Talking Politics | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

Talking Politics

TigerMasochist

Walks softly carries a big stick.
Jul 13, 2003
25,561
11,440
You raise an interesting point TM. In a system with compulsory voting shouldn't there be a "Cheese Sandwich" option? I think there should be. A box you can check to say I am fulfilling my obligation but I don't think any of you deserve a vote.
I'd love it if that were an allowable option. Unfortunately they don't allow people the pleasure of telling them all to get stuffed. There's nothing compulsory about voting, they just insist on you attending a polling booth or pre ballot n getting your name ticked off in the book. Depending on the mood I'm in, I either tick off my name n nark them by refusing their bit of arse wipe paper or stuff the wrong blank bit of paper in the wrong box. Geez they get all officious n hop up n down at me.
 

MD Jazz

Don't understand football? Talk to the hand.
Feb 3, 2017
13,325
13,705
Now been revealed McKenzie was a member of the gun club she gave 36k to. Of course she hadn’t disclosed she was a member..I don’t see how she survives this.

She signed up when she visited. Has she ever actually attended outside of that day? Is she a regular member or token member?

I'd be interested to know what sort of history ministers have of accepting the recommendations of independent bodies when it comes to awarding grants? I'm sure they are biased when doling out the $$.

Pork barrelling has no political bias, as Singtiger points out it is a disgrace and should be discouraged at every turn - but how?
 

taztiger4

Shovelheads- Keeping hipsters off Harley's
Jul 13, 2005
7,814
6,445
Richmond Victoria
She signed up when she visited. Has she ever actually attended outside of that day? Is she a regular member or token member?

I'd be interested to know what sort of history ministers have of accepting the recommendations of independent bodies when it comes to awarding grants? I'm sure they are biased when doling out the $$.

Pork barrelling has no political bias, as Singtiger points out it is a disgrace and should be discouraged at every turn - but how?
change to name of it for a start
 

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,521
17,873
Melbourne
I know you are only trying to help but I still like the "Cheese Sandwich©" option. I think it would be interesting to see what politicians would make of having to look at the number of people who would literally rather have no-one than any of them. I know I have voted in elections where that would be my choice.

Interesting one that. At the moment the candidate with 50%+1 of the formal votes cast, after preferences have been distributed, wins. Now, what if you needed first preferences which are a minimum proportion of the total number of registered voters in the electorate, or 50%+1 of the total number of registered voters after preferences (would make close seats very interesting). I'm sure there are a few other ways of doing this but it would mean that informal voting gains a certain power. There are a fair number of voters who either don't complete their ballot or vote informally on purpose.

DS
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Sintiger

Tiger Legend
Aug 11, 2010
18,199
17,593
Camberwell
She signed up when she visited. Has she ever actually attended outside of that day? Is she a regular member or token member?

I'd be interested to know what sort of history ministers have of accepting the recommendations of independent bodies when it comes to awarding grants? I'm sure they are biased when doling out the $$.

Pork barrelling has no political bias, as Singtiger points out it is a disgrace and should be discouraged at every turn - but how?
She was actually gifted the membership when she went and announced it. (By the way the announcement was done with the LNP candidate not with the sitting member who was Cathy McGowan, an independent.)
When asked why it wasn’t declared her office said that it was a gift of less than $300 so not eligible to be declared. However that misses the point because even though the gift was not required to be reported surely the fact that she was a member of a club which received a grant was reportable as a pecuniary interest.
This whole thing stinks but the real shame is that the ALP will get on one day and just do the same thing.
I have worked in and around government and they all do it.
 

AngryAnt

Tiger Legend
Nov 25, 2004
27,017
14,791
She was actually gifted the membership when she went and announced it. (By the way the announcement was done with the LNP candidate not with the sitting member who was Cathy McGowan, an independent.)
When asked why it wasn’t declared her office said that it was a gift of less than $300 so not eligible to be declared. However that misses the point because even though the gift was not required to be reported surely the fact that she was a member of a club which received a grant was reportable as a pecuniary interest.
This whole thing stinks but the real shame is that the ALP will get on one day and just do the same thing.
I have worked in and around government and they all do it.

which is why we need a Federal ICAC as an independent body that investigates and prosecutes corruption. Just shrugging our shoulders and saying "they all do it" doesn't cut it for mine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users

Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
18,922
which is why we need a Federal ICAC as an independent body that investigates and prosecutes corruption. Just shrugging our shoulders and saying "they all do it" doesn't cut it for mine.

Not sure we'll ever see one with teeth. The fear that it could look back in time and investigate what's already happened puts the fear of god into all politicians.

