Podcast appearances and mentions of kim beazley

Kim Beazley urges the Albanese government to lift defence spending, Donald Trump rules out tariff exemptions for Australian steel and aluminium. Plus, Victoria's Covid response is slammed by the Human Rights Commission.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the significance of rare earths and critical minerals for Australia and its partners? How does Australia's conception of critical minerals differ from its partners? How do critical minerals lists reflect how those states view resource supply chains and vulnerabilities? With China currently dominating the rare earths value chain, how can Australia protect its interests in this space?In this episode, Hayley Channer and John Mavrogenes join David Andrews to discuss critical minerals and rare earths and the geopolitical landscape surrounding them. Hayley Channer is Director, Economic Security at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Professor John Mavrogenes is a Professor of Economic Geology at the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences. David Andrews is a Senior Policy Advisor at the ANU National Security College (NSC). TRANSCRIPTShow notes: NSC academic programs – find out more NSC's professional development program on rare earths and critical minerals Kim Beazley's call for a rare earths and critical minerals ‘Pillar 3' for AUKUS Jeff Wilson's paper on how the Quad could play a coordinating role in this space We'd love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nadia Budihardjo and Mark Beyer discuss 40 years of growth for local manufacturer Arbortech. Plus the latest on Kim Beazley at Diggers and Dealers; Greenpool eyes Vic Park Woolies; and the Higgins defamation trial.

In the 1980s the protest movement against Pine Gap continues and women especially don't want Australia involved in nuclear war and the protests get increasingly wild.

Labor admits to failing on immigration security and is forced to rewrite its soft rules, Sydney University caves in to the anti-Israel protesters. Plus, former defence minister Kim Beazley declares Australia is incapable of defending itself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherina McKenna (pictured) heaps praise on COP21 during an address to Columbia Climate School - "Catherine McKenna on Her Life, Work and Preserving the World for Future Generations"; "Ugly, treeless, hot: Push to force developers to plant trees in Melbourne's outer suburbs"; "‘Opportunistic' fraud and scams target disasters in a warming world"; "Ready or not, self-driving semi-trucks are coming to America's highways"; "Can We Engineer Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?"; "Energy giant sees hydrogen outshining nuclear in race to replace coal"; "A River in Flux"; "How we are using AI for reliable flood forecasting at a global scale"; "Can Flashy Music Festivals Go Green?"; "Australian music festivals are increasingly affected by climate change. But is the industry doing enough to mitigate its impact?"; "17 people taken to hospital during Ed Sheeran concert at Acrisure Stadium"; "Climate change makes heat waves, storms and droughts worse, climate report confirms"; "Nearly 100 injured as hailstorm pummels Louis Tomlinson concert in Colorado"; "The BBC, Guyana, and Untangling North-South Climate Complexities"; "How we are using AI for reliable flood forecasting at a global scale"; "Flash flooding possible as thunderstorms rumble towards Melbourne from the west"; "Weather tracker: Cyclone Gamane unexpectedly veers into Madagascar"; "How a Blind Oceanographer Studies Temperature-Regulating Currents"; "Too far or not far enough? These are Europe's most and least popular climate policies"; "Major storm to sweep United States with severe weather, snow, flooding"; "U.S. clamps down on oil and gas firms releasing potent greenhouse gas"; "BYD says plug-in electrics will exceed 50 pct of new car sales in China in next 3 months"; "Po Valley: Air pollution is causing serious health risks for more than 16 million Italians"; "2024 Must Be the Year for Exponential Climate Action"; "Kim Beazley urges Tanya Plibersek to reject Woodside LNG plant extension"; "Energy giant wrongly received thousands from welfare payments of former customers under Centrelink scheme"; "Labor's car plan shifts down a gear as voters lukewarm on carbon targets"; "Five climate megaprojects that might just save the world"; "El Niño will cause record-breaking heat across the world this year"; "There are growing fears of an alarming shift in Antarctic sea ice"; "First Wisconsin tornadoes in February: ‘It's an absolute shock' (photos)"; "Water now a major risk for world's supply chains, reports CDP"; "Environmentalists Sue to Block Expansion of New York State's Largest Landfill"; "Volcanoes Can Affect Climate"; "Australia's carbon credits system a failure on global scale, study finds"; "Labor's chance to protect youth over fossil fuels"; "The surprising reasons why Big Oil may not want a second Trump term". --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-mclean/message

