DOCSLIB.ORG

Published in the Clarity Journal 62

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Published in the Clarity Journal 62 Clarity Number 62 November 2009 In this issue The Hon. Nathan Rees, MP Journal of the Opening address 5 international association Dr. Robert Eagleson Ensnaring perceptions on communication: promoting plain legal language Underlying obstacles to lawyers writing plainly 9 Wessel Visser The credit crisis has its roots in Main Street, not Wall Street 14 William Lutz Plain language and financial transparency: What you don’t understand can cost (or make) you money 16 Lynda Harris Making the business case for plain English 19 Ernest Gowers (Ann Scott) Plain words 22 Ben Piper Righting the wrongs of rewriting 30 Pam Peters Keynote address International trends in English style and usage 34 Candice Burt Laws set the framework for plain language in South Africa 41 Angela Colter Assessing the usability of credit card disclosures 46 Caroline Lindberg Developing plain language multilingual information about the law 53 The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG Closing address Plain concord: Clarity’s ten commandments 58 Clarity and general news How to join Clarity 15 Call for special papers 15 Thanks to Richard Woof 18 Guest editor for this issue: Coming conferences 21 Neil James Phil Knight retires from Clarity committee 33 Member news 65 Editor in chief: From the President 66 Julie Clement Members by country 67 Patrons The Rt Hon Sir Christopher Staughton, The Honorable Michael Kirby, and H E Judge Kenneth Keith Founder John Walton Committee President: Christopher Balmford ([email protected]) Members: Country Representatives plus Simon Adamyk, Mark Adler, Michèle Asprey, Peter Butt, Sir Edward Caldwell, Richard Castle, Annetta Cheek, Julie Clement, Robert Eagleson, Jenny Gracie, Philip Knight, Robert Lowe, John Pare, Daphne Perry, John Walton, Richard Woof. Country representatives Argentina Italy Slovak Republic Maximiliano Marzetti Christopher Williams Ing. Ján Rendek maximiliano.marzetti@ [email protected] [email protected] erasmusmundus-alumni.eu Japan South Africa Australia Kyal Hill Candice Burt Christopher Balmford [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Lesotho Spain Bangladesh Retsepile Gladwin Ntsihlele Cristina Gelpi A.K. Mohammad Hossain [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Malaysia Sweden Canada Juprin Wong-Adamal Helena Englund Nicole Fernbach [email protected] helena.englund@ [email protected] Mexico sprakkonsulter.na.se Chile Salomé Flores Sierra Franzoni UK Claudia Poblete Olmedo [email protected] Sarah Carr [email protected] The Netherlands [email protected] Finland Hélène Butijn USA Heikki Mattila [email protected] Prof Joseph Kimble [email protected] New Zealand [email protected] Germany Lynda Harris Zimbabwe Siegfried Breiter [email protected] Walter Zure [email protected] Nigeria [email protected] Hong Kong Dr. Tunde Opeibi Other European countries: Eamonn Moran [email protected] Catherine Rawson [email protected] Peru [email protected] India Ricardo León-Pastor All other countries: Dr. K.R. Chandratre [email protected] Please contact the USA [email protected] Philippines representative Israel Victor Eleazar Myla Kaplan Portugal [email protected] Sandra Ramalhosa Martins [email protected] Honor roll of donors to Clarity Clarity is managed entirely by volunteers and is funded through membership fees and donations. We gratefully acknowledge those financial supporters who have contributed to Clarity’s success: $2,500+ Plain English Foundation, one anoymous donor $1,000+ Christopher Balmford, Joseph Kimble, Julie Clement $500+ None $100+ None 2 Clarity 62 November 2009 This issue Raising the standard Dr Neil James Executive Director, Plain English Foundation Co-convenor, PLAIN 2009 This issue of Clarity takes “Raising the Stan- dard” as its theme. This was the title of the seventh biennial conference of the Plain Lan- guage Association InterNational (PLAIN) held in Sydney, Australia in October 2009. PLAIN 2009 sought to raise the standard in An international association three ways: promoting plain legal language • showing industry professionals how to www.clarity-international.net improve their communications • helping plain language practitioners to President strengthen their own practice Christopher Balmford [email protected] • exploring options for plain language to evolve as a profession. The 80 speakers at the conference came from Clarity … the journal 13 countries and presented 45 sessions to an Published in May and November audience of over 300. With such riches to draw from, representing the event in a single issue Editor in chief of Clarity was always going to be a challenge. Julie Clement We started with the keynote speeches and PO Box 13038 plenaries. PLAIN 2009 had the ideal opening Lansing, Michigan 48901 address from New South Wales Premier Fax: 1 517 334 5781 Nathan Rees, who promptly announced a [email protected] major plain English