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The Forum > Article Comments > Moonlighting in the Sunshine State > Comments

Moonlighting in the Sunshine State : Comments

By Andrew Leigh, published 14/8/2009

What is it that explains why some Australian states are more corrupt than others?

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One thing that would help is investigative reporting in the press that would expose corruption. However, the Brisbane Courier-Mail is more interested in printing news of the footy 'heroes' and 'legends', giving space to the life and death of Michael Jackson and other stories which don't affect the lives of most Queenslanders. Apparently Murdoch has decided that such trivia makes most money for him.
Posted by david f, Friday, 14 August 2009 11:07:22 AM
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Ah davidf you've hit the nail on the head. The Courier Mail does indeed report misogynist thugs and dysfunctional celebrities as news.

However, when it does apply itself to political issues, there is no analysis and moderation. The headlines scream for political blood to sell papers.

When does access to politicians become corrupt? I think Bligh's knee-jerk reaction to the Courier Mail's witch hunt ill informed and just as shrill as Murdoch's bid to sell papers.

The entire thing is very stupid. Political donations and access are what makes the world go around. It's not that the donations for patronage happen, it's whether the process is in the public interest. This is the issue that must be the subject of reasoned scrutiny.

Banning 'pay for access' and 'success fees' is a complete joke. It (like any prohibition) will drive what should reasonably be a transparent process into the realm of corruption.
Posted by Baxter Sin, Friday, 14 August 2009 11:34:22 AM
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The current state land use planning and approval processes achieve the desired results, delivering corruption, created by government and their agencies, aided and abetted by non government organizations and resulting in the very public examples where some private sector developers and their political glad handlers feed with government support. It will be very interesting to view the Criminal Misconduct Commissions investigations of these processes, as these narrow prescriptive planning practices produced the only logical outcome, corruption in the first instance.
Posted by Dallas, Friday, 14 August 2009 8:16:43 PM
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Bulls-eye Andrew Leigh. Well written, considered and suggestively useful.

The blind eye is among those who fail to understand the meaning behind “culture of corruption” therefore they cant recognise the importance of subsuming a meaning conceptually.

Protective administrations for example see the issue as 'selling out to their mates', much as a family concealing or masking dysfuntional sibling operatives. The idea of 'team' at times is confused, seen instead as blood thicker than water and is traversed systematically rather than self checked, questioned or scrutinised for comprehensive daily health.

In terms of studies in Crime Prevention I highly respect Gary Becker’s seminal work. I add often the gain is not always about money as much as power and uncohesive degrees of status.

Music is a loud call for more education in Crime Prevention [everywhere] grasping the lyrics; “sunshine is the best disinfectant” works.

Understanding 'why' transparency by recognising what cultures of corruption look like means growing critical, culturally aware so as to stamp out co-dependent, insalubrious practices. Hence, finding the significance of autonomous would help identify misdeed if something dodgy is going on. I agree with the role of the media and that posting the jigsaw online "raises the odds of someone piecing it together."

http://www.miacat.com/
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Posted by miacat, Saturday, 15 August 2009 12:52:26 AM
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Had a huge laugh the other day when I saw Murdoch saying the future was internet news and people will pay for quality journalism.

If the Courier Mail was to go on-line he'd lose money. It simply wouldn't contain any quality journalism. For in Queensland there are too many party political hacks posing as journalists while, for balance, they do confirm their very low calibre .
Posted by keith, Saturday, 15 August 2009 12:48:06 PM
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It is most interesting Andrew that you haven’t even mention the absence of an upper house in Queensland. I would have thought this to be an essential part of the story of the purported greater corruption in Queensland than in other states, even if you think that a senate is irrelevant.

I don’t think much of your comments on donations. Making the whole donations regime more transparent will just tinker around the edges of the issue. It will just help legitimise one of the worst aspects of corruption. We’ve really got to work towards doing away with political donations entirely, as has been flagged by Qld Premier Bligh recently.

Big donations from big business amount to blatant favour-buying. This is vastly more significant than the antics of the likes of Nuttall, Harvey or Austin.

By the way, Nuttall is appealing his conviction, and with good reason I think.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25931584-5013404,00.html
I’ve had a lot to say about this here: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2925,
especially on comments made by Judge Patsy Wolfe: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2925#66991

There is something very wrong with crucifying people who operate within the grey area of legality, while the boundaries remain fuzzy and the core of the regime of corruption remains entrenched. At worst, Nuttall’s activities were in this grey zone. He should not have been convicted.

To quote Mark O’Connor, author of ‘Overloading Australia’:

“It is illegal to give your shareholders’ money to a political party if you do it out of political enthusiasm. That’s a misuse of the shareholders’ money. It is only legal to do it if you’re getting something back in return. If you are getting decisions out of government in favour of your company that you could not have got by making reasonable representations to the government, then it’s not illegal. But then it’s a bribe isn’t it? Oh no because you are only giving it to the whole party, not to an individual politician!"
Posted by Ludwig, Sunday, 16 August 2009 7:56:29 AM
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Our old broken federal system of government coupled with the dismal state of major political parties and the way they select candidate mates, all helps to fuel corruption.

