Not those people before politics!

At what point does it stop being the Lambie ‘Network’?

To let go one elected member of your political party is unfortunate. To lose three in the space of six months is vindictive. If this is the end of the Jacqui Lambie Network, it’s a sad, missed opportunity.

How do you go so quickly from being the underdog and taking on the established elite to not being able to work with people who are on your side? The whole situation smacks of somebody who has lost the plot.

If you surround yourself with an echo chamber and can’t listen to opposing views, you end up making mistakes. When these mistakes come thick and fast, you run out of people to blame.

You end up being seen as vindictive and fixated on an imaginary foe. And what you stood for in the first place comes low down the list of priorities.

Nick Duignan can’t do nothing

The recent industrial action between TasNetworks and its employees has highlighted just what’s in store for larger Tasmanian employers. Along with the ongoing parity industrial action by Saputo employees, TasNetworks are under siege from the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) for underpaying workers compared to their mainland counterparts.

The Minister responsible for TasNetworks, Nick Duignan, has stated he can’t intervene because it’s a federal thing. Fair Work. Nothing to do with me.

Meanwhile, Tasmanians are without power. So, it seems, is Nick Duigan.

Or is he?

As the state minister responsible for TasNetworks he could get involved, but clearly doesn’t want to throw a line into this dispute. 

Jo Palmer‘s hands tied

According to the Federal Minister for Education and Childcare’s office, she hasn’t picked up the phone to them.

Is it a case of passing the buck?

Maybe it’s not high on the list of priorities.

But when it comes to Education and Childcare in Tasmania, the buck stops with the state minister.  It’s a bit like Respectful Relationship and Consent Education in schools. Sex education, which this falls under, is not mandatory in Tasmanian schools. It’s something the Education Department see as a budgetary consideration by school principals.

Given this covers domestic violence and abuse towards women, why is this not a priority? And if these two examples aren’t high in the inbox, what is?