Hung over in New South Wales...is there summat to learn following the state election-28 March 2015*

Hung over in New South Wales...is there summat to learn following the state election-28 March 2015*

NSW: The state of nothing

As the doost settles on Sunday it is obvious brand Labor (under Luke Foley) has taken a tonking. Now a 10% swing to Labor should be a good thing but not in this election, this political climate and that Labor were rebuilding on the scorched earth result of 2011-where they took a hiding for corruption and taking for granted the very electoral marrow they were set up to serve.

Smiling down in Canberra
-not hopeless now you left wing scum

Did Labor take for granted the Abbott factor would help sleepwalk them to victory? (The Bill Shorten approach). If so, the raft of Federal changes leading up to the NSW state election should have been a warning to get out and do some old style campaigning (and not the photo ops-depressingly similar between Labor and the Coalition (National/Liberals). I expected better from Luke Folley-who although a recent step-up to leadership-looked a promising breath of fresh air in his approach to a range of issues-but no passion, delivery, or fire in the belly. Its like Labor lack belief or faith in their electorates. In some areas, West Sydney, were they even listening to people? Seems not. Look closely at Mr Foley's result in Auburn- a 4% swing to the Liberals. Wake Up People! 

Two issues dominated the state wide concerns. Privatisation (poles and wires) and environment (seam gas/fracking/mines). if Lismore and Ballina go with Greens then this should be a wake up call in the regions of the National's heartlands. In the Inner West of Sydney add WestConnex and two possible seats to the Greens (Newtown and Balmain) as Labor did nothing to convince these robust, feral electorates that they opposed big car policies. (The too many cars on the road. I know we will build more car parks-I mean motorways and to use cardiology speak 'and clog up the arteries' policy.) No vision from Labor about making inner city liveable or infrastructure friendly such as through better, more focussed public transport, more green belts-in other words reduce the cars and let the city breathe. Come back the ghost of Tom Uren!

Where are all the indigenous issues gone
Been pushed out to the bush everyone
When will we ever learn...
Not mentioned in this election

And this was the problem for Labor. They don't have a dream. They haven't grasped that this is the time to rebrand themselves to being what they were created to be-a party of the left. They did not build on the community anger about the budget and the Federal (and right wing State governments) arrogance that there mandate was to destroy jobs, work place conditions and privatise everything they could for short term gain, while showing the electorate they too felt the pain by continuing to spend up at large on themselves. (MP/Senator wage increases were not kept to below 1.5%-political functions-some as dodgy as they come are still racking up food and wine bills that would keep the average family in groceries for a year if not two.)

Luke Foley could have spelled out why privatisation does not work and leads to loss of jobs. Because, it is never about delivering a service it is solely about profit and serving up a con job of smoke and mirrors, treating the public like muppets. "You are getting better services because we are competing" (See banks, petrol companies, the telcos and Quantas for reality checks).

Shood have binned the nice man!

Then they were up against Mike Baird-more John Key (NZ right wing prime minister since the dumping of Helen Clarke, not because she was bad but because the electorate was bored with a competent NZ Labour government-go figure) than Tony Abbott. Tefalon and a cleanskin. As someone said this morning, he will give you a nice smile as he fleeces you blind and you may not even realise you have been screwed until you are the only house left in amongst the concrete canyons, enjoying the fresh smells of motorways and thinking how peaceful it is with the jets roaring overhead 24 seven.

Belgo Geordie has a good long think about the state of carrots

So, what to do from here. Hope Labor gets Strathfield. Be prepared for four years of electorally mandated sell offs and big business slurping in the State trough. Casualisation of labour, reductions in penalty rates, and building roads and super development apartment blocks (how about a few more casinos). While we wait for a leader, male or female, with balls to come from the left (like Albo) and states what blind Freddy could see this election "LABOR IS BLOODY DIFFERENT FROM THE TORIES!" Say it loud, say it proud, say it like you mean it and for the sake of future generations, bloody well believe in it.
Thanks to all the comrades who worked so hard to get this show out to the people-for you I wish this had been a better result.

