Oh what a lovely war room, Prime Minister

ja says:

02:13pm | 01/10/09

Is this possibly an example of a case of an Australian leader with an inferiority complex, feeling the misguided need to paint us as being a major player on the world stage? 
Yet another motivation for me to consider a move across the Tasman….

ja says:

02:25pm | 01/10/09

Here we go again… Another Prime minister with an inferiority complex over Australia’s position on the world stage, and who feels the misguided desire to ‘hang with the big boys’. 
...Yet another reason for me to consider a move across the Tasman, at least they don’t create any reasons to attack them.

David says:

02:30pm | 01/10/09

As you mentioned David I am suprised we didn’t have one already.
We are situated in the area that has the highest arms build up in the world. Make fun by singling out New Zealand. What about all those countries to north of us that you have conveniently omitted from your rant???

CR says:

02:36pm | 01/10/09

How can the Government rail about exec salaries and perks when it is prepared to spend $14 million on a room that might get used once every five years (the current frequency of devestating Tsunamis)? This is a joke.

Well done for making the link David.

Archie Bunker says:

02:41pm | 01/10/09

Dissapointing move - which olive green suited “advisor” came up with this gem? What sort of “situations” are we gearing up for?

Perhaps they can pony up the dough for a first “situation room” construction grant for the average citizen - commander in chief he is not - pompous ninny he seems to be

Dr Straneglove says:

02:47pm | 01/10/09

Remember the curry Howard got for changing the chairs in the PM’s office? Ruddy gets away with absolute blue murder by comparison. I’m glad someone is watching though.

Artiste says:

02:52pm | 01/10/09

The article states “The unassumingly named Parliament House Briefing Room is being funded under a $34.9 million allocation in the last Federal Budget.”, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the room is costing $35m.

The room could be costing $100, but the funds are being drawn from a $34.9m allocation set aside for improving defence communications!

Yes, the cost might be $35m, but it might also be a journalist trying to make a story bigger than it actually is, by implying a higher cost, without actually stating it as fact. It’s the way “journalism” works nowadays, isn’t it? Sensationalise!!

Mark M says:

02:53pm | 01/10/09

Why has Kevin07 spent so much carefully crafted time convincing us he’s just like us, only to come up with such a lame-brained idea.

We’re obviously not playing in the same sand-pit as the Americans, Kevin. Put the money towards social programs for your famous “working families”

ja says:

03:07pm | 01/10/09

The Age states that this is a ‘$14 million Situation Room’, as opposed to $35 million…

http://www.theage.com.au/national/rudd-to-get-usstyle-situation-room-20090930-gcr6.html

iansand says:

03:09pm | 01/10/09

What will it have that you can’t put into a hired community hall?

Ivan says:

03:16pm | 01/10/09

Well I think little Kevie really feels he’s up there with the rest of the world powers, they’ve got their “situation Rooms” ‘Briefing Rooms” so he’s got to have one too. This PM is a joke LOL

stephen says:

03:29pm | 01/10/09

Rudd don’t give us another stimulus payment, he’s gonna need that war room.

shabangabang says:

03:30pm | 01/10/09

Is the $14 cost coming from the Julia Gillard memorial hall fund?

R.E.L. says:

03:42pm | 01/10/09

What about the bunkers which are already under Parliement House? They’re supposed to be able to accommodate a few hundred people for at least a year in the event of nuclear attack…

Al says:

03:45pm | 01/10/09

Nothing more than taxpayer funded conceit

Patrick says:

03:46pm | 01/10/09

People might have said the same thing about the Polish government if it had done something similar in the mid 1920’s. Maybe.

Perhaps, Penbo, you could gaze into your crystal ball for us and reassure us that Indonesia/China will never go through any internal changes that we should be worried about, or let us know when the next gigantic natural disaster is going to strike Australia, so we can all just evacuate any affected areas in advance without the need of a situation room, or alert us of any future terrorist attacks so we can deal with them before they even occur.

As noted in comments above, this is comming from a $34.9 million allocation in the last federal budget, it is not going to cost this full ammount, and as noted in The Age, it will coast some $14 million, less than half of what you have claimed. Probably a prudent investment too.

We all know you like to slime the Rudd government in suggestive and manipulative ways, but try getting your details right first lest you end up with egg all over your face.

