Another 15 minutes of local fame

Posted on March 2, 2006 by Ken Parish

For Darwin-based Tropodillians,   I'll be on ABC Local Radio (105.7) at about 5:10pm this evening, musing about 10 years of John Howard and his impact on the NT, along with a distinguished panel which also includes former Nationals leader Tim Fischer and CLP spin doctor Peter Murphy.   Should be a bit of fun.   Any readers with axes they would like me to grind on their behalf are welcome to sharpen them in the comment box.

6 Comments

  1. Francis Xavier Holden
    March 2, 2006

    I'm hoping the lack of red hot questions in comments reflects on the talents of Our Great Leader and not your kind self Mr Parish.

  2. Ken Parish
    March 2, 2006

    The strange thing about it was that I found myself reluctantly agreeing with Murphy's assessment of Howard's effect on the Territory over the last decade as meriting a 7/10 scorecard. It's mostly been a picture of continuity, with the generally supportive policies of the Hawke/Keating years being adopted by the Coalition, and even continued after the election of the Martin Labor government in 2001.

    I did, however, vehemently disagree with Tim Fischer's fairly breathtaking claim that one of the Howard government's greatest achievements has been its record on broadband and mobile phone rollout to rural and regional Australia!!! What planet does Tim live on? It rather destroyed my impression of Fischer as a mostly honest, down-to-earth sort of chap for a politician.

  3. Geoff Honnor
    March 3, 2006

    "I did, however, vehemently disagree with Tim Fischer's fairly breathtaking claim that one of the Howard government's greatest achievements has been its record on broadband and mobile phone rollout to rural and regional Australia!!! What planet does Tim live on?"

    Tim's right of course. How much broadband and mobile coverage was there before 1996? Answer me that now! ;-)

  4. Ken Parish
    March 3, 2006

    Mobile phone coverage was about the same as now, I reckon, which is to say ratshit (I had a mobile then too). Broadband, of course, didn't exist at all.

  5. Geoff Honnor
    March 3, 2006

    "Broadband, of course, didn't exist at all."

    Exactly. Always with the Territory whinge...now give us back our NSW GST money.

  6. Nabakov
    March 3, 2006

    "Howard government's greatest achievements has been its record on broadband and mobile phone rollout to rural and regional Australia!!!"

    Well not broadband in regional Victoria. The State's been taking the lead there.

    And you NTies also owe Victoria a billion or so in GST fiscal imbalances too. I'm happy to arrange the pickup. Small unmarked bills will be fine.