What a mess
THIS is not an article about party politics but we have a problem, in fact a crisis, at the federal political level and have had for over a decade now.
The essential and important national issues that need to be addressed have been lost as the game of personal politics, retaining power at all costs and the naysaying of all ‘other’ opinions regardless of their suitability and viability.
The NBN rollout is being attacked on many levels from already being obsolete, to being unworkable, too expensive and the apparent inability of the retailers to be honest and upfront about charges and expectations.
The banking industry continues on its merry way, clocking up huge fines over the past decade, for a plethora of actions and behaviours ranging from the unethical and immoral to the patently illegal.
Tax reform continues to be discussed without any sign of progress or change and the cash economy continues unfettered. The cash economy is centred on the hospitality, small retail, and subcontracting industries and hurts us all.
The taxpaying community is defrauded of its rightful contributions, the workers are denied superannuation payments and generally have little or no protection from arbitrary firing and are nearly always underpaid.
Our energy policies are a joke and fail to provide a stable supply and will continue to do so.
As consumers we all shook our heads in disbelief that the gas shortage was mainly created by our producers selling it overseas because that was more profitable than home sales. So we don’t really have a gas shortage at all. It would seem merely to be the option for retailers to make more money.
Climate change and the possibility of policies designed to make Australia a better and cleaner place to live just don’t even get a start.
Renewable ble energy? Too hard, too expensive, ive, too much coal still around and d too little interest in thinking 10 0 years ahead as, why bother when en the battle is to stay in power today y and tomorrow?
I could go on with immigration, education, health, underemployment, equal l pay, the cost of living, and stagnant nt wages and point out that with none of these issues is there a cohesive, long-term strategy to secure a solution lution to any of them. m. The government, ment, through its s own appointed, Registered Organisations ns Commisssion, is much more e concerned d about raid- ing the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union over r a 10-yearold case. It’s ’s a pathetic attack on Bill Shorten and has been done e to death already. Ten years ago the union published all the details about the donation to the GetUp! campaign and has offered to supply all paperwork involved. But no, instead of knocking on the door of the union and asking for the details it metaphorically kicked the door down, with the help of the Federal Police and a well orchestrated leak to all the media to be on hand, with cameras and reporters at the ready. Yes, unfortunately I admit had the situation been reversed and Labor had the same opportunity to harass the Coalition it would have done so. Sad but true. The revelation Bruce Billson received undisclosed payments from a business lobby group while a serving MP has raised eyebrows among his party colleagues, but the former Cabinet minister insists he acted with complete “transparency and integrity”.
Mr Billson said he committed a “discourtesy” by failing to declare an income from the Franchise Council of Australia in his parliamentary register. Anybody else would have been subject to an inquiry and so would all other MPs who are accepting money from companies, while being paid by the taxpayer. Surprise, surprise he then went to work for that company after he retired as an MP.
Only th this week some of Australia’s most senior politicians have been caug caught out not declaring a free pay television subscription worth up t to $1600 a year.
Several politicians, including Treasurer Scott Morrison, have rushed to update their register of interests. In their defence many pollies cla claimed it was a grey area and they j just ‘made a mistake’ in not declar declaring the freebie. Funny how union unions and Centrelink clients don’t get t the same benefit of doubt isn’t it?
Aust Australian Building and Constr Construction Commission boss Nigel Hadgkiss resigned last mont month after admitting to breac breaching the Act covering right to entry rules. The minister responsible Michaelia Cas Cash knew about this almost a ye year before but did nothing ing, presumably on the ba basis, Mr Hadgkiss was ac acting against unions, so wh who cares about the law. W Will I see a government that want wants to govern for the future and not ju just tomorrow in my lifetime?
I don’t t think so.