initiative in Australia’s largest state. Emeritus Professor Pam Peters Advertising rates kept up the standard with an excellent key- Full page: £150 note on the prospects for more consistent Smaller area: pro rata standards in international style. And we Minimum charge: £20 could have asked for no better finish than Contact Joe Kimble, [email protected] Michael Kirby’s dinner address, which showed that a High Court judge can turn Copyright policy plain language into fine oratory. Authors retain copyright in their articles. The plenaries highlighted two of the hottest Anyone wanting to reproduce an article in topics of the year: the global financial crisis whole or in part should first obtain the and the push for plain language laws. The author’s permission and should acknowledge articles from PLAIN President Bill Lutz and Clarity as the source. the Netherlands’ Wessel Visser discuss how Submissions poor language contributed to the global fi- nancial crisis. To these we’ve added Angela We encourage you to submit articles to be Colter’s case study on the usability of credit considered for publication in Clarity. Send card disclosure documents, which fed into submissions directly to editor in chief Julie the new credit laws Congress passed in 2009. Clement. Please limit submissions to approxi- mately 1,500 or 3,000 words. Clarity 62 November 2009 3 Plain language laws were also the subject of Yet Gowers’ speech also highlights how far the second plenary, which represented a we have come in 60 years. Plain language no country that already has them (South Africa) longer focuses solely on word choice and syn- a country poised to get a new Federal law tax as it did in his day. It involves design and (the United States) and a country just setting layout, topics also represented at the confer- out on that journey (New Zealand). In this ence. It involves new assessment tools such as issue, Candice Burt shares the South African Texamen, SEPADO and the Dialect Interface experience and the pitfalls other countries Survey (DIS). And it is forging ahead through might watch for. the work of the International Plain Language Working Group that is drafting an Options To maximise relevance for Clarity members, Paper on six issues that are vital for the de- the next papers we selected were also strongly velopment of our profession: related to the law. So we have Dr Robert Eagleson’s industry seminar exploring why • a standard definition lawyers write the way they do. Ben Piper’s • an international standard workshop looks at the dangers of plain lan- guage in legal drafting. Caroline Lindberg’s • the institutional structure showcase outlines a model plain language • certification and training project for developing multilingual informa- tion in the law. • the research base But already this was too much material for • advocacy. a regular Clarity issue, and we hadn’t even The group presented a preliminary report at represented the panels or conversations. For- PLAIN 2009, and its paper should be pub- tunately, Clarity was amenable to a longer lished in full in a future issue of Clarity. In the issue (albeit late) and the Plain English Foun- meantime, there is plenty to enjoy in this is- dation was able to cover the cost. sue to help you raise your own standard. So we added Lynda Harris’s speech on mak- © Neil James, 2010 ing a business case for plain language. Given [email protected] that Lynda runs one of the most successful plain language enterprises in the world— Dr Neil James is the Write Limited, the home of the Executive Director of the Plain English WriteMark—we could hardly do better than Foundation in a piece from her on the topic. Australia, which Then I couldn’t resist the temptation of an combines plain English original, unpublished piece from one of my training, editing and auditing with a intellectual heroes. This emerged from one of campaign for more the ‘in-conversation’ interviews with and ethical public language. about major figures in our field—such as Bill Neil has published three Lutz, Martin Cutts, Cheryl Stephens, Robert books and over 60 Eagleson, Ginny Redish and Peter Butt. articles and essays on language and literature. His latest book Writing at Work (Allen and Unwin, 2007) is a In one of these sessions, Ann Scott spoke practical book on the use of plain language and rhetoric about the biography she has just published of in the professions. Neil is currently chair of the her grandfather Sir Ernest Gowers, whose International Plain Language Working Group and was 1948 book Plain Words arguably did as much co-convenor with Dr Peta Spear of the PLAIN 2009 as anything else last century to popularise conference. our work. When Ann suggested there was an Further papers, video and photos of PLAIN 2009 are unpublished Gowers speech on the topic of available at http://www.plainenglishfoundation.com/ “plain words”, the opportunity was too good tabid/3276/default.aspx. to pass up. It is as relevant today as it was nearly 60 years ago when he delivered it to English teachers of the London County Council.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • General Purpose Standing Committee No. 1
