The difference between modern democracies and tin pot dictatorships is the rule of law and due process. In scrapping a tender process that twice made the same recommendation that Stephen Conroy didn't like, the minister has made the cabinet look like a bunch of whimsical chieftains.

"THE Auditor-General has driven a stake through the heart of Julia Gillard's claims of cabinet competence and exposed a government that is prepared to manipulate, dissemble and scheme to defeat honourable commercial and public service processes to advance Labor's political prejudice.

In a scarifying inquiry into the tender process for the $223 million contract for the Australia Network international TV service, the audit office has condemned the Gillard government for acts of incompetence and a lack of due process that have endangered Australia's commercial reputation."

When Julia Gillard asks the question "Who do you trust to manage the economy?" The answer can only be "Not you."

SM,
I must commend you for bringing yet another stuff up, by this government, to the attention of OLO posters.

The Ausitor Generals report clearly shows that this government is not honest and lacks any integrity what so ever. This time not only was a minister involved, but the Cabinet. This is what happens when we have a government that is totally incompedent a will put aside due process to gain a favoured outcome.

It is not only the PM that is incapable, it is the whole government.

On top of this, we have minister Shorten just a week ago, trying to tell us that the miners tax would increase the super benefits for workers. Is there any member of this government that does not take electors for complete fools or will say anything to try and gain advantage?

All to be added to the ever growing 'stuff ups' list.

I do not feel I need to lie, to defend my party on this issue.
Yes it is a mess, and yes factions did the damage.
Anti Rudd is stamped all over this.
And power brokers, very much so.
Banana Republic?
50% of Spain's youth is unemployed.
Greece, no matter what is done to help, can never pay its debts.
Europe is ,every day, one wrong step away from disaster.
Labor,as badly bruised by its internal troubles as by Abbott,still remains the only party worthy of governing us.
Every charge, ever leveled by SM is one sided, Labor has its policy's out there.
Conservatives, posing as Liberals, have policy's they promise, but can not implement.
Welfare, any Liberal/Conservative party,will say needs cutting and controlling, Tony Abbott extends it to the middle class.
While planning cuts to education/health pensions.
Yes Conroy got it wrong, if I knew I would live to see some say that about Conservatives, Shadow Minister I would live a very long time.
ALP, look at these facts, it is not SM or me we need to win, but those who fall for such as this we not anyone else, got this one wrong.
It never should have gone to tender never should have been offered to Murdock, but once done?

Belly,

This level of staggering incompetence was never shown in the Howard government. This is yet another example of the arrogance and incompetence of Labor in a long, line of stupidity.

Dear Belly,

Tha Howard government neglected our surface transport-
our interstate roads, railroads and urban public transport.
It starved our tertiary education sector of funds.
It neglected investments which could help us cope with
the challenges of water shortages, climate change and
fossil fuel depletion. In other words it directed its
attention to only one side of the public balance sheet,
the debt side, while ignoring the asset side.
As a matter of fact the Howard government's economic
report card is overall a dismal one.

And as for the current state of affairs. The following
link may give you a bit of a laugh:

http://newmatilda.com/2012/02/02/lets-catch-flying-fish-prosperity

I have been looking at a Privacy dept complaint recently. After more than 3 years of time wasting and incompetent bungling, including a preliminary opinion that was overturned, the dept found in favour of the complainant against iiNet, who had given the account of the individual to another person, destroyed a significant portion of over 10 years of data and otherwise locked them out from their own affairs.

Amongst other things, the dept found that iiNet's security protocols were flawed and that they had refused point blank to write even once to the individual concerned.

Whilst a resolution was offered by iiNet, no public apology was requested by the dept out of regard for the public interest in such a matter, and due to the absurd insistence upon so called "concilliation" the effected individuals account is only to be returned with the consent of the thief who stole it and no compo!

To rub salt into the wound, it has been more than 6 months since the file was closed by the dept and iiNet have flatly refused to provide the resolution. Worse still, the muddle headed muggles in the dept refuse to do anything to enforce their own decision and will no longer reply to queries.

It is just a matter of contempt upon incompetency upon contempt.

The ombudsman has declined to investigate on the grounds that they (blindly) accept decisions from the dept, can't compel the department in any event and cannot see that they could achieve a better outcome even if they could. They additionally refuse to comment on the argument that an investigation could well lead to better outcomes for future complainants.

Another complaint has been accepted by the Ombudsman however regarding the refusal of the department to act to enforce its own decisions which remains in process, but no one is holding their breath.

No comment has been received by the clown minister conroy. Gee, what a surprise.

Let me give you all the hot tip, guard your personal information closely, as so called protections afforded by the tin pot law are largely illusory.