Due to the size of Australia, we have always been behind on many information communication technologies, including both mobile service and access to respectable broadband speeds, if any. What also makes it difficult for those who live outside of the main cities in Australia, is that for internet providers to supply ADSL2 technologies, they (The ISP) need to upgrade infrastructure and equipment – now from an investment point of view, their return on investment is going to be minimal, vs doing it in the city with thousands of subscribers.

By this logic or reasoning, it does seem to make the point, that really, a nationalised system may the only solution, if equality over internet connections is to be achieved.

There has been a lot of good press for the NBN, claiming it will revolutionise the country, take us all new places and overall be in a better place. I really believe this is more hype than logic.

Over on Delimiter (A News and Tech blog) they have run a number of stories on the NBN, both, for and against.

There has been a great story, that has generated a lot of interest, and it’s quite an good read, it’s titled “Do we even need a Fibre National Broadband Network“.  It really covers a lot of problems with the network, and how in many cases, people will be no better off than what they have now. Things like capacity to other countries, and will be no better off. How “E-Health” is supposed to benefit, when “Regular Health” is still a huge issue for every state in the country, number of doctors, nurses, beds etc – these haven’t been sorted in real life, so how are we going to go with doing it over the internet?

While I see huge benefits for business, using such networks, I also see the waste. If you look at the cost per household – $5k (or so) – I could imagine the NBN being put into my Grandmother’s house, who doesn’t a) have a computer, but b) if she did, would be more content with a 1.5 or 5mb link. Heck, she can’t use a DVD player, how am I supposed to train her to use IPTV? Hulu or iView or whatever the case may be.

The flip side of the coin, the Liberal party has really shot themselves in the foot, and not wanting to admit they probably should adopt some of the ideas that Labor have setup with the NBN, instead, they claim that Fibre is a bad technology, and a whole array of bad arguments for it.

This video clip was on Yes We Canberra – and it really does sum up how the Liberal / LNP / Coalition think of ICT, from the current statements.

This isn’t to say I completely support Labor or the NBN, and when you watch this video from Yes We Canberra – it does make you think a bit, and put the NBN and it’s $50bn price tag, back into perspective – and what our real priories are or should be.

So what is my stance then?

I don’t like the Liberal party’s idea on this. They don’t seem to want to value the ICT of Australia as much as they should. What they are claiming to do, is a step in the right direction with some key infrastructure, however it wont do an awful lot for end users. Other hand, Labor have not had a good record with deploying spending projects like this, although the NBN is on budget at present, nothing to say it wont blow out and cost us a fortune on something that isn’t that critical.

Medicare Australia has now established a presence online where anyone can register and log in and do the following;

• Request a replacement or duplicate Medicare card
• Update your bank account details
• Update your personal details
• View your Medicare claims history (previous 12 months)
• View your Medicare Safety Net balance (current calendar year)
• View your Medicare benefit tax statement (current and previous financial year)
• View your organ donor registration details
• View your child’s immunisation history statement (for children under 7 years)

In the past, when you went to the doctors or whatever, and had to then go to the medicare office to collect your refund, the government will now credit this into your savings/cheque account! How good is that. I know personally that I have had receipts from checkups etc, and cant be stuffed doing the 45min trip and stand in line, fill out forms etc for $30, but if it’s put straight into my bank account – well who says no to free money?

Well done to Medicare for launching a useful system!

If you have not recieved the letter in the mail – click here to register.

There have been a number (thousands) of news stories / segments about the Letterman / Palin saga, I think Olbermann has done the best that I’ve seen.

The Queensland state election was called approximately 2 weeks ago, approximately 4 to 5 months early. Many reasons have arisen as to why the incumbent Premier has done this, most seems to be that they (The ALP) are trying to get the election out of the way before the current economic ‘crisis’ worsens, and their lack of financial management becomes more self evident.

Many sceptics have argued that already, with Queensland recording record profits of stamp duty, GST and other taxes, it has only taken 6 months of “less than perfect” financial conditions for the ALP to announce the incredible deficit the State Government is in. For side effects, like the state loosing it’s AAA Credit rating, doesn’t help the ALP’s argument that they are “Keeping Queensland Strong”.

The Advertising of the current election has been rather interesting. At the onset of the “election race”, Bligh launched her new website, and marketing campaign, that has been allegedly designed + developed in New South Wales. The LNP, with Springborg didn’t have an awful lot of negativity, what they advertise has been pretty much fact.

The ALP have jumped on a quote from the Opposition (Springborg – LNP) “We’re not even in a recession” at both the time it was said, and the time of the election, that quote is true. So why the ALP have been trying to scare people into the ideology that we’re currently in a recession is laughable.

Now, relating to the subject of this post – Which may explain the title a little more, is who do you vote for when you vote? More importantly, what factors do you consider. Lots of people like to see their “Policies” but frankly, I think most of it is just election waffle and only something that ever comes back to bite politicians at the next election.

Do you vote for the local member, and base your vote souley on their skills, and what they are going to do for your area, or do you go for the greater good of the state, and vote for your party?

In the seat of Hervey Bay, there are the two primary nominees. The incumbent Andrew McNamara, from the ALP, who has sat in the Hervey Bay seat for 2 or 3 terms now, and from the LNP we have the former Mayor of the town, Ted Sorenson.

On one hand, we have McNamara, a former solicitor, who would have undoubtedly broad education, and has been fortunate enough to sit whilst the town has gone through record growth. On the other hand, his party is slowly destroying Qld at this rate, and as we saw in the Federal election, QLD, like Australia, is due for a Change. However, on the other side, we have former councillor Ted Sorenson, who, to the best of my knowledge, before the mid 1990′s was a farmer. Serving a term or two as Mayor, and a few more as a councillor, he also has been fortunate enough to sit on Council while the town has gone through record growth, and his party, with the uncharismatic Laurence Springborg are offering a new way of conducting business in QLD, which is in dire need.

From any polls, it seems the ALP have been loosing some group to the LNP, and ALP have not had the best press of late, so it will be a tight election.

I actually think that a lot of State government is redundant, and could be condensed quite a bit.

I leave you with this interesting video, which shows a good selection of ALP stuff ups of late.

In a radio interview yesterday, Julia Gillard said:

“No-one 12 months ago was talking about a global financial crisis, now everybody is talking about a global financial crisis.” (Interview, ABC ‘AM’ 24/11/08)

Wrong!

On 12 November 2007, then-Treasurer Peter Costello warned:

“The collapse of the sub-prime US lending market which is now having reverberations around the world. And all of these things will buffet global inflation, they will buffet our economy, they will buffet exchange rates, they will affect growth and job opportunities. They will require careful management on the Budget, on tax, on structural policy, on industrial relations, on competitiveness, on investment.” (Speech 12/11/07)

The reality is that after only 12 months of Rudd and Labor, Australia is less prosperous, our economy is rapidly getting weaker and the outlook for Australian families and businesses is more uncertain than ever.
Rudd and Labor can only offer excuses. They have no economic strategy to protect and build Australia.
When crucial decisions are needed, Rudd and Labor are either being panicked into taking poorly thought through decisions or becoming bogged down in bureaucracy and indecision. Rudd and Labor are clearly lost.

– Liberal eNewsletter

Whilst on the political rant,  let me share with you the Kevin Rudd Store.

I love the Kevin Rudd Memorabilia store that the liberals have set up! It features such things as, the “Kyoto Protocol Pen” – A replica of the pen with which Kevin Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol and single-handedly saved the planet. Other great items include, the “Fuel Watch, Watch” and the “Kevin Rudd Model Plane” – Now you can fly whenever and wherever you like – just like Kevin Rudd!