Monday - Friday, June 21 - 25 2010 (diary, politics)

A most frustrating week. Three times now some new part has been replaced in my car and still the garage has not found the real fault. So after 3 weeks of this I still drive in their little hire car. I am worried about how much this is going to cost me eventually, and most importantly, if they will be able to repair the car. Anyway I try not to think about it too much as there is absolutely nothing I can do about this.

I started a cardplay technique course for Sybil and three of her bridge playing friends (Bill, Pat and Anne-Marie) this Wednesday evening, which all four of them enjoyed very much. We held it at Sybil's place, a lovely unit right on the beach very close to the Nightcliff Swimming Pool. We started a 7PM and finished well after midnight, eating nibbles and drinking wine while having a good time together.

Australia did not make the final 16 in the World Cup. They fought bravely but simply had too much bad luck. Both Holland and Germany are through though, so I still have two teams to cheer for.

On a political positive note : Kevin Rudd has finally been kicked out off office by his own party. They (probably quite rightly) judged that Labour would loose the upcoming election with Rudd as Prime Minister.
Now Julia Gillard has been sworn in as Australia's very first female Prime Minister. Gillard immediately declared "I believe in climate change". At least she has her terminology right, the climate change debate has up to now little to do with reliable scientific evidence. So for those who do "believe in (man made) climate change" it is a true religion indeed.

A circuit breaker was also badly needed for the total stalemate on the resources super profit tax (RSPT) if Labour has any chance at all of winning the upcoming election.
But immense worldwide and irreversible damage to Australia's reliability has already been done. It is almost certain that any future mining venture will now only start up in this country after the Australian Government (of the day) has given written assurance that the venture in question will not be subject to any tax changes that may occur during its lifetime. A common clause included in all deals in Third World countries. A huge embarrassment to say the least !!