*Belgo Geordie is not allowed to vote given he doos not meet the criteria of being' a member of team Australia

Richard Thompson Live at Sydney Recital Hall Wednesday 11 March 2015...Down Where The Old Folks Roll

Richard Thompson Live at Sydney Recital Hall Wednesday 11 March 2015...with Taras Prodanuik and Michael Jerome

Down where the old folks roll....

Photo from Sydney Herald by Maria Boyadgis*

Richard Thompson has always been a bit of a hero to Belgo Geordie, being as we share some things in a common, sooch as, being' curmudgeons, not compromising, having' a talent for saying' the wrong thing in mixed company and being a bit of a charmer in a leg of lamb sort of way. But then the differences make their mark, Mr Thompson is a formidable talent, a cracking guitarist, a wordsmith with silver pen dipped in mixtures of spleen and compassion with a body of work which stretches back into the misty dawns of the sixties. In other words a man with a very formidable shadow. And despite having populated me i-pod with a rare selection of Thompson Tunes, I had niver had the fortunatcy to be in same room with the man when he did his thing...until tonight that is.

So pullin' up me braces and heading' out the door with me good wife, we took the train into the big smoke to see Mr Thompson strut his stuff. Now this City Recital Hall is a grand kind of place an' the wee girl in the ticket office said don't wander off to the pub mind, as Mr Thompson is on stage prompt on 7.30pm. No support for this man! Wish she had told the rest of the geriatric folk rolling in ten minutes after kick off and as Mr Thompson was belting his way through "I Misunderstood", with the oldies saying' 'scuse me as they crushed me toe with customised waking sticks, SUV walking frames and the occasional wheelchair. I thought they were saying sorry but they were joost saying get out of my way.
Anyway rising above the grumbling and shuffling was the man himself. The first hour was solo with miked up acoustic guitar, beret and a range of songs both well known and new and a good line of the crack between songs. Sea shanties, the rollicking invitation to sing-a-long to "Johnny's Far Away", elbowed in alongside the haunting, beautifully crafted Sandy Denny song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" and buggered if I know the answer to that meself! But he has a deft touch and it was a beautiful eulogy to his friend and muse too soon gone from this earth. The "1952 Vincent Black Lightening" was reprised down the ghost highway, the faint whiff of scorched leather and oil, notes falling from his guitar in sparks and flashes of spinning headlights; loves redemption at the dying of the light. All too soon the hour was up and it was the break with the slow shuffle, exodus towards the glass of wine with complan chasers.

The second half was electric. Not so much Dylan's parting with folk, more like Neil Young's recent performance. Uncompromising. Unwearied by age, edgy, pushing past the boundaries of the familiar. In short Mr Thompson playing as he wanted and in a way that showed he is no slouch on the axe. Ably supported by a drummer with ants in pants and hands (Michael Jerome) and a bassist (Taras Prodanuik) more in keeping with seventies late punk. And the electrics support medicine man sat in on a couple of songs-nice touch. But Mr Thompson's virtuosity is of the kind rarely seen emerging out of folk. No beardy calling on. he is comfortable across a range of styles. Light touch and thrash. Scouring, bitter-sweet lyrics mixed with homages. Walls of blistering chords alongside hauntingly aching melodies, "Al Bowlly's in Heaven", If Love Whispers Your Name' from "Dream Attic". Vocally he strangles a good song in a hoarse and chewed over style that is uniquely Richard Thompson. And although I preferred the first half, I would not have gone without the second for the breadth of talent displayed and generously shared with an audience gladly sat for a night in the palm of his hand. Sadly, not enough young 'uns were present to learn a thing or two, more is the pity. Again all too soon it was encore time and after playing his entire lexicon, it was home time and blearily, we stumbled and creaked out into the Sydney night sated and savaged. It was grand Mr Thompson and I thank you for that.

 *Dear Ms Boyadgis you are probably a cracking young photographer and I borrowed this image because not only was all permission to take photographs forbidden to us the audience but you, the 'professional' photographer, ran up and down the front of the stage taking yours and it interfered with the first song of each half...therefore consider the use of this image, your intellectual copyright, as a payment for infringing on me enjoyment of "I misunderstood".

Sydney 4 March 2015 Combined Unions March