Yesterday in Parliament

I could not find any specific gems in yesterday's parliament session to broadcast. Instead I found a new mood of confidence and self assurance that everyone had done a good job. Getting betterer by the days. The new housing measures to curb speculation were carefully thought out to benefit everyone in the property game, from existing home owners, new home owners and even speculators. Only our supertalents are up to it to come out with such a perfect measure to correct the fiasco of yesterday. Then the abrupt curtailment of free bus services to the Integrated Resorts. The measures were timely and necessary and for the good of the people. The govt is in control of the whole situation and will tighten the noose when necessary or when the IR operators cross the line. Would the govt have let the free bus services to continue if the IR operators did not mention or promote anything related to the casinos but emphasising only the goodness and wholesomeness of the IRs? Are the two resorts meant to be for the family, wholesome activities where everyone from Ah Ma to Ah Soon can enjoy? Or the IRs were just cleverly disguised casinos with all its evils and should not be promoted to the hardlanders as wholesome family entertainment? I think the truth is out. The IRs are hideous highouts for gamblers. Keep the Singaporeans and their families away. No promotion to their attractions allowed. And no free buses from hardlanders. And the YOG was money well spent. I also think so. I remember one project where the towkay wanted everything to be the best and no one dare to say no to him. It also had the same result, everything was top notch, plus cost overrun. But then that project was on OPM. So didn't matter. Sylvia's question on why the cost was overran by 3 times was well explained by Vivian. Sylvia thought if the whole event cost $387 million, and the cost of the recording system and upgrading of the facilities already cost nearly $200m, the latter should not be too difficult to project . The reply was that we did not know that it was an international event and we needed a higher standard of everything when we knew that it was so. So the cost needed to be scaled up to meet the world standard expected of the event. Sounds very reasonable and convincing. Luckily they didn't provide food for the volunteers at international standard or the cost would blow a bit more. My overall assessment of yesterday's Parliament is that everyone was happy that they had a job well done. You could see that on their faces, full of confidence that everything is going well. It is good that they feel that way especially when the election is around the corner. Confidence means half the battle won.