George Broyles was one of the guests on the "Big Burnout", a webinar presented by ProPublica. Remy Shergill (pictured) talked about and explained how to accurately, comfortably and conveniently talk with others about climate change. Remy was a guest on a webinar presented by Vets for Climate Action entitled: "How to talk about Climate Change and Health". While discussing how to talk about climate change, Remy pointed towards the recently released toolkit from the 'World Health Organization". "EVs are coming, ready or not! Three columnists on Biden's mandate."; "Ideal Easter weather across southern Australia before outback soaking moves south"; "AGL and Cannon-Brookes want to make solar panels at former coal power station"; "Climate change could make 70% of global wine regions unsuitable for grape growing"; "Why investigators are looking into ‘dirty fuel' in Baltimore bridge collapse"; "Indoor farms are remaking the produce market — at a cost to the planet"; "Ross River virus: more than 1,500 cases recorded in Queensland as mosquito numbers spike"; "Vegetables are losing their nutrients. Can the decline be reversed?"; "Surge of new US-led oil and gas activity threatens to wreck Paris climate goals"; "Neurological conditions like strokes and dementia are biggest threat to global health, study finds"; "The ​‘clean cement' projects getting $1.5B in Biden admin funds"; "John Kerry's Four Decades of Raising Climate Awareness on the World Stage"; "U.S. clamps down on oil and gas firms releasing potent greenhouse gas"; "Why is the right at war with cyclists? We're not ‘wokerati' – we're just trying to get around"; "‘Everybody has a breaking point': how the climate crisis affects our brains"; "The greenest way to mine metals for batteries could be with plants"; "Emotional signatures of climate policy support"; "Climate Engineering: Doubling Down on Bad Habits"; "CERAWeek, Houston, U.S.A. Remarks by Amin H. Nasser Aramco President & CEO"; "Commission presents recommendation for 2040 emissions reduction target to set the path to climate neutrality in 2050"; "Explainer: Why some countries are aiming for ‘net-negative' emissions"; "In a New Orleans ward ravaged by climate change, leaders nurture the next generation"; "Biden promised to install thousands of EV charging stations. Only 7 have been built."; "How will climate change affect mosquito disease transmission?"; "We Need a Plan for the Transition to Renewable Energy"; "New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality"; "China opens WTO dispute against US subsidies to protect its EV industry"; "Yellen Warns China Against Flood of Cheap Green Energy Exports"; "UN body makes ‘breakthrough' on carbon price proposal for shipping"; "Publication: Distributing Carbon Revenues from Shipping"; "Nations Aim to Zero Out Shipping Emissions by Midcentury"; "Developed nations pledge $9.3 billion to global climate fund at gathering in Germany"; "IMO agrees possible outline for maritime “net-zero framework”"; "Mexico City's 21 million residents are facing a severe water shortage"; "Dangerous humid heat in southern West Africa about 4°C hotter due to climate change"; "Ocean temperature hit record high in February 2024, EU scientists say"; "UN weather agency issues ‘red alert' on climate change after record heat, ice-melt increases in 2023"; "Trump V2: An Environmental Nightmare?"; "What your fruit bowl reveals about climate breakdown"; "Sinking Coastal Lands Will Exacerbate the Flooding from Sea Level Rise in 24 US Cities, New Research Shows": "Geoengineering Faces a Wave of Backlash Over Regulatory Gaps and Unknown Risks"; "Kim Beazley urges Tanya Plibersek to reject Woodside LNG plant extension"; "Teresa O'Sullivan delivers 28 recommendations after two-year Black Summer bushfire inquiry"; "How fake gas frights and fanciful forecasts keep fossil fuels burning for longer"; --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-mclean/message

Widespread unrest broke out in Alice Springs on Tuesday, including an attack on a pub by people throwing bricks at doors and windows.

Kim Beazley, a former Labor leader and Australia's ambassador in Washington joins us to talk about Donald Trump's denigrating comments about Kevin Rudd, AUKUS and the Australia-Chinese relationship.

