While we have long witnessed corruption in State and local politics, the Federal sphere has mercifully remained relatively untainted by allegations of corruption. Not any more. The scandals and scent of corruption are so overpowering that the reputation of Australia as a free democracy is under threat. One British woman, who had heard of the stories about Gillard, Slipper, Thomson and others asked me if corruption was endemic in Australia.
As always, the Oxford dictionary is handy with the definition of corruption:
1. dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery:
the journalist who wants to expose corruption in high places
the action or effect of making someone or something morally depraved:
the corruption of youth was a powerful motif
the word ‘addict’ conjures up evil and corruption2 the process by which a word or expression is changed from its original state to one regarded as erroneous or debased:
a record of a word’s corruption3 archaic the process of decay; putrefaction:
the potato turned black and rotten with corruption
Each of these definitions now applies in Australia.
Definition 1 applies to the Government, Slipper and Thomson – both in the sense of dishonest and fraudulent conduct and in corrupting our youth and promoting moral depravity
Definition 2 applies to the Government and others in the misuse of words – our language is being debased almost daily
Definition 3 will apply to Australia if this corrupt and incompetent government persists for much longer.
Joining the other corrupt states on the UN Security Council is a powerful commentary on the state of our nation. On 1 January 2013, Australia will join Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, Togo, Rwanda, Argentina, South Korea and Luxembourg as temporary members of the Security Council. As always, the majority of countries on the Security Council are corrupt states. Of the ten temporary members, only Luxembourg could be described as relatively free of corruption. This is what we were campaigning for – to sit amongst these corrupt nations. At least with the G20, the majority of the nations were relatively untainted by corruption.
2dogs
25 Oct 12 at 7:04 am
Ho ho ho.
The guy that broke the whole ACORN scandal with his undercover videoing strikes again. Now has a video of congressman’s son and field director for his father’s campaign discussing voter fraud.
A democrat of course.
Keith
25 Oct 12 at 8:10 am
Of course the Australian Government is now, by definition, corrupt.
Any state where the political weights can be applied to protect people like Thompson and Gillard from the consequences of their own conduct is corrupt. We are no longer equal before the law; and that should care the living crap out of any thinking person, if only because from where we are now, it is a very short step, to using the same device to persecute those with whom the Government chooses.
Brett
25 Oct 12 at 8:12 am
Thank you for putting the topic on the table Samuel.
There is a long established firm correllation between corrption and poverty. It is concerning that so many in our media see their role is to facilitate it rather than expose and stop it.
Along those lines, more information has come to light about our PM and her brush with this topic.
Token
25 Oct 12 at 8:14 am
No where near as endemic as it is in britain, sweetie.
Yet.
Rabz
25 Oct 12 at 8:19 am
I’d argue that the concept of “equality before the law” has been under siege in this country for decades.
Of course this attack will only get worse as the increasing myriad of new laws and regulations effectively criminalises pretty well every previously law abiding citizen.
That’s when it becomes way too easy to persecute individuals that grubberments take a disliking to.
The gliberals must address this creeping scourge – although I’m not hopeful they’ll be up for it.
Rabz
25 Oct 12 at 8:25 am
Time Abbott got up and moving. And rose above the abuse.
TA has to change tack.
Rudiau
25 Oct 12 at 8:36 am
More proof of the relentless negativity of Abbott.
Seriously is this the best Savva could have come up with this week with endless boats arriving, the Thomson & Slipper fiascos, Gillard’s AWU issue simmering, etc?
I must say that article is heavy on spin and light on content.
Token
25 Oct 12 at 8:51 am
The real power of the State is where you get to decide who is prosecuted and who is not for the same offence……and you have a ‘nothing to see here’ justification for either decision.
Alfonso
25 Oct 12 at 9:07 am
Tokes – savva is a leftie.
You raise a very salient point, though.
Given this litany of the most staggering incompetence and corruption ever witnessed in this country’s history, why the f*ck does it always have to be about Yabbott?
Rabz
25 Oct 12 at 9:08 am
Rhetorical question, people…
Rabz
25 Oct 12 at 9:10 am
Alas, Tony is a socially conservative welfare statist, permanently terrified of the MSM, he pines for the old DLP.
This bloke is no more an economic conservative than he is an Eskimo.
Alfonso
25 Oct 12 at 9:22 am
I actually back Savva as a straight talker and agree Abbott needs to focus, but do get annoyed she has fallen into reinforcing the spin & talking points. This is a criticism that must be leveled at Bolt & Price.
Token
25 Oct 12 at 9:22 am
I think sortition will go a long way to solve issues of corruption. can we still have democracy? Yes. Approval voting of what ye gods have decided. CIR and recall votes. Maximisation of subsidiarity.
.
25 Oct 12 at 9:50 am
Corruption is usually the free market at work. Remove irrational regulation and it becomes redundant.
Rodney
25 Oct 12 at 9:50 am
The corruption rankings by the WEF (warning: link is a big pdf) had Australia 17th. Wonder if we’ll be going down or up?
Steve D
25 Oct 12 at 10:53 am
Let’s try that again.
Steve D
25 Oct 12 at 10:59 am
At a certain point, the loss of resolve to combat stupidity and wastage becomes a type of corruption. In this sense our entire political system is corrupt.
Jannie
25 Oct 12 at 11:06 am
I think corruption is over-egging it. I believe most people would think a corrupt govt is one that takes bribes and dispenses favours in return. But that is not to deny that they have been rotten, sleasy and unethical, just I think those are different things.
The one area I can think of where the ALP is at least borderline is the link between IR laws and union support. That certainly looks like a policy that’s been bought and paid for.
Pedro
25 Oct 12 at 11:19 am
Like trashing a plaintiff sub judice and arranging special treatment for the respondent – and being reprimanded for the latter from the bench?