Jane says:

03:49pm | 01/10/09

OK, the Courier Mail says $35m because of the 2008 report slamming border security etc.
The Age says $14m because of the Victorian bushfires and needing more “real-time” information..
So, based on the usual Government blowouts, the cost will be around $49m, including widening the doors and lifting the ceilings to fit Kevins ego into the room.
(You beat me Shabanangabang - I was wondering about school halls and Kevin not having one)

Kidguru says:

04:06pm | 01/10/09

Might be better if we put it in the PM’s Airforce jet - he’s rarely out of it..

Jack from Perth says:

04:11pm | 01/10/09

I’ve got a spare bedroom in my house that I don’t really use. If war breaks out I don’t mind lending it to the twerp for his self importance. I can even put some lamps in there…

Matt says:

04:20pm | 01/10/09

Well at least we will be prepared if some commie tries to introduce a foreign substance into our precious bodily fluids.

Marcus says:

04:34pm | 01/10/09

I wonder when he’s going to build his “oval office”? and if the cost will come out of the remainder of the $34.9 million allocation, (thats if there is a remainder after the “briefing room”)...these are questions that should be asked!

Wayne says:

04:59pm | 01/10/09

Patrick @2.46pm. Our emergency services have the rooms should they require them in an the event of a national emergency as well as those held by the military in Canberra. This is just another waste of tax payers money for our golden haired hand puppet who want’s to rule the world. But is that you really you Patrick or our old mate Albanese? Come on Anthony! I know you like to lurk around with aliases.

Julie says:

05:05pm | 01/10/09

Looks like we’re going to have Kevins version of “The Pentagon” About time, because we certainly need it, and that will make the enemy take notice. Well done President Kev. you’ve got my vote!

Jane says:

05:10pm | 01/10/09

I wonder if his briefing room will be built before he build’s ONE house for the aboriginal community in NT? I suppose the briefing room is more important on the world stage. I bet it’s finished before Barack comes to visit.

Carter says:

05:44pm | 01/10/09

Any decent commentator, or commentor, who had done their research would know that a ‘situation room’, or crisis centre, is used frequently, and not just in relation to war. This year alone the existing, and outdated, one has been used for three bushfires (including Victoria), two Tsunami events, two earthquake events, three severe storms and three floods…

It’s important in these situations to have high-level national leadership - or perhaps you’d prefer to have a go at our national leadership (of either party) for not being up-to-date with information?

KRudd is loosing the plot. says:

07:15pm | 01/10/09

What a load of rubbish and a waste of taxpayers money on a “I’ve got one too” room for a more and more extravagant KRudd.

Ironside says:

08:35pm | 01/10/09

Why does KRUDD need a situation room, unlike the US, the PM of Australia is not the commander in cheif of the armed forces. That is why we have a cheif of the defence force rather than a chief of the general staff. I am pretty sure that in the even of an emergency any one of a number of locations around australia would be used as suitable to moniter and control the situation. The PM’s briefing room is for just that briefing. It is not up to the PM of this country to run our armed forces, but to decide policy and allow the generals, admirals and air marshalls to do their job.

iansand says:

09:16pm | 01/10/09

It will look damn fine as a backdrop for press conferences.

What is he thinking? says:

10:59pm | 01/10/09

Bizzare.  Watching to much 24?  Most states have similar “rooms” in slightly modified buildings (eg elevator can run on generator power) and are generally redundant of each other.  One can run without the others if they are lost or inaccessible.

Silly idea putting such a room in a high-profile target, what if Parliament house is not accessible for some reason?  Why does he need such a room anyway - what experience does he have in dealing with natural or terrorist emergencies.  He and his cronies would only be getting in the way of the people who get the job done.

Stefano says:

11:02pm | 01/10/09

@ Al who says:

  02:45pm | 01/10/09

  “Nothing more than taxpayer funded conceit”

And a serve of taxpayer funded concrete.

Steve says:

11:29pm | 01/10/09

Another wast of money, why would we need a war room, this is not 1930-40’s Europe, or cold ward USA or Russia, we are in 2009, this country does not need a war room, the USA, are our ally and would be here quicker then Rudd could work out another speach, and the way he talks, we wouldnt know if we were in a war or not

J.N. says:

11:47pm | 01/10/09

“Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.”

watto says:

12:22am | 02/10/09

Would a war room stop the Howards and Rudds expensively invading the wrong countries next time? Suggestion box: put some history books, including Vietnam casestudies in the room - lest the PM forgets. Again.

