JOYCE IS A DISTRACTION FROM IMPORTANT ISSUES

DOING a “Barnaby” — cheating on a married partner, procreating with another person who knows you are married, while said other person is an employee under your power — is a great basis for a movie, then add in elements of The West Wing and Donald Trump.

Our politicians are stepping back and doing nothing, as to alter their own basis of employment. They would find meeting standards that are legally imposed on other bosses and open them to scrutiny and accountability, totally abhorrent .

It is not mates sticking together, it is the same silence and inaction that has resulted in the exploitation of many a person in Hollywood etc that we are now recognising after years of acceptance and turning a blind eye.

The solution for Malcolm is to ask his business partners, being the conservative National Party members and voters (country people with traditions of farm ownership, community and respect) if they believe that the leadership of their communities should be represented by a person with the actions of Mr Joyce. Does he represent who they are? You’ll catch the majority of the members outside a church any Sunday.

Malcolm knows this matter will continue to make headlines. There will be the baby birth, the couple at social events, a possible relationship break up, then the paternity tests and the child support payments ... lots of future headlines to think about.

This is not only about the morality or ethics of the events by the participants, it is about these people abusing the trust and falling off the “podium” that we expect them to live up to. Lance Armstrong comes to mind as a person who was admired and then we find out he has misrepresented himself, as have these people.

All this while we can’t afford electricity, waste billions in our state, ignoring our region’s roads and do nothing for the pensioners or have a survivable unemployment benefit.

Ross Kroger, Highton