The New Premier of Tasmania

David Bartlett resigned, and now there's a new Premier of Tasmania.  I think she was Bartlett's deputy?

Anyway, I think I shall try to find out some stuff about her.

There's this article.

The new Premier's name is Lara Giddings.  During my childhood we had a family friend named Lara. She'd play the guitar and sing us a song about diarrhea.  

Giddings is the same age of me.  It's weird to be the same age as political leaders.  I still feel like I'm twelve.  So in that sense, now it seems like Tasmania is being run by a twelve-year-old.  Hopefully, Giddings is more mature than me.

Oh!  Bartlett resigned to spend more time with his family.  That's really sweet.  I like that; putting fatherhood above your career.  Although sometimes people have other reasons for not wanting to do something, and they use their family as an excuse because it makes people like me say Oh that's so sweet! 

I'm going to assume though that Bartlett really DOES want to have more family time. And that is awesome.

Giddings became a Parliament Member when she was twenty-three.  The article says she became Australia's youngest female MP.  Is that youngest ever, or youngest at the time?

What does Lord Wiki say about Giddings? 

Goodness. She is REALLY close to my age.  She's only eight days older than me.

She was born in Papa New Guinea. 

She went to the University of Tasmania, and studied law.

Where is the University of Tasmania

Hobart. Okay. I was just curious. 

I'm really eager to go to Hobart.

Here is Gidding's 1996 inaugural speech.   I shall read it.

Oh. It's SO boring.

No, I'm joking. I haven't even started reading it yet.

The font is really small though. I forgot how to make it bigger. 

Oh shit.  She did this speech only a few days after the Port Arthur Massacre.  What a time to join a government. 

Giddings says, Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sure my colleagues on both sides of the House would agree that we must be possibly the saddest people to have made their inaugural speeches on the Floor of this House. The events of 28 April at Port Arthur have overwhelmed the people of the Tasman Peninsula, the people of Tasmania, indeed all Australians and they have overwhelmed me.

It reminds me of what's been happening in America lately. And it also reminds me of the floods

If a politician talks about tragedy, there's often accusations of them using the disaster for political gain.  And sometimes there are merits to those accusations. But then....how can you NOT talk about it?   Then it would be like the elephant in the room thing.

Giddings talks about the gun control issue.  I don't know.  If you hear of innocent people being massacred by gunfire while going about their normal daily basis, how can you NOT want more gun control?  Well, I know some people do feel that way.  I won't pretend to understand them. 

Now she's moved on to talking about youth issues.   It's harder for youth to find a job.   She says, Few people can leave school today and walk into a job. We are therefore left of the legacy of 40 per cent youth unemployment. The problem of youth unemployment cannot be simply solved by continuing secondary and tertiary education. We know that it is not just the unskilled and semiskilled jobs that are disappearing. We all know of people who are overqualified for the work in which they are employed, a disheartening experience for those who have put hard work into years of study. But it is not only sad for the university graduate who drives the taxi cab, it is also sad for the less educated person he or she displaces who could not be a teacher or a scientist or an archaeologist.

I agree. It's all very sad.

What is the solution?  I don't know.  But I don't think America has it right when they push the message that staying in school will bring success and happiness.

This is what I wonder.  Several months ago, someone sent me a link showing that those who finish a degree are more likely to have good jobs.  My question is this. Does it really mean that these people are more qualified than those who did less schooling?  Or are companies and organizations brainwashed to hire people who have the "right" type and amount of education?

I loved the scene in The King's Speech that deals somewhat with this issue. It's probably one of my favorite parts of the movie.   

Since universities make a ton of money by keeping students there for a long time, might they be helping to brainwash companies into believing all of this?   

I personally believe we should have more on-the-job type training and less look-I-have-a-fancy-degree-from-a-fancy-university.

I have TWO degrees.  Cool.  Huh? I learned much more from living life and reading books.  Hell, I probably learned much more from watching television.  The Internet is a great learning tool as well....obviously.     

One of Gidding's proposed solutions is something called job sharing.  I'm not sure what that means?   Maybe you work part-time, and someone else does the job for the other part of the time?  

Yep.  Lord Wiki says I'm right about that. Cool.

It makes sense to me.  I think it might work especially well with people who have young children.    Let's say a mother wants to stay home with her child, but she doesn't want to lose touch with her career.   It would be great if she could go to work part-time.

 Giddings criticizes our exaggerated materialistic culture.  Yeah. I think it's definitely a problem. I have a feeling it's going to get worse, and not better.

This speech is kind of ironic....or maybe it's more like foreshadowing.  She talks about job-sharing and how it would provide more employment AND give people more time with their families. Now fifteen years later, she has gained the Premier job because the old Premier has resigned from a job that didn't allow him enough time with his family.

Giddings says she supports Richard Flanagan's idea of having a film company in Australia.   I never knew about that.  Did the idea ever come to fruition?

Okay. I'm done reading the speech. It was well done....not boring at all.