Perhaps at this juncture I might remind OLO's frivolous (with taxpayers' money) leftist Twitterati and Chatterati of something I may have mentioned much earlier.

Which is the notable quiet, stony silence, of heads of government departments and quangos, concerning their own entitlements. -Which much like the pollies they are at liberty to apply and interpret largely at their own will.

Nothing like the 'refreshment' of the senior levels of the Australian Public Service with political appointments to set up the environment for rorting there too. Another of Gough's 'initiatives'.

Now, should I be venturing some suggestions as to why no-one is mentioning any of that?

Hey, 'fact-checking'(LOL) ABC, might that be something to be avoided as well?

After all, while everyone is taking a profile lower than a lizard drinking, the knobs would be talking very earnestly down at the Commonwealth Club and in other venues, not to forget the Emily's Listers at the Hilton too - where the taxpayer is probably paying the tab for womyns 'networking' as well (got to love the new corporate flexibility).

The ANAO must reinvent itself as the new diplomatic corps just to survive the LibNatLabGns mob. All splattered by the same paint brush it would appear.

Now, what was that quote about a fish rotting from the head down and how might that be applied to the Rudd and Galah'd governments that ignored (make that routinely ignored) that ANAO report on politicians' entitlements?

If nothing else, let there be full public disclosure of what entitlements pollies have and monthly reports on what each and every one has claimed, WITH REASONS. Perhaps some of the highly paid staff devoted to spin could be shed and replaced with junior clerks who can fill out a report form.

Abbott is trying to put on a brave face, considering he himself is a serial "snouter" (definition: any politician with snout in taxpayer trough). In between the oink oink's Abboott has said;

"Obviously there are things that have been inside the rules but outside community expectations.The sorts of things that would be inappropriate in business should likewise be not something that members of Parliament do."

A bit like Heinrich Himmler saying to his British captors at the end of WWII "We may have got a little bit carried away with things recently."

Talk about understatement, Abbott is simply trying to down play the totally unacceptable behavior of senior politicians, particularly in the Liberal Party, Bishop, Hockey, Andrews and Pyne, now known as the infamous 'Gang of Four'. By default while trying to sugar coat Liberal snouting, Abbott is down playing the rip offs by members of the Labor Party as well.

A Message for Poirot, Foxy and anyone interested in fine Australian films. Poirot mentioned 'The Castle'. Went to see 'Last Cab To Darwin' today staring Michael Caton (The Castle) an excellent movie well worth a look, touched on a couple of social issues euthanasia, white black relationships, well acted and a good story

Dear Paul,

Thanks for recommending the film, "Last Cab To Darwin."
I love Michael Caton. I saw him a few years ago on stage
here in Melbourne at the Regent Theatre -
in "Priscilla- Queen of the Dessert,"
he was brilliant.

"Last Cab To Darwin," sounds like a must see.

Politicians and public service heads (esp. heads of quangos) should NOT be comparing themselves with the Czars of private industry where their entitlement to travel and other benefits is concerned.

Quite obviously, the performance of senior executives in private companies are measured by yardsticks that never could never apply to politicians and politicians have always refused to be measured the same way anyhow.

However political representation and leadership of public agencies should always be a calling to serve the community and the nation, not just another option to prove that greed is good and 'catch me if you can'.

The two things that politicians and the heads of publicly-funded agencies should never object to is first, full transparency where personal and family usage of entitlements and of public assets are concerned. To be opposed to that would be a red flag that abuses and corruption are likely afoot. Secondly, they should never object to random independent audit, rather they should be encouraging it.

It seems that only PM Abbott has come forward as the champion of improved accountability. The agenda of any who would criticise him for that especially without proposing better ideas for accountability must be highly suspect.

"It seems that only PM Abbott has come forward as the champion of improved accountability. The agenda of any who would criticise him for that especially without proposing better ideas for accountability must be highly suspect."

Pull the other one, otb.

Abbott is a prime rorter.

He's had his snout well and truly in the trough for anything he can charge to the taxpayer while promoting himself for literally years.

You name it - whether it be "volunteering" or tripping his wife and girls to races and country music festivals - he'll have managed to flimsily connect it with some aspect of parliamentary duty and fleece the taxpayer of expenses.

He has no shame.

Who admits to staging a cancer hospital visit just so their fundraising activities of the previous night will pass muster?

I'll tell you who.

Tony "the champion of improved accountability" Abbott - that's who.

What a joke!

Here you go, SM....since you insist on regaling me with posts on how successful is the Abbott govt.

They finally located Newspoll...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll-labor-extends-lead-as-entitlements-scandal-hurts-coalition/story-fn59niix-1227476567079

Two-party preferred: Coalition 46 (-1), Labor 54 (+1)

"It is the third successive poll in which the Coalition has deteriorated in two-party terms after a post-budget bounce saw it reach 49 per cent in mid-June.

The previous Newspoll, taken three weeks ago, had Labor ahead by 53 per cent to 47 per cent. This is the 28th consecutive Newspoll survey in which Labor has been ahead in two-party terms."

(I wonder why it took so long to show up - but we'll assume these are the true numbers:)

You'd better get on the loudspeaker, SM, and let the country know what you know - they seem to be of a different opinion.

......

Paul,

Thanks for the film tip - will keep my eye out.