I certainly agree with King in that Franks' failure to file tax returns for so many years cannot be excused, and the defence she mounted - anxiety generated by an ancrimonious divorce - absurd to say the least.

But the ATO does bear some silver of blame in letting her go for so long, although their computer records would have highlighted it was not getting a return. For although King is quite right in saying its still illegial not to file returns, up until comparatively recently the ATO did not bother to chase ordinary wage earners for not filing. They were still getting the tax, any additional earnings were generally not worth chasing, and they usually had to pay refunds. However, they could have at least have sent warning letters..

All that said, Franks has no excuse. She knew it was wrong and she might even have got some money out of it. Her offenses aren't worth jail but she should be dumped out of Parliament and forgotten..

I think the line that blew my mind was this one:

>>She is on a sinecure of about $150,000 a year<<

If only a tenth of what is written here is correct, we taxpayers, who earn a living outside the rort-ridden "public service" with its culture of permanent entitlement, obscene featherbedding and astronomical pension schemes, are being mightily ripped off.

Sadly, I suspect there are many thousands of Tammy Franks out there, sucking greedily on the public teat, without a scintilla of a sense of responsibility, or a modicum of shame.

Malcolm, your comments make us realise where the standards , or lack thereof, are in the fringe politicians. Labor is also currently largely constituted by fringe dwellers.

It is not so long ago that a number of Barristers were removed from the Rolls for failure to pay tax. The standards of our politicians should be at least as high as the standards demanded of our professions. Stupidity is not a basis for removal unless it leads to substandard conduct, as it has in the case of Franks.

Nicola Roxon typified Labor’s low standards when she claimed that Slipper was innocent until proven guilty, being apparently unaware that legislation passed by her own government made him guilty until proven innocent. The first legal officer in the land was unaware of the changes to the law effected by her own government.

We certainly need to regain standards. A trifling mistake by an opposition office holder results in resignation.

We can expect no regaining of standards while ever the present corrupt PM is in office.

South Australia has a Labor government and a Labor member of the Upper House is on child porn charges, and should resign, but apparently has no intention of so doing.

In some respects, Labor seems to constitute a corruption of the political system, rather than a political party. It provides the environment in which those of the Franks category might survive.

Well she has received a small fine for not abiding by the final notice.

She didn't avoid paying the tax.

Franks received a $6000 fine plus $7000 cost to pay the prosecution's costs.

Franks was found guilty for failing to pay tax.

The fact that she failed to lodge ten years of tax declarations is the crux of the matter and I note she also did not lodge tax forms three or four years prior to the 2000-2010 conviction.

The spin is that she was simply unorganised or forgetful. Spare me. Tammy is gone like a Tim Tam at a jamboree. It's a simple case of NAG - Need Another Green.

Shes was not fined for not paying tax Cheryl and Tammy is a lovely woman who I met years ago when she worked for a pittance for Amnesty INternational and then got a job at the YWCA for even less.

She is not on some rich sinecure, she is a duly elected MP.

The snakes who write here don't have a clue what they are on about.