Sunday 22 April 2012

Going! Going!.........

The Australian Parliamentary tradition has been, by and large, to not allow the personal immoralities or other pecaddilos  of our elected MPs  to be the fodder for politcial debate.
I think this is a good thing, but not without qualification. MP's behaviour should only be of interest when it affects their performance or reflects attitudes which betray unacceptable social beliefs.
But this doesn't seem to me what the Peter Slipper affair is about.
There is no doubt that this is blatantly political, if not totally cynical
The fact that the Howard Government seemed well aware of previous similar claims (certainly something that was being bandied around the blogosphere at the time of his appointment as Speaker) and chose to do nothing public about it, indicates a level of hypocrisy that can only be stimulated by political motives
One can only imagine that this is not going end well. Personally it is Mrs Slipper and the Slipettes I feel sorry for. But no one, Labor or Liberal, is caring much for them.
There is not much presumption of innocence going on here
[Incidentally in our intercessions at Church this morning we were invited to pray for the people of Oslo as they witness the trial of a convicted murderer...if he was convicted then why is he having a trial? And he has actually pleaded "Not guilty"]
When all this is over, next term of Parliament, for heaven's sake Federal Parliament (and the State's too) work out a clear protocol about what is going to happen when someone is genuinely accused of a crime.
If they can sit in the Parliament until such time that they are convicted then let it be so!
If they are to be stood down until such time as the matters are heard, then let it be so!
Anything to stop the incessant nitpicking which has little or nothing to do with truth, and everything...but everything to do with political advantage. And it stinks!!!

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