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?