Sonofgloin,I'm hoping people will wake up soon.The NAB borrowed $4.5 billion from the US Fed in 2008.It raised a further $3 billion on the share market.We have gone guarantors for the banks.The banks are said to have 20% of their assets in worthless derivatives.They don't look real safe.

Thomson's trial will be delayed for months perhaps years, so he will still hold his seat.So we'll have to find another way of bringing on an early election.

Dear Ammonite,

You're absolutely spot on regarding Shadow Minister.
But then that's all they have. Not a word about one
of their own scandals. I guess shoplifting , and assault
is ok - in their party. But the prices of meat going up
by approximately one cent is blamed on the carbon tax.
And they wonder why they lost the last election.

Pelican,

With all the tons of corroborating evidence coming it, it is clear to me beyond a reasonable doubt that Thomson is guilty of corruption and fraud, and that the federal labor in trying to cover it up has just taken a huge bath in the sleaze and corruption that it carries. The longer that Juliar tries to cover for this grub, the more she carries the stink by association.

I, and I am certain that others are going to keep hammering at this until Juliar takes the only honourable avenue open to her and expels Thomson from the labor party, and withdraws labor's financial support. Until she does, the only way is down.

Ammonite/Lexi/Pelican a fair number of good honest posters in that lot.
Each have taken me to task, and I look at myself after such,as balance and under standing exists in their words.
I may get close and often, but few can keep up with the insults a few throw about here.
From SOG Shadow Minister, expect no balance.
This thread promotes the view, we convict without trial a man.
While sitting on the fact only one federal parliamentarian currently faces charges.
SOG, I weary of your miss placed view of your ability to understand.
All those great past men of my party are gone.
But greatness still exists, while never part of the inner circle I have eaten with todays great leaders, Bill Shorten, Paul Howes Bill Ludwig.
Neville Wran Bob Carr branch leaders of my union who like myself acted as every past one did.
I am privileged to have spoken many times to the next NSW ALP premier Robo , no better unionist/honest politician ever existed.
You blokes can now have this thread no intention to see the issue exists here.
PS Bob Carr is the best NSW leader in my lifetime.

Belly,"Bob Carr is the best leader in my lifetime." You have got to be joking Belly.This guy is all about nepotism and opportunism.He called desalination plants bottled electricity and said they were an environmental disaster.So off trots Bob to the Middle East and does a 180 deg turn.Bob builds a $2 billion white elephant ,resigns and gets a consultancy with Macquarie Bank for $500,000 pa,to get the prime NSW Govt contracts to milk the taxpayer.

Your Union supports all this criminality Belly,and you should all be utterly ashamed of yourelves.What bold faced liars and opportunists!

As we spread out on party lines, I despair that the inaugural speech of the newly elected DLP Senator appealed to me. Lots of talk of Chifley and Labor values.

Equally, I was appalled to learn that BHP made soaring profits this year, $45.1 billion. Isn't that the very same company that could not afford to sustain 1000 Aussie workers jobs in steel production this week ?.

In other financial news today, all the other players in monopolistic or duopolistic essential services (food fuel gas electricity etc), all reported soaring profit gains.

And not a pay rise on the horizon to compensate for the consumer. This is the both the problem, and the legacy of the Howard Gov't.
And the sale of essential services assets in combination with the ideological destruction of the Trade Practices Act, is the fault of the Howard Gov't. Although Labor Gov'ts at a State level are equally culpable.

The privatised essential services sector is the reason why consumers are experiencing prices at 10 times + the gazetted rate of inflation, or coercive manipulation of margins, such as we see in petrol pricing.

These Business practices are only possible in the absence of adequate regulation. Something that was in place prior to the Howard years.

"Is it not the job of a good Gov't, to at least seek to preserve the living standards of it's constituents ?." I believe it is RM.
The Gov't we have has at least sought to do that.

With or without Craig Thomson SM.