Carpenter's Cant - Truth a Casuality in Spin

Carpenter's Cheap Shot at Grill & Burke

In his nonsensical comment about there being no urgency to reform contempt of parliament laws, Alan Carpenter made a glib and cheap comment that “Mr Burke and Mr Grill are authors of their own demise” (The West Australian 31 March 2008).

Some more perceptive observers may think it rather too early for Carpenter to gloat over Grill and Burke’s “demise”. The Smith’s Beach Report, redolent of something you would expect from the politbureau of an unaccountable regime, has completely unwound. More is to come in later blogs.

Two factors have contributed most to the current mess the Carpenter Government now faces with its Burke and Grill vendetta.

First was the inept anti-business Labor government was the catalyst for the explosion in demand for lobbyist after 2001 election.

Second is the incompetence of the Corruption and Crime Commission, which has little understanding of political process, who are the creators of the Government’s present problems.

Politicians are there to be lobbied by all and sundry – individuals, companies, industry and community groups - that is an important part of their job/role.

Politicians and public servants to a lesser extent are solely responsible for their decisions – not the lobbyists.

The only limitation on a lobbyist or anyone making a representation to government is that they must not bribe, threaten, force or coerce a minister, member of parliament or public servant.

A recent Tasmanian Supreme Court decision on a political lobbying case highlighted this fact.

The Desert Rat has issued a simple challenge to Jim McGinty that could abort the witch hunt - if no answers are forthcoming.

The three questions for Jim McGinty are:

1. What lobbying, in which Burke and Grill were involved, was against the public interest and why was it against the public interest?
2. What criminal or corrupt conduct were Burke and Grill involved in?
3. Is there any evidence or suggestion that Burke or Grill bribed, forced, intimidated or coerced anyone in their lobbying activities?

If McGinty or Carpenter could provide answers to these three questions, they could have saved the taxpayers the $90 million largely wasted by the Corruption and Crime Commission, most spent in pursuit of getting Burke and Grill “at any cost”.

One other certainty in this world other than death and taxes is that McGinty will never apologise for the behaviour of his beloved poodle the CCC.