Conversion to private us and 'catch me if you can'. Ms Julia Whatshername and Tim must be sitting back in that $2million bungalow and laughing at what they managed to get away with.

Any wonder politicians are forever wanting to make the Public Service 'more responsive' by lateral recruitment of political appointees to senior positions.

<JULIA Gillard wrote a personal cheque for $4243 to the Department of Finance because her partner, Tim Mathieson, had misused her taxpayer-funded car to drive around Victoria selling shampoo and other haircare products in breach of parliamentary rules.

Documents released to The Australian under Freedom of Information laws yesterday show that Ms Gillard made the payment on March 9, 2007, as deputy leader of the opposition because of concern over a breach of rules forbidding the use of the car for commercial purposes.

The documents were provided yesterday after a 10-month battle by the former prime minister and her office to prevent the Department of Finance from following through on its decision to release the material>

http://tinyurl.com/pjodebe

Interesting. But let's not be selective in examining
the "wrong-doings" of only one side of politics.
To balance things out lets also take a look at the
leader of the opposition's actions and how he measures
up to the former PM's pay-back actions. This should
bide well for all those with an appetite for that sort
of news:

The Fairfax media has pointed out that:

Mr Abbott was forced to pay back the Commonwealth $10,000
of taxpayer's money in travel expenses which he spent
while promoting his 2009 book, "Battlelines."
And there's more - In the 2011 "Pollie Pedal" for charity,
Mr Abbott claimed $3,657.00 in "expenses." In the
2012 "Pollie Pedal for charity Mr Abbott's claim for
"expenses" was $3,141.00. The expenses for 2013 are yet to be
released.

Foxy,

You want to play tit-for-tat as a way of lessening or even forgetting the wrong of your 'side' of politics.

It is obvious rhetorical trickery to divert and deceive that only serves to confirm that you are partisan and ethics will be sidelined to 'win' a point. That way you and others can flop into your ruts to repeat the same old, same old.

However, as has been pointed out many times before, there is a larger issue at stake which is accountability. That applies to all who access government entitlements or make decisions affecting them.

So what about dealing with the first matter raised which was lawyer Ms Julia Whatshername's responsibility for the safe keeping and proper use of her guvvy car?

Then by all means allegations affecting others can be discussed.

To be blunt, don't excuse one by making allegations against another.

Dear OTB,

You were the one who took part in finger-pointing
on this thread Sir. I actually tried to keep a
fair and even balance in my comments. And now
your claim about "accountability" seems to only
be held against one side of politics. That's being
selective and biased. I was merely responding and
trying to present both sides as having to be
accountable - if we're going to discuss "wrong-doings."

You however seem to have a problem with that.
Which I simply cannot accept.

Foxy,

That is no answer, just more of the same.

Dear OTB,

That is an answer. It simply is unacceptable to you.
Tit-for-tat - is your game not mine.