Good afternoon to you FOXY...

Lets just hope and pray that your last procedure was completely successful ! :-)

Notwithstanding a person's politics, in the days of Messrs Menzies and Whitlam and many of their contemporaries, debate though strident did have a measure of humour and respect attached thereto. Today, it seems anything goes; personal abuse, perjury, a total absence of mutual respect between members and senators and so it goes on.

In fact the general behaviour of some of us here on OLO and the Forum, is not that much better either, I reckon ? Many of us, with our acerbic remarks, odious comments and ingenious retorts, that are similarly laced with as much bile and lack of respect as shown by our errant politicians, of whom we continually complain, ad nauseam ? We humans are a funny lot, aren't we ?

SM,

A b...b...b...b..."budget emergency"!

(Not that you're into stupid slogans or anything like that:)

Explain to me then, why this govt in its 10 month stint has racked up debt at a rate almost double that of Labor?

And talking about "dishonesty", SM...

Here's your "heroine" Kathy Jackson finally being hung out to dry at the RC.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/kathy-jackson-admits-paying-exhusband-50000-from-union-slush-fund-20140730-zyg7n.html

"Health Services Union whistleblower Kathy Jackson has admitted to using funds from a union slush fund to write her former husband a cheque for $50,000.

As details of the payment and inconsistencies in her previous evidence emerged, Ms Jackson claimed she was being "ambushed" by the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, which abruptly adjourned to allow her to seek legal advice.

When previously asked about a payment of $50,000 which she had authorised, Ms Jackson could not recall what it was for and said it may have related to one of the union's Victorian branches."

"Health Services Union whistleblower Kathy Jackson has admitted to using funds from a union slush fund to write her former husband a cheque for $50,000.

As details of the payment and inconsistencies in her previous evidence emerged, Ms Jackson claimed she was being "ambushed" by the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, which abruptly adjourned to allow her to seek legal advice.

When previously asked about a payment of $50,000 which she had authorised, Ms Jackson could not recall what it was for and said it may have related to one of the union's Victorian branches."

"On several occasions, Ms Jackson admitted that evidence she had given at a previous hearing of the royal commission was inconsistent with what she has since learnt to be true.

She told the commission that she felt ambushed by new evidence, which had not previously been brought to her attention.

She asked for the opportunity to seek legal representation "to allow me to properly respond to these matters, as I've been ambushed"."

.......

Lol!

Dear O Sung Wu,

It's all a learning experience isn't it?

Most of us are still on our road to discovery.
Everything is relative, everything has its own story,
and everyone has obstacles to overcome. They are
our greatest teachers.

As I've written in the past, each of us goes through
transitions and transformations. The important thing
is as my father told me - that we acknowledge
them and learn from them.

On this forum I've had the pleasure of encountering
so many awesome people - these encounters have
uplifted me. Yes I have met some bad people along
the way. But I have also met some amazing souls, and their
light has shone out to me like a beacon.

Peter Slipper seems as venal and less street-smart than the usual pollie. But did this enter his performance as Speaker? Speaker is a very high office in the context of the parliamentary pantomime. It requires totally honest application to the responsibilities of Speaker, the most elementary of which is not to act in that role as a hack for any party. How did Mr Slipper's performance stack up against that of the current Speaker?

Bronwyn Bishop vs Peter Slipper?

Political bias versus a cab-charge bill - you're joking, right?