Public servants are more accountable than ever. There are so many watchdogs out there, it is a wonder any can do their jobs.
In Victoria, the Ombudsman has draconian powers; they can force public servants to testify or be jailed for contempt. Anyone who is alleged to have been bad, has no right to face their accuser, who can be totally anonymous. In fact, anyone who give evidence cannot even disclose that they have given evidence and hence have to lie to their Manager about where they have been.
I have no problem with full accountability of public servants, including auditing of every last detail of their private lives. But, where is the accountability when the government settles for $90 million for Duttonâs lies about Save the Children? He is cast as a rising star. Imagine if a public servant were to cost so much to the public purse. There would be a Royal Commission.
I agree about accountability, but as someone who has been through the odd Ombudsman enquiry or two, the lack of rights given to public servants in the quest for a scapegoat is appalling. While Whistleblower Legistalion offers protections to those who allege anonymously of wrong doing, there is no presumption of innocence and as I said before, any refusal to give evidence under oath can lead to jail without any further court appearance.
Shareholders canât find out what the employees in their companies are paid either. Hell, at least in the UK the top jobs have to report their pay and shareholders can vote on the CEOâs package.
I passed the test when I was 17. I got a letter saying that I had been classified as suitable to be a postman, however due to being over 6 feet tall would not be considered for the position.
The headline says something about no one wanting to go to dinner at restaurants, you know, because of Sudanese gangs, which werenât a âthingâ until this week.
In the meantime, im interested in how quite the Robert Doyle issue has gone. The bloke just took off, and weâve heard nothing.
Doyle has stood down pending the investigation. Personally I think its all over for him which would be a shame for Melbourne but if the claims are true then his position is untenable.
Sudanese gangs have been a âthingâ for almost two years. Iâm not sure where you have been getting your news from if this is the first you have heard about it.
Yes but Dutton was carrying on like an idiot. His claims people wonât go out to eat because of the gangs was a shrill scream and lacks any validity at all.
But, but, Hunt - from the most wealthy area of the Mornington Peninsula - has also come out swinging. As him if he dines out.
As for all those cafes and restaurants in Dandenong where there is a sizeable Sudanese population, why not check with them?
The following two newspaper quotes illustrate what is wrong with politics and society:
1."Three Yarra Trams employees have been stood down pending an investigation, following complaints about a strip show hosted at the Brunswick tram depot Christmas party.
The Andrews Government has weighed into allegations about the lewd performance at the party, which was run by the depotâs employee-run social club.
âWhile this is a matter for Yarra Trams, itâs an incredibly disappointing incident that clearly doesnât meet community expectations,â a government spokeswoman said. "
âA teenager accused of assaulting a police officer while on probation has been released on bail. ⌠The teenager was on 12 monthsâ probation at the time of the alleged assault and has a history of criminal offences including aggravated and attempted aggravated burglaries and car theft.â
How re-assuring that the government can make time to comment on a fat-o-gram, whilst the legal system views the South Sudanese scum as meeting âacceptable community expectationsâ.
My New Year wish is that some our our politicians and legal practitioners have the opportunity to host some of our South Sudanese brethren in their own homes (out-of-hours, unannounced, and un-invited) during the year.
