The voters of NSW have had to endure a long and painful ICAC investigation into Labor Party corruption in the State. Daily, the illegality of Macdonald, Obeid and other Labor Party notables were front page news. Add to this the Federal Labor member, Craig Thomson’s criminal activities and you certainly have a sorry state of affairs.
The only surprise at the 2011 State election was not that Labor was decisively swept from office, that was a foregone conclusion, but the fact that they retained a hand full of seats.
Barry O’Farrell marched into Mac Street looking every bit the “New Messiah” for NSW. Compared to the departing mob, Barry looked positively virtuous, leading a team of equally virtuous Coalition members, ready, willing and able to form a government of honesty. The state seemed to have shed it gang of criminals and replaced them with a new government of decency. One the people of the state could depend upon. Barry promised jut that, fair and honest government.
Fast forward to 2014, and oh! The disappointment. Like so many Labor Party members before them, we now have Liberal Party members and associates, lining up to front the ICAC on corruption chargers. The first big gun to front will be Chris Hartcher, and then will come other Liberal MP’s Chris Spence and Darren Webber and who knows, who else will follow. The “New Messiah” is looking rather tarnished as he fails to explain claims he misled Parliament and breached his own code of conduct over contact with businessman Nick Di Girolamo, who is also the subject of a corruption investigation.
Is this the best the people of NSW can expect from the Labor and Liberal Parties? I think ‘Its Time” to look to third parties and Independents to restore honesty and integrity to the government of NSW. The party with the runs on the board on that score is The Greens with their outstanding members in the Legislative Council along with the Member for Balmain Jamie Parker they have worked tirelessly as Don Chipp famously said “To keep the bastards honest”.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/icac-finds-links-between-chris-hartcher-and-eddie-obeid-20140221-337fy.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-31/icac-findings-released/4855128

paul..the problem..is the party system
loyalty to the party brand..is treason

sure we need better govt..but party loyalty HAS TO GO
[I FIGURE..HOW WE NOW..pay..per vote recieved/thAT WE VOTE specifically..for who gets how much of our money/

sO say..your fair share..of govt BUDGET
is a dividend/..THEN you vote for who spends IT FOR YOU..
it will see a lot less SPENT..ON SPORT..AND MORE SPENT ON TEETH.

govt is too big..smaller council level of govt[service delivery]
but run by school district..WE VOTE..WHICH school distrust..gets what

regardless the current party system..has hijacked govt
TOO MANY noses in the trough/but govt could sTOP GIVING MATES/our resorcES..and mine them..for our bennifits..[likE CANADA DOES ?]

REGArdless i recall anna blight[who finished up sending qld/inc broke..ie what peter beatup began/she went to china/with CLIVE PALMER..TO SIGN [underwrite]..just ONE..mINE..[THAT BY ITSELF..WAS EQUAL THE CURRENT STATE DEBT/at the time..

GOVT SHould be organising what capitalists now are doing
but doing it fOR THE STATE..NOT THE MATE.

Dear Paul,

This is rather depressing to say the least
and of course it is a bad look for the Liberal Party.
Any time that any misconduct rears its head for any
political party, their opponents are apt to leap on
the allegations and milk them for all they're worth.
Call me naive, I still prefer to believe that the
majority of politicians are honest and spend their
time doing exactly what they're meant to - and that
is representing their voters.

Paul, have you ever found yourself in a situation whereby you have to fix something , that someone else broke, and you now have no money to fix it.

This is the situation in QLD, it is also the situation in federal politics and perhaps in NSW as well.

Incompetence and gross waste and miss management is a very difficult culture to follow and that means that the less money new governments have, the longer the grind will take.

God help us if we have changes to both QLD and federal next elections because labor couldn't run the country/state with money,so who knows what they will do without it.

Dear rehctub,

Honest people may not have money to burn but neither
do they get burned by greed for money and power.
It is very important therefore for citizens to have access
to information so that they can make informed choices.
And we need good, vigilant, and ethical journalism
more than ever in this day and age. It is therefore also
important that the media is not in the hands on one
ownership and governments don't hide behind veils of
secrecy. If citizens are given false or misleading
information or are not told the truth the democratic
process becomes a sham as under such circumstances the
people cannot use their rights in a meaningful way.

Paul you no doubt saw my posted link in another thread.
After reading Rechtubs comments it never was more needed highlighting that is, the free ride Murdock has given second grade Lib/Nats actions.
A seeming wish to hide such is seen here and it betrays us all
Consider this, if we except second grade from our team, but flog the others for similar acts we weaken our own side.
Remember too, pollys most definitely do, NSW not long ago a swamp, yet so bad has Barry o,farells team been a real chance he is a one term-er is now a possibility.

