Continued from “If you wanted more proof of Coalition misdemeanours, here it is.”
As I finished writing my previous post, I had a somewhat disquieting feeling that I had sinned by omission. I was guilty of leaving off my already long list of Coalition misdemeanours, others that should have been included. For that, I apologise. So please do not treat the following as supplementary. On the contrary, they are of equal importance.
1 The Monthly reports that the appointment of Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister:
“… is a painful reminder to women that men accused of inappropriate behaviour can still ascend to the highest offices in the land – after three years on the backbench, of course.”
2 Rachael Clun of the SMH reminds us that:
“Voters will face another “Mediscare”-style campaign at the next election as Labor latches onto the federal government’s planned reforms to Medicare to accuse it of cutbacks to the universal health system.
From July 1, more than 900 Medicare Benefits Scheme items will be changed, across orthopaedics, general surgery, cardiac surgical services, vascular, and general practice and primary care item numbers.”
3 Another one I missed was the QAnon mystery. Here is the obvious, which unfortunately has attracted zero interest from the mainstream media:
Niki Savva typically sensible today: “If the PM’s wife employs one of her best friends to work at the official residence, and the husband of said best friend has sunk into the dark world of QAnon, that is a story worth investigating.”https://t.co/C3tWRdcCqQ
— Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) June 16, 2021
4 Indigenous Recognition as a Preamble in the Australian Constitution: Why doesn’t the Constitution recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples? Why the hold-up?
My case is now complete. I have presented the reader with 79 factual instances where this horrific Coalition government has been corrupt, broken established conventions or lied for their convenience.
So, before we go any further, it has to be said that there have been instances, or periods, on both sides of the political divide where governments have been corrupt or even worse. Perhaps there are even darker reasons that have never seen the light of day. Others may have never been exposed and never will but remain buried in the course of Australian political history.
In the comments section of my last post, “Yes Minister” wrote this:
“Whilst there is no argument that the incumbent LNP federal government fully deserves severe criticism, avoidance of mentioning the other political factions implies that they are immaculate, perfect and beyond reproach.”
In response, let me say that l do not mean by the omission of any other comparison to create the impression that one is better than the other. It is just that in 65 years of following Australian politics, I have never known a period of less accountability, less transparency, and less responsibility. My list covers three terms of parliament.
Had I started when Tony Abbott was appointed Leader of the Opposition, it would have made things even worse for the Coalition.
In 2011 we were engrossed in the Health Services Union expense’s affair. Then there was the Pink batt’s scandal.
On top of that, we had the James Ashby/Peter Slipper scandal:
“… a covert political conspiracy by the Coalition to bring down the Parliamentary Speaker, Peter Slipper, and through him the Federal Government of Australia.”
It could have been the most prodigious conspiracy in Australian history.
This was also shameful:
“Australian spy agencies attempted to tap the phones of high ranking Indonesian officials, including the president. Abbott refused to apologise.”
Corruption in Australian Water Holdings and the NSW ICAC investigation into Liberal Party fundraising.
Offshore detention crisis where asylum seekers were locked up indefinitely while their refugee status was being assessed. After nine years, some are still there.
At a press conference, Peter Dutton was overheard saying about the Pacific Islands that:
“Time does not mean anything when you are about to have water lapping at your door.”
The first Joe Hockey budget delivered by the Abbott government was seen as the worst in Australia’s history based on severe cuts to welfare and other social programs. It triggered a polling slump that Abbott struggled to recover from.
After controversially reinstating knighthoods, Abbott gave one of the first knighthoods to Prince Philip.
And this was disgusting:
“The governing Coalition supported a motion in the senate declaring “it’s ok to be white” and opposing the ‘deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation’.”
And how about Scott Morrison’s holiday and reactions to our bushfires last summer?
“Scott Morrison took a family holiday to Hawaii during one of the worst bushfire seasons on record. He returned only after significant public pressure.
When touring bushfire affected communities, many residents refused to engage with Morrison. On several occasions, Morrison forced a handshake on residents.
The government released an advertisement praising their bushfire response. However, the advertisement was attacked as being a party political ad paid for by taxpayers.”
And this piece of arrogance?
“Scott Morrison’s Mentor, Pastor Brian Houston, was invited to attend an official White House dinner. Houston is under investigation for covering up his father’s sex abuse.”
The primary reason for writing this series was to bring to people’s attention a list of facts that: a) drew attention to the workings of an egregious government; b) was to discuss what could be done to prevent such events in the future, and; c) was why people showed little interest in all this corruption, preferring to vote for the untouchable incumbent for their personal and often ambiguous reasons regardless of the party’s track record.
In any survey one reads, most people seem to be pure of heart and invariably are anti-corruption and against any form of those things that make for obnoxious governance.
However, when you ask whom they will vote for, they will not stray far away from the party they consistently voted for.
In plain English, people understand the truth of things, even the consequences of their party’s decisions but cannot bring themselves to stray from their allegiances. They will join the majority opinion against their party and then vote for them in an election.
So in listing all the misdemeanours, I could find I have answered question A. The answer to B is some form of National Corruption body constituted by people who are not presently politicians, and C lays at the feet of truth-telling politicians and a fourth estate with the same instincts.
On this, I agree with “Yes Minister.”
“That begs the question of creating a more expansive / more encompassing federal ICAC from which all three arms of government are excluded from administering / managing / nobbling, one that can hold politicians, bureaucrats and the judiciary to account since all three groups have demonstrated they are anything but honourable.”
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My thought for the day
One of the oddities of political polling is trying to understand how 50% of the voting public would willingly return a party that has governed so abysmally.
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