Not in a million years. The comparison never entered my head.

David

I'm so sick of hearing about the guy.

So some rich and powerful businessman died. OK, sorry to hear it. But lets move on with some fresh news items in the next day or two, shall we?

Actually, Foxy, there probably is.

>>Is there any CEO out there that could take being place under a microscope?<<

But you make my point for me. There aren't that many.

We seem, as a nation, to glorify success, by whatever means it is achieved.

To have money, it would appear, is evidence enough that you are a "good bloke", and that any criticism can only stem from envy.

In my twenty-odd years of business in Australia, I have been at the receiving end of deeds of blatant bastardry, conducted by people with wealth that you and I can only dream about.

Not just skirting-the-law stuff - although there was more than a bit of that - but acts of such consummate meanness, vindictiveness and greed, that you would be reluctant to associate with the lowest sub-Saharan despot.

I have no personal view of Mr Pratt. We never did business together.

My comments reflect on us. We the people.

And the way we happily let folk who have made their bucks out of our gullibility tread all over us, and then grovel sycophantically when they give a few spare sous to the charity that will get them most kudos.

I cannot comment on the merits or otherwise of the ACCC case against Pratt. However the way it was done leaves a bad taste.

Graham Samuel and Richard Pratt had a prior history. Apparently the two families had some sort of feud going.

Under the circumstances Samuel should have recused himself from having anything to do with the case. If he felt Pratt had broken the law he should have referred the case upwards and let his boss decide whether to pursue the case.

I can cite a personal example. Some years ago my wife's nephew took a class I was teaching. He was a brilliant student and there was every chance he would graduate with honours. I did not want anyone to be able to accuse him of benefiting from nepotism. After consulting the dean of the faculty I arranged for an external examiner to mark his paper.

Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done.

Interesting to compare the oligarchs' media-run responses to Pratt with those hushed and vague mentions about the death of ex-deputy PM, Treasurer and wartime infantry officer Dr Jim Cairns.

A disgrace, especially from those in the ALP.

"A pirate, who lived and died in the fourth century BC was captured and brought to Alexander the Great, who demanded to know "what he meant by keeping possession of the sea."

"The pirate smiled, and responded: "What do you mean by seizing the whole earth? But because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you, who do it with a great fleet, are called emperor."