Shonga,

You reckon: “We on OLO are used to Leigh poo pooing anyone who threatens to hold an alternate view to his hero Johnny Bonsai. Leigh rarely adds anything to a discussion, don't pay any attention, we don't! “

I’d be interested in seeing the poll of posters you took showing that “WE ON OLO” don’t pay any attention to nasty old Leigh who has the absolute gall to have his own opinions. Did you ask your respondents if Canada was or was not a republic in the same poll?

I know that you certainly hold a negative view of me because of my views and opinions, so why waste time telling everyone about it? If you concur with Tony Kevin, tell him. That’s between you and him. He doesn’t need you to tell him what a prick you think I am. If I disagree with Tony Kevin, I tell him and that’s between him and me. He reacted, and I again put a view. It is absolutely nothing to do with you.

Leigh's comments are hilarious, especially the idea that Tony Kevin is a Marxist!

And for those of us who really do know Critical Theory has little, if anything, to do with the "Moscow Committee of 1943".

Anyhow, I find it interesting that a broadly conservative, certainly realist, Canberra international relations type like Kevin is criticising the Federal government in this way, and perfectly rightly, too.

It is very reasonable to assess if our countries checks and balances are eroding. If people could put their political biases aside they might see that it has been happening for some time.

John Howard came into power promising (a core promise) that he would raise the standards of parliament under his reign. Keating had lowered the standards considerably in his and many Aussie's view and so he introduced his charter of ministerial conduct. OOps was that a doosy?... due to no fault of Howard, his ministers couldn't follow a code of conduct. He actually wanted them to uphold a standard and they couldn't even do that.

So Johnny being the strong leader that he is, dropped those like a hot scone and moved to his next cornerstone of political honesty core & non-core promises. A core promise was one you allegedly had to stick to so I suppose a non-core promise could at some times be a fib. Now we have a Govt who knows nothing or in the minds of many misleads parliament or just plain lies.

I don't see anything different in Labor so if we are intellectually astute enough can't we just analyse this?

We have a perfect opportunity for that. The Cole enquiry and the changing of our media laws.

If the mega-rich media barons are going to be able to filter everything we see, hear or listen to then that to me is a check and balance we will lose. We need independence in our media not pro Govt reporting. Furthermore this will put more pressure on "OUR" ABC ... especially seeing it's board is no longer independent. Have Liberal Party people been appointed to the board?

On Friday at the Cole enquiry the QC's made some allegations regarding their clients -
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1594202.htm

If the QC's allegations are correct in this article, our checks and balances are probably already eroded, and in considerable danger of being next to useless even in official enquiries.

Can anyone else unbiasedly analyse and see the problems we face if the QC's are correct in this article?

Does anyone else worry that police can arrest without charge, with shoddy judicial review, for dissent/planning terorism, with the definition of such activity up to their own interpretation?

To me, this is a prime and terrifying example of the erosion of our checks and balances since Howard has been in power.

And this issue is not to just a concern of "lefty"/communist sympathisers.

What if a police officer has a gripe with me because I spilt beer on him/her, looked at their spouse the wrong way, or thinks I smell funny?

Worse, what if a party needs to crucially gag a political opponent for a few days before an important, government-determining by-election?

Remember, no matter your political persuasion, this government could be one you are fundamentally opposed to (a Family First/Liberal coalition? A Socialist Alliance/Labor coalition? Who knows?)

And police can belong to political parties and have terrible authoritarian aspirations like the rest of us.

Sure, right now this seems far fetched, but what processes do we have now to stop it from happening?

These dangerous checks and balances were removed with more or less unilateral support in parliament. Hell, they are probably well regarded by most voters.

But to me, if people democratically decide to remove my democratic freedoms, that defeats the point of democracy.

You can worry about immigration, or detention centres, or being bombed, or religious fundamentalism, or whatever you want, but please don't allow our politicians to further erode our freedoms.

LEIGH,
My humble apology mate, as in the case of Canada. I don't agree with your views, however my earlier comment was a bit harsh. I don't think you are anything other than a gentleman with a different view to myself, to which you are entitled. I get a little carried away sometimes Leigh, difficult to control with chronic major depression.

I actually learn a lot from you comments and those of redneck Col Rouge and others of your ilk, please keep up the good work, I'll try hatder to make constructive critizism, of Johhny Bonsai, and not of you. Nothing personal mate, just frustration as to why and how the ordinary Australian accepts half truthd and straight un truths from her politicians, of all colours.

I choose Johnny Bonsai, only because he is currently in power, and Beazley say's nothing. If he does, it's usually "we agree, it's our policy too" Beazley/Bonsai "two peas in a pod." Again I am sorry for playing the man and not the ball.

Opinionated 2,
So in short both Liberal and Labor are bloody hopeless, and the Liberals in power are full of untruths. I am sure the media barrons will present us with their particulat slant on the truth, after the Liberals seel off the ABC, {ANOTHER THREAD} we will have Nochoice in the subtle brainwashing we and our children recieve. Sell, sell, sell, greed, greed, greed.

Aunty is supposed to present an alternative to commercial TV, however stupid yank comedies, and cartoons are slowly but surely creeping into programming, that annoying yankee drawl, ughhh!