MP quits over “poor personal decisions”. Shock
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I don’t know what to make of John Della Bosca falling on his sword over an affair. The man’s personal morality aside, since when were “poor personal decisions” a basis for political punishment? You start applying that logic, you run out of politicians real fast. Most politicians are like normal people but with ego and a sense of entitlement thrown in, meaning they’re even poorer at “personal decisions” than the rest of us. Traditionally we’ve just wanted them to conduct their ministerial affairs properly, regardless of their personal affairs. Della Bosca says he has, but the “scandal” was the last thing the NSW Government — perhaps we should start using quotations marks for that — needed. And at least Della Bosca can sit out the electoral carnage coming in March 2011 in the Legislative Council and re-emerge to lead the three Labor MPs likely to be left afterward. It’ll be submerged beneath lurid press questions about couch sex (because journalists are all exemplars of moral purity) but Frank Sartor, the only other figure in the NSW ALP with the credibility to be leader, had his hopes for the Premiership quashed by a savage rebuke from the NSW Land and Environment Court over what Justice David Lloyd called “land bribes” to facilitate development on the NSW Central Coast. Current Planning Minister and purported Rees replacement Kristina Keneally copped some collateral damage, but it is Sartor whom the judgement declared had lost his impartiality in making decisions involving “land swaps” where developers trade conservation land for approval. As Herald journalists Matthew Moore and Linton Bresser note, the “land bribe” term will have particular resonance in NSW where the issue of developers’ influence over the NSW Labor Party – and for that matter the Coalition as well — continues to fester. It’s hard to avoid the impression the decision has crippled whatever hopes Sartor might have entertained of convincing his party to ignore their doubts and install him in Rees’s place. NSW Labor has thus gone past the last-man-standing stage to the last-woman-standing stage. Keneally and Carmel Tebbutt are the only relatively untarnished figures left, to the extent that anyone in this rabble hasn’t had their reputations permanently ruined. The more Carmel Tebbutt refuses to accept the Premiership, the more sensible she seems. On the other side of the chamber, Barry O’Farrell sits and has 18 months to wait until he can get into office. He inspires no confidence. Gone is the O’Farrell — the bearded, obese version — who as a straight-talking, sensible anti-politician promised a return to the Greiner era of moderate conservative government and thereby scared the hell out of the religious Right of his party. Instead, despite having a virtual lock on the premiership, he has been backflipping on core policy issues like privatisation and school league tables for political advantage. Meantime his party has decided to have a civil war, complete with actual violence. The only genuine reformer around in NSW was the incompetent Morris Iemma, who realised the long-term need for electricity privatisation and got turfed out by his own party for his trouble. In his memoirs, Peter Costello lauded the ALP for its capacity to plan successions, citing NSW, Queensland and Victoria. The Bracks-Brumby transition has worked reasonably well in Victoria, but the Beattie-Bligh transition barely made it to the election earlier this year before Bligh’s Government began suffering severe and occasionally self-generated turbulence. In NSW, the departure of Bob Carr only served to demonstrate how bereft of talent and vision the NSW ALP was. Mediocre governments can survive if they are well-advised, but the NSW Public Service has been systematically politicised, depriving Carr’s successors of crucial institutional guidance. This isn’t a problem only for NSW. NSW is the only State where unemployment is above 6%. Sydney is the only city — in fact, the only part of the country other than Far North Queensland — where unemployment is currently above 10% in some areas. No other capital is close to the levels of unemployment seen in western Sydney. The prolonged underperformance of the NSW economy is an increasing problem not merely for its residents but for the national economy, where the emerging issue is whether we are sufficiently advanced on the road to recovery to remove the fiscal and monetary stimulus put in place in response to the GFC. The paucity of talent on both sides in NSW — now rather greater after yesterday’s events — is a widespread problem at state level. State politics is now for the second-raters, the hacks, or those for whom it’s a stepping stone to the real game in Canberra. Decades of centralisation have served to curb the appeal of state politics. In any event, the primary policy problem in state governments is how to minimise voters’ discontent over infrastructure and services while keeping the ratings agencies happy, an insoluble dilemma. There’s no point complaining about the lack of a Greiner or a Kennett because they’d go straight to the Federal sphere now. There’s no constitutional way to remove the NSW Government. The only way is for NSW Labor to call a vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly and abstain, allowing the Governor to call an election. If John Della Bosca can “take his medicine” for a personal mistake, his party can do the same for sins far worse than an extra-marital fling. |
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33 Comments
I’ve said it before and will no doubt be given the opportunity to say it again; I’m glad I don’t live in NSW any more.
