Comments on: Drink, drive: bloody member of parliament

By: Lucy

Lucy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

They have always behaved like this; in fact it used to be worse. Urban legend has it that it used to be the party whips’ job to drag all the passed-out bodies from the corridors and bars back to their parliamentary offices. It’s just that we didn’t hear about it.

Politics is a notable, but hardly atypical, example of a profession in which the pressure, long hours, and cliquey in-group rituals combine to inculcate a culture of alcohol abuse. (Journalism, ahem, is another example.) I think it’ll change as public scrutiny gets ever more intense, more women come to the fore, and we get a bit more sensible about things like work-life balance. Requiring politicians to “prove” they are not “addicted” to alcohol is not the answer. Politics doesn’t attract hard drinkers so much as foster them.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

As a care dealer there’s no way my bossr would tolerate more than one drink-driving offence. I have a mate who lost his job after crashing the company car up at Newcastle. He had to undertake driving lessons, lost his licence for 6-months and is paying off the damage to the company car. First offence. So this says as an MP you don’t get the same penalty as a plumber? I know the answer but want to know why.

By: Juzzy

Juzzy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

At some time most of us are snapped for speeding, parking etc …others cop a speeding fine but few are repeat offenders. Lokk at Della Bosca, Kerry Hickey and Fenlon from pineapple territory! Per capita of the population they must take first prize as the retards of the roads.

By: John O'Reilly

John O'Reilly — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I don’t get it! What are they doing in parliament?

By: John G

John G — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

If the government is really serious about putting drink-driving offences on the ‘serious list’ then stick some of these faces and names on their ‘bloody idiot’ ads. The two-faced creeps rabbit on about ’ if you’re over the limit you’re under arrest’ and then hop in their chauffeur driven cars because they’re incapable of getting behind a wheel. Dont do what I do …just as I say.

By: Dr Harvey M Tarvydas

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Well what and whom is an alcoholic. Few really know the true answer to that question.
So it should be required of an elected official before taking up that post to provide evidence of sort that indicates he or she is not addicted to any drug or alcohol and to be accountable for that presented.
Convictions rules should followed with sensitivity but toughness.

Kids in a high school could organise it if there is a shortage of adequately competent adults to organise a fair system.

By: Jenny L

Jenny L — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

When the Courier Mail reported 3-4 years ago that Question time in the Queensland Parliament was paused for a member who’d fallen sideways off her seat after a boozy lunch - is it any wonder they lose control of not just economies but cars and their own self esteem. Is the hypocrisy of these dullards only just coming to the fore or have they always performed like the dregs of society?

By: Juzzy

Juzzy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

At some time most of us are snapped for speeding, parking etc …others cop a drink-driving ticket but few are repeat offenders. Look at Della Bosca, Kerry Hickey and Fenlon from pineapple territory! Per capita of the population they must take first prize as the retards of the roads.