Fitzgibbon certainly aint no Kim Philby - but he may be a klutz. My guess is Rudd will dump him when he gets back from over seas then Andrew Bolt and Peirs Akerman et al can put aside their faux outrage and go back to leftist bashing and bad writing

Tasked or not, the AFP has got the dirt on most people of influence in politics and the public service.In the complex market place of information trading within the corridors of Canberra, as part of the never ending quest for influence, Keelty, no doubt thought he could score points with powereful defence interests.
There was never a need for DSD to get involved. The information, such as we know it, was easily obtained.
Keelty is always on the look out to strenghthen his base of support. Over the past 6 years he has sought to strengthen the AFP's relationship with the ADF, partly rationalised by the need for a common front against terrorism, but driven more by Keelty's empire building ambitions.
The leaking of the information was designed to hurt Fitzgibbon, but with the incompetence now pervading the public service in Canberra it has blown back to damage Nick Warner. And rightly so.
If favours bestowed on politicians are to be examined, then all gifts from all countries and sources should be examined.
Bruce Haigh

It never ceases to amase me how the rusted on libs' like this Peter Coates try and try to defame any labour member by deframing thair name on any context. Incompetent, underachieving, useless minister - whatever words it takes, without any proof, to undermine the person.
How unaustralian is this unfitted use of language and pure school yard nastiness. Peter, come up with the goods before you throw stones, bully-boy.

I agree with what most posters have said.

- Fitzgibbon's competence and experience is unacceptably low to represent a huge and complex portfolio that is also involved in a war.

- Politicians often do learn to work with a difficult portfolio but Fitzgibbon doesn't appear to be learning. He appears to be going backwards in some areas.

- Fitzgibbon's claim that its all about Defence reacting against his reform agenda seems largely a furphy. Many/most Defence Minister's claim that their "sweeping agendas" will finally clean up Defence's profligate ways. Most try - few Ministers succeed. Public Service supremos and major arms sellers have been in the game a lot longer than Ministers.

- In terms the "Estimate" two paid for trips are probably just small sins for a politician - given the low standards of accountability expected of politicians compared to most Australians (us "little people").

Politicians simply do it and get away with it because they are powerful and because ultimately they make the rules.

Here's another interesting AFP document http://www.afp.gov.au/services/referrals.html . Note the section towards the bottom - REFERRAL OF POLITICALLY SENSITIVE MATTERS

Obviously politically sensitive matters "not limited to fraud" come up often enough to demand special handling by the AFP and the Minister for Home Affairs (Bob Debus).

The AFP's clear need to see a distinction between "Politically Sensitive" and presumably "Not politically sensitive" is interesting.

Should political sensitivities place some matters or people above the law?

Are they receiving special handling (even coddling) as provided for in this AFP document?

Pete

Go back to mumsy Engel-and where you obviously belong. And take your beloved, stinking-corrupt UKUSA with you. We'll get by fine with ANZUS (provided the US hasn't been 100% sacked already).

I for one am willing to wait until we have another Jake Kovco-type fiasco and then we'll see where the blame really lies - with the ADF or with a politician.