2 Responses

1. On the face of it…

   …this doesn’t appear to be a good use of funds.  But I think we need to be aware when we reach a judgement that we don’t necessarily have all the information.

   I’d certainly be interested in hearing from those who proposed this and those who went on it;  how did they measure the value, what problem was it designed to solve – and why it was a better solution than the alternatives.

   In essence; would they have gone if it involved spending their own money on it.

   Which brings me to the bigger picture and the following comment from the ‘council spokesperson’;

   “It was organised by the visiting group themselves and entirely funded by central Government training grants, with no cost to the council whatsoever.”

   What kind of justification is that?  It’s okay because the taxpayer funded it, not the rate payer!  If this view of public funds is the norm than no wonder government hasn’t got enough money.

2. Agreed

   I agree John – it’s a newspaper report, so you have to take it with a pinch of salt. But Australia? And 19 days? There’s nothing in the UK that they might draw from? I doubt it.