You obviously remember Ted Mack too, individual.

>>Every third blue moon an independent politician who speaks everyday man's language succeeds in opening the masses' eyes and?, the media gets engaged to malign that person & BINGO! the major parties are back in business.<<

When Ted was Mayor of North Sydney, he sold the mayoral Mercedes and bought community buses with the proceeds. He used his own car to get around in (which was actually a really neat 1951 Citroen Light 15, so was particularly visible) and turned the Council into an open, responsive instrument for locals.

North Sydney residents then elected him to State Parliament, from which he resigned, voluntarily and pointedly, two days before being eligible for a million dollar pension.

When he then put himself up as an Independent for the Federal seat of North Sydney he was a shoo-in, and they eventually had to redistribute the boundaries to get rid of him.

He sent back his gold travel card, and never took an overseas trip at taxpayers' expense.

No wonder the snout-in-the-trough brigade couldn't stand him. He represented what would have been their ethical standards, or perhaps their consciences, if they had had any inkling of what those words meant.

Regrettably, the concept of politicians having the interests of their constituents, rather than their own fat wallets and chauffered cars, closest to their heart, is as old-fashioned and foreign a notion as Ted's car.

Which, sadly, and somehow symbolically, he had to sell recently.

no Belly,
that is not what I am saying at all. Actions speak louder than words.
Watch What people do not what they say they do. For it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles you not what you eat. Toilet functions are part of life. J H sold the farm and paid the mortgage. K R has no farm to mortgage because J H sold it so he mortgaged our childrens future.

We could make significant savings on emissions by cutting Rudd's travel.

Not having to listen to his vacuous long winding speeches would be an added bonus.

Well Folks, if you don't like what
you're currently getting you can
always change it come election time.

Just imagine how progressive Australia
will be with Abbott, Bishop, Barnaby,
Andrews, et al in charge.

You'll be able to get rid of the Stimulus
Package programs, and jobs, the economy
will go down the gurgler, unfair dismissal
laws can be rebuked, you don't have to do
anything about pollution, health, education,
aged care, get rid of medicare, don't allow
any more migrants into the country - certainly
not the "wrong kind" at any rate, and let Big
Business do whatever it wants.

And what's more we'll really be taken
seriously on the International Scene.
Our reputation globally will sky-rocket.

Think of the money that can be saved?
Worth it?
You betcha!

No, Yabster, I'm not biased - just telling
it like it could be - if the naysayers have
their way!

Foxy,
you simply can't be serious ! Can you honestly, within your innermost conscience, not see what is happening to this country under Labor ?

individual - you can't be serious. Didn't you see what happened to Australia under Howard's regime?

I'm no great fan of Rudd, but at least I'm no longer embarrassed to be an Aussie. On second thoughts, I'm less embarrassed than I would undoubtedly be if it was the Mad Denialist Monk representing us at Copenhagen.