Victorian Premier John Brumby has shown that politicians don’t always need to spend a lot of public money to capture the public imagination.
A simple and relatively inexpensive announcement – sending kids to the Army or CFA or whatever for a couple of weeks – has provoked much talkback and online discussion today.
We haven’t loved a lot of JB’s campaign so far, but this is a killer. He might – finally – after hundreds of announcements and billions of dollars on various unmemorable things have struck a chord with Victorian parents hoping their best for their kids.
The Libs were riding high this week after their brilliant and bold decision to put the Greens last and make the entirely valid point that if you vote Labor you could be getting a Labor-Greens government and that if you vote Greens you could be getting more of the same. It’s been a brilliant vindication of a decision the Libs should have made – and announced – months ago while challenging Brumby to rule out a Greens coalition.
But credit to both men where it’s due.
And of course, Liberal campaign spokesman David Davis didn’t miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. He thought toughening up Victorian teenagers with a couple of weeks of true-grit tough-love learning was a “bizarre gimmick.†The Libs should send him to first available gulag. After the election, we suspect they will.
Rumour has it Michael O’Brien didn’t attend Ted Baillieu’s campaign launch. Some Liberals believe – if Baillieu doesn’t quite get there – that the dour and earnest individual will be ready to take up the leadership, most probably in combination with Mary Wooldridge, normally considered to be part of Baillieu’s wet lefty Liberal tendency.
VEXNEWS (Archive) 
Actually – I beg to differ. Its basically telling every parent in Victoria that they aren’t good enough to teach their own children respect and ‘life skills’. Patronizing and disrespectful – at least that’s what I’m hearing from my friends with kids.
Andrew you are kidding. This is the most hair brained election loosing scheme that anyone could ever think of. what are some of the messages “they have these in elite private schools so kids in State Schools need this” – is being constued as “kids in state schools are worse behaved”, already pissing off some parents at my kids schools. Forgive m, but they send the Xavier kids on boot camps and it does fuck all to make them better people. Heres another one, there is problems with bullying and violence with school children, so we will place them under the care of the armed forces which have worse issues with bastardry, bullying and sexual harrasment. There were some bloody good elements in yesterday’s education package and they have all been lost because of this steaming pile of shit of an idea.
considering that you can be carjacked at knife-point in Wantirna by some acen faced punk i don’t think it is at all a bad idea, but if its part of school then why not.
That’s a masterstroke? Masterstrokes aren’t what they once were.
Interesting that Brumby’s experiences teaching at state school taught him about the value of a year nine camp, but not his experiences at Ivanhoe and Melbourne Grammars where the already have year nine camps. Come on, Brumby. Come out loud & proud – “Yes! Yes! I went to Melbourne Grammar!”
I’d love to be Squadron Leader at the boot camp surronded by all those lovely strapping young men.
Oh b-llsh-t Andrew. I love your blog, and I’m fine with it being a propaganda arm of one ALP faction because, in serving that faction’s interests, you come out with some great stories.
But not this spinning for this gimmick. You must have cringed with embarrassment as you were posting this.
O’Brien was there at the launch.
More like a desperate move by a desperate leader.
Kennett would approve.
Andy please this is crazy stuff indeed….
Type the words ‘died school camp’ into Google and see how many results show up. Reasonable or not Brumby owns every-one of them from now on….
Come on you lot – fall into line!
Coincidence that this policy was released after the Libs made their Green announcement? Target parents and the burbs and forget the inner city…
Your picture is of well behaved school cadets which is different to “boot camp” for young people that need re-education or disciplining and both are good ideas. Jeff Kennett want all teens to do school cadets.
Drunk and disorderly adults on the streets; then the police should put them into an outdoor pen in a park over night then at 5am onto a train to Seymour, a force march to Puckapunyal (sorry no buses) and a months boot camp in the state forest (sorry no barracks or canteen either).
This shameful…. shameful that this was the centrepiece of Labor’s campaign launch. They must really be out of ideas.
I thought there were issues like public transport, police numbers, bushfire response, ambulance, healthcare, schools & education, jobs & the economy, and clogged roads, as well as planning that were pressing issues.
Obviously I was wrong, because this is such a “masterstroke”.
