Ok. We’re taking a break from fires. I find I must write about bloody McKenzie and her (surely illegal) machinations of the Sports Grant monies.
This morning I listened to The Signal’s episode on this torrid business. They covered the usual stuff – the Auditor General’s report, the leaked spreadsheet with the ominous colour-coding of electoral areas, the more recent “report” conducted within the Coalition but not released for public viewing, and then the resignation of Madam Money-tosser and what it all means.
But nobody talks about the complete double-standard that continues in our society. A year ago it was the CEOs of the big banks being roasted at the Royal Commission under the eagle eye of Commissioner Kenneth Haynes. What happened to them? Some resigned. Oh me oh my. Is that all?!?!?! I remember right at the beginning of the process, AMP was under the pump and the Chairman of the Board had suffered especially under scrutiny. She resigned. Easy peasy. Woe is her, right? That same night, a young lad was arrested for stealing $200 from a Subway Store in Queanbeyan. He was likely to do jail time. Compare the crimes! Compare the number of people they effect and the amount of money involved!
And now Ms Bridget McKenzie (possibly with the support and guidance of our honourable PM) has used up to $100million of public money to further the election campaign of the Coalition. And all that happens is that she gets relegated to a back bench? She doesn’t get fired? She isn’t banned from Parliament? There isn’t some due process that must occur?
It all stinks horribly of the same fish that are frying over in the USA. P is a committed follower of the Trump Impeachment “Trial”. I put “Trial” in quotation marks advisedly. How is it a trial when the final call is made by a group of Senators, the Republicans among whom were allowed to decide that there should be no evidence and no witnesses?
I can’t say much about the USA. No matter how many times P explains the system to me, I still think it’s insane that a president can continue in office after the kind of behaviour Trump has engaged in. There doesn’t seem much doubt that he’s guilty. But apparently, because he’s president, everybody has to sit tight until such time as he sees fit to stop being president (potentially another whole term away).
Is that what Australia is coming to? Are our business leaders and political leaders above and beyond the normal rules which apply to us Plebs? Can we expect no real action, no real punishment, no real intervention? We must all just sit and wait for another election so that we can choose between two parties of humans who clearly care not for integrity, honesty or the future of the nation. And what incentive have they to change when they don’t suffer any repercussions for poor behaviour?
Out of the Cave 
This is not the Australia that I grew up in. We have elected a government with no morals and no compassion not once but three times. What is wrong with us? I am as angry as you are about the way that the banks, CEO’s and some politicians get away with no more than a slap on the wrist for wrongdoing but I’m past being shocked about it. It is as bad as what is happening in the USA, I used to be proud of Australia, now I am ashamed and embarrassed by the things that our leaders do.
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