Posts

Integrity, or lack thereof...

Integrity has been a loaded word in politics lately. The former federal government lost power partly because it had so little that a whole new flavour of politician (the teal independents) sprung up to campaign largely on that issue. We've also seen a number of reviews bring to light failings at a state level, with Victoria's IBAC (Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission) popping the lid on a can of worms writhing within the Andrews government. Except, these worms weren't fresh. They've actually been drying out in the sun for years.  Let me explain.  To understand what's happened with the IBAC report, you need to know about a man called Adem Somyurek. Somyurek is a senator in the Victorian Parliament and was once a member of the moderate faction within Victorian Labor. He and his staff engaged in 'branch stacking' - an unethical practice in which politicians or political staff try to recruit new members for their faction in order to influence pre-
Post a Comment
Read more

Victoria's New Pandemic Laws

The Victorian government is getting ready to pass new pandemic-related legislation. Given the intensity of the debate around the Andrews government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought this would be a fitting topic for my first post. Under the new laws, any Victorian premier would be able to declare a pandemic for a period of three months, and to extend that in 3-month blocks indefinitely. I say 'any Victorian premier' because these laws are not just about Daniel Andrews; they will also apply to any future Victorian premier from any party. That is of course how all laws work, but it's a good point to make because, while people opposed to Daniel Andrews are already jumping up and down about these laws, I doubt they'll have the same level of objection if and when a future Liberal premier comes into office and receives these powers. People's attitude toward government power is rooted in trust, and for many, the question of whom they trust with power is ve
Post a Comment
Read more