Or being reprimanded from the bench of the High Court for throwing the state’s support behind a union in an industrial legal dispute?
Or nobbling a tender to bolster the ABC?
That sort of thing?
C.L.
25 Oct 12 at 11:27 am
This spin with Savva tut tutting and Bolt declaring Abbott should know better is a concern. He should stick to his guns and not apologise. Like the guy who gets abused by some feminist because he motions for her to step into the lift first – he should be true to the genuine but quiet ladies who approve of his gesture. (I may be wise but I must admit I have never won an election).
Abbott has features of an old fashioned Santamariaista, a muscular Catholic who sees government as an instrument of social control. He may not demonstrate much economic literacy, but he is politically astute. He wants money for government so that he can bid at the election/auction.
Abbott is a half baked compromise, neither fish nor fowl, 40 years ago he would have been on the NSW Right with nifty Nev. But its all moved two standard deviations to the Left, and Abbott is the best we’ve got.
Jannie
25 Oct 12 at 11:39 am
There is a level of moral corruption in Australia which is not illegal, it is epitomised by regulatory capture which favours incumbents, destroys the possibility of new entrants and harms consumers.
Taxi plates and commercial fishing rules spring to mind.
On top of that – there is informal corruption.
Even if the disgraced commodore of sydney ferries or craig thomson get off in terms of criminal liability, what they still conducted themselves in a corrupt manner.
.
25 Oct 12 at 11:41 am
Well the AWU scandal, the Thomson and Williamson scandals and the Slipper scandal do it for me
I vote YES
Jazza
25 Oct 12 at 11:50 am
Mark, Thompson was a corrupt union official, but that doesn’t make this a corrupt govt. Sleazy and unethical, but not corrupt.
CL, I guess redefining terms is all the rage now.
Pedro
25 Oct 12 at 2:44 pm
Legal and medical practitioners are the prime examples.
Scapula
25 Oct 12 at 2:51 pm
What about the practice of Labor governments giving tax payer funded grants to unions for things such as OH&S, while the unions donate similar amounts to Labor?
jupes
25 Oct 12 at 2:54 pm
Yes.
Recent ACT election Senator Kate Lundy said that she would give money to the ACT for chilren’s health, but only if Labor was re-elected.
Don’t vote Labor, the children suffer.
Econocrat
25 Oct 12 at 2:55 pm
supposedly for such things as OH&S
jupes
25 Oct 12 at 2:55 pm
Carr’s wife travels at taxpayers’ expense
FOREIGN Minister Bob Carr has been taking his wife on most of his overseas trips, at considerable taxpayer expense.
Labor really do think they are royalty and have an unending supply of serfs monies.
Gab
25 Oct 12 at 4:13 pm
Does anyone really think that if someone was suspected of stealing in excess of $100k+ from their employer,say Maccas,DJ’s or Myers, it would take the Police 12 months or more to complete the investigation? I don’t! In the real world the culprit would have been charged,tried,convicted and already be serving the 150 hours of community service awarded by a Labor appointed Judge.Under our corrupt administration it’s different strokes for different blokes and depends on just how you’re connected.
Lew
25 Oct 12 at 4:23 pm
The UAE and Qatar rate higher than Australia? Are you fucking kidding me? Oh, it’s a WEF document.
Turn the page, turn the page…
Abu Chowdah
25 Oct 12 at 4:24 pm
Mrs Carr can’t be criticised, Gab, because she’s a woman and an Asian.
Two grievance cards is better than a Gold Card.
C.L.
25 Oct 12 at 4:26 pm
Qatar must rate higher, how else would such a country get the paragons of virtue in the FIFA family to vote for them to get a World Cup?
Token
25 Oct 12 at 4:27 pm
That’s what you’re doing. Going Macquarie.
The examples I listed all constitute corruption.
C.L.
25 Oct 12 at 4:28 pm
Race and gender, well she certainly hit the victim jackpot. Good point, CL.
Gab
25 Oct 12 at 4:28 pm
“Victim Jackpot”? You bet! And to put the cherry on top the poor woman is married to Bob.
Lew
25 Oct 12 at 4:48 pm
Token, as with all of these things it’s about terms of reference. Like the WHO study that ranked the US as 37th or 38th in the world and has been used as a cudgel by the democrats. But what they failed to note was that the slant of the WHO study was not about the quality and success of health care (which would put the US 1st) but about the level of socialism in the administration.
(Yes, I’m reading Jonah Goldberg’s latest tome.)
Abu Chowdah
25 Oct 12 at 5:05 pm
[...] I wrote earlier about my concerns of the extent of corruption in Australia. We now hear from ICAC in NSW of explosive allegations of corruption involving the former NSW Labor Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal. He is being investigated alongside such paragons of virtue as Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald. I don’t think corruption is isolated to those three – it has grown through the union movement and throughout the Labor party. [...]
Corruption (2) at Catallaxy Files
1 Nov 12 at 8:32 pm
Our speech is under threat, our media is under threat even blogs are under threat.
This government has in a very short time used the apathy of Australians to their adavantage.
We deserve Gillard becaus we say “It will never happen here” or “So an so will sort that out”.
We all need to stand up but first we need to wakeup.
Maggie
2 Nov 12 at 6:10 pm
[...] I wrote earlier about my concerns of the extent of corruption in Australia. We now hear from ICAC in NSW of explosive allegations of corruption involving the former NSW Labor Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal. He is being investigated alongside such paragons of virtue as Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald. I don’t think allegations of corruption should be isolated to those three – it has grown through the union movement and throughout the Labor party. [...]
Corruption (2) at Catallaxy Files
15 Dec 12 at 2:25 am