31. The SA Election

Hi. I am Greg and I want to grumble about the state election.

I am not going to grumble about the fact that we don’t know the result yet – it is frustrating, but it is a small inconvenience and won’t impact on the future of our state.

Nor am I going to grumble about the misreporting of the campaign with weeks or months of media commentary about a safe Liberal win. It does make me wonder what the analysis of the journalists and pundits is really worth, but I suspect they were not alone in this instance.

And I am not going to grumble about standing at a polling booth for ten hours in a desperate attempt to get maybe one or two more votes for the candidate I was supporting. Possibly pointless, but if we ban how-to-vote handing out, then we might simply reinforce the power of the major players who dominate the media coverage. As much as I hate them, the same might be true of the core-flute street posters.

I could grumble about the numbers of people I saw on Saturday who complained about having to vote, didn’t know who was running and were indifferent to the result. Yes, their votes carry the same weight as anyone else’s, but I won’t grumble about that because voluntary voting would just magnify the power of marginal groups at the expense of a real representation of community opinion. And perhaps complete indifference is as legitimate a democratic position as any other.

Finally, I am not even going to grumble about the fact that the party that got the majority of votes has not necessarily been elected. The only real way to stop that would be not have local electorates, but that would make government very distant and unresponsive. And if government was truly proportional to the vote, there would always be minority government.

That said, I would not necessarily grumble about minority governments either, because, in recent times, at both state and federal levels, minority governments have proven stable and had good legislative records.

So all in all, I don’t have much to grumble about in this election. Ok, the upper house electoral system still needs reform, it would be nice if the media and the major parties didn’t treat it like a presidential contest, if the campaign events were less scripted and if more issues and voices were heard, but given all these systemic constraints, the election was ok.

I am Greg, and I am obviously getting soft!

This Grumble can be heard online or by podcast.
First Broadcast: 18 March 2014

30. Things British

I am Greg and I want to grumble about things British.

On Monday next week, after searching the diversity of world music, WOMAD will present us with (groan) British folk music! - albeit in the iconic form of Billy Bragg.

Despite sometimes dubious gender politics and a more recent country twang in his music, Bragg has been knighted by the left, partly because of his articulate opposition to the brutality of Thatcherism in the late ‘70s, but also for giving us some decent words to the Internationale.

But there is bigger British news. A royal visit!  William, Kate and what’s-his-name coming here – to see us! I have already begun practicing bowing and tugging my forelock.

And better still, their most esteemed personages will visit Elizabeth – a town whose name pays homage to one ruling institution and its economic base to another.

However Elizabeth (the town not the corgi-owner) is doing it tough at the moment, so the distraction will be welcome as the young royals drop by to cheer the local spirit before disappearing to continue their world tour.

But beyond music and sycophantic flag waving, and sandwiched between the boom of V8 engines and the froth of various festivals, there is a celebration of a much greater British institution – a democratic election.

The South Australian state election. Does anyone actually know what policies are at play beyond sound bites about alleged economic miracles or basket-cases? Who will really help those struggling in Elizabeth or elsewhere?

The lack of policy detail and analysis is disappointing, and as usual we get almost no reporting of the Upper House so it’s a surprise when some marginal player we have never heard of flukes a seat.

To paraphrase Billy Bragg: the best of all this bad bunch is shouting to be heard, above the sound of personalities tweeting.

I am Greg and I am grumbling.

This Grumble can be heard online or by podcast.
First Broadcast: 4 March 2014

28. Pay Day Lending

Hi, I am Greg and I want to grumble about pay day lending. Maybe I spent too much time over summer watching sport on TV, but I got sick of being bombarded with advertisements offering me nimble loans or shouting CashTrain. I could also see a cash wizard, and if I couldn’t sell junk to Cash Converters I could perhaps get a loan there. So much cash available so easily (loans approved in less than 60 minutes).

Payday lending, that is, short term loans for relatively small amounts may be useful to get tide you over a cash shortage if something sudden comes up, but as Humphrey Bogart famously said in Casablanca, “for a price Ugati, for a price”. And what a price it is – interest rates equivalent to 48% per annum interest, plus an establishment fee of around 20% of the loan sum. Using one company’s loan calculator, a $500 loan for just over two weeks would cost more than a $120 bucks. And then there are extra charges if you change the term of the loan, or make late payments, or if they have to send you follow-up letters.

Of course, it is good that these fees are disclosed clearly on the company websites, but it is a bit nauseating when the companies trumpet that they are being upfront and that there are no hidden fees and charges. The disclosure is required by law and they don’t mention that their fees are often the maximum permitted by law. Or that the payday lending industry fought tooth and nail against better regulation and caps on when they were introduced a couple of years ago.

