labor’s worst result. The primaries come on 41 (steady)/ 39 (down 1) to the Coalition, washing into a two party preferred of 52/48 to Labor – unchanged from last fortnight. The Greens are up 2 to 11 while the broad “Others” or on 9 (down 1).

This comes from a sample of 1143, giving us an MoE that maxes out around the 2.9% mark.

Tony Abbott should consider himself a little lucky today with the Newspoll sample, as other unpublished phone polling that was in the field last week and over the weekend picked up movement more akin to Essential than Newspoll. So saying, it all comes out in the wash given enough time. (And no folks, that isn’t a Newspoll conspiracy, it’s simply normal sampling error – put it back in your pants) Read more »