Mood:
quizzicalTopic: aust govt
Picture: Image taken off the Parliamentary live web feed which covers the full qeustion time 2pm to 3.30 or 4pm here: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/. Kevin Rudd PM gets personal and a little off the point after repeated quiet and potentially deadly questions from the Opposition about Chinese developer donations for his overseas trips. The quiet attitude of the Govt benches suggested how serious the questions actually were.
The issue of smelly political donations has run amok in NSW in recent weeks over the Wollongong Council/senior State ALP disgraced figures like Joe Scimone. We have even done some reportage here:
Thursday, 28 February 2008 Stop press: Developer given enough rope on Deb Cameron ABC 702
Mood:vegas lucky
Topic: nsw govtFriday, 29 February 2008Questions remain how stand over man Younan passed himself off as ICAC officer
Mood:not sure
Topic: nsw govtMonday, 3 March 2008From Wall St to Wollongong, Daryl Hannah as Beth Morgan, Paul Matters v ALP Right developers
Mood:sad
Topic: nsw govt
Here is a feature in The Australian from back on 8-9 March 2008 on developer and union funding of political parties:
8 March 2008 Parties with money to spurn | The Australian
And the issue of dodgy ALP financing is still metastising as here into the Transport Workers Union allegations of secret slush fund:
March 16 2008 Union's secret 'slush fund' to help ALP | NEWS.com.au Business
All this context not least relating to the ALP at high levels suggests more reasons for PM Rudd, who it must be said has succeeded within that millieu to take the prize of Prime Ministership, to feel quite some pressure over a certain Mr Tang. Mr Who? Over to Crikey.com.au who seem to have the running on this (while noting an oblique reference by Alexander Downer to Beijing AustChina Technology Ltd in another context apparently in the Adelaide Advertiser
Crikey.com.au report this today:
19 March 2008 Rudd's AustChina connections have more Tang
These issues free of discriminatory comment or xenophobia are definitely worth chasing down.
A heckle went over the tv broadcast back to the Opposition to "put up or shut up".
Maybe someone will.
Or not - because Rudd or someone has let it be known that his honours thesis as a god fearing student (significant that by comparison with godless ideologies) was on ... wait for it "Dissidents of China" or such like.
Sooo, yes money politics in the greedy developer sense, or industrial espionage sense, could be in play, but Rudd's patriotism is not really an issue. As Swan said above - and party non aligned here - it was their job to engage with the economic value China offered to Australia. Most high paid workers in Western Australia and Qld and mining sector generally are likely to agree.
But yes, bring in the sunlight. China is a corporate dictatorship to be very cautious about like most ruthless capitalist corporations too. The snake head meets the tail in this respect, and funny to say Santamaria got that one right. It's all about avoiding totalitarianism.
Which is why we should acknowledge the profound role of politics in the Beijing Olympics
