Davidson: Leave Garrett alone!Kenneth Davidson defends the embattled Peter Garrett over the insulation saga: the scheme was flawed, but the construction industry has the second highest level of fatalities of any industry.
Ministerial responsibility
We must accept some of the ministerial responsiblity
It’s not fair to scapegoat ministers for programs which rely on community involvement. Peter Garrett shouldn’t take all the rap for the insulation mess, because the public failed too, writes John Warhurst.
Crikey Says: In — Credibility … Out — Madden (ill-advised)
There’s been a lot of talk recently about ministerial responsibility. But there is a minister in Australia whose idea of ministerial responsibility is so slack that it’s extraordinary he still holds his job.
Garrett’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t make him innocent
Yes, it is fiction that ministers can know every little detail about their department, but if Peter Garrett can’t declare that they did everything possible to limit risks then he should resign, writes Simon Longstaff.
Van Onselen: Ministerial responsibility never means having to lose your job
No matter how slow, corrupt or inept, federal ministers never resign over failures in their departments. Ministers lose their jobs over politics, not ministerial responsibility, writes Peter Van Onselen.
Political snippets: No one is responsible now
We have come to a new point in Australian politics today. Ministerial responsibility is gone and a new system of no one is responsible for mistakes has replaced it. Plus, Tony Abbott making ground and a warning about housing affordability.
Australia’s grand history of Ministers not taking responsibility
If a minister had to resign every time somebody under their charge screwed up, the Cabinet would be bare, says Barrie Cassidy, with a great historical primer on when Ministerial Responsibility has and hasn’t be enforced wisely.
Garrett’s insulation scandal gets even hotter
Already under fire over his foil insulation scheme, the scrutiny on Peter Garrett is set to reach boiling point, with new revelations today of dodgy solar panels, shonky businessmen and fresh attacks from industry. Better slip, slop, slap, Pete.
Crikey Says: Can we really blame ministers for everything?
If you follow Tony Abbott’s logic on ministerial responsibility, there would be Ministers’ heads served up on platters with monotonous regularity.
Fitzgibbon affair points to bureaucrats out of control
There are a number of issues in play in the revelation that Defence has been spying on its own minister. All bear teasing out, writes Bernard Keane.
The Code of Conduct: it’s all in the enforcement
The intent of Prime Minister Rudd’s ministerial code of conduct is commendable, but its worth depends on enforcement and meaningful penalties for misconduct, writes Senator Andrew Murray.
