Not even mediocre

I just submitted an entirely sub-standard assignment for my trust accounting unit of Legal Workshop. It's not even mediocre - it's crap. It doesn't balance, the written answers are incomplete, and it's reasonably obvious that it was a very rushed job. I've had enough though. It's been so busy at work. This morning I researched, consulted on and fine tuned an Executive Minute to as near perfection as the limited time I had allowed. I churned out ministerials and Dawson-related work last week. I spent all of yesterday starting the commercial practice assignment for Workshop which is due a day after the accounting one I submitted tonight. My team has a pile of urgent deadlines to meet over the next few days. I don’t have any more capacity, so for once I am happy to hand in something crap. It’s just not that important.

The Dawson Bill - Historic moments

The Dawson Bill has passed! It has been the bane of our existence for the whole year, and had a lot of people horribly depressed after they spent years working on it and it failed to pass in October last year when Barnaby Joyce crossed the floor of the Senate, voting to take out large parts of the Bill. Well Barnaby crossed the floor again today, but it didn't matter. The Government secured the support of Family First man Senator Steve Fielding and the Bill passed in the House of Reps yesterday, then passed the Senate with some minor amendments today, then was back in the House this afternoon where the final version passed - marking the biggest overhaul of trade practices law in Australia in many many years.

There has been so much hype about this Bill - so many business groups, industries, law firms who have been pushing for it and wanting to know when it would happen. It was very exciting to be there watching the debate from the advisers' boxes in the House of Reps yesterday, and then in the Senate today. I learned a lot about the world of politics, about how outcomes are achieved and the tactics that are used. I got to shake hands with the Treasurer and sit in his office while my supervisor answered his questions.

Our division is having celebratory drinks tomorrow - it's been an exciting past couple of days as it happened so suddenly, and my unit rapidly churned out briefing after briefing for the Treasurer on last-minute issues, finalised the Explanatory Memorandum, Bill and press releases. We’ve all been a bit sleep deprived and nervous. But it's exciting to have played a small part in a piece of history and to be able to say 'I was there when the Dawson reforms were passed.' It won't be a big deal to most people reading this, but to businesses, the ACCC, commercial lawyers and anyone who's worked in or studied competition law, what happened in Parliament today was momentous.

Above all

It's been very exciting at work lately - potentially groundbreaking events are being set in train. At this time, it's so easy to get caught up in the moment and see all this as so important. I was listening to the lyrics of Above All on my iPod and was reminded that in the midst of all that seems to impressive and significant, there is Jesus who is above all.

Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all.