“None of the above?”
Is this the most boring federal election ever? If so, it's the parties that are making the voter's choice seem dull.
Tammy's blog
Not Tammy's opinions. Just her team's.
Jeremy Rockliff’s stadium debt is no joking matter
In my debut address, I tackled the contentious Macquarie Point stadium funding, unveiling how creative accounting is stretching Tasmanians’ trust and budgets.
Anthony Albanese
Congrats, labor. Now don’t get carried away.
Congrats to the PM. He got it right. But a word of caution. Elections are a circus, good PR doesn’t fix housing, health or food prices and a win isn’t a mandate for an ideology war.
The tipping point:
This will be the first election in Australian history where the big two parties will poll fewer primary votes than the sum of the other parties and independents.
Smart growth or stagnation?
Tasmania faces a choice: grow smart or risk decline. Without urgent action on housing and strategic migration, the island risks getting bigger — but not better.
Jeremy Rockliff’s hot potatoes
Imagine if Premier Jeremy Rockcliff addressed the CommSec report on Tasmania's economic outlook with candid honesty?
“None of the above?”
Is this the most boring federal election ever? If so, it's the parties that are making the voter's choice seem dull.
Jots
What we're thinking about, but not for very long.
The future of the AFL
This story from the future serves as a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition and a white elephant of a Hobart stadium.
Nice isn’t enough
From the crisp air of Cradle Mountain to the bustling streets of Hobart, every Tasmanian deserves a voice that truly represents their aspirations and challenges.
A-Z of the federal election
The A-Z of this year's Federal Election.
Some Numbers
Most politicians won't tell you this kind of stuff.
(Which is exactly why we will).
Top 5 posts of this particular moment
The posts generating what the kids would call 'buzz', if it were 1995, in an order that should be obvious.
Internet age verification will have an effect, but not the one its supporters think
Supporters push it as a way to protect children. That's smart. Because the real reason is harder to sell.
Universities, ironically, are slow learners
Australia's universities are building castles in the sand with their international student marketing strategies. But at what cost?
Blog questions, answered
Everything you wanted to know about the blog, but didn't ask, or didn't want to know, but you asked anyway.
Most read |
Most discussed |
Most controversial |
|---|---|---|
|
|
 Jeremy Rockliff’s stadium debt is no joking matter
In my debut address, I tackled the contentious Macquarie Point stadium funding, unveiling how creative accounting is stretching Tasmanians’ trust and budgets.
|
 The future of the AFL
This story from the future serves as a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition and a white elephant of a Hobart stadium.
|
The tipping point:
This will be the first election in Australian history where the big two parties will poll fewer primary votes than the sum of the other parties and independents.
|
 Nothin’ doin’
As Tasmania stands at a crossroads of leadership and change, this speech marks a pivotal moment in the journey toward a stronger, more united future for our state.
|
 Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before
The Gunn's Plain pulp mill did for former Premier Paul Lennon. Is Jeremey Rockliff going to make the same mistake?
|
Jeremy Rockliff’s hot potatoes
Imagine if Premier Jeremy Rockcliff addressed the CommSec report on Tasmania's economic outlook with candid honesty?
|
Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before
The Gunn's Plain pulp mill did for former Premier Paul Lennon. Is Jeremey Rockliff going to make the same mistake?
|
Nothin’ doin’
As Tasmania stands at a crossroads of leadership and change, this speech marks a pivotal moment in the journey toward a stronger, more united future for our state.
|
 Magic money tree
Every time Canberra promises Tasmania money, remember this: it’s usually our own GST, gift-wrapped like it came from somewhere special. It’s not a bonus — it’s the bare minimum we’re…
|
 Stop feeding the fire
Housing proposals by the major two parties: the market can't fix what the market broke.
|
Stop feeding the fire
Housing proposals by the major two parties: the market can't fix what the market broke.
|
Smart growth or stagnation?
Tasmania faces a choice: grow smart or risk decline. Without urgent action on housing and strategic migration, the island risks getting bigger — but not better.
|
Magic money tree
Every time Canberra promises Tasmania money, remember this: it’s usually our own GST, gift-wrapped like it came from somewhere special. It’s not a bonus — it’s the bare minimum we’re…
|
Magic money tree
Every time Canberra promises Tasmania money, remember this: it’s usually our own GST, gift-wrapped like it came from somewhere special. It’s not a bonus — it’s the bare minimum we’re…
|
About the blog
A kinda boring, long read, for which we are deeply sorry
This is a small part of the site that isn't managed by Tammy. It's on her site, and it's there because she believes in giving you — and people like you — an insight into what we're working on.
That's not without risk. It's brave.
People could read this and attack us for thinking before we speak. They could weaponise what's here and use it against Tammy.
The fact that she's aware of that and prepared to have this here anyway tells you something about her, and what she values.
It also tells you a bit about why we're here, working for her.
There aren't many politicians who'd disagree that staff play a tremendously important role in the day-to-day operation of a politician's life. It's staff that answer calls, prep for meetings, help things tick along. Staff do the things that happen behind the scenes. If we're dong our job well, you don't notice what we're doing.
At least, that's always been the way things have been.
But is that the way things ought to be?
Because if staff are so important to the process, yet are unelected, and don't answer to the public, and don't have names or faces that are recognised, is that right?
It's genuinely an open question. None of us get into politics to be famous or get our names out there in lights (we use pseudonyms here, so if self-promotion was really the goal, we would be terrible at it). So we don't wish to be more recognised.
But ultimately we're working on your behalf. Our boss is an elected member of Parliament. She's the one who decides if we're here or if we're gone. She's the one who's elected. What she does with that platform, and that power, impacts on you. And we're the ones that are tasked with converting her passions and her priorities into meaningful impacts so that she can be as effective in getting things done as she can possibly be.
So to the extent that she's working for the public, we're working for the public.
That puts you in a position where you should probably get an insight into how we're doing that work. After all, we're doing it to help you. If we give you a look at what we're doing in the interest of helping you, and you tell us that it's a terrible idea, or there's a better way to do it, or that we're on a winner and to go harder, that's good for us. That helps us shape the work we do. For Tammy, and for you.
So here's where we give you that insight. It's a look at what we're working on, what we're thinking about, how we're responding to things that are happening in our worlds and how that is shaping the work we do for Tammy.
And its' a chance for you to have your say about it too.
The goal with the blog is for it to be a two-way conversation. We don't want to shout at you and tell you this is how things simply must be. We want you to tell us how you want things to be, how things could be better, and we want to work with you to make that happen.
So hopefully this brings you a bit of a look at the way we're doing that. And if you absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it, our inboxes are open.