the human league

You know how it is when you're trying to think of something...the right word...and then while you're concentrating on something else, it pops into your head? No? It happened today in the car park - the human condition! Very simple, we all know it, but that's what I think I have been, and want to be, on about. It can be flexible enough to allow my new focus on creative writing while still allowing occasional recidivism in relation to discussing these people. And their manifest shortcomings. Such as, for example...

There have been lots of articles this week on Workorwe'llwhipyouChoices and how it represents more regulatory overkill (hundreds of pages of regulations etc). Predictably, the outrage comes from here and here. That doesn't surprise me so much - recall how implementation of the GST - particularly the BAS - was similarly bureaucratically stuffed up to the extent that all sorts of programs had to put in place to help small business to cope. Classic bureaucratic behaviour, creating all sorts of work for more bureaucrats. But it also indicated that relevant Ministers weren't on top of their briefs and didn't understand the issues. Colour me surprised, not. The ACCI and BCA won't be happy until the statute book is put on a bonfire.

These competing claims about what the real effect of workchoicez will muddy the public perception of the legislation, even if recent polls show great antagonism. One thing you can bet on, the next election will feature lots of 'real-world' stories of the good and the bad.

As for the absolute bollocks being bandied about in relation to tax, the less said the better. The breathless announcement that the real work is being done by Treasury bureaucrats. Can you imagine Dick Warburton and Peter Hendy crouched in front their computers googling the OECD all night? Or that Treasury would ever let any report out that hadn't been through its internal blender?

Reverting to newer themes, a nice little vignette on the human condition was played out today by a workmate for whom I have immense regard but who is quite self-effacing (except when in his mobile loungroom). He once admitted that a former boss had told him he had no soul and that he'd allowed this to play on his mind. Today he was quite beside himself as he regaled me with the story of being told he hadn't got a particular job he'd been interviewed for but, apart from this bit of bad news, the feedback had been about all the things he did really well. The first time any supervisor had done so. We've all had 'em, and they seem to be in the majority by quite a long way? Now, why is giving someone lots of encouragement such a hard thing to do? It doesn't take anything away from the person giving the compliments, surely?