Queenslanders have showed national leadership in opinion polls indicating an overwhelming desire to abolish state governments altogether. It's an excellent solution to state corruption and waste in Queensland and the entire country.

Corruption of state politicians will be solved absolutely as will needless over-government with the unification (or amalgamation) of Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, achieving a strong national government that work in partnership with strengthened local governments to deliver regional infrastucture and services currently provided by the states.

Outcomes - financial benefits of about $20 billion per annum in the public sector, $40 billion per annum in the private sector, and at least $50 billion (or about five per cent of GDP) across the Australian economy as a whole. Other benefits:
• improved democracy and government at national and local levels
• no wasteful and coorupt State or Territory governments
• a seamless national economy
• a consistent approach to the environment
• a national education and health system
• a single body to prevent, monitor and prosecute corruption
• a single set of laws, licences for the whole of Australia as part of a national system of law, order and safety, and
• regional administration and cooperation that will no longer be constrained by State and Territory borders. We deserve better than half hearted approaches that keep failing.
Posted by Quick response, Monday, 17 August 2009 12:16:41 PM
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I think I can agree on getting rid of state governments in favour of strengthened local or regional governments on the basis of efficiency and better fitness of purpose.

But on the subject of corruption, there's only one way to tackle it - by shining the spotlight straight in its eyes and exposing it. If you don't, the corruption just goes underground and regroups, as it works out where it can next sneak in through the back door. It may well be that it infiltrates the highest level of government next or even the national anti-corruption body itself.
Posted by RobP, Monday, 17 August 2009 12:31:47 PM
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Rob Say's on political corruption "It may well be that it infiltrates the highest level of government next or even the national anti-corruption body itself".

As one of a number of persons who closely viewed, and refused to take part in corrupt government practices before "the moonlight state" and has a first edition of "Fitzgerald report" and was an active participant at the local, therefore state government level of government between 1993-1997 when some of these much needed policy reforms were being wrestled with and now is an active application embracing these reforms implicit within the reformed acts, I can truthfully as a participant state that, corruption exists at these levels when local councilors and senior public servants representing their ministers compromise "corrupt" properly made applications.
Any government or corruption watchdogs narrowing of their responsibility or enquiry terms of reference, conveniently allows further corruption, you would have to question a broader range of vested interests not just "the big bad developers" (the home building industry). Leaving reform up to the "less that independent public service" is the first corrupting influence. As one who has an active application subject to further government compromise (corruption), cynically, I can reasonably expect, that government could not function without corruption that suits their agenda and now await the watchdogs and an extension the ones honest application lodged in 2004 after undertaking a whole of government consultation process whose purpose was to unearth all agency requirements, hidden agendas and snakes in the many woodpiles!

Concerned councilors, minsters, public servants and your favorites, this 5th generation australian vegemite is not giving up or going to be bought off or go away until the corruption and abuse administered by you on this applicant is correctly addressed and justice is served!
Posted by Dallas, Monday, 17 August 2009 7:58:52 PM
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"... corruption exists at these levels when local councilors and senior public servants representing their ministers compromise "corrupt" properly made applications."

Dallas,

I believe there's no better example of institutionalised corruption than what's just happpened in the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Victoria. The Royal Commission into the Black Saturday fires found that the head of the CFA essentially abandoned his post as chief operations officer for reasons unknown or unexplained. Even worse is that Brumby has stood by his man. How is it that a soft bureaucrat is ever parachuted into an agency with such a high operational tempo and requirement? It's got to be these guys are more interested in having a nice comfy life at the expense of the taxpayer and they throught they would infiltrate the CFA. Like, any port in a storm.

You have the situation now where many volunteer firefighters are reassessing whether or not they will continue to put in for their bush communities during the hot summer months if they're not going to be properly backed up by head office. In a job like that, having a man's man at the top of the CFA, who's "been there and done that", goes a long way to maintaining morale of the troops on the ground. A leader is needed who can visualise the problems that the troops are having on the ground, rather than an equivalent of a WWI British general.

I wonder how long it will be before the CFA fragments as a result of the current crop of leaders? As usual, the people on the ground are being played for mugs.
Posted by RobP, Wednesday, 19 August 2009 10:08:12 PM
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Everyone wants to own the good news, never the bad news, and now the bad guys are the process. Well who prescribed and enforces these impractical processes and the restrictions placed on homeowners who wanted to prepare for the bushfire season but continue to be thwarted at every level of government? when attempting to reduce fuel loads before disaster arrives again. Lazy politicians believing the greens, left dreams, don't touch anything, otherwise our savior "sustainability" will suffer irreparable damage. What responsibility are these thoughtless green thespians taking for those who are lost in Victoria's regular fireworks spectacular. Do they feel guilty and responsible or just run off and hide under the covers until another good new story comes along before once again appearing like a green shoot as they climb out from under their rock clutching the same corrupt policies and prescriptions.
Posted by Dallas, Thursday, 20 August 2009 12:03:54 PM
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