You heard it here first

62

turnbull-shark

This was in response to my opinionated piece this morning arguing that NBN Co should ignore Turnbull’s ‘caretaker mode’ and intentionally sign as many long-term construction and equipment contracts as possible before September. Well, I knew this article wasn’t going to be popular with the Coalition ;)

62 COMMENTS

  1. For me, the bottom line is this:

    * In August, Turnbull claimed to have a fully costed policy ready to go.
    * In September, he flipped and said a fully costed policy wasn’t even possible.
    * In November, he half-flipped back, and said it would be $15b for his plan, with provisions.

    Malcolm just needs to man up and release the policy.

    If it’s so much better, bloody well PROVE IT!

    • Exactly, for all Tony’s talk of the Libs being seen as “an alternative government”, they don’t seem to be moving too fast on that…

    • “Malcolm just needs to man up and release the policy.”

      No doubt the next excuse will be a shark ate his homework ;)

  2. Malcolm jumped the shark when he called for truth and honesty in politicians, and accountability provided by the media.

    I guess he was saying: “I wish we had [the same]” rather than “I will from now on act with [the same]”.
    So he wasn’t a hypocrite; so much as simply saying: “I wish it was this way”, while not trying to actually change anything.

    • I’d say it’s a mixture of hypocrisy and cowardice. He wants to see change, but he lacks the conviction to actually implement the change that he wishes to see.

  3. It was probably on Twitter before it was on Delimter, so it wasn’t really here first

  4. … then they ridicule you.

    Keep it up Renai, you’ve obviously hit a sore point here :) No one else in the media is willing to hold the Coalition’s assertions about the NBN up to the cold light of day…

    • I’m planning to get this framed and put up in the office :)

      “Rene has most definitely jumped the shark — Malcolm Turnbull” :)

      Alongside a portrait of Conroy during the video where he had a huge dummy spit at me for asking him about the Internet filter :)

    • Agree Warren….

      Having been proven wrong (I won’t say lying) by Renai and posters here at Delimiter so many times, rather than again trying to unsuccessfully rebut, MT now ironically now having jumped the shark himself, has nothing rational (or even not so topically irrational) left in reply to Renai’s further home truths, hence his having to resort to the ad hom comments….

      *golf clap and thumbs up Renai*

  5. I think that the hidden merit of the idea may have eluded Turnbull – or has him worried.

    I don’t think that locking in contracts until the end of the project is really doable or responsible. But there isn’t all the much difference between signing 4 year contracts and signing 6 year contracts… which means they expire in 2019 and the NBN will be well and truly unstoppable at that point.

    So it isn’t just time to ramp up the rollout, but ramp up the contracts as well.

    Heck, by 2019 we may be facing a very different political climate than we are right now.

    • “So why is it that Rene has jumped the shark, but Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones havent?”

      That’s because they’re already in the shark tank. Some one told them there was a $5 note in the bottom.

  6. So why is it that Rene has jumped the shark, but Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones havent?

    As far as I can see, your opinion piece pointed out nothing but the obvious. NBN Co is STILL in business. They STILL need to run that business. Which means moving forwards as if nothing has changed, until it changes.

    When things change, notably when the GG is asked to disolve Parliment, then they act accordingly. Until then though, it would be irresponsible of them to NOT continue is a Business As Usual fasion.

    If the Lib’s were in power, and looking down the barrel of a loss at the elections, they’d be doing everything in their power to hamper the incoming Government. As it was, because of their “Do Nothing” policy, there was little they could do in 2007 to slow things down for Labor.

    Not that they needed to, the GFC took care of that for them…

  7. I wonder how Malcolm reconciles that with what Tony has demanded from his party recently:

    ” OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has called on Coalition MPs to be confident and optimistic, but never arrogant, in the lead-up to the Federal Election.

    The joint party room meeting in Canberra today saw Mr Abbott reinforce his strategy to place the Coalition in voters’ minds as a valid “alternative government”.

    He told the coalition troops they should avoid any “snideness” or personal attacks – just hours before his Deputy Julie Bishop was ordered out of the chamber for an aside which sent Speaker Anna Burke into a spin. ”

    Source: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tony-abbott-calls-no-snideness-lead-election/1743834/

  8. That LeMayo chap, bit of a troublemaker, eh. :)

    Apparently having an opinion that is perhaps not entirely in line with Turnbull means you have jumped the shark.

    One has to feel for the broader shark population.

  9. From Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark

    Jumping the shark is an idiom created by Jon Hein that is used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery. The phrase is also used to refer to a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show in which the writers use some type of “gimmick” in a desperate attempt to keep viewers’ interest.

    In its initial usage, it referred to the point in a television program’s history when the program had outlived its freshness and viewers had begun to feel that the show’s writers were out of new ideas, often after great effort was made to revive interest in the show by the writers, producers, or network.

    The usage of “jump the shark” has subsequently broadened beyond television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, or creative effort’s evolution loses the essential qualities that initially defined its success and declines, ultimately, into irrelevance.

    At least the NBN Sharks have ficking laser beams attached to their heads!! I’d jump them sharks anyday.

