Outright Lies #5

OCT 2008 - Please travel here for updates: Exclusive Brethren vs the Greens

The Greens are claiming the EB brochures are filled with outright lies. I'm having a look at the claims, one by one, to see how the EB may have formed their opinion.

Outright Lie #5: Add 4 new Government ministries, 6 agencies and 5 commissions - more bureaucrats including a resident artist

Well, the Greens have proposed a number new government agencies. They have also proposed rebranding agencies (Health Dept becomes Ministry of Wellness) and increasing the scope of agencies (Electricity Commission becomes Sustainable Energy Commission).

The key point in rebutting these "lies" seems to be that adding a few extra staff and creating the odd extra agency is really not a big deal. The thing is, changes in policy and establishing new directions is always a big deal, with flow on effects from computer systems, new directives, office space etc. I'm not saying the changes might turn out to be productive, but wouldn't that be a refreshing approach to hear from the party that promises to "talk straight" with us? On one hand they say they are going to reform government to make a difference, and that requires some changes and additions to the bureaucracy, and on the other they are now saying "the changes are so small its hardly worth mentioning". Really, why bother having any policies then if you keep oscillating between denial of serious policy, and then saying you are going to make changes. Maybe if they produced some exact costings we could decide how important it will be to change the letterhead and set up a few new agencies?

Verdict: They are beginning to sound like weasels.

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