Comments on: Estimates schmestimates: Opposition goes soft on the ALP

By: Bohemian

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

The US Congress failed to hold Bush to account and look what happened. Now they are failing to hold Obama and his lookalike support team to account and look what is happening - Afghanistan for 20 years, Pakistan and Central Asia for who knows how long, the reintroduction of the military draft and fifteen years of depression due to a failure to hold Wall Street to account.

Looks like our parliamentarians are copying the American approach to accountability.

By: paddy

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

I realize John Falkner can be an intimidating figure for the opposition.
But It’s a bit of a worry when the Opposition Defense spokesman is too frightened to actually turn up and do his job.

By: fehowarth

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

My observation is that the opposition senators are only interested in abusing and attacking public servants and other witnesses before the committee. Woman witnesses are exposed to sexual attacks. They, especially the two mentioned in the above article are more interested in promoting their own views and are not interested in the answers given. The shocking thing is that the people attacked are unable to defend themselves. They then write reports that represent their views, not what was actually said by the witnesses.

By: Joel B1

Joel B1 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Sorry, I really must try to get to the end of these articles. zzzz

Greens "using their limited number of senators to concentrate on select areas"

Are you mad? Greens? Bob Brown: "I'll (mis)use my power to attack anyone who dares to say anything I don't agree with?"

You see, up there on the mainland you can't begin to understand the Greens "interpretation" of reality.
So when the Exclusive Brethren put out a pamphlet detailing Green policies Brown has a Senate investigation into them.
When the AFP investigate piracy in the Southern Oceans Brown has a Senate investigation.

It's true he's supporting his cause. But Brown will go down in history as an infamous mis-user of Senate powers.

By: Joel B1

Joel B1 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“More likely, it’s because the Opposition is not doing the basics and that is bad for parliamentary democracy.”

Well, Crikey, you and the rest of media are at least partly to blame for that. Crikey and ABC-online have spent most of the time “sucking-up” to Rudd with his inane “Look!, over there, there’s a Liberal leadership challenge”.

Let’s face it. You people play the “Joker” but as Dolly P says “the joke’s on you” (at least I imagine she said that).