The opposition wants his scalp. But Garrett is the government's human pink batt, insulating Rudd and his cabinet from the heat. For no other reason he's hanging on.
I find this quite incredible, but it was in Radio National's "Breakfast" this morning that the safety inspections on the suspect roofs will be carried out by the installers who did the original job!!!!
A recuring theme is the "abolish the states" idea.At least the home insulation debacle has put the spotlight fairly and squarely on the incapacity of Commonwealth bureaucrats to administer any national program, whether it be renewable energy, water conservation, aboriginal housing or just wisely spending taxpayers' money without most of it disappearing in administrative waste and graft.
God help us if the Commonwealth ever takes over the hospitals, as Rudd keeps threatening.
a candlelit dinner is vastly preferable to death...
...
I find this quite incredible, but it was in Radio National's "Breakfast" this morning that the safety inspections on the suspect roofs will be carried out by the installers who did the original job!!!!
Regarding the issue with metal foil insulation and electrical shock, it must be understood that there is a real possiblity that the outside parts of a metal roof, including painted metal such as Colorbond and including metal parts attached to the roof such as downpipes or TV antennas, may be live with mains voltage electricity due to incorrect installation of this type of insulation.
For your own safety, I recommend that you pay for your own inspection by a properly licensed electrician if you have any doubts about this issue and that you keep well away from the roof and anything attached to it in the meantime.
If you have any symptoms of electricity being where it shouldn't be, for example if anything in the house "tingles", then call your electricity supplier WITHOUT DELAY as you are at real risk if DEATH by electrocution. I can not stress this point too strongly. They might simply disconnect your power until you pay an electrician to fix the problem, but a cold shower tomorrow morning, no TV and a candlelit dinner is vastly preferable to death...
For non-metallic (foil) insulation, I recommend that you, someone you know or someone else that you pay takes a look at it, paying particular attention to downlights (MUST NOT be covered with insulation), around heater flues, wiring and so on. Also get them to check that the insulation has actually been installed properly while they're up there.
Personally, I wouldn't be trusting my safety to one of these "fly by night" insulation installers inspecting their own work. Check yourself or pay someone independent to check for you. (Make sure you turn the power off before going into the roof, just in case...).
Forget the politics and forget the cost - your safety and that of your family is the most urgent issue here. If you are concerned then either check yourself if you know what you're doing or pay a few $ and get someone to check for you. A nuisance and an expense maybe, but it sure beats needing a funeral...
Yes, apparently there is a two week course to become an inspector. Week one involves teaching the applicants how to lick their finger. Week two shows them how to apply it to metal foil insulation.
Oh.
I thought they were just going to use the tips of their tongues?
In what context did the Dear Leader make such an admission, Calliope?
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd accepts ultimate responsibility for the problems that have plagued his Government's failed insulation program.
His Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, has been fighting for his political life over the now axed insulation scheme that has been linked to four deaths and 93 house fires.
"As far as responsibility for any Government program, I, as Prime Minister of the country, am responsible for the good news, the bad news, the implementation of programs effectively, the implementation of programs that have problems," Mr Rudd said.
"As Prime Minister of the country, I take full responsibility for that that goes well and that which doesn't go so well. That does not exclude the debate concerning this program."
He really does have to do this. The insulation plan would have been a whole of government decision as part of the great stimulus, and as such - incompetent though Garrett has been - it would be too much loss of face for him to back down now. So if Rudd shares the blame, as it were, some of the heat goes out from under Garrett. For now.
Yep, I expressed outrage about this earlier.In today's The West Australian it says that so long as the installer hasn't been de-registered (or has re-registered) he/she will be allowed inspect their own work as part of the inspection program.
That is open to abuse on many fronts. If the installer has to correct the original work for free, then there is the incentive to report the original as satisfactory. If the installer gets paid for the corrective work, then there is the incentive to declare originally correct installations as faulty to generate additional work.
It's ok to commit fraud and tell everyone on ASF but it's not ok for dodgy installers to rort the Government's Home Insulation Scheme?
I don't get it - aren't you a hypocrite and a thief?
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