A building frame for a $1 million outdoor learning centre in southern New South Wales has come tumbling down.

No-one was injured when the structure collapsed at Kooringal Public School in Wagga Wagga yesterday.

A New South Wales Education Department spokesman says the incident is being investigated by Workcover and the contractor who is doing the B-E-R project.

A sign of things to come? A literal collapse of a school building built under the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program.

Fortunately, and unlike the Insulation program, no-one was injured. Though I suspect, if this gets any other media coverage, it could hurt a few political-egos.

Sylvestor

Mr Abbott has campaigned upon a platform of economic responsibility having built up a formidable armoury of bullets to fire against the Rudd/Gillard Government after a number of costly project fiascos. However, he appears to have badly misjudged the mood of the electorate on the issue of the NBN.

 Ben Shipley, the managing director of Brisbane-based telco Comscentre, typifies the mood of the powerful and influential Australian telecoms industry when he describes the Abbott Coalition plan as being from the “dark ages”.

“We’ve got a very clear and concise plan from the Labor Party but we’ve got nothing from the opposition except a threat to shut down the NBN,” Mr Shipley said.

“Are they going to throw away the billions that have already been spent and take us back to a Telstra monopoly, or are they going to do nothing and leave Australia like a Third World country?

 

It is truly in your hands! Will billions be wasted? No. Will the Coalition halt further development? Possibly. Will they follow their cause and sell off the assets to let business reap the benefits? Probably.

My question is, so what? Siimply through sensible competitive legislation and operational telecommunications frameworks, the work and investment being made by existing telcos will see Australia reach the milestones that the NBN have as its aims.

Can the Coalition deliver this? Of course. So can Labor. So what is the deal? Labor had the opportunity to fight the sale of Telstra many many years ago. Labor will reinvent existing notions, but then sell it off anyway. What? You don't think? Its in the NBN Business plan folks. Its a part of the framework.

But.

The real difference?

Censorship.

Labor will censor your access. And, if they succeed, it won't be repealed. It won't be taken back. Labor fought the introduction of GST at one point. Have they rolled it back? No. Of course not.

Want fast but censored internet? Or do you want to let business do its job? The fight is there, but don't be pushed in the wrong direction. Again!

Non NBN trials are already underway in real-world tests, using consumers, with consumer grade technology, including paired-DSL, cable and wireless. In some cases these tests are already seeing speeds of around 100Mbits/second. This is without the NBN in place.

Keep the internet you have? Or get the internet they want you to have? Its your choice.

Sylvestor

Results: Leaders' debate

Thanks for voting!

Who do you think won the debate?

• Julia Gillard 15.91% (356 votes)
• Tony Abbott 76.35% (1708 votes)
• Draw 7.73% (173 votes)

Total votes: 2237

Lots of talk about worms, women, gender, caring, humour, positivity, negativity, moving forward, moving backwards and twirling, constantly twirling (okay okay, so that one is mine - just seemed appropriate!).

Who won? Does anyone really care?

Newspoll is out today. Its back to where it was when Kevin Rudd was dumped. Should Gillard be concerned? No, of course not, it wasn't about newspoll results last-time.

What do I think? Personally? My feelings are that I probably have a greater understanding of what to expect under a Coalition government. Another term of Labor leaves me wondering, what will be next? Where will we go? What good/bad/damage will be done?

It would seem, the current government leaves me pondering a lot of what-ifs. The opposition seems to leave me considering a 'safer' choice. Its certainly an unusual situation we are in. Since when is an opposition considered the 'safer' option?

And to be honest? Me, my partner, our lives, are still being impacted by the economic downturn of recent times. We don't own school-children, or have concerns over who funds our local medical centre. We are not retiring, not for a long time to come. We don't own a bomb (read: car), and we are already participating in a much more active move toward actually helping our environment! (When was the last time YOU planted a water-wise tree?).

What's in it for us? I will certainly want to return to some level of stability, economic, financial, political; frankly.

So who won the "great debate"? Neither won anything really. Has the debate infuenced my views? Yes, it has strengthened my existing views!

I have to add though. It would be nice to see more, face to face, direct, open and frank debates from our leaders. One "leaders debate" really doesn't make a difference. C'mon Julia, take up the challenge! 

Sylvestor