Western Australian Politics Is Finally Becoming Interesting
Thank you Matt Birnie. He's the leader of the Libs in WA's Parliament, in case you haven't heard of him. Rather an outspoken person and a little bit in your face. He pulls no punches and it's great to see the back of that wishy-washy Colin Barnett. Wet fish he was.
And Matt is livening things up in the WA Parliament. He's managed to get rid of the Sports Minister, Bob Kucera, a nice bloke but not really focussed enough in his portfolio, after revealing that he had an interest in some shares in Alinta which gained from the government handing the company $88m. The Premier, Dr Geoff-I'm-So-Trustworthy-Gallop, has a ministerial code of conduct which doesn't allow for ministers to have a conflict of interest. Matt Birnie called for Bob Kucera's sacking but he resigned his ministerial post so as not to put pressure on the Premier. Well done, Matt.
That was last week. Last night it was revealed that the husband of the Minister for Drink Driving, er, Planning and Infrastructure, Alannah McTiernan, also has shares in Alinta. And the Justice Minister, John D'Orazio, has some conflict of interest as well. I would dearly love to see the back of Alannah McTiernan. They weren't able to get rid of her even with three drink-driving offences but this could be the last straw.
Problem with that is the Labor Government may fill the ministerial portfolios with people who actually have more ability and will do the job more effectively and efficiently. Who am I trying to kid? We are talking about Labor after all. If the best people for the jobs were already in place then Labor is seriously doomed. There'll be no deckchair shuffling on this Titanic.
So what's the answer for Ministers? Don't get married so that you family can't bring you to grief? Or try to conceal the marriage? Maybe that's what Kim Beazley's wife, Susie Annus, has been attempting. With a surname like that you think she'd jump at the chance of changing it.
Matt Birnie, if you can finally do us all a favour and rid us of the inept Alannah McTiernan you will be my hero.
13 comments:
She must me proud of her Roman name. Roman names end with 'us' as Julius, Brutus, Markus. If you had a Roman name your would be called Hamus or Frugal Bastardus.
Maybe. But what sort of year is she having?
I am known, amongst other names, as Hammus Bonus -Hambone. Hambone is my porn star name.
Source: wikkipedia/List_of_Latin_phrases
Annus mirabilis
"Year of wonders" — used particularly to refer to 1665-1666 during which Sir Isaac Newton made revolutionary inventions and discoveries in calculus, motion, optics and gravitation, and the title of a poem by John Dryden written in the same year; and also to 1905 when Albert Einstein made equally revolutionary discoveries of the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion and the special theory of relativity.
Annus horribilis
"A horrible year" — a pun on Annus mirabilis, first used by Queen Elizabeth II to describe what a bad year 1992 had been for her, and subsequently occasionally used by others to refer to other years.
Hammus Bonus = bon jambon = good ham.
you wouldn't complain about your ministers if you heard about some of ours. there's one MLA in bihar who's a murderer - he's wanted for dozens ( not exaggerating ) of cases. pretty, ah?
Now you can see why I make a big deal out of it. Australian politics is fairly docile although I awoke to the news this morning that in the New South Wales Parliament one of the members throttled (strangled) another. Not quite as interesting as Taiwanese politcs, granted. But that's a story for another blog.
ow, strangled to death ?!
in our parliament they restrict themselves to throwing the occasional chair and/or microphone at one another.
No, perhaps unfortunately. Now a politician that has murdered, or has had murdered, dozens of people knows how to get the business done. Is he staying in politics for reasons including not having to be tried for criminal activities or he's popular because he knocks off the baddies?
it's more like he'll get you slaughtered if you press charges against him. they tend to be like that, you see.
I won't diss him on my blog then. Thanks for the warning!
Hey--Ummm..Sorry for going off on you on my blog. Was just a bit surprised...
You were surprised? It's ok, I'm a big boy. I can deal with it.
Mark has been known in the deep dark recesses of time, as Markus Aureleus. He was a Roman general,who came to a sticky end I believe.
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