Tuesday 30 November 2021

The case for social housing

 Brendan Coates from the esteemed Grattan Institute has an article entitled the-compelling-case-for-a-future-fund-for-social-housing.


It is well worth a read more son in these times of vastly over priced housing,.

Monday 29 November 2021

Australia's black summer of fire

 Australia suffered suffered a horror back summer of fire in 2019/29.

A number of authors have written australias-black-summer-of-fire-was-not-normal-and-we-can-prove-it,

A very interesting read

Thursday 25 November 2021

Around the Traps 26/11/21

 It is time again for Around the Traps.

Aussie,Aussie,Aussie,Oy,Oy,Oy

Northern America

Europe

Asia

Wonk

General

Climate

Andrew Gelman (mainly stats)

Econometrics

  • nuttin

Dianne Coyle ( quirky + book reviews)

Vox wonk

Wednesday 24 November 2021

The proscribing of terrorist organisations

 Yesterday the government proscribed The Base and Hizballah as terrorist organisations.

The decision on the base makes sense because they could kill australians. On the other hand no-one has stated anyone from hizballah is ever likely to kill anyone in Australia. Their total concentration is in the Middle East and fighting Israel. Thus it seems the only possible reason for this is to deny hizballah any funds from Australia.


Tuesday 23 November 2021

Kevin Bonham on voter ID

 Kevin Bonham ,a must read on polls, has an excellent article on the prosed new laws on voter ID.

A must read


Monday 22 November 2021

Three simple low cost actions that can accelerate transition to zero emissions

 David Leitch write a thought provoking article with the above title.

Although not in the first three he recommends a price on carbon. I totally agree. The reason is there is no can do capitalism. Pigou a long time ago showed up instances of where ,as in this case, there is negative externalities. The  price of carbon does not have the effect of pollution or emissions in the price. Put it in and only then do you get can do capitalism.

Sunday 21 November 2021

sound advice from Thomas Lumley

 Thomas Lumley runs a wonderful blog called statschat.

his latest article is entitled vaccinate-for-the-holidays.

Short but sweet.

Thursday 18 November 2021

Around the Traps 19/11/21

 It is time again for Around the Traps

Aussie,Aussie,Aussie,Oy,OyOy

Northern America

Europe

Asia

Wonk

General

Climate

Andrew Gelman ( mainly stats)

Econometrics

  • nuttin

Dianne Coyle ( quirky + book reviews)

Vox Wonk

Wednesday 17 November 2021

Inflation in America

 No it is not a song.

Quite a few people are writing about it.

Tyler Cowen

A few linked Twitter pieces from Tyler  A twitter conversation from Kruggers  from Tyler

Noah Smith has three pieces

  1. HERE
  2. HERE
  3. HERE

Great and interesting reading

Tuesday 16 November 2021

We wil not make the World Cup

 We were terrible against Japan, mediocre against Saudi Arabia and pedestrian against China.

We do not have the cattle. There are NO players in the major leagues such as the EPL, La Liga etc.

We have little industry. We rarely create goal scoring chances. Moy is past his best or needs more matches and Rogic has never delivered on his potential.

Arnie has little idea in terms of strategy not in his use of substitutes.

Both out fullbacks are weaknesses, we cannot play out from the back ( although Soutar is a major offender) and both Mabil and Boyle play on the wrong side of the field.

If we finish 3rd we might best the third team in the other group but we will not go further.

Arnie is somewhat unlucky in becoming coach when the quality of our players is so low but he has not got the team to play better as a team. They have always been loose at the back and nothing has changed.

The onlt god news is that Qatar is likely to be a world cup we are likely to forget for all sorts of reasons.

Monday 15 November 2021

Some random thoughts on the next federal election

 We are currently in a 'phony' election campaign. This was begun by Morrison because he is behind in the polls. Even allowing for their failure in the last election. going hand in hand with this is the testing of some slogans which have their birth in focus groups. This phony campaign entails risks. I have no access to any polling used by parties but it used to be the case people hated campaigns real or phony and only put up with them because an election had been called. Blatantly campaigning as Morrison is with helmets and vests ubiquitous could put off the very people Morrison wats to get back.

