The appointment of Treasury new chief

Comments on Michael Stutchbury “New chief can fill huge shoes”, 22/12/2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/new-chief-can-fill-huge-shoes/story-e6frg9p6-1225974683241

I note that you state the following: "He's a good choice if Labor is serious about putting a price on carbon next year. As head of the Department of Climate Change, Parkinson led the development of Labor's shelved emissions trading scheme."

One can almost find some contradictory in those two sentences: does it mean he's done well with the "shelved emissions trading scheme"? Was it because of his contribution to the outcome or the original scheme? Or was the shelf good or bad or indifferent? One has to wonder or struggle to answer those questions.

Further, without commenting on or implying Dr Parkinson's ability in relation to the his appointment to the Treasury post, Treasury's policy brief is much wider than just carbon pricing, albeit the latter is very important.

The latter could also be handled by a competent climate change department head, for example. That would be an alternative.