Nic says:

07:24am | 02/10/09

typical of the punch… do not forget t the $360 million military command bunker that Howard built at Bungendore. I saw the TV screen he put in that thing… it is like Imax. $36 million for a meeting room with space for all the parties like military, emergency services, and the government aid agencies liasing directly during the victorian bushfires with dedicated and secure communications links is peanuts.
The Punch is a cheap mans crikey without the abilty to critic the right as well. It is as balanced as Fox & Huffington. Penberthy you are a partisan hack, a Glenn beck lite

Joel B1 says:

08:12am | 02/10/09

Nic, hello, if there’s already a $360million military command bunker what’s Rudd doing? (apols if it’s the wrong colour or such like)

Anyway, what’s Rudd up to? He was happy enough in the back of a borrowed ute before, now he’s not? Bloody get a caravan. The man’s a joke on Australia.

Keith says:

09:12am | 02/10/09

Calm down folks, every PM should have a shed.  How embarrassing would it be if a bloke was caught on the XBox or Nintendo keypad if Faulko walked in at lunchtime for example. Sides, he can bring in the toaster from home to fix up, that sort of thing.  Just because Johhno had a shed, doesn’t mean Ruddo can’t have his own. One man’s shed isn’t another man’s shed.

pete says:

09:27am | 02/10/09

The interesting thing here is that there is no mention of the opposition’s opinion on this.  This was allocated last budget, yet to date I have not heard any opinion on this from any pollie.  Could it be that they think it is a wonderful idea that they are getting a new rumpus room? 

Perhaps all the lined up critics of the PM should also look at who didnt complain when it was put through the usual budget hoopla.

Be generous, share the blame around they all perform at the same level.  As for Bungendore, well that would require interstate travel and there are currently travel restrictions in place to save money )

gee vee says:

10:14am | 02/10/09

Me thinks that most have missed the point (especially Nic, but 6.30 am IS early).  We already have enough ‘situation rooms’  at Defence and Foreign Affairs.  Expensively built and staffed.  It seems more like the ear wax eater cant be bothered walking the 100 metres to DFAT.

Paddy says:

10:18am | 02/10/09

The WEST WING yet again.
This bloke’s advisers are too young to have experienced any part of life and so watch the West Wing to pinch ideas.

Joe says:

03:45pm | 02/10/09

Its so he can watch all the news on himself on a big screen 24/7.

Anyone else would just throw a great party at Kirribilli overlooking Sydney Harbour for fun.

What a waste of money.

David of Emerald says:

04:44pm | 02/10/09

This crummy government won’t fund $30,000 for the last post at our national war memorial yet is chucking away $35 mill for a games room.

What a strange person Krudd is and what wierd priorities his union government has

Jay says:

05:26pm | 02/10/09

*sigh* Nic @ 06:24am | 02/10/09 pretty much summed this place up.

Many bloggers very much prepared to sling the slipper against the current Federal Government (FG), and blame them for everything, but exhibiting extremely short memories on what the last FG got up to.

Oh, and thanks for letting the current mob of self-interested Libs like Scott and Mirabella show how narrow-minded they are. Will be handy come next election…

And back on topic - try and paint it as some outrageous plan all you like, but considering the world is going to hell in handbasket, this appears to actually be a good idea.

watto says:

06:46pm | 02/10/09

@jay The Afgan war has been going for 9 years now. Rudd doesn’t have a plan, just as Howard didn’t. Neither of them have ‘punched above their weight’ or thought outside the box. Put the money up for a public competition for a withdrawl plan and sensible military strategy more broadly. Common sense seems rare & expensive these days.

Terry Barnes says:

07:41pm | 02/10/09

A Situation Room?  It sounds like the ideal place for a secret romantic “situation”, and being next to Rudd’s office easier to find than Parliament House’s legendary Meditation Room, of which the locals say the meditation is mostly of the tantric variety.

Get real, Kev.  If Hawke, Keating and Howard successfully managed two Gulf Wars, Bali and and other grave crises without a West Wing set in PH, why can’t you?

Mary says:

09:56am | 03/10/09

Jay - thats a laugh! all we ever hear about is how hopeless the oppositon and Turnbull are….I rarely read anything about Rudd and his Government putting a foot out of line. Although there doesn’t seem to be enough time for reporting on Rudd as all the focus is always on the opposition and Turnbull. Rudd is getting off scott free and stuffing up most portfolios under his management without any scrutiny. Thats Wrong!