We must develop clear eyes sight and demand better from our separate sides or stop expecting better.

Belly,
The last Labor Premier Kristina Keneally was offered the "apple" by the serpent himself Eddie Obeid, and she grab it with both hands. Not for a moment am I insinuating that KKK was corrupt, there has never been any such evidence on offer about her in regards to corruption. One would have to be naive in the extreme, or simply stupid, to take something from Obeid and not think he wouldn't come back one day wanting something. I never believed KKK was naive or stupid, so something else must have motivated her to grad the Obeid "apple", most likely her ambition for power. Like so many in both the Labor and Liberal Parties Kristina thought she could "ride the tiger" and maintain control. Unfortunately both the Labor and Liberal Parties are so compromised and so beholding to others, that it is impossible for even the most honest politician within those parties to ride that tiger and not be compromised by corrupt influences. The way both parties are structured and run, total cleanliness is an impossibility.
Get rid of the lobbyist, get rid of the big union and corporate benefactors, get rid of the outside power brokers, then you might just get some kind of democracy into the system. where do you get that from THE GREENS of course, a party only beholding to its grass roots membership.

Paul as you and I are both aware nothing can hide the state of that last term of Labor government.
And too nothing can hide the FACT your mob *will never ever not ever Govern any state in this country*
Clive Palmer has more chance.

For those very reasons,no other the fall in polling for the Bouncing Barry mob is stunning.
I happen to think it unlikely we can win the next election.
But we will slash and burn his mandate and numbers greatly, we may even win.
Because of folk hating the other side enough to take their eyes off their own teams faults.
A sure and certain heart breaking out come for those who want a return to honesty in Australian politics.

All honest politicians have a purple tail and wings that fly them to the moon.

My, my, Paul, such Greens fervour I fear is clouding your judgement.

There was a time when the Greens, like the Democrats before them, had a chance to 'keep the b's honest', but, when the Greens got into bed with "Rd&Gd" Federal Labor (with good intentions, I admit) it was the beginning of a downhill slide - as one by one the policy failures mounted up, on carbon/climate abatement, irregular immigrant arrivals, 'refugee' detention/processing arrangements, forestry management and environment/habitat/biodiversity conservation, AND economic management (as well as on 'marriage equality') - and this trajectory has only accelerated at light speed towards the bottom since the departure of Green Bob.
(And, no strident continuous questioning of the merits or otherwise of CSG 'fracking' - despite widespread 'public' concern?)
Momentum? Fizzzzzled.

A platform in tatters, the few remaining survivors now cling desperately to the fragmented flotsam of a once proud craft.
Vocal still, certainly, but with so many heads turned away, the ensuing silence is deafening.

Whether in NSW, Federally, or even in Tasmania, the Green Army has lost so much traction, so much credibility, that many now must view the party's aspirations to exercise upper house 'balance of power' with a modicum of suspicion as to purpose and product.
Keeper of Balance; or, 'Spoiler'?

Labor's had its chances Federally, and in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, with Greens help, and has been found wanting - as, by association and outcomes, have the Greens themselves.
The Greens may not be a spent force, but their legitimacy as a genuine alternative to the 'majors' lies in disarray, and in need of a total 'makeover'.

The Libs are not perfect, but we could do (and have done) worse.
A 'fair go' anyone?

Paul/Foxy here in this thread the best chance and time exists to hear the thoughts of Conservatives about a Nation wide problem.
It will not take place Paul.
See our team of conservatives only knows how to blast Labor, sometimes without reason.
They baulk like a bad horse at a good fence, at self examination.
But under the rug Labors recent problems provide an equally concerning trouble hides,for a while.
Every Conservative state is facing the same challenges, run away bad behavior and the filling of pocket with tax payers funds.

Again the truth simple but unavoidable, it is those voters who do not vote for them they push away, and after these two coming state elections the result will be massive seat loss for uncaring Conservatives.

As a die hard labor supporter, Labor history must be a terrible thing to have to live with, as in my time there has not been a labor government who has not plunged our states/country into huge debt.

Only this time they are all in denial, claiming they didn't cause the problem and in the federal case, it's all Tonys fault as he has ruined the cow try in just four months.

How typical!

Saltpetre, spoken like a true conservative, but with substance, although your line is unreasonably harsh on us Greens, there is a modicum of truth in what you say. With the departure of Green Bob, as you like to call him, I will agree we have lost a bit of traction, which some are now endeavoring to correct. Christine Milne, is no Bob Brown, but then again Bob was one of Australia's truly great politicians of modern times, irreplaceable in my view.
We definitely made mistakes with the Labor arrangement and Gillard. An arrangement I was not in favor of, and made my views known to Senator Rhiannon at the time. That is all water under the bridge, our job now is to work to bring good governance to this country. Moves are afoot internally within the Greens to return the party to where it should be.
"My, my, Paul, such Greens fervour I fear is clouding your judgement."
Salty, I unashamedly push The Green line. This thread (of mine) gives a justifiable opportunity for me to do just that, thanks to Barry and his gang in Mac Street and that motley crew of Labor Johnnies.
They are presenting us with a golden opportunity to pick up another seat in the NSW LC in 2015, but we have to work hard to achieve that.

