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Opinion - Written by Renai LeMay on Monday, June 28, 2010 9:05 - 28 Comments
Ten reasons Gillard should promote Conroy
opinion Senator Stephen Conroy has done such a good job as Communications Minister that he should be promoted to take over the Finance Ministry even before incumbent Lindsay Tanner retires at the next election.
It’s important that new Prime Minister Julia Gillard appoint someone with a good track record to be the next Finance Minister. The Department of Finance and Deregulation is one of the more important departments in the Federal Government, and it needs a firm and steady Minister to keep it on an even keel.
The position would represent a promotion for Conroy, as Communications is still seen as a mid-level ministry in the Federal Government – not as important as, say, the Treasury or Health, but more important than Sport, for example. Here’s why we think Conroy should get the job.
1. He’s degree-qualified: Conroy has a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University, which means he will understand many of the financial concepts key to the finance ministry. Many of his political colleagues don’t have economic qualifications, and some don’t even have degrees. But Conroy will be down with the financial lingo.
2. His employment history: Before he entered politics he served as superannuation officer with the Transport Workers Union in Victoria, adding to his understanding of the finance portfolio.
3. He has been the shadow minister: From 2001 through 2003, Conroy served as the Shadow Minister for Finance, Small Business and Financial Services. He has also had lengthy stints as the Shadow Minister for Financial Services, Regulation and Corporate Governance.
4. Committee work: Conroy has demonstrated his interest in the finance portfolio through serving on numerous Senate finance committees for many years – such as the Finance and Public Administration: Reference Committee, the Corporations and Financial Services Committee and the Corporations and Securities Committee.
5. He worked closely with Tanner on a number of financial deals related to the National Broadband Network – indeed, out of all the Ministers in Rudd’s Labor Government, it was Tanner that Conroy worked closest with over the past two and a half years.
6. Political allegiance: Conroy is known to be a staunch member of the Labor right faction which catapulted Gillard into power last week. It would be appropriate that Gillard reward several members of that faction with Cabinet promotions.
7. Ministerial performance: Conroy is one of the only Rudd ministers to be successfully delivering a major election policy – the National Broadband Network. The NBN policy is extremely popular in the electorate and it would be fitting for Gillard to reward its chief proponent.
8. Promoting Conroy would allow Gillard to distance him from the internet filter policy, which is extremely unpopular in the electorate. The PM could then gradually weaken that policy (for example, by implementing opt-in or opt-out provisions) so that it doesn’t become an election issue.
9. A major task of the Finance Minister is to administer Government internal technology policy, particularly through working with the Australian Government Information Management Office within the Department of Finance and Deregulation. Conroy’s experience in the technology portfolio would give him insight into how technology is best used in the public sector and how it can better adopt Web 2.0-style technologies.
10. Conroy’s experience in dealing with Telstra and the NBN have given him solid experience of complicated financial situations. This would be to his advantage in the Finance portfolio.
All in all, the evidence is overwhelming that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy should be promoted to be the next Minister for Finance and Deregulation when new Prime Minister Julia Gillard conducts her inevitable cabinet reshuffle. Go Conroy!
Image credit: Office of Stephen Conroy
Related posts:
- Gillard: Conroy will get filter into shape
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I see what you’re trying to do there.
I have *no idea* what you are talking about! ;)
If you make Conroy Finance Minister, he instantly gets control over virtually everything the Government does.
I’m not sure we’d all be slapping each others’ backs over a job well done if we managed to convince everyone that that was a good idea, causing it to actually happen :)
good one renai. out of comms into finance. what happens when he orders a crackdown on govt spending? the ICT industry will take up torches and pitchforks to visit you with…
Well the last sentance I agree with.
I still think the best plan is to create a “ministry” with responsibility for the NBN – (he hasn’t done a BAD job getting that to where it is) – and shuffle him into that. Let someone else – (whether it be Lundy or not) – take over the Communications portfolio – say, someone with some knowledge/experience/ability in the area. Putting Conroy in charge of the finances is like letting a gremlin take charge of the household refrigeration after midnight!
Peter Principle, film @ 11.
“Senator Stephen Conroy has done such a good job as Communications Minister…”
Really? What drugs are you on?
This is satire, right? Please tell me this is satire.
Maybe R. is trying to get this picked up by TheReg ;-)
This is better than any article on The Onion I’ve read recently…
Conroy has germinated long enough, time to see him blossom elsewhere.
Great satire Renai, you should write for Hey hey its Saturday.
Ouch!
In ‘The Brittas Empire’ that’s how they solved the problem of being lumbered with Gordon Brittas, to whom Conroy bears an uncanny resemblance. (my apologies to Chris Barrie)
He does look like Brittas but the forehead gives him away…he is actually the clone from Red Dwarf! Go Cloneroy!
Why can’t someone just poison this guys lunch already? I don’t want to kill him. Just filter him. Something that will destroy his voice box and ability to type. Leaving him sanitised, filtered and suitable for public consumption.
It should be coming evident that the manditory web filter is unpopular, and to a part of the electorate that would ordinarily be doing cartwheels over the NBN.
What happens when the liberals promise the NBN for less money, and no manditory filter next election?
Instant swing of 4-10%.
You have to know someone over there has broached the idea.
Clearly Renai LeMay needs more work on her journalistic skills as the satire is hard to detect. For a few minutes I thought she was serious. Imagine that!!!
He’s got a bachelor of economics from ANU? Geez and here i was thinking you had to get qualified to be a minister.
I wonder how long it took to think of all those 10 “good” reasons?!
I’ll never vote for a party that has a Narzi member within it’s party and have given them an official place.
Sheesh, what a horrible solution – but, I like your lateral thinking, Renai.
Disappointed with legacy media. Every one of them carrying the story “Rudd left out,” while their comment sections fill with disbelief over Conroy being left in. It’s very puzzling.
This is hilarious satire right?
i dont think its satire, but it is a way of getting him out of his current portfolio. I just dont know if i would trust him with Finance either……
Or you could just fire the tosser
Make him Ambassador for Heard Island or something. He could sit down there with all his mates and download something nice to watch.
#8