So hows your ethics going to deal with this?

[Orionskies (Julian)]

I think bashing pollies is easier fodder for the masses, I reckon most of them work hard and believe in what they are doing. They just don't seem to be able to stay true and they drift into the 24hr spin cycle of political point scoring.

I think it's about time too for white collar crime to be taken seriously. I'm still waiting for the Bush, Blair and Howard trial in the Hague but I doubt that'll happen.

Julian

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by Orionskies

I think bashing pollies is easier fodder for the masses, I reckon most of them work hard and believe in what they are doing. They just don't seem to be able to stay true and they drift into the 24hr spin cycle of political point scoring.

I think it's about time too for white collar crime to be taken seriously. I'm still waiting for the Bush, Blair and Howard trial in the Hague but I doubt that'll happen.

Julian

Entirely true, but they bring it on themselves through ideology and action. Take the raccoon in Yankland, and many a bozo in Oz. 99.99% of the scientific community says we are in deep doo doo... but they ignore the advice. Its kind of like going to a 1000 doctors and one of them says smoking wont kill you Spineless, ill-informed dogma driven twits.

I took some solace in seeing two them sent to prison yesterday, though, of course, the sentences were manifestly inadequate. I have met, just one pollie with credibility and that's Andrew Wilkie. He stood up to Howard and has been slapping the above mentioned twits in the face ever since. Must admit, I like his style and admire his ethics...

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

The international criminal court is starting to consider ecological criminal law. I wonder how our pollies would fare faced with an Adani case?

The Adani situation is possibly the nadir of Australian political 'leadership'
The government was going to:

1) Lend a foreign owned mining company $800m, at a time when they won't fund a single rail project in Victoria, and can't balance the budget.
2) Hand over access to Australia's biggest coal reserve to India.
3) Allow Adani to not pay tax in Australia, by funnelling the money through the Cayman Islands (this part of the project is already set up)
4) All of this at a time when the world needs to move away from coal, not towards it.

You don't like Trump, that's pretty clear. But at least he is doing what those who voted for him want him to (whether you agree with it or not).
Turnbull is doing far worse, and the only real beneficiaries of it are Indian billionaires and temporary fly in fly out construction workers.

[casstony]

And the way Adani is run the owners get millions in profit regardless of the companies profit or loss. Totally bogus deal.

[AndrewJ]

Dunno how true it is yet, but IIRC, there was a recent bit of digging on where the "Govt" money was going.
Adani wanted big money from the Govt to fund the railway ( which will be made available to others at a cost )
The railway part of the project was alleged to be wholly owned by a different standalone Adani company, ie not tied to the mines.
Soooo, they get the rights to mine and make a subsidised railway.
They then sell off the now "much more valuable on paper rights" to the mine at a large profit and keep the "free" railway as a safe as houses profit stream. Lots of money and little risk.
Be interested to see how true that report is???????

Andrew

[casstony]

And in a story from later this year: retired govt minister gets advisory job with Adani.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by casstony

And in a story from later this year: retired govt minister gets advisory job with Adani.

Australia is an 'interesting' place when it comes to corruption.
In an outright bribery way, we rank as one of the best in the world.
However when it comes to the close relationships between billionaires and the politicians who shape the policy that makes them that money, we are one of the worst in the world. Level with Colombia from memory.
Blatant financial conflict of interest is insanely common.
The latest one is the North East Link Tollway in Melbourne.
The RACV spent years lobbying for this road, and the government then miraculously appoints a General Manager from the RACV as their North East Link Authority CEO.
Actual bribery may be preferable. At least then there's a chance of the police convicting someone.