A row has blown up down here in Australia, over politicians meeting lobbyists who are disgraced ex-politicians. The federal opposition leader Kevin Rudd has been accused of lying about the content and the intent of his 3 meetings with the ex premier of Western Australia. Not too big an issue if you think he met him 2 years ago when Kevin was an opposition foreign affairs spokesman and not the leader. But in the course of the governments attack on Kev for seeing this guy, it has been alleged by the Federal treasurer that any one who has met with this disgraced ex premier is tainted. The slanging match in parliament was designed to humiliate Kevin, who is new to the job and needs to be knocked around a bit by the government front bench. Especially as he has a very high approval rating.
It back fired for the government cause one of their own ministers had also supped with the disgraced ex prem. So he too was tainted. In normal circumstances the minister would take a lot more flack before he resigned. But that is exactly what he did within a day of revealing his misdemeanor. Normally he would of had the support of the prime minister, for such a meager deed of wrong doing. But no the prime minister immediately accepted his resignation.
Why you may ask?
The short answer is so the prime minister can continue to attack Kevin over values and honesty and all the mumbo jumbo that blustering politicians can come out with to gain some moral high ground.
I can't and wont say too much about our prime minister but suffice to say it is a beat up and I just hope the media treat it as such and don't go along with the prime ministers farce of making the leader of the opposition be accountable for something that isn't worth defending or talking about. This is typical of John Howard, small time politician acting as a high ground moralist of statesman like character.
He was described today as a coconut with a shoulder that shakes when he is flustered.
Woof.
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