I want to break free

A comment I've just left over in Adrian's cab:

"Adrian - when you do a post like this, I know that the real issues are getting some traction. It's not about the surface issues of bribery or how you do business in the middle east, it's about whether the government can be trusted. Oh the irony - as you will appreciate.
What it tells us is that they think they can get away with anything, but the public does have limited trust and this will begin to bite.

As you know I'm not a conservative supporter, but my principal objections to this lot are not their policies but their systemic dismantling of the checks and balances that make our system a reasonably well functioning democracy. The changes to the election laws, recording political donations, emasculating the union movement, hobbling NGOs, and so on. Stacking boards - well everyone does it, I admit.

Just on the unions, like all large organisations you get individual agendas and so on and I don't deny that many union officials are not at all interested in member's interests. But the reasons why unions came into being are still valid and, since Workchoices, even more needed.
I agree, the government is utterly culpable over this and if there was any decency, Howard would get rid of Vaile and Downer without delay. Well, hah!

And while you might recoil in horror at a Labor Government, think of it in these terms - an inexperienced pack of has-beens and party hacks who suddenly have to become accountable, or a proven pack of corrupt, amoral (think Ruddock, Vanstone, West Papua, please Adrian) crooks being given the licence to ramp up their activities even further. I'd like to think that, if given the choice, Labor would rise to the challenge - but then I look at 'em. Maybe you're right! "