  10. Stick it to him bud, this man is dribbling crap and he knows it.

    I dont see why NBNCo cant force contracts to be signed for the next 4 years. Well enough time for the Government (if they lose) to be reelected?

    I’d expect to be discredited by some News Limited article, claiming you and your site are NBN whackjobs or some such BS. Batton down the hatches bud, they’re angry and they dont like you anymore it would seem.

  11. At least we know sharks exist and many people have seen them as opposed to the unicorn that is the Coalitions broadband policy which nobody has seen or jumped for that matter

  12. Seems like that shark gets about a bit. No doubt its the same shark Turnbull jumped when he made his “truth in politics” speech! ;)

  13. Looks like the Young Libs are retaliating with a Twitter Hashtag spam flood on #auspol and #nbn

    Renai, what wrath have you brought upon us?

  14. If Turnbull is flat out attacking you Renai, it means you’re doing a good job.

    If anything … keep it up!

    I’m not even going to mention that if you’re a jumper Renai, then Turnbull’s a pole vaulter of Olympic quality. He’s the Evel Knievel of shark jumping.

  15. Of course we have costings! They will be released on page 16 of The Australian the day before you vote.

    PS: No great big huge carbon tax.

  16. A clue as to why?

    http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/News-Corp-earnings-pd20130207-4P64S?OpenDocument (Able cable keeps News flowing)
    http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/aap/8606260/fox-sports-buy-boosts-news-corp-profit

    “The disappointing “under-delivering” performance in Australia, along with Sky Italia and Fox TV in the US, forced the earnings downgrade.”

    Maybe the US and Italian public is starting to wake up to the misinformation, manipulation and general sleaze and are turning off.

    “Operating income rose to $US2.96 billion from $US2.88 billion, driven by improved performances at its television businesses.

    >”I don’t think there is a buyer out there to buy their publishing assets,” he said.<

    News' acquisition of Consolidated Media and an increased stake in Fox Star Sports Asia delivered $US1.4 billion in additional pre-tax income."

    http://afr.com/p/business/companies/news_poised_to_formally_bid_for_iMgNdjizBrgTGYQZ70549M

    The FTTH NBN with it's capacity for open competition in media offerings is a massive finacial threat.

    A monopoly on media offerings is preferred as far more profitable

    The sporting codes have considered their own channels and programming.

    Of course the minions will swarm to protect their masters interests and attack a perceived threat

  17. If Malcolm is allowed to be ridiculous by suggesting that we should be in “virtual caretaker mode”, Renai is allowed to be ridiculous too.

    The thing is – Renai isn’t being all that ridiculous. The government would have every right and ability to do as he suggests.

    The difference is, Malcolm doesn’t have any valid position – (legal, constitutional or otherwise) – to call for caretaker provisions to apply.

    LeMay 1, Turnbull 0

    • “The government would have every right and ability to do as he suggests.”
      Probably a little immoral.

      But as it stands, NBNCo are running Business As Usual.
      Their BAU at this time is ramping up their rollout, which DOES including forming new contracts.
      Case in point, is the MDU contracts, which has IMO been a little behind schedule.
      No doubt we will see other contracts getting bedded down between now and the election, most of which will have already been scheduled by NBNCo.
      It would seem ridiculous for NBNCo simply to shift the schedule of signing contracts, because it seemed politically motivated because of the upcoming election.

      Does it make sense at all to stop any new contracts one year out of every three, simply because there is a pending election?

      • “Does it make sense at all to stop any new contracts one year out of every three, simply because there is a pending election?”

        Of course not… :)

        The perfect example is Australia Post, a GBE in the same vane as NBN Co. Should Australia Post suspend all contract awards, spending, and employee hiring between now and the election?

        No, of course not. It would grind to a halt.

        Malcolm is suggesting NBN Co do exactly that. You are quite correct that it is “BAU”, and things should just carry on.

        Should they deliberately ramp up while they’ve got seven months up their sleeves? Maybe. Maybe not.

        But it wouldn’t be the first time a government – (of any political flavour) – has done such a thing.

        Malcolm just knows that the more NBN is done, the less likely and/or more expensive it will be for him to stop it, in the event the government changes.

        And honestly, I think he’s scared of that. Conroy knows it, and as we all know Conroy, don’t run it past him that he might try it.

        He’s arrogant enough to do it. It’s also his prerogative to “assist” in the execution of the business plan.

        Interesting times.

  18. If you’re commenting on politics and nobody’s calling you names, you’re not doing it right.

  19. Hmm, perhaps this whole “virtual” thing can explain the “dual Malcolms”?

    There is “real” Malcolm that discusses integrity in politics, then there’s “Virtual Malcolm” that complains about fact checkers, checking his facts…

      • I’m not sure “virtual Malcolm” (VM) was around before “real Malcolm” was tasked with destruction of NBNCo by Tony, so I think VM is a recent construct.

  20. Clearly Malcolm is the type of person. to call a “Switch” a “Router”. as apposed to calling a “Spade” a “Shovel”.

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