Top article BK.
The media hype about JDB’s leadership ambitions all fudge one issue - just how was he to lead the NSW ALP from the upper house? The government’s electoral stocks are so low, what kind of safe seat resignation and election would be required to provide any certainty that he would be re-elected? Is this a strategic withdrawal? In any case, he’d have to surrender all his portfolios. For years Della has been the Minister for just about everything - Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Commerce, Industrial Relations, Special Minister of State - in short he has been minister of just about everything where detailed and sometimes unpopular reforms were required to get things working as they should. It was he who outraged insurers and litigation lawyers in just about equal measure with his cost saving reforms to third party motor accident insutrance. It was he who outraged business with the toughest OHS regime in the country and had the unions marching on Parliament because of the same reforms. He found $1.5 billion over five years for services for people with disability after his predecessor, Carmel Tebbutt wasn’t able to get anything. This is a real loss for the NSW Government and adds to the long-term decline of talent in the ministerial ranks which started with the resignation of Andrew Refshauge, went through the resignations of Bob Debus and John Watkins and now has come to this. What a shame.
Personally, I couldn’t give a damn about Della Bosca’s private life - his extra marital affair is between he and his wife - I’m not interested! He didn’t sell state secrets or any other action detrimental to our safety etc(except for the fact, that the health system in this State is pretty appalling?) I’m rather bemused by the high moral outrage by those at the Daily Telegraph - isn’t Murdoch into his 3rd marriage? I guess his former wives would have something to say about his ‘morals’? A bit rich coming from that bunch, who used to have a ‘page 3 girl’ daily. I suspect it’s all part of the ‘Damned Whores and God’s Police’ syndrome Anne Summers wrote about in her book! What if the young woman concerned was a plant - by the Libs, the media? Or is that another conspiracy theory? Stranger things have happened.
I’m sick of this government, but have no confidence in either Barry O’Farrell or his coalition members - the far right give me the ‘heeby jeebers’ - make my blood run cold to be honest. Spare us from the policies of David Clarke and his Opus Dei mates??Yuk!
I notice Bernard, that you don’t mention the Greens! I have a lot of respect for those hard working people, who’ve exposed more important issues than infidelity, which is not my business, and I have no interest in it. I am interested in the alleged associations between developers and decisions of this Govt; and am most concerned and disgusted by the decisions made, to wit, Killalea which is close to me geographically and close to my heart - I just love this place, and The Farm which is a legend.
I find this disgusting. A beautiful area for the enjoyment of all peoples, being carved up for some company to make money out of, while it will block out the ocean views for visitors - that’s if we’ll be able to visit - with or without a fee? The Greens ALLEGED that after each decision was made, monies magically appeared at ALP headquarters - in fact, Stateline showed the paperwork, and if it was genuine, which I don’t doubt, the evidence is plain to see! The same evidence can be found on The Greens web site - there are more examples, and another has been made public yesterday.
In the govt’s defence, I think that the GST robbed this state of at least $1 billion per year(being generous to the fed.govt) could be more. That’s at least $8 billion that has been denied to the people of this state. How much is the health budget per year? What about the education budget; disabilities; mental health etc? What could’ve been done with this money? Now the govt appears to be out of money, and I think that the sale of their mothers may be on the list next - after lotteries, part of electricity, old buildings of significance that should be added to the heritage list; dept of housing homes - sometimes 3 at a time are on sale in a week(what happened to the new homeless - families?). The list goes on. Once these are gone, that’s it! Sobering thoughts!
This whole event was about as predictable as Bernard appending “-gate” to the ensuing controversy
Mercifully, I don’t think it will make this list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scandals_with_%22-gate%22_suffix
Damien, “Stronger Together” included $1 billion in new funding over 5 years for Disability Services, not $1.5 billion. You do Tebbutt an injustice - she got an extra $1.2billion for DoCS when she had both the Community Services and Disability Services portfolios.
If John Della Bosca is married to the witch, Belinda Neale, I can only assume the young lady hopping into bed with him has little taste, but a massive dose of heart.
While political parties treat MPs like thoroughbred investments our parliaments will continue to look more like ARL clubs than public office. Della Bosca should have gone when he lost his probationary licence for serial speeding in his government vehicle. Using his office and work hours for a bit on the side pales to former exploits. To stay in power Parties can’t afford to turf out bad blood nor can they be selective about who frequents their turf. Lets face it had NSW Labor relied on corporate sponsorship it would have breathed its last and had it called bi-elections to replace the string of dysfunctionals it’s recently endorsed it wouldn’t be in office. Victoria and Queensland harbour the same element of drink-driving, speeding, bullying, abusive and lying MPs who all front commissions and inquiries and max out parliamentary pensions as they cost the state more than they contribute. We have a weird belief that public office or democracy attracts our finest and best - its a shame the statistics show the opposite.
