FED:Editorials, Saturday, August 21, 2010

08-21-2010
FED:Editorials, Saturday, August 21, 2010

SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - Despite two months of a Gillard prime ministership and an intense
election campaign, it is not clear Labor has learnt much from the disastrous Rudd experiment,
The Australian says in its editorial today.

Julia Gillard has not got the message about the big government approach manifested
in the NBN, a $43 billion project that its chief executive, Mike Quigley, concedes will
not produce the commercial returns a private investor would demand.

Some readers may be surprised we have endorsed Tony Abbott, given that we backed Labor
last time, the newspaper says.

We, like voters, have been disappointed by the wasteful and wasted Rudd years.

The tradesmen and small-business operators, the new floating vote, who turned to Mr
Rudd in 2007 have seen through the spin and are heading back to Mr Abbott.

The Sydney Morning Herald says political life has turned from a calling or a duty into a career.

Too often the politicians this careerism produces are not leaders but followers: professional
enough to assess tiny shifts in public opinion, but so in thrall to the techniques of
measurement, manipulation and dissembling that they cannot see how to change it.

Australia now faces serious challenges such as climate change, lopsided economic growth
in mining and non-mining states, and the exponentially increasing demands of an ageing
population, are two among many others.

Doing nothing will lead to disaster. Doing what is merely popular will lead to something
as bad or worse. The tragedy of Australian politics is that whoever wins today will find
that all the professionalism which has led to their victory has helped disable them for
the job they have just been given.

Sydney's The Daily Telegraph says a possible option for stability is a coalition win,
by any margin.

A surprise Tony Abbott victory against current odds would offer a more stable national
platform than continuing the life of the current government.

If Labor wins today, then performs as poorly in its second term as it has in its first,
the electorate will not be nearly as friendly.

It'll be 1996 all over again, when Labor under Keating was defeated by the coalition
led by John Howard.

Melbourne's The Age says Australians can expect more of the same at the next poll unless
they keep pushing for electoral reform.

A starting point would be fixed terms, to avoid months of election speculation before
the official campaign, putting much of the business of government on hold.

As for debates, a US-style debate commission would be likely to adopt a less restrictive
format that promotes the cut and thrust of genuine debate instead of prepared responses.

Truth-in-election-advertising laws are long overdue. The same is true of checks on
partisan government advertising.

Campaign donors in the past seven weeks will be disclosed only in February 2012. Given
today's technology, the lack of timely transparency is inexcusable.

Australians should demand elected leaders honour promises to improve the workings of
our democracy.



Melbourne's Herald Sun says judges continue to let down victims of crime despite huge
efforts by police and government in recent months to crack down on offenders.

Victoria Police has led a major state government campaign against criminal activity
and anti-social behaviour, including another weapons blitz planned for this weekend.

But when offenders make it to court, "judges, in giving weight to a prisoner's rehabilitation,
can fail to balance it with the loss suffered by the victim's family."

Seeing offenders walk free increases the pain victims feel.



Brisbane's The Courier-Mail says Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC)
has begun operating in an adversarial fashion when it should be operating as a watchdog.

It is not a political force, union or advocacy group but an organisation with an invaluable
role in Queensland's institutional life.

"The CMC must repair some of the relationships damaged in recent months. It must reopen
lines of communication with some of the key offices with which it no longer speaks."

Queensland needs an independent, stable anti-corruption organisation that probes into
every corner with an open mind, the newspaper says.

CMC chairman Martin Moynihan "must prove he can lead a CMC that delivers on that front".

AAP sbl/rs

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS

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