David Bartlett, our premier, seems to think that ticking a box on a list which only exists in his own mind is some sort of major conquest. Yesterday, in a move designed to change the view of most people that the government has corrupted itself, the government started talking about a “new” process of appointing magistrates.
Whoopy doo.
Sorry to disappoint you, but Tasmania has long had a protocol in place for the appointment of judicial officers. It’s just that Labor didn’t bother following it at the time. It was only after being found out for lying in parliament that any action was taken at all. One wonders what other similar misdeeds have escaped our notice.
Lara Giddings: ”The new approach has been developed after extensive consultation with key stakeholders and I am confident it will lead deliver a more transparent and thorough process for judicial appointments” 5/5/09
(Sounds awfully like the reassuring words of Ms Giddings regarding our LGH)
Will Hodgman: ”It is astonishing that the current Attorney-General Lara Giddings is still trying to justify the total abuse of process where official documents were shredded, public servants were making political decisions and accountability went out the door. A judicial appointment protocol was in place at that time, but it was totally ignored, by both the government ministers and the senior public servants involved. The abuse of due process is a cancer that has permeated this State Government. What is needed is a total change of the culture of arrogance and ‘anything goes’ that has built up over the last 10 years.” 5/5/09
This premier keeps talking about drawing “lines in the sand” whenever he’s made to feel uncomfortable about any of this government’s appalling misdeeds and corrupt decision making. Well that’s nice for him – but it doesn’t change the fact that our community lost confidence in these people long ago.
The bad news for this guy is the new, unfortunate revelation that he personally wrote to four key witnesses including Paul Lennon and Steve Kons to see what they think of the Legislative Council Select Committee report into Public Sector Executive Appointments. The Parliament is still awaiting the government’s response to the report. It’s just more of the same abuse of process and bad decision making.
If this state is capable of removing these untrustworthy rogues from office then democracy in Tasmania is alive and well. The coming state election will therefore be a major test for all of us.
We need a change of government and the only way to achieve that is to vote Liberal at the earliest opportunity.
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