Now i hear Arthur Sinodinos is heavily involved in economic policy, I am much more hopeful about the Coalition. Smart guy, and just the person Abbott needs at the front of the ministry.

Finally Labor has stepped up anti-dumping measures through a commission.

Looks like we are now going to have some serious economic debates. About time. Hope it more than rhetoric, because at end of day, economy is most important issue

Dear Poirot,

You're doing a great job.
Keep up the good work.

One of the pre-requisites for Democracy is
access to information. A democracy requires
its citizens to make informed choices. If
citizens or their representatives are denied
access to the information they need to make
these choices, or if they are given false or
misleading information, the democratic
process becomes a sham. When politicians conceal
information or lie - their actions are contrary to democratic
values and can damage public faith in our
political institutions.

With an election coming up voters need to be able
to make informed choices - to be able
to assess who deserves to govern. They need to
be able to use their rights in a meaningful way.

To quote Harlan Ellison:

"You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled
to your 'informed' opinion. No one is entitled to be
ignorant."

right on lexi

that is why we should see correspondence from Garrett to Rudd over home insulation program so we can learn truth of whether warnings were ignored at highest level.

Yep, I am all for transparency, especially on really important issues that involved hundreds of millions in waste and deaths of people.

Thanks, Lexi,

I does make one wonder how, if you're travelling to a book-signing in a Comm car, it can be inadvertent.

I'm considering that it's probably the case that Ministers sign of of expense claims They have staff to prepare the paperwork...but do you reckon MP's sign off on it?

Dear Poirot,

As Peter Coleman pointed out in the Preface
to, "The Costello Memoris,"

"Whatever they may say, most of them do not go
into Parliament to bring about particular reforms;
they go in because they find the life is irresistible."

I think they eventually take the "perks" simply
for granted - and treat them as entitlements without
giving costs involved a second thought.