Section 51, subsection 29 of the Constitution gives the Commonwealth power to legislate if a Commonwealth law implements an external instrument or treaty. There are Ramsar listed wetlands in the Murray Darling Basin. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. As the DEWHA website boasts, “Australia was one of the first nations to become a Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention”, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. So how about we use it? The Feds could legislate straight over the top of the states and simply take control of the Murray Darling. A High Court challenge from the states would not only fail — it would bolster the Federal Governments’ electoral stocks. Ramsar might be a “green” convention but its evocation would secure Australia’s future food supplies — and the livelihoods of all the National-Party voting irrigators in the Basin. Who wouldn’t happily run on a platform of securing Australia’s future food supplies? And what a lovely wedge against the federalist tories in the Basin.

While no friend of ‘boring as batsh-t’ Radio National (even though it was her extremely well paid job to be so) Sue Howard should not take the blame for the current debacle over changes to the network’s specialist programming. In fact, the plans to make significant changes were signalled way back towards the end of 2007 when program makers were told by the current RN ‘executive’ that if the network was to expand its online presence (not to please Ms Howard but to impress Mark ‘Mr Digital’ Scott) some on air programs would have to go. This was not an instruction from above, it was the RN managers way of trying to avoid being told what to do. Most of 2008 was then taken up by an unseemly power play as those with clout and connections made sure their dominions were immune. So, convenient though it may be for ‘Dr’ Jane Connors et al to allow us all to blame Sue Howard they are complicit — up to their armpits.

I see The AFR ‘Smart’ Investor ‘Outlooks Special’ is on the newstands, offering to tell us ‘How to Make Money in 2009’. Before your readers go spending $8 to take the AFR’s advice on getting rich, perhaps they should look at the January 2008 issue and reflect on what the market geniuses were predicting back then. Five analysts (Sally Auld of ANZ, John Edwards of HSBC, Bill Evans of Westpac, Craig James of Commsec and Jonathan Pain of HFA Asset Management) were asked their forecast for the S&P/ASX 200 index by the end of 2008. All of them forecast the index to rise by 10 per cent to around 7000 by year end (the ubiquitous Craig James was predictably the most bullish, predicting a level of 7550). As it turned out, the S&P/ASX-200 was down 43 per cent to 3581 as of December 18, half the level predicted by the AFR’s panel of “experts”. Of course, they will defend themselves by saying they had no idea what would transpire this year. But isn’t that the point? It must be as plain as day to anyone by now that it is pointless trying to forecast equity or currency markets. (Oh, the magazine also ran a feature on stocks that would benefit from a strong $A). Why do we continue to give these ridiculous magazines and their silly talking heads credibility? Surely, they have none left?

CBA’s Institutional and Markets division are laughing. CBA has announced that they will be “rewarding” staff with new titles. Today staff were sent a letter announcing the “recipients” of the new titles. These include such titles as “Executive Vice President” “Vice President” “Manager” and “Analyst” etc etc. The BIG deal here is they do not carry any extra remuneration, but are to “reward” people internally. Question here is why the CBA would bother following a silly American Idea especially in IB and M (an area that contains not only the “smartest in the room” but also the most cynical).

Legendary and elegantly literary foodie John Lethlean quits The Age.

Overheard at dinner tonight — the Rudd Cabinet, in approving the appointment of Justice Virginia Bell to the High Court, divided along state lines. The Victorian members of the Cabinet pushed for the controversial appointment of a solicitor — Ros Grady, the current managing partner of Mallesons Stephen Jacques in Melbourne. They were outvoted, and so Justice Bell is the appointee. Look out for Ros Grady when Ken Hayne (a Victorian currently on the High Court) retires.

The new MD of Victoria Legal Aid (VLA), Bevan Warner, in his first internal management decision communicated to his staff (not directly, mind you, but through his underlings) has axed the VLA practice of finishing work at lunch time on Christmas Eve. Why do you care? VLA lawyers provide vital legal representation to those otherwise unable to obtain their own lawyer. VLA is under intense funding pressure, particularly in family and child representation. The lawyers who work there, motivated by the principle of access to justice, earn significantly less than they could earn in the private sector. Question: Is knocking off at lunch time on Christmas Eve going to adversely affect the people that VLA represents? Answer: No (no VLA lawyer I know would allow it). Question: Is this decision going to affect the services that VLA provides in 2009? Answer: Yes. Morale at VLA is at an all time low. Expect more quality people to leave the organization due to bureaucratic meanness. The rewards for VLA staff are modest in comparison to the industry sector. Is Mr Warner under instruction from Treasury Place to chisel away at staff entitlements?

Banks have been offered a simple measure to help address the spate of gas-fired ATM robberies in recent months – a small device that detects changes in air quality, activating an alarm (or flamethrowers, etc). Rather than spend any money, the banks have instead opted to hope police can shut down the gangs instead. Experts say it is only a matter of time before one of the thieves kills themselves, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

Origin Energy has just told staff that back office customer management support and credit department jobs will be sent to India in four waves starting from March and finishing in November. This will result in lost jobs for about 400 staff in Adelaide and Melbourne. This is a result of a recent agreement OE entered into with Indian company Wipro to provide a plan for ‘retail transformation’. Call centre jobs will be kept in Australia to keep the illusion that the company is supporting Australian jobs.