In this special Defence Connect Podcast, hosts Liam Garman and Steve Kuper unpack the findings of the government's independent analysis of the Navy's surface combatant fleet with former defence minister and ambassador to the US, the Honourable Kim Beazley AC. The trio begin by discussing the background and logic behind the review and how they shaped the findings the government ultimately released. They then move on to discuss the government's commitment to expand the number of surface combatants in the fleet and the emphasis on building out the “Tier 2” fleet alongside innovative capabilities, including autonomy. Finally, the trio discuss the balancing act required to deliver this ambitious plan and Australia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

The prime minister heads to Washington next week for a state visit. Talks between Anthony Albanese and President Joe Biden will canvass progress on implementing the AUKUS agreement, Ukraine, China and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, and of course the Middle East crisis. Biden will have just returned from his visit to Israel and will brief the PM on the situation, which has worsened by the day. In this podcast, Kim Beazley, defence minister during the Hawke government, former Labor leader, and former Australian ambassador to the US, joins The Conversation to talk about the Albanese visit and the international situation.

In this episode of the Defence Connect podcast, former Australian ambassador to the US and Opposition Leader, the Hon Kim Beazley AC, joins hosts Steve Kuper and Liam Garman to discuss the impact of the Defence of Australia policy and the role it continues to play in the modern world. The trio discuss: The geopolitical shifts in the late Cold War that went into shaping the 1987 Defence White Paper, best known for the formalisation of the Defence of Australia doctrine. The way in which the Defence of Australia policy continues to shape the Australian Defence Force and its force posture to this day. The end of the era of “warning time” and the important lessons Beazley learned during his time as the Australian ambassador to the United States. Finally, the trio wrap up discussing the rapidly changing reality of the world and some predictions ahead of the 2024 US general election. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

This week, the Australian Government released the Critical Minerals Strategy 2023 – 2030, which has four objectives, including building sovereign capability in critical minerals processing and creating diverse, resilient and sustainable supply chains through secure international partnerships. New ASPI analysis by the Honourable Kim Beazley and Ben Halton looks at the potential of one such partnership – AUKUS – to deliver on mineral diversification and address global supply chain vulnerabilities. The report ‘AUKUS and critical minerals' recommends critical minerals be added into AUKUS Pillar Two, and that AUKUS countries should work with friends and allies, consistent with Pillar Two's remit not being an exclusive arrangement, to create resilient critical mineral supply chains. Distinguished Senior ASPI Fellow Kim Beazley joins Dr John Coyne on the ASPI podcast to discuss the report's findings. Mentioned in this episode: ‘AUKUS and critical minerals: hedging Beijing's pervasive, clever and coordinated statecraft', new ASPI report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/aukus-and-critical-minerals-hedging-beijings-pervasive-clever-and-coordinated-statecraft Critical Minerals Strategy 2023–2030: https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/critical-minerals-strategy-2023-2030 Guests: Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne The Honourable Kim Beazley AC: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/honourable-kim-beazley-ac Music: "Think Different" by Scott Holmes, licensed with permission from the Independent Music Licensing Collective - imlcollective.uk

Between 2010 and 2013, Michael Cooney was speechwriter for Australia's 27th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard who was also its first female Prime Minister. Michael has written an excellent book about this experience, called 'The Gillard Project: My Thousand Days of Despair and Hope'. In this episode he talks about what a Prime Ministerial speech writer does, and shares interesting and funny yarns from the coalface of political power, including his trip to Washington for the Prime Minister's meeting with President Obama.  Episode contains clips from Prime Minister Gillard's address to Congress, her speech at the Gallipoli Dawn Service 2011, The Misogyny Speech, and her remarks on losing the leadership ballot to Kevin Rudd in 2013.  Michael now works at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers as the General Manager of Public Affairs.  Join Speakola newsletter here.  It's just $5 a month to be a paid subscriber.  Thanks also to those who are donors or Patreons.  This episode is sponsored by DocPlay. Sign up here for 45 days free on the world's best documentary streaming site, then if you choose to continue, $7.99/m.  Tony's personal writing blog is Good one, Wilson!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's West Aussie Great on 6PR Breakfast is Kim Beazley who told Gareth Parker what he learnt as Governor.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, we're thrilled to welcome His Excellency The Honourable Kim Beazley AC (Governor of Western Australia) on the show! Mr. Beazley speaks about his career, including his time as Australia's Ambassador to the United States of America, along with his thoughts on his home state, the evolution of news and politics and how technology shapes work and public discourse. Beyond Hemispheric Views (https://hemisphericviews.com), you can hear Kim Beazley AC on his own podcast, Conversations at Government House (https://www.spreaker.com/show/conversations-at-government-house). Thanks for your sympathy with the audio quality of this episode, as it was recorded with a different set-up from usual. Introducing His Excellency The Honourable Kim Beazley AC! 00:00:00 Kim Beazley (https://govhouse.wa.gov.au/about-the-governor/) Kim Beazley - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Beazley) The Queen (https://www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen)