    General Purpose Standing Committee No 1. Budget Estimates Hearing – 14 October 2008 Questions Taken on Notice PREMIER Page 2 – 3 of transcript The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK: Is the determining officer in the room? Ms KRUK: No. I am happy to take the question on notice. Just tell me again, the issue is the number of media staff in the Premier’s office? The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK: Yes. ANSWER: The number of media staff in the Premier’s office is four, with two vacancies. Page 6 of transcript The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK: One of the things that you stated when you announced that you would be slashing the number of media staff in your office from 11 to six is that there would be more movement on the reduction of media staff across the government and that that would be announced later. What movements have been made? Mr NATHAN REES: I will have to get some advice on that, but we will make moves. ANSWER: Since coming to office, the number of media staff has been reduced by five. Page 7 of transcript The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK: I do not understand. Where did that money come from if those staff are still employed? Mr NATHAN REES: We will get the detail. The Hon. CATHERINE CUSACK: They are still working as spin doctors for your Government. Ms KRUK: I am happy to provide more details on the basis of what made up the $600,000. ANSWER: SALARY SAVINGS Staff Salary Director, State Strategy $290,000 Director, Government Media $220,000 Liaison, ethnic media $84,398 Total $594,398 As a result of these savings, the funds will be redirected to the agencies involved in dealing with homelessness.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Heat Treatment This Is a List of Greenhouse Gas Emitting
    Heat treatment This is a list of greenhouse gas emitting companies and peak industry bodies and the firms they employ to lobby government. It is based on data from the federal and state lobbying registers.* Client Industry Lobby Company AGL Energy Oil and Gas Enhance Corporate Lobbyists registered with Enhance Lobbyist Background Limited Pty Ltd Corporate Pty Ltd* James (Jim) Peter Elder Former Labor Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development and Trade (Queensland) Kirsten Wishart - Michael Todd Former adviser to Queensland Premier Peter Beattie Mike Smith Policy adviser to the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, LHMU industrial officer, state secretary to the NT Labor party. Nicholas James Park Former staffer to Federal Coalition MPs and Senators in the portfolios of: Energy and Resources, Land and Property Development, IT and Telecommunications, Gaming and Tourism. Samuel Sydney Doumany Former Queensland Liberal Attorney General and Minister for Justice Terence John Kempnich Former political adviser in the Queensland Labor and ACT Governments AGL Energy Oil and Gas Government Relations Lobbyists registered with Government Lobbyist Background Limited Australia advisory Pty Relations Australia advisory Pty Ltd* Ltd Damian Francis O’Connor Former assistant General Secretary within the NSW Australian Labor Party Elizabeth Waterland Ian Armstrong - Jacqueline Pace - * All lobbyists registered with individual firms do not necessarily work for all of that firm’s clients. Lobby lists are updated regularly. This
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship of the Home Office and the Ministry Of
    THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE HOME OFFICE AND THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR WITH THE TREASURY ESTABLISHMENT DIVISION 1919-1946 AN EVALUATION OF CONTRASTING NEEDS NORMAN GEORGE PRICE Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD London School of Economics (University of London) 1 UMI Number: U042642 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U042642 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 t h e s e s F 68 nu-oaaiS ABSTRACT The thesis examines three Departments of the British Home Civil Service from 1919 to 1946: the Home Office, the Ministry of Labour and the Treasury Establishment Division. The study investigates the contrasting needs, in establishment terms, of an old "Secretary of State" department the Home Office, performing a largely regulatory role, with a new department the Ministry of Labour performing an administrative role, and the relationship of both over establishment matters with the Treasury. The study assesses the roles of individual Administrative Class civil servants in the three departments from the rank of Principal to Permanent Secretary: with particular reference to the relationships existing between the Permanent Secretaries of the two departments and the Permanent Secretaries of the Treasury and their Controllers of Establishments.