Despite the advertising, they’re not my best mate – my best mate wouldn’t charge me effectively 25% interest on a short term loan. But that is the point, people who are better off usually have access to credit or other financial resources. And those that don’t pay a premium for their poverty.

But maybe it is all ok. If I get into financial trouble, there is another whole series of adverts with the extremely rich Tammy May telling us that My Budget will sort out my finances – and add to hers.

There are better ways to help people struggling with sudden bills and cost of living pressures, but with private interests cashing in on poverty, I can only wonder how long it will be before charities’ financial counselling and assistance programs are seen as “anti-competitive”, or government funding of services is accused of crowding-out the private sector.

I am Greg and I am grumbling.


This Grumble can be heard online or by podcast.


First Broadcast: 11 February 2014

27. Biases and lots of other things

Hi, I am Greg and I want to grumble about lots of things! As the political year ratchets up, there has been so much to grumble about in the last week or so. There was our PM attacking the ABC for reporting asylum seeker claims of abuse, followed by a litany of Coalition MPs complaining (again) about the Labor-Green bias of the ABC – in the same week that our national broadcaster aired serious corruption allegations against building unions. But why is it that the scandal is about dodgy people in the unions, but not also the dodgy builders who paid them the alleged bribes. Sounds like bias to me.

Then there was Andrew Bolt complaining (Advertiser, 30 January) about racism and claiming to be indigenous (he really doesn’t understand race or structural power does he?). And on Mr Bolt’s other favourite subject, what about the weather? Another record heatwave to follow the all-time hottest year in Australia last year. It’s unpleasant, but at what point do we move from a discussion of weather to one of climate change – or is that a biased question?

Apparently not biased however is the recent government appointment of another of the diaspora of the right-wing think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs. This time it was Ted Lapkin to assist in dismantling the national charity regulator that was set up just 18 months ago with support from the sector and on recommendation of about a dozen official inquiries.

And on the other side, what are we to make of the current state Labor Party TV adverts with the normally calm and thoughtful Jay Weatherill bouncing around unnaturally like a cross between Peter Garrett and a thunderbirds marionette. Given that he is trying to convey the achievements of his government, it’s a distraction which says again that the political image-masters are valuing impression over substance – and doing it badly at that. And then along came Don Farrell. Hmmm.

Meanwhile, across the border the WA government is sanctioning the slaughter of sharks and the NT government is shooting crocs in bloody retribution against innocent creatures. As we sprawl into their territory and tame or kill whatever confronts us, I am left yet again to wonder, how much room are we to leave for the other 99.999% of the planet’s species?

So much to grumble about, and so little time. I am Greg and I am grumbling.

This Grumble can be heard online or by podcast.
First Broadcast: 4 February 2014

13. Payroll Tax

Hi, I am Greg and I want to grumble about tax, and payroll tax in particular. Taxes are never popular, but payroll tax is particularly unpopular, being labelled as a tax on employment. However, given that it helps pay for vital state government services, the Productivity Commission speculated that it might be better accepted if it was called a hospital or schools levy.

But in any tax debate, we have to remember that Australia is not a high taxing country by world standards – the 4th lowest in the OECD, and South Australia is not a high taxing state. As a share of the economy, state taxes are about the same as the national average, and per head of population state taxes in South Australia are $300 a year less than the national average.

However, state taxes – especially payroll tax – have long been a bugbear of business and this week the Liberal Party promised a big cut in payroll tax from 2015 if they are elected in March.

I think payroll tax does need an overhaul, but I am not sure I would have done it the way the Liberals have proposed. They are not promising to cut the rate of tax, just to raise the threshold for when businesses start paying the tax. 8,000 more businesses will be exempt from the tax, but any threshold creates a tax disincentive for businesses expanding over the arbitrary threshold. I would have preferred a broader based tax with a lower tax rate for all businesses.

But I also think that simply playing with rates and thresholds is a missed opportunity for tax reform. One of the biggest problems facing workers today is insecure work. Far too many people are struggling on short term contracts or in casual employment. This creates uncertainty and stress for staff, and limits their ability to access loans, housing and to plan and build a secure life. If payroll tax relief is called for, wouldn’t it be better to offer it to employers who offer more secure forms of employment than to employers who maintain workers at the margins but who sneak in under an arbitrary threshold?

Obviously this proposal needs discussion and modelling of its effects – not least because many low paid casuals rely on the loading in their pay to make ends meet. But if we are going to have an election based just on cutting taxes, then I am going to grumble.

And looking at the opening pitches of the election campaign, I am Greg, and I am grumbling.

This Grumble can be heard online or by podcast at https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/gregs-grumbles-13/

First Broadcast: 29 October 2013