Christopher Pyne sits down with Governer of Western Australia, Kim Beazley to reminisce about their times in politics, including the current nuclear power debate, the issues with the US voting system and the infamous Noodle Nation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to episode 100 of Policy, Guns and Money! To celebrate our 100th episode, ASPI's Executive Director Peter Jennings speaks to former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the Honourable Kim Beazley, Governor of Western Australia. They consider some of the key strategic events from the past twenty years, including the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan; the importance of the US-Australia alliance and ASPI's 20th anniversary. Mentioned in this episode: 'ANZUS at 70' report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/anzus-70-past-present-and-future-alliance Guests (in order of appearance): Mr Peter Jennings PSM: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Mr John Howard OM AC: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=ZD4 The Honourable Kim Beazley AC: https://govhouse.wa.gov.au/about-the-governor/

As the New South Wales COVID outbreak is set to peak and hospitals will be stretched to breaking point, why is the state's Premier pulling back from public appearances? The US President's mandating vaccination for all federal workers, should Australia follow suit with public servants? Twenty years since the September 11 terrorist attacks we speak with Former Australian Ambassador to the United States, who was opposition leader in 2001, Kim Beazley.

Bunga Bunga 67 surprises the world with a vision of hope, whimsy and frippery. Just what you need in these trying times. They could have used Kim Beazley as a battering ram.Tim Ferguson (insurrectionist) Learn where Kyneton is, experience the bass guitars of war and get yourself a decent super hero psychologist. Tim takes a... The post Bunga Bunga 67 – Tim Ferguson & Maynard appeared first on Planet Maynard.

"Biden wins more approval by doing it even if Afghanistan goes to hell in a hand basket."After almost two decades and over 2,300 dead US troops, President Joe Biden has given the order to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan. What are the new threats the US will be dealing with and how will leaving the job half-finished affect US influence abroad? And while CEOs complain about the Biden corporate tax hikes, the love affair between big business and the GOP is also going stale. Also talking gun control, "election integrity", Russia massing troops on the Ukrainian border, and the death of Prince Philip.Check out the new podcast as well for in-depth discussions, Pacific Conversations. First episode with former Labor leader and ambassador Kim Beazley out now.

Η αντίστροφη μέτρηση για τις πολιτειακές εκλογές της Δυτικής Αυστραλίας έχει ήδη αρχίσει με ένα αποτέλεσμα που είναι κατά πάσα πιθανότητα ήδη γνωστό.

Governor Kim Beazley joins 6PR's Oliver Peterson on Perth Live See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bookoccino's Jane Perlez (NYT) interviews Hugh White to discuss the role of a divided America and a rising China in the Asia-Pacific as well as many of the themes contained in his groundbreaking 2019 book "How to Defend Australia."Can Australia defend itself in the Asian century? How seriously ought we take the risk of war? Do we want to remain a middle power? What kind of strategy, and what Australian Defence Force, do we need? Hugh White AO is an Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre of the Australian National University in Canberra.

This is the only podcast where you will ever hear mentions of Kim Beazley, Bob Dylan and Dan Andrews' mum. Freindly talks about almost being run out of town and Busco tells the story of how he has been changing the world, one Mintie at a time. Plus there's a whole lot of other ramble about being counter-cultural and stuff.