Rechtub good morning mate are you aware in a thread such as this your comments are telling?
You are quiteto0 the right of the Liberals.
But here prove my point, things you damn the ALP for are freely taking place under your nose.
And you by choice stab the ALP but ignore your sides sins against honesty and fair play in Government.
Are you aware, some, one your side have play a role in the NSW FILTH corruption scandal?
That your rose colored glasses both condemn Labor and ignore Liberals involved in such total betrayal of the electorate.
Voters need much closer look at why conservatives act just as your posts here do.

Paul the thread is not attracting as many posters as such threads do.

But if we consider why,and keep that in mind in future threads we can see very clearly.
The truth some times hurts, so many avoid it!

We will soon have a new Railway in Sydney, built by this current government with tunnels 40cm smaller than the current tunnels throughout the city system.

This system will be operated by a private company; no future government will be able to use the current rolling stock in the tunnels

For over 12 months I have being campaigning on this disturbing situation about to be delivered on our largest City.

The ‘Unblemished’ MSM have chosen to ignore my pleas and only one story has been offered to the unsuspecting public , by Quentin Dempster, on the ABC’s Friday 7.30 report -10th May 2013.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-10/breaking-bradfield-making-or-breaking-north-west/4682942

I believe this to be a faux criminal act to protect private interests and said so to ICAC who said I would have to have written proof of a wrong doing – in fact the spokesman said a government can do as it pleases but the people cannot force a government against legislating for ‘stupidity’.

I think the situation should be investigated cause I smell a setup to protect the big end of town

IMCC Welcome, and more power to your arm.
You highlight something that too many are unaware of.
In dictating the size of the tunnels they gift the contract to one firm!

The thread deserved a lot more attention Paul.
We will, in say 5 years all be talking about such events nation wide.
But it intrigues me than not enough wish, like me, to see and end to true filth feeding of us all, on BOTH SIDES.

Belly china, the filth inhabits the global two party system, no matter what first world country you look at. Centralist policies dictated by the European banking cartel rule policy....As both the Bush presidents were "their boy" so is Obama, the great black Uncle Tom....so was Howard Rudd and Gillard...as is Abbott.

Regarding OFarrell.....he is a dud journeyman who lies as regularly as he deficates.

What was thought of as a exclusively New South Wales Labor disease, with the corrupt activities of Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald being well documented by the ICAC. There was a spill over of the sewerage of corruption to federal Labor through Craig Thomson and the charges proven against him. Not to be out done the NSW Liberal Party has got in on the act with the ICAC now investigating 3 Liberal MP's Chris Hartcher, Chris Spence and Darren Webber. Added to these is a number of lesser luminaries from both parties.
Now the ICAC has moved in a new direction bring under suspicion of corruption the Federal Assistant Treasure of the Abbott Government Arthur Sinodinos. According to the ICAC rap sheet Sinodinos was well connected to none other than Labors Eddie Obeid himself. Sinodinos stands accused of being no small player in the business of Australian Water Holdings, standing to profit by millions from corruption as did the Liberal Party profit from such activity, money since returned. If proven it will show corruption is systemic in the two big parties, with a bipartisan approach on the subject from both. Australia deserves better from its politicians and political parties.

I think it is reasonable at this stage to take this issue out of the party-political arena, and simply observe that we have created for ourselves a situation where rorts and corruption are rife within both government and opposition, regardless of any individual left/right leanings.

The sheer brazen effrontery, lack of remorse, and arrogant sense of automatic entitlement that these people demonstrate, lay bare the ethical vacuum in which they operate.

It is positively sickening, both the ease with which they are able to fill their pockets while unloading ours, and our own powerlessness in the face of such criminality.

A plague o' both your houses.

Dear Paul and Pericles,

Australians definitely deserve better.
I agree. But how is any of this going to change?

The sad fact remains that
as Oscar Wilde put it, "I can resist everything but
temptation."

And there are so many temptations open to our pollies
aren't there?

