Yes, it’s another idiotic captain’s call, from the SMH:
As the accidents and bungles mount daily, the pre-eminent question in Australian public affairs seems to be moving rapidly from “whether” this farcical political period will end, to “when”.
Justice, as he would know, must be done and be seen to be done. That now is impossible.
Tony Abbott’s royal commission in trade union governance and corruption had always been a nakedly political exercise – a cynical plan-B by a government that lacked the guts to take on trade union power through the front door by way of industrial relations deregulation after its over-cooked WorkChoices experiment.
But no, the captain will stand by his choice again, from The Australian:
The Prime Minister, asked about the propriety of the commissioner during question time, said Mr Heydon’s behaviour had been “absolutely beyond reproach”.
“This government will certainly defend the integrity of the royal commissioner,” Mr Abbott told parliament.
“This royal commission is necessary because of the rorts, rackets and rip-offs which have been exposed inside the union movement.
Abbott probably doesn’t have a lot of choice this time. Pulling the justice now make the entire process a farce. But it’s going to be a farce now anyway. Unions need a good shakeup but, jeez, you can’t combat a rort with rort.
The longer you leave a fool in charge the more foolish you become.