Morrison in the last election was essentially a new PM. We di not know much about him. although some say he is a great campaigner few said that in the last campaign. Only after the Libs won was the 'wisdom' accepted. For example he 'lost both the debates. However he now has a record to defend and also a reputation for being a gaslighter. He is poor under pressure and just remember it was Bill Shorten not he that was under pressure last election.

He is clearly vulnerable on climate change and he has tried to counter with policies that do not stack up 

Another  interesting aspect is both the Government and Opposition call the government the Morrison/Joyce government. either Joyce is an asset or he is not. We shall see. Just on Joyce he got less of the vote than McCormack. Hmm

Clearly Morrison is trying the same tactics as last election.  Can a big spending government scare the electorate about a big spending opposition?  Joyce for example was  positively dyslexic when asked how interest raters would rise if the ALP were in government.

One interesting aspect of the last election is no-one knows why the result occurred. Clearly the Opposition is spooked by that loss and the Leader who is supposedly left wing has totally ditched policies without knowing their impact on the electorate.

I shall also put on the record the ALP needs to win. NO party should be in for more than two terms and this government has already shown they are heavily into rorts to win elections.


Saturday 13 November 2021

Marshall Tucker Band

 Toy Caldwell the guitarist in this band never played with a pick but was one of the best.


Enjoy.



Thursday 11 November 2021

Around the Traps 12/11/21

 It is time again for Around the Traps.

Aussie,Aussie,Aussie,Oy,Oy,Oy

Northern America

Europe

Asia

Wonk

General

Climate

Andrew Gelman ( mainly stats)

Econometrics

Dianne Coyle ( quirky + book reviews)

Vox Wonk


Wednesday 10 November 2021

Tuesday 9 November 2021

South Korea and Industrial policy

 Another article on industrial policy and South Korea .the claim is it worked in south korea.

Interesting read.

Monday 8 November 2021

combatting climate change

 A marvelous article on the above topic from Vox eu.  

Plenty of articles on this topic to digest.

Have a great read.

Sunday 7 November 2021

Poll Roundup

 The redoubtable Kevin Bonham has his latest poll roundup up. He looks at whether Oppo leaders ratings below the existing PM is of any use in particular.


Always a good read

Thursday 4 November 2021

Around the Traps 5/11/21

 It is time again for Around the Traps

Aussie,Aussie,Aussie,Oy,Oy,Oy

Northern America

Europe

Asia

Wonk

General

Climate

Andrew Gelman ( mainly stats)

Econometrics

  • nuttin

Dianne Coyle ( quirky + book reviews)

vox wonk

Wednesday 3 November 2021

Carter and Reagan

 Noah Smith writes at his blog noahopinion ( get it) on much-of-what-youve-heard-about-carter-and-reagan-is-wrong.

A long time ago I read a similar article to this from the Cato institute.

This is highly educative.

Tuesday 2 November 2021

Fran Kelly leaving RN Breakfast

 Fran Kelly has announced she is leaving RN breakfast. Good. It is quite apparent the program moves up in quality when she is not there. Hamish McDonald would be the best replacement. His interviews are so much more penetrating without the latent aggression of Kelly. Sally Sara who does the friday program would be okay as well.

RN Breakfast became the breakfast program to listen to when Peter Thompson was at the helm and Pru Goward was doing the politics. Fran Kelly has dragged the program downwards in quality.

Thus the need for the ABC to carefully select her replacement. It needs to get back to the must listen to program.

Monday 1 November 2021

Does Gladys have a political future?

 Our gladys has finished giving evidence to the ICAC and frankly it was embarrassing.

Although she put down her cousins working in the public service in terms of conflict of interest. She still does not think she should have put down her lover of 5 years. 

She still does not think she had anything to report to ICAC about her former lover. 

She disputes she told her chief of Staff her relationship with Darryl was over when it clearly wasn't.

Let us forget about what the ICAC reports for a moment. Any of the above would be fodder to any candidate opposing her in the future.

Let us assume the ICAC does not refer her behaviour to the DPP for prosecution. What if the ICAC consider Gladys's evidence not much chop. As a witness she was not reliable at all. That would finish her.

Her entire behaviour at the ICAC was very strange. It was as she was willing for people to believe she was an idiot as this was the least worst outcome.

All in all I think we have seen the last of gladys in politics.