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News In Briefs

By Jenna Powell | 15 Oct, 2007

All Blacks fans: Quit your bitching, get a hobby

Victoria academic Dr Todd Bridgman insists the All Blacks coach Graham Henry isn’t to blame for the All Blacks’ loss to the French in the quarter final of the World Cup.

Bridgman believes “instead of looking for individuals to blame for the defeat, the public would be better to try and understand some of the deeper, systemic causes.” He also believes that people seem to have forgotten the faith they put into Henry’s “radical” training regime after the All Blacks lost back in 2003.

Another Vic academic, Marc Wilson from the School of Psychology, has recommended that the public ease their pain of the loss by watching the remainder of the Cup, rather than going “cold turkey”.

“Spend time with your kids, take your son out, toss the ball around in the park. That’s the most important thing, this is not the end of the world,” he said. Pained supporters should spare some thought for the All Blacks, who would be hurting more, he said. “In order to play at the highest level…the All Blacks have to assume they are going to win — so for the same reason a supporter would be upset, it would be doubly so for the All Blacks.”

Policy people get money to study policy

Victoria policy researchers are to receive $4 million dollars to fund their hard work. Vice Chancellor Pat Walsh says the funding “this demonstrates our standing as a leading provider of education to the public sector.”

The awards are being given to researchers involved in the University’s School of Government’s programme. Launched in 2002, the School of Government has since established itself as a leader in public policy analysis and research.

The winners’ research involved Cambodian criminal code; economic analysis; education and complex ways income and how price incentives interact in labour supply responses to tax decisions.