    [Show full text]
  • Alphabetical List of Members Returned to Serve in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales at the General Election Held on 26 March 2010
    Alphabetical List of Members returned to serve in the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales at the General Election held on 26 March 2010 Name of Member returned Electoral District Richard Sanderson Amery ..................................................... Mount Druitt Kevin John Anderson .................................................................Tamworth Graham Annesley ......................................................................... Miranda Gregory John Aplin ......................................................................... Albury Stuart Laurence Ayres ................................................................... Penrith Michael Bruce Baird ......................................................................... Manly Giovanni Domenic Barilaro ........................................................... Monaro Clayton Gordon Barr .................................................................. Cessnock Bart Edward Bassett ............................................................. Londonderry Craig Asbjorn Baumann ...................................................... Port Stephens Gladys Berejiklian .................................................................... Willoughby Stephen Bruce Bromhead ....................................................... Myall Lakes Glenn Edward Brookes ............................................................... East Hills Linda Jean Burney ................................................................... Canterbury Cherie Ann Burton ......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Slow Death of a Salesman
    The slow death of a salesman Authors: Deborah Snow, Andrew West, Publication: Sydney Morning Herald Mathew Moore & Damien Murphy Section: News Review Date: 13/09/2008 Pages: 28-29 Words: 4,010 Source: SMH Like Kevin Rudd, Nathan Rees's ambition was enough to put him above other would-be contenders for political leadership. To those outside politics, Nathan Rees's installation as Premier came as a bolt from the blue. But forces working against Morris Iemma had been gathering for months. As a number of Labor insiders tell it, his unwavering support for privatisation of the state's power industry was not the only cause of Iemma's downfall. The NSW Labor headquarters in Sussex Street, under the leadership of its secretary, Karl Bitar, 37, had tu rned against Iemma months before when his disapproval ratings soared. Iemma told colleagues he detected a change in Bitar's attitude towards him from about Christmas. "By March you could see that Morris was doing worse than the party," a source said. "The punters out there thought they had been conned; Morris came in as premier and said it was a new government. They had given him the benefit of the doubt and progress had not been made. So the electorate was pissed off." Against the drum-beat of the polls, the privatisation debate was growing steadily more bitter. Party bosses had kept a tight lid on the festering tensions over electricity during last year's federal election campaign. But once that was out of the way, all bets were off. "Karl Bitar and Joh n Robertson [the UnionsNSW boss] did nothing else from the Monday after the federal election until the state party conference in May except try to manage the electricity debate," said a source.
    [Show full text]
  • Corona GOVERNANCE
    CORONA STIMULUS & RECOVERY © SERIES REPORT # 2 N A T I O N A L G O V E R N A N C E E F F E C T I V E N E S S in line with ACCEPTED BUDGETTING, PLANNING & ENGAGEMENT PROTOCOLS ROBERT GIBBONS 18 NOVEMBER 2020 © see copyright statement on last page INTRODUCTION Bubonic Plague hit Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in 1900 and the Sydney response was the world’s most famous, the “social laboratory of the world”. Governance was key to that response, medicine was supportive. 120 years later the Novel Coronavirus thence COVID-19 was mayhem, warnings had been ignored and Australia was sliding backwards economically. There is supposed to be a self-correcting mechanism called “budget repair” when a government finds it mismanaged bushfires and rorts so that the next one would be better planned and organised. The opposite happened, repair (MYEFO) was cancelled, delays became critical, mistakes abounded as the “Canberra Bubble” did not know how to prepare a “plan” as I had done in 2 days when BHP announced the closure of steelmaking in Newcastle in 1997. The States pushed PM Morrison into setting up a cooperative National Cabinet on 13 March 2020. It emerged from the Canberra Bubble without any explanation of logic, objectives, modus operandi or budget, and this analyst predicted it would fail as soon as a member’s self-interest clashed with the collective view – and that was a safe bet as NSW’s Premier, Glady Berejiklian, is an habitual renegade and regularly attacks her peers. It has been under the control of the PM’s department head who has a NSW reputation for negative practices (he used to report to Berejiklian).