Western Society, IMO, is in a bad way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

Sintiger

Tiger Legend
Aug 11, 2010
18,199
17,593
Camberwell
which is why we need a Federal ICAC as an independent body that investigates and prosecutes corruption. Just shrugging our shoulders and saying "they all do it" doesn't cut it for mine.
I can’t go into details but I have dealt with IBAC, the Victorian state version. They are generally straight faced, overly bureaucratic and lacking in a sense of humour but they aren’t stupid and I am pretty sure I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of them.
IBAC in Victoria is pretty under resourced but just being there is a disincentive in itself
 

Bernie

Tiger Superstar
Aug 19, 2008
1,787
977
Tura Beach
This very important story will explain a lot about the goings-on in the world today!

Since the king wanted to go fishing, he asked the royal weather forecaster to make a forecast for the next few hours.

The palace meteorologist assured him that there was no chance of rain.

So the king and the queen went fishing. On the way he met a man with a fishing pole, riding on a donkey. He asked the man if the fish were biting.

The fisherman said, "Your Majesty, you should immediately return to the palace! In the next few moments, I am expecting a huge rainstorm."

The king replied: "I hold the palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an educated and experienced professional. Besides, I pay him very high wages. He gave me a very different forecast. I trust him."

So the king continued on his way.

However, within a short time there was a torrential cloudburst, totally soaking the King and Queen.

Furious, the king returned to the palace and gave the order to fire the meteorologist. Then he summoned the fisherman and offered him the prestigious position of royal forecaster.

The fisherman said, "Your Majesty, I do not know anything about forecasting. I obtain my information from my donkey. If I see my donkey's ears drooping, it means, with certainty, that it will rain."

So the king hired the donkey.

And so began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in influential positions of government ̶ a practice which remains unbroken to this day.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 7 users

jb03

Tiger Legend
Jan 28, 2004
33,856
12,108
Melbourne
And so began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in influential positions of government ̶ a practice which remains unbroken to this day.
But wasn't the donkey smart? The only one that was able to accurately detect the incoming rain/forecast?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

22nd Man

Tiger Legend
Aug 29, 2011
9,175
3,586
Essex Heights
Not sure we'll ever see one with teeth. The fear that it could look back in time and investigate what's already happened puts the fear of god into all politicians.

Western Society, IMO, is in a bad way.
I've lived in India.... No politician there would bother rorting at the "Aussie" level.
When politicians are lining their own pockets that's the big worry .... Hinze back in the day, NSW ministers of recent times.
got to be careful calling for all these RCs, and other Commisions....will have more watchdogs than working dogs.
 

tigerman

It's Tiger Time
Mar 17, 2003
24,150
19,618
So of the 50 highest rated applicants in terms of eligibility who were unsuccessful in the sports grants rort, 19 were from Victoria, 5 were from NSW and 3 were from Queensland.
What a disgrace, even Joe Bjelke Petersen would have baulked at that level of pork barrelling!!!!

 

TigerMasochist

Walks softly carries a big stick.
Jul 13, 2003
25,561
11,440
So of the 50 highest rated applicants in terms of eligibility who were unsuccessful in the sports grants rort, 19 were from Victoria, 5 were from NSW and 3 were from Queensland.
What a disgrace, even Joe Bjelke Petersen would have baulked at that level of pork barrelling!!!!

Maybe if Dan the Man had used some of that billion dollars he pissed down the drain cancelling contracts that wouldn't cost anyone a cent there wouldn't have been any Vic sports clubs needing a grant.
Looking like he's gunna *smile* another billion or two of our money down the drain with the *smile* going on over his contaminated tunnel circus.

Politicians, nothing but liars, cheats n arseholes all with their hand in the tax payers wallet all the way up to the shoulder.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

spook

Kick the f*ckin' goal
Jun 18, 2007
21,911
26,410
Melbourne
Anyone still defending this useless bunch of incompetent crooks is in worse denial than an Essendon supporter in the #standbyhird days. They are an absolute criminal disgrace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

year of the tiger

Tiger Legend
Mar 26, 2008
9,445
6,509
Tasmania
What gets me is the PM doesn’t trust the independent advice from the auditor generals office so he goes and gets further advice from his own politically appointed chief of staff that he hired himself.

He has lost it right there.
 

Giardiasis

Tiger Legend
Apr 20, 2009
6,906
1,314
Brisbane
Anyone still defending this useless bunch of incompetent crooks is in worse denial than an Essendon supporter in the #standbyhird days. They are an absolute criminal disgrace.
I’ll throw the denial claim back at you if you aren’t referring to all politicians.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users