Who can blame him for having an affair? He is, after all, married to Belinda Neal.
The resonating failure of the Daily Telegraph to spear Rees was even being lampooned by sister columnist from the press gallery Imre Salusinszky in their own broadsheet.
So to prove they aren’t a wet lettuce they take on a middle aged man’s mid life crisis and destroy a reportedly competent health minister “across his brief” says Dempster earlier today.
Wow, that’s really helping. And as for the ritual sledging of the current ALP Govt some of it needs to be read down given the Big Media are insufferably right wing: What is even worse than the Coalition out of power is that the ALP Left have got the main gig. Rees can’t possibly be the right stuff GFC nothwithstanding.
So this has next to nothing to do with genuine policy issues. It’s simply attacking personalities on so called character. Where is the actual public interest in this bloke’s affair? None, nil, zip. And the editor Gary Linnel on abc radio earlier today rolling out his sohistry was actually pathetic.
The fact JDB behaved like adolescent Ron in the latest Harry Potter doesn’t really surprise given I’ve witnessed his japes in the Upper House tag team with ex MP Costa. But that can be said of most clowns up there both major parties. An exception was the AG who is very sober, indeed scary. No wonder he’s got the ex cabinet colleagues portfolio short term.
I don’t care about the dalliance per se BUT it does speak to his bizarre lack of judgement - why did he think a ‘honey trap’ 26yr old would want a old man’s cold hands on her?
I don’t believe for a moment that she thought he would leave his wife etc etc so there is more there than a simple flibbertigibbet - listen to his lonnggg silence when asked if it was a set-up? One could hear the gears clicking - this is after all the ultimate machine hack.
At least it explains his recent shedding of kilos and slightly better dress sence
How about Fuck Off Gate, Mr Ed?
If i was married to that loud mouthed, harridan, woman, i would be looking for a replacement as well.
Hopefully NSW voters will wake up to themselves, and vote for anybody, other than the Labour Green Coalition or the Liberal National Coalition. Even a lunatic, like, Fred Nile, could not possibly be worse, than either, major parties.
“The only genuine reformer around in NSW was the incompetent Morris Iemma, who realised the long-term need for electricity privatisation and got turfed out by his own party for his trouble”. Are you kidding Bernard? Anyone who thinks that electricity privatisation is a reform (meaning to make better) has not looked at Victoria: the state govt. lost one of its biggest income streams forever, sold the former SEC’s key assets for a song to overseas interests leaving us with soaring electricity prices and no means of reducing energy consumption in the public interest. Isn’t it time to remove the neo-liberal blindfold Bernard?
“How about Fuck Off Gate, Mr Ed?”
How about Dummy Spit Gate, Bernard?
EVAN BEAVER: Please read my compliments to you in ‘Climate Expert Slams Fielding’ Bernard Keane. Came from the bottom of my heart.
Cheers
Venise
How about Dellagate?
I hear Rees is very big on Dellagating.
“Even a lunatic, like, Fred Nile, could not possibly be worse, than either, major parties.”
Now, let’s not get too excited here.
(((((listen to his lonnggg silence when asked if it was a set-up? ))))
Bingo!!!
I don’t quite buy the setup bit, especially given tonight’s revelations that he has had another and longer affair, and he supposedly bragged about this one to some associates, but I must say that was a very pregnant pause, so to speak.
I also don’t buy that he was considering in that long moment the possibility of a setup, as surely he would have considered that as soon as the story broke and before he had to ring Rees and fall on his sword.
I watched his eyes closely for any of the usual tell-tale signs of fabrication, but perceived none. It was a blank stare that had me wondering for a second if the broadcast video had jammed.
It then crossed my mind that he may have been thinking back, for the first time, to the circumstances under which he met Ms Whoever at the gallery and if anybody in particular had introduced them.
Mere speculation on my part, but it was an extraordinarily long piece of silence for a politician — given their proclivity to approach every problem with an open mouth and every door stop journo with an answer script prepared by a spinmeister.