    [Show full text]
  • Government Gazette of the STATE of NEW SOUTH WALES Number 33 Friday, 14 March 2008 Published Under Authority by Government Advertising
    2251 Government Gazette OF THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES Number 33 Friday, 14 March 2008 Published under authority by Government Advertising LEGISLATION Regulations TRANS-TASMAN MUTUAL RECOGNITION ARRANGEMENT NOTICE I, Morris Iemma, as the designated person for the State of New South Wales and in accordance with section 43 of the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 of the Commonwealth, endorse the proposed regulations set out in the Schedule to this notice for the purposes of sections 43 and 48 of that Act. MORRIS IEMMA, Premier New South Wales 2252 LEGISLATION 14 Marh 2008 NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 33 14 March 2008 LEGISLATION 2253 NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 33 2254 OFFICIAL NOTICES 14 March 2008 OFFICIAL NOTICES Appointments FIRE SERVICES JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE TOURISM NEW SOUTH WALES ACT 1984 ACT 1998 Tourism New South Wales Fire Services Joint Standing Committee Appointment of Part-Time Members Appointment of Members IT is hereby notifi ed that in pursuance of section 4(3), 4(4) I, NATHAN REES, M.P., Minister for Emergency Services, and 4(5) of the Tourism New South Wales Act 1984 (as in pursuance of section 4 (2) (b) of the Fire Services Joint amended), that the following person be appointed as a part- Standing Committee Act 1998, appoint the following time member of the Board of Tourism New South Wales for person as a Member of the Fire Services Joint Standing the term of offi ce specifi ed: Committee: To appoint Leslie CASSAR, AM, as a part-time member Shane FITZSIMMONS, AFSM, and Chairman of the Board of Tourism New South Wales for the remainder of the three-year period expiring on 5 July from 14 December 2007, to the date of the Governor’s 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Download (15Mb)
    University of Warwick institutional repository: http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick http://go.warwick.ac.uk/wrap/67105 This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. Never To Be Disclosed: Government Secrecy in Britain 1945 - 1975 by Christopher R. Moran BA, MA A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History University of Warwick, Department of History September 2008 CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv Docwadoo v Abbrenaaons vii Introduction INever to Be Disclosed 1 Chapter 11The Official Secrets Act: Genesis and Evolution 21 1.1 1850- 1889 22 1.21890-1920 35 Conclusions 43 Chapter 21A Silent Service: The Culture of Civil Service Secrecy 45 2.1Anonymity and Neutrality 50 2.2Security Routines 55 2.3"The Official Secrets Act Affects You!" 71 2.4 Raising the Curtain? 75 Conclusions 91 Chapter 31 Harry 'Chapman' Pincher: Sleuthing the Secret State 93 3.11945-1964 97 3.2The D-Notice Affair 107 3.31967-1975 124 Conclusions 132 Chapter 41The Riddle of the Frogman: The Crabb Affair, Secrecy and Cold War Culture 135 4.1 Disappearance 138 4.2 Conspiracy and Popular Culture 144 4.3Operation Claret 149 4.4 Backwash 156 Conclusions 159 Chapter 51Light in Dark Comers: Intelligence Memoirs and Official History
    [Show full text]
  • Sydney Opera House Annual Report 2008-2009
    The Hon. Nathan Rees, MP Premier and Minister for the Arts Sir, we have the pleasure of presenting the Annual Report of the Sydney Opera House for the year ended Sydney Opera House 30 June 2009, for presentation to Parliament. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions 2008/09 Annual Report of the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983. Kim Williams AM Richard Evans Chairman Chief Executive Sydney Opera House 2008/09 Annual Report Letter to Minister above Financials 36 Chairman’s Message 4 Financial Statements 38 CEO’s Message 6 Government Reporting 54 Vision & Goals 8 Performance List 66 Key Dates 8 ‘59 Who We Are 9 Our Focus 9 Key Outcomes 2008/09 & Objectives 2009/10 11 Performing Arts 12 Annual Giving 70 Music 14 Contact Information 73 Theatre 16 Opera 18 Index 74 Dance 20 Sponsors inside back cover Danish architect Jørn Utzon Work begins. Young Audiences 22 is announced as the winner of the international design competition by the Hon. JJ (Joe) Cahill. ‘57 Broadening the Experience 24 Building & Environment 26 Corporate Governance 28 The Trust 30 The Executive Team 32 People & Culture 34 sydneyoperahouse.com Where imagination takes you. Cover photography by David Min & Mel Koutchavlis The Hon. Nathan Rees, MP Premier and Minister for the Arts Sir, we have the pleasure of presenting the Annual Report of the Sydney Opera House for the year ended Sydney Opera House 30 June 2009, for presentation to Parliament. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions 2008/09 Annual Report of the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2008 - 2009
