Dear lol2

To those who are misguided enough to trust Inquiries and the ability of Labor to make a dent in the permanent Coalition Government be reminded that the Commonwealth Games is captivating the public NOT Cole.

In the end lawyers will grow rich and make careers for themselves - this is the principle aim of inquiries - in addition to delay and diversion of issues. Note that Parliament is full of lawyers - coincidence? I think not - hence the following of 17/3/06:

The lawyer for former AWB chairman Trevor Flugge says the Federal Government is using national security as an excuse to withhold relevant documents from him.

Ian Barker QC has told the oil-for-food inquiry's Commissioner, Terrence Cole, he wants to see evidence from the Office of National Assessment in full.

Only a summary of the documents was publicly released yesterday.

It showed Australian spies knew eight years ago that a trucking company called Alia was part-owned by Saddam Hussein's regime and some payments to it breached United Nations sanctions.

Mr Barker says it is unfair that council assisting the inquiry has information that is kept from him.

He says he is willing to view the evidence in a locked room, surrounded by security guards, if national security is concerned.

In another submission this morning, lawyers for four AWB employees who have appeared at the inquiry claim there has a deal made with the Government to not disclose certain documents to them.

Go Barker

Still BORING.

Planetagenet,

Congratulations for realising that the Commonwealth Games are on...lol I still have more hope in inquiries than you although I do have my doubts also. I hope that Mr Cole will prove you wrong.

As to the legal beavers in parliament I agree with you... we should ban lawyers becoming politicians as they seem to look for ways to get around the laws, or write laws that have loopholes galore for their mates. The first rule a lawyer learns is the truth is a very flexible thing!

Now what could an opportunistic politician, in power, from either side of the fence, do during this time? Stop scratching your head I'll tell you...lol

Read my post here if you haven't already:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4268

I even awarded Johnny a gold medal so the games enthusiasts could think on two things at the same time...lol

So everything that is happening at the moment is pointing me to the belief that we can't allow a Govt to have control of the senate...

Therefore we really only have two main options. Either strengthen the Dems or continue strengthening the Greens.

But these parties have to do much more than be Senate sitters they need to fight to get in the House of Reps where they can make a bigger difference.

I now go to their pages and at least read their media releases because the media aren't giving them coverage :

The Democrats http://www.democrats.org.au/news/

and

The Greens http://greens.org.au/mediacentre/

It's enlightening to read what the smaller parties are saying.

Dearest "lol"2

Firstly may I say that I was shocked, then a little unnerved, that your last post was almost civil...

I fear that the Cole inquiry is now entering a phase of complex, drawn out and delayed legal argument that will bore the pants off even the most excitable conspiracy theorist.

I agree with your observations on lawyers and parliamentary law making. Nope I hadn't read your "media" post on that issue - obviously great minds think alike.

On the Senate - the revolt by Coalition Senators and Barnaby are adding an unexpected degree of democracy (eg. RU486... ) which is foiling SOME of the authoritarian tendencies of Howards crowd.

I must admit I often vote Green not because I think they could effectively govern but because they're usually the best opposition party with the most searching questions. They also seem to self-destruct less than Labor or the Democrats.

There is nothing better than wildcard or minority senators with original ideas to keep a Government "honest". Well nothing except a large number of marginal seats with minor parties or independents on the point of seizing them.

plantagenet,

Sorry if I seemed uncivil in previous posts... when you had pasted some of the Cole commission and then said BORING I thought you were trying to divert my argument. There are so many people here with fixed biases here and I wasn't sure where you were taking the debate.

We are entering a very worrysome time in some ways where even Liberals like Malcolm Fraser are arguing that the Liberal Party is no longer Liberal but conservative.

Up until Howard we hadn't seen a level of conservatism like this. But Johnny has the bad habit of telling porky pies which at least some are willing to expose.

The Family First party is a typical example. He promised that his Govt would run "family impact studies" on "all" critical legislation to get their preferences. Whether one agrees with family first or not... John Howard promised a Christian based party who then handed him their preferences.

Once he had control of the Senate he no longer needed their vote and so the Telstra legislation was pushed through without the "family impact statement". This is a blatant proof of Howard not honouring his promise to even a Christian party.

So if he will break a promise to a Christian Party... what would he do to the rest.

So much of this will be forgotten unless people on OLO and other sites keep reminding people of such actions.

I don't follow any party... I don't trust politicians ... but when a party like the Lib/Nats attack Barnaby Joyce for actually doing his job and representing his State ... I think bells should be ringing everywhere.

The AWB enquiry could just be a crucial indicator, if the big parties and the media get their way, of how little we will be told in the future.

Opinionated2

No worries mate, my complete distrust of inquies/royal commissions made me dismissive about the Cole one.

4 things are working against this Inquiry, even though a substantial paper trial has been amassed.

1. the Commonwealth Games is of much more interest to the public,

2. Cyclone Larry, likewise,

3. the main "Inquisator" Kevin Rudd (last hope of the ALP) lacks charisma when on the attack (just imagine how a Hawke or Keating whould have sorted Downer out), and

4. this Inquiry has been going so long its a case of "what was the question?".

The Coalition will benefit from the public's short attention span.

The Coalition will also benefit from the enforced "willingness" of public servants (and spooks) to shoulder the blame for not highlighting AWB's bribery scheme.

As key AWB figures are receiving inflated private industry salaries for what is still a government regulated wheat MONOPOLY these gentlemen are receiving the highest level of legal representation at the Inquiry. They can afford it, but I wonder when taxpayers or wheat farmers will ultimately pay for it.

Lawyers are being paid to get AWB off the hook when blind Freddie can see that the AWB leadership are guilty. Will they lose their performance bonuses or large pensions - NOPE.

plantagenet

I hope you are wrong about Govt workers taking the blame but Johnny has a habit wriggling out of trouble.

I agree Cyclone Larry is another huge distraction taking away the importance of the AWB enquiry.

I have a lot more faith in the job that Rudd is doing than you do... so I hope I am right.

As I said earlier in my sarcastic mode (sorry)

The Labor parties tactic was to get as many ministers as possible parroting the same line "we knew nothing" about the kickbacks so that when (a more recent outing happened)

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18558746%255E2702,00.html

they can prove the Govt is lying and that they have deliberately misled parliament.

Not that under Johnnies code of conduct that means anything. Apparently misleading parliament is acceptable now.

The more it drags out the more Aussies will switch off.... but the report could be quite damning.

I am more concerned that what the QC's are stating might be correct. If I were a Govt employee I wouldn't let anyone tell me what to say... as that could lead to charges to them personally of "obstructing the course of justice" or "perjury" if they gave false evidence.

I still have some faith in this enquiry and the ability of Rudd to keep knocking on the door.

I can't see how Howard will be able to stop Downer and Vaille being called to account at the enquiry. As you can see by this thread the "that's the way it is done" lobby have gone really quiet. Even they know that Howard and his cronies are in big trouble!

What is the punishment for misleading parliament for a Prime Minister?