[thorn bird]

Weeel, it is from the ABC K.

But even so there is some true-isms in there and for sure we will miss the stimulating exercise of trying to second guess the Murky Mandarin.

I'll shed no tears for his demise however. During his tenure as the master mandarin some fairly murky deals were done with the big end of town which added considerably to a few individuals already burgeoning wealth. Murky himself, even if he avoided the odd hand under the table, earned salaries you and I and the PM could only dream of, topped off with a public service super scheme that by now he could probably pay down the national debt.

I expect in due course we will hear of his appointment to a board somewhere, maybe Mcbank for example with a stipend that again the average punter would draw breath at and probably retire on, plus a free block of flats and half of Tasmania, maybe a free farm in NZ that one departed polly was awarded.

Services must always be rendered doncha know.

Listened to an interesting interview with the President of the Phillipines recently.

He's just discovered a dodgy contract signed between the government and some wealthy individuals which privatised Manila's water supply. Seems there is a clause in the contract that allowed these individuals to claim billions of peso's from the government if there was a shortfall in their profits. They deliberately restricted water supply to Manila to create a shortage leading to a rise in the cost of water. Profits is all, bugger those that rely on the service.

He was having non of that and ordered the faucet opened, they then send a bill for billions of peso's for lost profits.

We slander the Phillipines as a third world country where corruption is rife, but are we really much different?

The Phillipines president has ordered an examination of all contracts between the government and private entities, any that appear dodgy or incompetent will result in some serious jail time for the perpetrators.

Now think of the sale of Australia's airports to big banks and property developers.

Just who allowed the intent and terms of the airport act and head leases to be perverted to diminish the utility for the aviation industry in favour of the big end of towns profits, as our mate Bill was fond of saying?

Just who sat idly by as a independent government corporation ran rampant with hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars to produce a rule set that is not only incompetent, completely fails in what it was intended to do and destroys the very industry it was intended to regulate? all based on a myth of safety.

I've never been one for conspiracy theories, but I can't help but join a few dots and grow increasingly suspicious that we the public are either being manipulated by dark forces, or the level of competence and foresight of our Public sector is so bad that a thorough, external audit is required, and those responsible at the very least demoted, or dismissed or if corruption is proven some serious jail time.

Incompetence or poor judgement in our industry is an anathema, sooner or later the chickens come home to roost, why should we tolerate it those that administer us, and that doesn't just apply to aviation.

Cosy deals between developers, unions and regulators drives up the cost of building anything by more than 30% some say, sometimes significantly more than that, and that applies to State or commonwealth awarded contracts, ensuring any public project, that's anything paid for with our money, will ever come in On budget.

Evidence would suggest that the private sector is no better at managing vital infrastructure than the public sector. The difference is the profits do not go back into improving that infrastructure or provide capital for further infrastructure.

Privatisation is a scam, perpetuated by Governments, no doubt "advised" by Murky Mandarins either State or Federal, to ameliorate their incompetence at controlling their own budgets.

Consider all the so called privatisation of public infrastructure, have any of them resulted in better outcomes for consumers?

Think of energy, supposedly a state responsibility. When I became considered an adult the states built the generators, and the poles and wires and were the retailer. Modest profits went back to the government, which should have been spent on improving the infrastructure, rather than funding political wet dreams. The ethos was supplying a vital product at the best possible price to the people of the state who's taxes provided the funds to develop it.

Privatisation completely changed the ethos between the supplier and the consumer from supplying a vital affordable service, to maximising profits for the supplier. Breaking energy supply into seperate entities added to the consumer burden because the owners of each entity add their profit margins to the end product. Is it any wonder energy prices are going through the roof especially when the federal government heavily subsidises so called "renewable" unreliable energy, largely supplied by foreign entities, after intense lobbying and one would suspect large political donations subtly killing any investment in cheaper more reliable generation.

Think of water. It falls from the sky free, it belongs to everyone. yet the government put a price on it and created a water market open to any investor whether foreign or domestic, they require no land ownership nor interest in utilising their purchase, they do so for no other reason than profit. There is no requirement for them to sell entitlements, indeed they deliberately withhold selling them to create an artificial shortage much as in the Phillipines to drive up the price allowing precious water to flow past our farmers fields, unused and into the ocean because farmers cannot pay the uneconomic price. What bright spark mandarin dreamt up this little rort? Someone obviously so dumb to not recognise that greed and corruption would rule the day without checks and balances. At least the Phillipines president has the balls to call it out for what it is and move to hold those responsible accountable.

I could ramble on with further examples which appear somewhat dubious and therefore casts doubt on the competence of the public sector to manage the countries and states finances.

I could, of course be completely wrong and everything is Kosher, but I have a "K" itch that will not be scratched away.