The Prime Minister’s New Year message calls for a national approach to water management. While a unified national framework for managing the Murray-Darling river system is clearly long overdue, once federal control is established, how long would it be before he’d want to privatise it? I imagine it would make Telstra pale by comparison.
Howard also emphasises not only should there be strong investment in education but also very high standards. A bit rich after a decade of downsizing the education sector. Politicians generally are fond of high standards in education. Like duh! Who isn’t? The problem is that high standards won’t be achieved and maintained without significant investment, and going on past performance that’s not likely to happen with the current government. Much easier to blame the teachers and demand higher standards. Like trying to fatten a pig by weighing it.
