Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

A parliament or two in the pocket

On the subject of corruption in Australian politics, (of which the AWB enquiry only dusts the veneer) Barnaby Joyce has made an interesting allegation, covered solely in the Courier-Mail today:

In an extraordinary attack on his Coalition colleagues, Senator Joyce yesterday said certain MPs were in the "back pocket" of the oil giants, but refused to name who they were.

"Oil companies are very powerful. They run countries, they have no problem running politicians," he said.'

On precedent this story will be sunk, quickly: it is correctly described as extraordinary when a Senator accuses his own party of corruption so forthrightly. It is even more interesting that there is as yet, no follow-up or wider interest in the topic.

Note (24 April): - As predicted, the story has sunk almost without trace. There was one reproduction in WA, one 'clarification' in an interview with the ABC on the same day as the Courier-Mail item--and that seems to be all:

'I believe that the oil lobby is an extremely powerful lobby in Canberra and it has certainly had an effect on a number of politicians and they sing the oil companies' mantra.

Now, I don't - just to be completely clear - that doesn't mean I believe they're corrupt or anything like that, but I do believe that as a lobbying group the oil companies have far too much power and get far too much bang for their buck in Canberra.'

...and an MP or three behind bars

The topic of corruption surrounds the reasons for the Australian intervention in the Solomon Islands as well--but is the redeployment of force there actually preventing the proper parliamentary examination of allegations?

Item posted by AutoEditor at 1:17 pm ::