Clooney or Pitt? Who would play Secretary Michael Pezzullo in the movie about the change he is driving in the Department of Home Affairs?In this week’s Work with Purpose, Secretary Michael Pezzullo draws on Hollywood inspiration to describe his ambition for the Department of Home Affairs, recalls how by age 11 he had already decided on a career of public service and that the achievements of his Rugby League career at Marist Brothers Kogarah as a hard working second or front rower were “modest but improving with years’’.In a revealing and at times personal conversation, Mike Pezzullo describes the journeys of his parents from post World War Europe to Australia, the inspiration he gets from working with our political leaders and his desire to leave the APS in a better place than when he started.If you are curious about what makes Michael Pezzullo tick, then don’t miss this week’s episode of Work with Purpose.He began his public service career as a Defence department graduate in the late 80’s before heading across the lake to the International Division in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.From there it was to a coveted position on the Ministerial staff of the then Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, before serving as the deputy Chief of Staff to the then opposition leader Kim Beazley.He was made Secretary of the Department in 2014 before taking on his current role Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs in 2017. Discussed in this episode:- An 11-year-old Secretary deciding he wanted to be a Public Servant- The Secretary’s COVID experience thus far- Assisting supermarkets supply systems- Team Australia coming together- The future of international education- Learnings from the Defence operations See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

First there was John Curtin, next there was Kim Beazley. Who is going to be the next leader from our nation's West? Julie Bishop gave us 30 minutes of her valuable time and told us about how she's adjusting to life as a backbencher and where the road leads now. One not to miss.

Western Australian Governor, Kim Beazley joined Misha Zelinsky to talk about Trump, Putin, China and how Australia can navigate the global rivalries that are fast emerging between our strategic allies and our regional trading partners.Governor might be his current job, but he was also the Australian Ambassador to the United States, Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Deputy PM of Australia, and also served as Defence Minister – quite a CV!*Please note we apologise for the quality of this audio. It was done in Government House in Perth, which is currently under extensive renovation. We'll do better next time!*

Former Labor leader and Deputy Prime Minister Kim Beazley with Tim McMillan.. 

Former Labor leader and Deputy Prime Minister Kim Beazley with Tim McMillan.. 

The Hon Kim Beazley AC is a former Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the...

The foundation of good government is good policy. But how does a Labor Government pick the right issues to fight on in order to deliver results and win elections?Michael Cooney was appointed Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre in 2014. Prior to that, he was Speechwriter to Julia Gillard, Policy Director at the progressive think tank Per Capita, and Principal Policy Advisor to Kim Beazley and Mark Latham.

The foundation of good government is good policy. But how does a Labor Government pick the right issues to fight on in order to deliver results and win elections?Michael Cooney was appointed Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre in 2014. Prior to that, he was Speechwriter to Julia Gillard, Policy Director at the progressive think tank Per Capita, and Principal Policy Advisor to Kim Beazley and Mark Latham.

In our second podcast from the Western Australian election, we talk to Kim Beazley, especially about One Nation. Beazley was federal Labor leader during Pauline Hanson's first political phase. He sees her as a national security threat and believes she should be opposed in the strongest terms. “We [in WA] are probably more conscious of South-East Asia. We do more trade with South-East Asia … with Indonesia for example. There's a strong propensity here to look very seriously at Indonesia. Lots of West Australians holiday in Indonesia. … The positions she is adopting pose to seriously damage a critical security and economic relationship. I think quite a lot of West Australians understand that,” he said. “The rise of One Nation, to my mind, ought to be greeted in much the same way as we greeted [Hanson] back then - to see it disappear as quickly as possible.” In this podcast, we also visited Rockingham, south of Perth, where we found mixed views about One Nation and more than a little general disillusionment. Polling analyst William Bowe, who's been watching the One Nation phenomenon, says their campaign has been “a bit of a shambles”. “I guess the question in this election with respect to how well they're going to go is: how much does that matter?” “Given the sort of experience of Donald Trump's campaign last year, I think there's an idea that these sorts of populist movements can get away with a great deal.” Finally, Dexter Davies, federal senior vice-president of the Nationals and a former WA state MP, strongly defends the controversial Nationals' proposal for a mining tax on Rio Tinto and BHP, which has triggered a massive campaign from the mining companies.

