If Mark Vaile gets away with this one Carmen Lawrence should move back to the front bench. Even she would have a better memory.

Seriously though, why is there no record keeping, minutes of meetings? I have never worked for the government but in engineering projects there is extensive record keeping and all parties have their behinds covered in writing. It is not that hard. If anything good comes out this commision let's at least put some tracability and accountability in governmental decision making.

Why do people refer to AWB as the Australian Wheat Board? It ceased being that when it was privatised on July 1st 1999.

It is a sad reflection on the labour party that they can't make more milage out of the Cole commision.

Most people seem to be happy for politicians to lie when the lie is what they want to hear. The problem is, if politicians lie when it suits you, they will lie when it doesn't suit you too.

The point about accurate record keeping is a good one. Anyone in a position of high responsibility who does not keep accurate records on all important matters deserves to be summarily dismissed and lose all entitlements. This should apply to senior management, company directors, politicians and ministers.

Yes,the PM has appeared.But was he treated differently to the other Ministers.Was the questioning by Agius in depth enough to get to what he knew or a please explain.One wonders why the AWB defence was not allowed to cross examinine(surely, as Cole put it,"the questions by Agius covered all,"should or would not satisfy any defence team.)
Concerned people want to get to the "bottom of the matter."

I assume, Professor Bagaric, that your article was written tongue in cheek. If that’s true, it is a pity. There have been stimulating debates in this forum; but you do not encourage them by playing devil’s advocate. And 350 words is too short to deal with the positions you adopt.

Milton Friedman makes a moral assertion, that business ought not to be concerned about issues of social responsibility other than those of making profits. The argument is that the consequence will be a better society than any that might be produced if businesses were concerned to promote social goods, for example by making donations to charity, or by deciding for consumers what they ought to want rather than letting them choose. A businessperson who understands this and adopts it has taken a step towards the moral mountain. Friedmanism is not an amoralist position, for all that he tends towards moral scepticism.

Some points from Business Ethics 101: (There are universities that require students doing business courses to study ethics. There are questions about their effectiveness however.) Businesses rely on a general acceptance of some moral positions in the societies in which they operate, and amongst their employees. (For example, you ought not to murder your competitors; you ought to keep your contracts; you ought not to steal nor destroy other persons’ property; you ought to be free to create and maintain a business; you ought to obey legitimate laws, and if you don’t and it hurts others, they ought to be able to obtain remedies.) Businesses cannot function unless most people involved accept these principles. Nor could the societies in which they exist continue without some general acceptance of them. (Except for the first, these are not fundamental principles. They have exceptions.)

Businesspeople may be controlled by ideologies that lead them to immoral actions. Such ideologies only work because they include moral positions. In general morality is essential for business.

Your assertion that no national interest is at stake in the AWB Inquiry supposes that we should not be concerned whether ministerial indolence has led to so many deaths. Disgraceful.

Rex, summary dismissal upon poor record keeping seems a bit harsh, usually regular audits keeps everyone in line.

What would Labor and Beazley et al have to appear on TV about if it were not for the Cole show?

Bugger all!

When it was revealed that kids were not thrown over board you heard no public outcry. why?

The Prof is right, its a dead parrot issue in a political dead parrot nation.