The Examiner's Bizarre Politician Ratings For 2012

After reading the Launceston Examiner's bizarre ratings of Tasmania's lower house politicians for the year, we just had to give it the full treatment with extra geometry. The Examiner used a 15 place scale from E minus up to A plus. Interestingly 4 of these places went unused. The Examiner elevated Peter Gutwein to the position of best performing politician for the year. He has 'free air' on both sides and is well ahead of the pack. A predictable choice for the Liberal cheer squad of Gilmour and Prismall you may think but do they see a leadership challenge in the crystal ball? Gutwein has done more ranting and frothing at the mouth than the other Liberals put together but 3 places ahead of his own leader? And why is Little Willy sharing a B+ with Cassy O'Connor? Why is Graeme Sturges sharing a spot with upcoming pit bull Adam Brooks? It must be in recognition of Sturgo not attacking a single security guard for the whole year.

The mid point on the Examiner's scale is 'C' held by McKim and Polley. Somehow Tim Morris achieved the same rating as Bryan Green and Liberal sleeper cell Rene Hidding. Why did Jacquie Petrusma score a 'D' with Paul O'Halloran? Didn't she do enough baying for Nick McKim's sacking during the year? Down at the bottom end we have Brenton Best occupying familiar territory but why is Mark Shelton being punished so harshly by Liberal Central Command? Shelton even has 2 empty spots above him and yet he has been thrown into quarantine with Brenton Best. This really is a 'can do better' message from head office. Spending the whole year looking like you don't know where you are and not accusing the Greens of closing-down Tasmania even once means Mark should have stayed on the council. We are left wondering what arcane process the Examiner used to elevate Gutwein? After 12 months of staying on message and calling for Nick McKim to be sacked, Gutwein was caught offside by Ta Ann's support for the forest peace deal. And why did the Examiner reward Michelle O'Byrne with a B- for closing hospital beds when her little brother only got a D+ for closing police stations? Luckily the Examiner doesn't use their process for any 'real world' forecasting.

Next - The Examiners Equally Bizarre Ratings For the Upper House

The Examiner spent 2012 bagging the Greens but that went out the window as the Examiner applauded same sex marriage and the forest peace deal in their judgement of the Upper House. Using the same formula of elevation and punishment they used on the Lower House, Ruth Forrest scored an 'A' while Tania Rattray only achieved a  'D'. In both cases the next position was awarded to nobody by the Examiner to highlight the vast gulf they imagined to the next position. We suspect Forrest is being recognised for her ability to handle canapés and cocktails more effectively than Rattray. The Examiner has played the cultural card here and it shows their blinding hypocrisy. The Examiner spent decades promoting Gunns including that company economically decimating Rattray's electorate around Scottsdale. Now they have delivering a scathing rebuttal to somebody who was once one of their own.

The actual places may as well have been picked out of a hat and for all we know they probably were. Why is Adriana Taylor so far down in the Examiner's estimation compared to the rest of the house? Why is Craig Farrell so far up the rankings considering the Examiner spent the whole year trying to overthrow his government? We thank the Examiner for giving us a snapshot of how their mind works (or doesn't work). They are up to here in maintaining corruption in Tasmania and they are coming unstuck at the edges. For all their huffing and puffing the Examiner are mere populists and childish ones at that. Keep-up the mediocrity Prismall and Gilmour!