Kim Beazley's time as Australia's ambassador to the United States came to an end earlier this year, but he is riveted by next week's presidential election. “When I was the ambassador to Washington I just missed politics every day. In this year, I am missing the United States every day,” he says. Beazley tells Michelle Grattan that “slightly, on balance” Hillary Clinton is more likely to win. “But the anger, the energy, in this campaign is within one group and that is with the white working class - mainly male but also female - who feel that America is being taken away from them,” he says. “I see the election contest at the moment has the momentum with Trump.” He cites the reduced turnout of Democrat-voting African-Americans and the mire of the Hillary Clinton email controversy as factors in a possible upset. “One would have to say that if there is more of this over the weekend that the Trump momentum may well be unstoppable.” If Trump pulls off an unlikely victory, Beazley foresees huge challenges for Australia. “Were he to implement the policies that he talks about in regards to the Asian region, we would be confronting strategic damage and possibly economic disaster,” he says. Beazley says Hillary Clinton has a very favourable view towards Australia. “She sees us as a skilled, well-off and purposeful people and she will have things for our will and purpose and a lot of them may well involve decisions or topics that we're quite uncomfortable with.” “I think for starters she would be looking very strongly at a deeper integration of Australian and American forces in the region. She might be looking more vigorously than Obama has been at deployment of American aircraft from Australian bases and she'd in all probability look quite strongly at the possibility of rotating ships through [Royal Australian Navy base] Stirling.”

Michael Cooney was Julia Gillard's speechwriter for most of her time in office. He came to the job a true believer in every sense, with years of Labor experience behind him, including Policy Director to Federal Labor leaders Kim Beazley and Mark Latham. But this was the prime minister's office. The stakes were high and the game had changed. From mining to the economy to Afghanistan, Cooney wrote the speeches that helped to define the Gillard project: the prime minister's program and vision for the country. He was there at the coalface of decisions on the carbon 'tax' and the budget surplus; in the lead-up to the 'misogyny' speech and the 'we are us' Labor conference speech. He cried and laughed and swore as Australia's first female prime minister got through a record number of pieces of legislation in the time she had. This is his story, and hers.

Is there anything the Gillard government cannot handle competently? That socialist monopoly, the NBN, was born on the back of an envelope when communications minister Stephen Conroy managed to obtain an audience with Kevin Rudd on the prime ministerial jet . There is no cost benefit study and the billions - over $40 billion - are all off budget. They could pour $100 billion into the NBN and it wouldn't appear in the budget. It would have no effect on the surplus or deficit. What an appalling scam. The initial NBN plan was released in December 2010 by Julia Gillard. Kevin Morgan, who was the ACTU member Kim Beazley's advisory committee on telecommunications, says that plan is now in tatters. At the time, corporate advisers Greenhill Caliburn reported that “that, taken as a whole, the corporate plan for the development of the NBN is reasonable." That report cost $1.1 million. But the NBN has achieved only 9 per cent of its rollout target for homes passed by fibre and 3 per cent of the planned connections where customers are hooked up to broadband. Based on its initial estimates, by June this year 317,000 households should have been passed with fibre and 137,000 homes actually connected to a broadband service. Writing in The Australian on 7 August 2012 Kevin Morgan points out that fewer than 25,000 homes had been passed and fewer than 4000 connected. He says this is not just a debacle. Its an abject failure by NBN Co, especially in new (greenfield) housing estates. Lessr than 20 months after predicting that 172,000 greenfield premises would be passed and 132,000 connected, 0.6 per cent of the coverage target and less than 0.2 per cent of the active service target have been met. Kevin Morgan says many homeowners will have a long wait for new telephone services. But if NBN Co is failing dismally on delivering the fibre promised to 93 per cent of homes, he says it is at least making progress on its wireless and satellite services for the other 7 per cent. That's because NBN Co has little active involvement in building either. These have been fully contracted out, albeit at considerable cost. The average capital cost of the wireless and satellite services will be about $14,000. Given each service will yield less than $300 a year in revenues; these rural services will require ongoing annual subsidies of at least $3000 a year per service. In contrast, Optus and Telstra are building far faster new-generation mobile networks at a cost in the hundreds of dollars, not thousands, for each customer. To repeat, is there anything the Gillard government cannot handle competently?

Australians everywhere must understand one simple fact. John Howard inherited $96 billion debt from Labor. He paid it off - and produced a handsome surplus. But the Rudd and Gillard governments have been treating the national debt they created like some trade union boss’s credit card. The result is Tony Abbott will inherit three times as much as John Howard did. $300 billion of debt. And like any debt it will have to be repaid. By you - and your children. The Gillard government is trying to distract Australians from this by preaching class war. But these inner city elites hardly represent the working class. Labor legend Kim Beazley snr. revealed what was happening to that once proud working class party as long ago as 1970: “When I joined the Labor Party, it contained the cream of the working class. But as I look about me now all I see are the dregs of the middle class.”

Patrick O’Meara interviews The Honorable Kim Beazley, Australian Ambassador to the United States