This would have to be the only “media” giving it any favourable coverage…
It dose not matter what Brumby promises we will all be giving him the boot. It’s too late now. Voters have had enough of hollow promises from the Labor party. And i know this for a sure fact that each and every swinging voter who have had a gut full of Labor wont be swinging voters anymore. Because i know and everyone would agree with me that they and myself will never again ever vote Labor ever again. The Labor party will be a spent force. Because each and everyone of us know that only a Liberal government can deliver, and will never let us down. P.S. Watch out for all the up coming younger voters with all the extra information they now have through the internet the Liberal party will be the strong force. And it would be an insult to us voters and the up coming younger voters to vote for anyone else LONG LIVE THE LIBERAL PARTY
John Brumby talks about setting up boot camps well on November 27th everybody will be giving John Brumby the BOOT!
Anyone who takes year 9’s away from their parents for 2 weeks is on a winner….the question is whether the Army or anyone else can handle it…good luck…lol…. what if their parents don’t want them back…maybe we could set up barracks behind parliament house…
I’m happy to take off John’s hands all the male Year 9’s he likes.
There are too many teacher pedophiles in senior positions in administration in our education system. It is they who gave Brumby the boot camp idea. Say no to boot camps. Say no to pedophile teachers.
great plan. year 9 camps away from everything else teach good skills, morals, team work, leadership etc. lots of parents send their kids to private schools because they offer such programs. would be great to see state schools do the same.
Name the non party candidate in the seat of Essendon who has deeply offended the RSL by improperly claiming he was asking questions on their behalf about a RSL member. The state office of the RSL is investigating this candidate and he may face legal action.
Madam lash (18 Nov 10). Sorry no barracks; straight out to the cold, windy, wet bush for there boot camp re-education training. Now were is the plug for my ipod charger!
And where will all of this happen?
The facilities simply do not exist. John Brumby think we are mugs, well I will change my vote from Labor and Vote Liberal, because I do no want to be treated like a mug, any more.
Old WW2 tents, cold showers, and basic food (including huge boiled sausages with bright red skin) at Scrub Hill & Site 6, Puckapunyal – ahhh it brings back memories of school cadets in the later 1960’s.
Also on the duck boards (6ft X 6ft), four of them, that was the floor of the old 4 man tents we has huge hessian bags the size of a single bed mattress and in it we stuffed hay and made a mattress out of it. A couple of old army blankets and we has a bed.
We has 32 watt light bulbs that we screwed directly into the power cable via 2 pins that protruded for the bulb fitting. Screw it tighter and the light came on and screw it out and the light went out (OH&S?) but no one got electrocuted as far as I know.
That right, the hessian bag and straw we used as a matress was called a “paliass” – not sure of the spelling
@Adrian Jackson,18.38
And God Almighty, have you seen what’s happened since!
Have kids, bring them up properly yourself.
Otherwise it’s bootcamp for you, instead of endless middle class welfare, you lazy lot.
As a loyal member of the innocent party I have to say that Ted’s finished unless he goes bold. Really bold. How about electing judges? Mandatory minimum sentences, (set by voters)? Completely defunding the Victorian Arts community? Ensuring only ratepayers can vole in local government elections? Immediately sacking Simon Overland and his merry band of white hating police?
Exactly how long has he been leader??? Game over………..
This idea was mooted by Kennett back in 96 and Brumby shit canned it then. Why the sudden change?
Desperation makes Politicians do strange things.
Just like Hulls and his refusal to tell his constituents whether or not there is a convicted killer living in his electorate.
Is it really that good an idea ?
I would like to play with my lund at the boot camp.
Nothing about Brumby impresses any more because he is so clearly under the spell of all the pushy left leaning rabid agrressive anti life ALP women
Geeze we want a premier who stands up to Gillard and not one who panders to her and her cronies!
hey Brumby send all the ALP Emilys listers to boot camp to shape up so thay can learn to care for all the innocent unborn our future ! well werent these women all the unborn once themselves they now have life some are ministers in your governemnt and they are all for choice yeah sure so long as its only their choice and no one elses! The unborn get no choice at all and will the students here get a say we are sick of being told what to do by all controlling labor
yes ALP are so progressive so long as its only their currrentviews that are deemed by them the so called progressive ones! Hey many kids dont need boot camp they are good kids already so what an insult to many good parents and kids not good enough Brumby!