    Annual Report 2008 - 2009 THE NSW BAR ASSOCIATION | ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - 2009 Contents Section 1 The year in review President’s report 1 Executive director’s report 4 Section 2 About us Offi ce bearers 8 Our people 9 Statistics 10 Section 3 Reports Promoting the interests of practising barristers 12 Arranging & promoting continuing professional development 16 Making recommendations and promoting the administration of justice 18 Promoting access to justice 26 Questions as to professional conduct 31 Section 4 Appointments 38 Section 5 Financial statements Bar Association fi nancial statements 47 Barristers’ Benevolent Fund 73 Indigenous Barristers’ Trust 92 Corporate Directory Registered office Bankers Incorporating the annual report of Selborne Chambers National Australia Bank The New South Wales Bar Association 174 Phillip Street 75 Elizabeth Street ABN 18 526 414 014 Sydney 2000 Sydney 2000 Ph : + 61 2 9232 4055 The Indigenous Barristers’ Trust Fax :+ 61 2 9221 1149 Annual General Meeting ABN 53 124 431 831 www.nswbar.asn.au The Annual General Meeting will be held at 1.00pm on November 2009 in Financial results for Auditor the Bar Association Common Room. Barristers’ Benevolent Association of NSW HLB Mann Judd (NSW Partnership) ABN 18 466 736 745 Level 19 207 Kent Street Cover photo: Troy Bendeich / Sydney NSW 2000 Newspix E-mail: [email protected] www.hlb.com.au The year in review President’s report Anna Katzmann SC The Legislative Review Committee no place for legislation of this kind, but expressed concerns about the absence alive to the political realities, we suggested of ‘robust consultation’ on the Bill and a number of amendments designed to reported that: ameliorate some of the worst features of the scheme.
    [Show full text]
  • Front Matter
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-13832-1 - Power Crisis: The Self-Destruction of a State Labor Party Rodney Cavalier Frontmatter More information Power Crisis The self-destruction of a state Labor Party Written by former minister and Labor historian Rodney Cavalier, Power Crisis is an explosive account of the self-destruction of the New South Wales Labor government, which has seen a turnover of four premiers in five years, and is heading for rejection and even humiliation by voters at the next state election. While the catalyst was the thwarted attempt to privatise elec- tricity, Cavalier reveals that the real issue is the takeover of Labor by a professional political class without connection to the broader community or the party’s traditions. Drawing on history to illumi- nate the crisis, this book spans the ALP’s history from its origins as a party for the workers, the bitter split over conscription in 1916, the triumph of 24 years of unbroken rule and the policy innovation of the Wran era, to the rise of values-free careerism. Featuring interviews with ex-premiers Iemma and Rees, Power Crisis contrasts the current turmoil and self-indulgence with the stability within New South Wales Labor over generations before, and asks, ‘What went wrong?’ Rodney Cavalier is a political historian. He was Minister for Educa- tion in the Wran and Unsworth governments and writes frequently for the press and in academic publications on politics, the ALP and sport. He remains an active and despairing member of the Labor Party. © in this web service
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainability Speaking
    SUSTAINABILITY SPEAKING No 15 Winter 2014 The first issue of Inside Gossip containing Environmentally Speaking appeared in June 2004. Back then the hot topics were the expansion of Port Botany, the destruction of the Orica Hexachlorobenzene(HCB) stockpile at Banksmeadow and regulation of pollution. And the featured quote came from An Illustrated Guide to Sydney 1882 (appearing in Taken for Granted, by Doug Benson & Jocelyn Howell). “ Those who remember the road to Botany in years gone by are not surprised at the name given by the first discoverer(James Cook)....We know most of the wild flower regions of the colony, but none to compare in variety and richness with Botany, as it was.” The Premiers who expanded and ‘sold’ Port Botany 2001 –proposed T3 2008 - turned first sod 2009-fired Ports Minister 2009 - Leased T3 2013 -‘Sold’ the lot and exactly 6 years after the first sod was turned Premier Baird opens the T3 expansion on 24th July, 2014 When the Port was announced on the 29th November 2001 the Ports Minister Carl Scully stated that cargo volumes would more than double over the coming decade from one million to two million containers (expressed as TEU): “If we don't make provision for extra space to move those larger number of containers, we will not be able to sustain economic growth and a growing population." As we now know there was no capacity issue. The existing two terminals could have handled the projected growth, which in the development application was stated as 3.2million TEU. The expansion was to facilitate much greater growth (from 8million+ TEU) as well as the entry of a new stevedore, Hutchison - the largest in the world.
    [Show full text]