POLITICIANS OR POCKET LINERS?

It is well known that Big Business and Government Departments are really those who govern us. It is not government by the people for the people. We don’t decide who we want to represent us. We are told who to vote for by the political parties because it is parties we elect not people. If we voted for competent intelligent individuals we would not have half the morons in Government that we have.

I think it was in the movie ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ where I heard the quote. “I’m not a thief, I’m a lawyer. They’re similar professions anyway”.

What goes on behind closed doors we may never know and what is said over a gin and tonic at the Melbourne Club we are not privy to, but it does make one wonder why politicians with a particular interest always end up retiring (before being voted out of office) into very well-paid positions that do not require too much energy or thought. It’s Mates Rates in a different form. It’s lovely to be able to massage yourself into a future job but it should not be at the expense of the taxpayer. How can politicians complain about the megabucks made by the private sector when they vote megabucks for themselves?

Politicians all employ spin-doctors, they use all the hype of private sector advertising even to the point of blatant misrepresentation. They can’t say what they honestly feel else they may upset the Party Leader. However, sometimes things go wrong. Some party functionaries have been a little careless and ended up behind the bars they thought everyone else should be behind. Some have felt themselves beyond normal morals, like some sports personalities, and have maybe fumbled with something they shouldn’t have, others seek out all manner of means to enhance their financial assets.

Most politicians end up corrupted either morally, politically or financially. There has been over a century of shenanigans inside the walls of government and big business which we ordinary Joe’s or Jane’s will never be able to penetrate or expose. Recent polls in regard to what professions people respect Doctors and Teachers were inexplicably at the top but more telling are the bottom three ‘Real Estate Salesmen, Radio Shock-jocks and Politicians.

With elections coming up in September we have our chance to put the politicians in their place. Make sure that you discover and understand the policies of each party before you tick any boxes.

Has Labor gone totally to the centre of politics and forgotten whom they are supposed to represent, have the market economists taken total control of the Liberals, do the Nationals really represent the country voter any more or are they just the coat-tails of the Coalition?

Will Katter and Palmer take votes away from the far right of the Coalition and make it harder for Nationals to be elected? Will the Greens benefit from the left wing voter leaving the Labor Party box blank?

Our feeling is that there are so many parties vying for the conservative vote that they could jeopardize a clear victory for the Liberals and give us an unruly Senate of inexperienced do-gooders.

I don’t know about you dear reader but the term ‘Junkyard Dog’ seems to be appropriate to describe some of our politicians. After apologizing to all dogs I think I’ll go and have a root on the Astonishers credit card.

Maddas Alhell

Addendum:

Recently ABC Four Corners did an expose about the collapse of Prime Investments (to invest in Nursing Homes). Dr. Peter Wooldridge the ex-Minister for Health in Liberal Governments was on the Board of Directors when it collapsed after $140 million of the $500 million put in by investors was distributed to the Board and the C.E.O including a staggering $32 million fee just to list itself on the Stock Exchange. Honest politicians?

This same Peter Wooldridge also approved Medicare Rebates (For US readers this means TAX FREE) for MIR Scanners in Private Clinics and Hospitals but not the Public Health Sector. As a result private patients get scans for nothing while public patients (taxpayer funded) have to pay around $240.00 for the same privilege. Handing government money straight to the private sector or looking after your mates?