No other Australian jurisdiction has come close to such strong indigenous, female and even regional/rural representation in ministerial government, writes Bernard Keane.
Ministers
Setting the standards with a little help from Senator John
John Howard made a big thing about improving ministerial responsibility, accountability and behaviour when he came into office back in 1996. He really was going to be the Honest John who demanded the very highest of standards and he proclaimed a Ministerial Code of Conduct to prove it.
With every apology, Iemma heralds a new model of statesmanship
Morris Iemma may lead one of the least competent governments in Australian history, but he long ago realised the immense value of saying sorry, writes David MacCormack.
Fiscal humbuggery and other cunning plans
“One of the more spectacular bits of fiscal humbuggery we have ever seen in this country” is Laura Tingle’s AFR description of the Howard/Costello money jar approach to having a large surplus and eating it too.