Foxy,

In 2015 the people of NSW will be given the opportunity to pass judgement on the 'Contemptible Two'. To me it is a clear choice between the old guard Labor and Liberal, with their corruption, cronyism, patronage and down right contempt of the people. The contrast is to look to the alternatives, other political parties and independents. I am unswerving in my belief that the people of NSW would be doing themselves a great disservice voting for either of the 'Contemptible Two'.
As a GREEN I have full confidence in the honesty and integrity of our MP's and other candidates and look forward to the coming battle. That fight will not just be about the standing of our opponents, that is something the people of NSW can judge for themselves, but about so many pressing issues, health, education, transport, housing, the environment and so many other equally important matters.

Meanwhile the Greens Protest Party proposes to train activists,

"A wide range of skills are involved in campaigning for social change from how to plan and undertake direct action like protests, blockades and locking on, through to social media, data collection, FOI requests, distribution lists and research"

http://davidshoebridge.org.au/2014/03/14/activist-training-day/

Wouldn't it be preferable to encourage the disaffected, particularly angry young people, to engage with the democratic process? It is not as though there is a lack of options already available, but many do not know what is there for them. Start with electoral enrolment.

Amazing that no current affairs program has noticed this so far. Where is the ABC?

Shock horror, call out the Storm Troopers! How dare THE GREENS or anyone else for that matter try to enlighten people about their legitimate rights to protest in non-violent ways.
"engage with the democratic process" good point Beach, when you do that you get a Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald, Craig Thomson, or even a Arthur Sinodinos, take your choice, they were all democratically elected.

By the way Beach you asked about votes and your man Jim Saleam, not much chance of the good doctor getting elected is there, not with a laughable 617 votes out of 98,112! You will just have to try harder next time, wont you?

The spotlight is well and truly on the '$20 Million Man' Senator Arthur Sinodinos. However there is a new focus towards another 'Fat Liberal' in the shape of the federal bean counter himself Joe Hockey. Hockey had paid back $11,000 of "sus" money he received from AWH in the form of a political donation about a year ago. Now Hockey finds another $22,000 from the same mob which he has generously returned just this week.This is on top of the $75,000 of donations the Liberal Party paid back that it received from the corrupt company. I ask how much of this corrupt money was used by the Liberal Party to get its people elected in 2013?

Has anyone else noticed the striking resemblance between Arthur Sinodinos and Eddie Obeid? Could be twins, But I guess Arther has got one of those faces, add bushy eyebrows and you could mistake him for his old mate, Little Johnny Howard.
About corruption and the Liberal Party, over to you TONY!

I note that this thread has drawn little comment from the 'Usual Suspects' those dyed in the wool conservative Liberal voters. You known the ones, the types who would vote for Ivan The Terrible providing he was wearing a Liberal badge. The same people are quick to jump on Labor corruption and there is plenty of that, and so they should, but they are ominously quite when it come to corruption from their side of politics. Like rusted on Labor voters these rusted on Liberal voters seem rather content with political corruption. How about it you 'Usual Suspects'.

Sorry, Paul, but you are sadly mistaken.

As one of the 'usual suspects' I am quite certain that the great majority of Lib/Nat followers would be just as horrified as myself that the curse of in-house corruption (even a case of potential corruption, such as this appears) should rear its ugly head within 'conservative' ranks (particularly at the Federal level) - and particularly involving such a seemingly innocuous personality as Arthur Sinodinos.
(As for Arthur, I can't recall noting him until Tony Abbott was interviewed supporting Arthur's candidacy for the Senate in the last Federal election campaign. Former leader of the NSW Liberal Party? Never heard a squeak about him. Must have remained quietly 'under the radar'?)

To be so betrayed (at least, potentially) by someone you have supported must be particularly embarrassing and painful for Tony Abbott.
And, irrespective of how the relevant ICAC inquiry turns out, it appears clear that Liberal Party 'vetting' of potential candidates for the Senate has been flawed - at least in Arthur's case - no matter how much Senator the Honourable Eric Abetz may try to convince us otherwise.

As far as I am concerned, Arthur has a case to answer, and I would have much preferred if the Liberal Party had admitted - as soon as the current weight of evidence indicating direct 'conflict of interest' had emerged in this case - that an error 'may' have occurred in the Party's candidate-vetting process.
(The 'let's wait for ICAC' argument smacks heavily of the handling of 'Craig Thomson affair' - excepting that, in that case, the Libs were immediately calling for 'blood', whereas in Arthur's case, the Libs are 'playing down' the whole distasteful affair. Not a good 'look', and somewhat smacking of hypocrisy, IMHO.)

Dear Paul,

We should wait and see what the findings are before
making any judgements. The man has stepped aside
from his position in Federal Parliament. Now let's
just wait and see.

Hi Salty and Foxy

Saltpetre, well put.

Foxy, I hear what you say, but the undisputed facts such as money being repaid, fat salaries and donations being paid indirectly by the people of NSW, an association with Eddie Obeid. These grubby facts alone call into question the Liberal Party. Yes we will wait and see.