Silence, was the stern reply.
P2 - Perhaps 'they' can't answer until they know what Heff knows; makes it fascinating. The BRB thought so anyway. Much time and debate invested in the airport questions. Good turn out of the BRB last evening, it's always interesting when someone brings along 'guests', you know the type of thing – Charlie's mate Pete is in town and they bring the FO along. Two such crews turned up, made the darts challenge 'interesting' to say the least. Not quite as interesting as the aerodrome betting though. I have to set the Estimates tote odds and to be honest, it's a puzzle, bear with me, I'll try to explain.
Time – normally this is not too difficult to factor, a margin must be allowed particularly for the QoN response. But it's tricky; when the question is asked and taken on notice (QoN). The department being questioned take it away, try to work out the what, where, when and how much damage can be done; then the answer is work shopped to a fare thee well. Once a suitable 'non' answer is drafted it is sent along to the secretariat who dutifully get the AQoN out. The Senators crew then catch the AQoN and see what they can winnow from the dross. It's an old game, a deflected question with a non answer may have to be rephrased and wait another three or four months, until the next estimates before the wily answer is challenged. This process has been observed to take up to two years, without providing even a semblance of a sensible answer to the long forgotten, now pointless original question. Then of course there is only limited time (and patience) available during the estimates show to get at a real answer; this all works in favour of the department on the spit. Time, patience and rat like cunning is needed to trap a 'crat in the QoN game.
For example; the 'airports' crowd have deliberately delayed their AQoN for 30 days; this only gives Heff's crew a very short period of time to assess the answers, which will, if the department word weasels have done their job, only lead to more questions, to be taken on notice and so the tedious process starts all over again.
But here's my problem – has team Heff been beavering away, digging out their own answers? This is where it gets interesting, the MM overlords must be getting nervous. Heff is a powerful opponent. I'm not speaking of the lowly pawns, but of the unseen PS family mandarins, the Cantberra aristocracy. Those who lurk and 'work' their mysterious spells in the rarefied atmosphere above the Murky Machiavellian power scale. Those to whom MM is merely a sacrificial pawn, for they do know where the skeletons (or toxic waste if you like) are buried, they know who, where, when and how much it all cost. So if Heff has the good oil and as much, if not more information than the MM mandarins; is someone is going to catch it?. That's where the betting starts. So to the betting ring:–
Heffernan: to have some very damaging information and a full head of steam. Serious odds on favourite.
DoIT : to offer a sacrificial lamb. Even money.
Sacrificial lamb: the careful punter can make a serious return on the investment here, Merde'k is out at 16/1, other selections range between 20's and a safe each way at 4/1.
So, place your bets – but, beware the airports race is a very dirty, rough, no holes barred event. Cheating, bribery, chicanery and nobbling are all allowed, even encouraged. The purse is considered to worth the risk. Block of flats, bag of sweeties and a night of delight for the officials are the entry fees. (One even got a farm, but that children, is a tale for another day).
I have seriously digressed – the BRB report will be put on notice and provided a little closer to estimates kick off. But yes, we won the darts, only just; honour was saved by a last round streak of brilliance from the visiting Sheik which carried the day; close run thing though.
Toot toot....
....
P2 - Perhaps 'they' can't answer until they know what Heff knows; makes it fascinating. The BRB thought so anyway. Much time and debate invested in the airport questions. Good turn out of the BRB last evening, it's always interesting when someone brings along 'guests', you know the type of thing – Charlie's mate Pete is in town and they bring the FO along. Two such crews turned up, made the darts challenge 'interesting' to say the least. Not quite as interesting as the aerodrome betting though. I have to set the Estimates tote odds and to be honest, it's a puzzle, bear with me, I'll try to explain.
Time – normally this is not too difficult to factor, a margin must be allowed particularly for the QoN response. But it's tricky; when the question is asked and taken on notice (QoN). The department being questioned take it away, try to work out the what, where, when and how much damage can be done; then the answer is work shopped to a fare thee well. Once a suitable 'non' answer is drafted it is sent along to the secretariat who dutifully get the AQoN out. The Senators crew then catch the AQoN and see what they can winnow from the dross. It's an old game, a deflected question with a non answer may have to be rephrased and wait another three or four months, until the next estimates before the wily answer is challenged. This process has been observed to take up to two years, without providing even a semblance of a sensible answer to the long forgotten, now pointless original question. Then of course there is only limited time (and patience) available during the estimates show to get at a real answer; this all works in favour of the department on the spit. Time, patience and rat like cunning is needed to trap a 'crat in the QoN game.
For example; the 'airports' crowd have deliberately delayed their AQoN for 30 days; this only gives Heff's crew a very short period of time to assess the answers, which will, if the department word weasels have done their job, only lead to more questions, to be taken on notice and so the tedious process starts all over again.
But here's my problem – has team Heff been beavering away, digging out their own answers? This is where it gets interesting, the MM overlords must be getting nervous. Heff is a powerful opponent. I'm not speaking of the lowly pawns, but of the unseen PS family mandarins, the Cantberra aristocracy. Those who lurk and 'work' their mysterious spells in the rarefied atmosphere above the Murky Machiavellian power scale. Those to whom MM is merely a sacrificial pawn, for they do know where the skeletons (or toxic waste if you like) are buried, they know who, where, when and how much it all cost. So if Heff has the good oil and as much, if not more information than the MM mandarins; is someone is going to catch it?. That's where the betting starts. So to the betting ring:–
Heffernan: to have some very damaging information and a full head of steam. Serious odds on favourite.
DoIT : to offer a sacrificial lamb. Even money.
Sacrificial lamb: the careful punter can make a serious return on the investment here, Merde'k is out at 16/1, other selections range between 20's and a safe each way at 4/1.
So, place your bets – but, beware the airports race is a very dirty, rough, no holes barred event. Cheating, bribery, chicanery and nobbling are all allowed, even encouraged. The purse is considered to worth the risk. Block of flats, bag of sweeties and a night of delight for the officials are the entry fees. (One even got a farm, but that children, is a tale for another day).
I have seriously digressed – the BRB report will be put on notice and provided a little closer to estimates kick off. But yes, we won the darts, only just; honour was saved by a last round streak of brilliance from the visiting Sheik which carried the day; close run thing though.
Toot toot....
....