It seems that we in Australia are flirting dangerously with the characteristically American penchant for puffed up moral outrage at the “indiscretions” of our elected officials. Traditionally the ekectorate has had a tendency to look the other way with respect to politicians personal lives because quite frankly it’s none of their business and personal dalliances don’t necessarily affect performance.This whole saga says more about the media’s desire to push their own agenda (ie bring about a change in government), than pushing on the high moral ground.Sex scandals are yawn worthy at best and distracting from rea issues at worst.l
What crap this is, what a vindictive bitch she must be. Who cares anyway? We all know that these high flyers are generally flawed characters. You don’t seek fame and fortune without one large ego. Let’s hear about the peoples needs and services not JDB’s needs and services. And what happened to us here isn’t this WOMAN an equal partner in this, didn’t she already KNOW that JDB was married? Surely that was no secret, don’t we all know his wifes profile. is not that profile enough to justify JDB’s behaviour.
Oh and another political insight - during the invasion of Germany WW2 there are anecdotes about the fearful young adults in Freudian frenzy of coupling. As if to ward of death or the fear of same with the very act of making life. A confused but intensely (!) human reaction to mortal fear.
Sooo have we seen the political parallel with Della, previously minister Brown undies dance etc etc. The premonitions of career mortality echoes across the water, or over the valleys, the drum beat of defeat.
I do think so. Save yourselves must surely be the catchcry some 18 months out now. Where indeed will the ALP rats all scurry to as Kortland suggests - squirrelled away like sleepers in the state’s institutions (public and ngo) until they can rein again and feast on the public trough?
there is something awesome about an author telling a poster to ‘fuck off’.
Regarding the subject matter, no one really blames JDB as he’s married to a witch. And not the good looking blond Wizard of Oz kind either.
Would’ve been more interesting if he hadn’t actually resigned, and to see who called for his resignation, and who would’ve forgiven him. God knows the NSW government isn’t overflowing with talent.
I’m missing something in this bizarre outpouring of regret from DB for trashing the Party at a time it least needed it. The mea culpas would have been more relevant when pinged for serial driving offences. Moreover, wasn’t Bob Hawke distracted from the nation’s top job by Blanche and Jim Cairns by Junie Morosi? Peter Beattie waged a court case over suppressed allegations and still maintained office. It doesn’t add up.
BANISTERMIND: I think you are getting too excited. Australians in general don’t seem to think harshly of a politician who shows he’s human. Remember the increase in the number of voters if favor of Kevin Rudd, after he revealed he’d been pissed in a strip joint?
Ignore the religious right’s rabbiting on about morals. They are still out-voted by the rest of us. Olé.
Yes venise, i am certain, you would be singing exactly, the same song, if, a conservative politician, had been caught with his/her pants down.
BK: I hope you aren’t offended by me ascribing the above remark as the sort of thing you would say?
Jeez, What did Belinda Neale ever do to you people? So she looks like a hard nut and had words to some restaurant staff, doesn’t make her a witch. Still always good to use some puritan putdown when dealing with assertive women.
Geoffrey R F The thrill when a conservative is caught (and everyone feels some need to tut tut about his or her pecadiloes) is that they will have spent so much time telling us to be pure. Labour scandals are about money tory ones are about sex.
Belinda Neale to pregnant back bencher: “Your child will turn into a demon”.
I guess thats a kind of assertive. I call it being a witch.
Though at least i know who she is, so she’s got something going for her.
@Geoffrey: You mean like Big Mal? (Fraser that is)
So Channels 7 and 9 tonight allege that Della’s mystery lover is one Kate Neill, a comedy writer.
The plot thickens …
An interesting assessment of young Kate in the SMH:
‘A psychologist and sex therapist believes the ex-lover of disgraced former NSW health minister John Della Bosca is predatory, delusional and at risk of ruining her own life.
Janet Hall, a Melbourne-based clinical psychologist with three decades’ experience, says a 600-word justification for making the affair public, published in today’s Daily Telegraph, was insincere and steeped in vengefulness.
“If you truly are acknowledging that you made a mistake, you don’t need to go and tell the world,” Dr Hall said.’
http://www.smh.com.au/national/mistress-who-dumped-della-predatory-psychologist-20090902-f7wt.html
Not her finest hour MTATS but a ‘witch’? Think of another way to disagree with her that doesn’t denigrate her specifically as a woman. Like think of how you would criticise Mirabella, a renowned and trenchant ABC critic, for saying that a married member of parliament with children was ‘a pathetic man-hater’? One guess who she aimed that at. Two points if you can remember if it cane before or after the ‘demon’ comment. If Neal (sorry for the earlier extra E Mr Squid and KAOS) was better looking or more supine I bet she’d get called ‘witch’ a lot less.
Ole indeed Venise, I wake every day thankful.
Oh and let’s not forget Sophie boycotted the apology - nice work.