Learn from the mistakes of others

http://nic.suzor.com/20070917-IndigenousRights-AustraliaVotesNo

Is it ironic, or just shameful, that our Government makes decisions like this without regard for public opinion, while accusing the very institutions that keep check on the use and abuse of power that keeps us a democracy of doing just that?

http://nic.suzor.com/20070917-IndigenousRights-AustraliaVotesNo

Is it ironic, or just shameful, that our Government makes decisions like this without regard for public opinion, while accusing the very institutions that keep check on the use and abuse of power that keeps us a democracy of doing just that?

Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Australia oil-for-food inquiry to probe government knowledge of AWB bribes
Krystal MacIntyre at 12:09 PM ET

[JURIST] The Australian parliamentary inquiry [Cole Commission website] looking into allegations that leading Australian wheat exporter Australian Wheat Board (AWB) [corporate website] provided over $200 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's former regime [JURIST report] as part of the now-defunct UN oil-for-food program [JURIST news archive] has expanded its scope and will also try to learn what government officials knew about the alleged scam. Commission head Terence Cole [official profile] on Tuesday urged lawmakers and public servants to come forward with evidence in connection to the scandal.

Prime Minister John Howard [official profile] has insisted that the government had no knowledge of the alleged multimillion dollar scam that violated UN sanctions. An AWB executive, however, has testified [hearing transcripts] that Australian officials were aware of the company's payments to the Hussein regime as early as March, 2001.

AP has more.

our government's ministers are trying to us the defence, "we didn't know (coz we didn't want to know)" ... "no one drew our attention to it" ...

so much for responsible government.

with our federal behaving as if it is constructed like the usa not the uk/canadian/new zealand we're being royally 'tarded by the royalists - who seem to assume we haven't noticed we're not in a republic.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Australia oil-for-food inquiry to probe government knowledge of AWB bribes
Krystal MacIntyre at 12:09 PM ET

[JURIST] The Australian parliamentary inquiry [Cole Commission website] looking into allegations that leading Australian wheat exporter Australian Wheat Board (AWB) [corporate website] provided over $200 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's former regime [JURIST report] as part of the now-defunct UN oil-for-food program [JURIST news archive] has expanded its scope and will also try to learn what government officials knew about the alleged scam. Commission head Terence Cole [official profile] on Tuesday urged lawmakers and public servants to come forward with evidence in connection to the scandal.

Prime Minister John Howard [official profile] has insisted that the government had no knowledge of the alleged multimillion dollar scam that violated UN sanctions. An AWB executive, however, has testified [hearing transcripts] that Australian officials were aware of the company's payments to the Hussein regime as early as March, 2001.

AP has more.

our government's ministers are trying to us the defence, "we didn't know (coz we didn't want to know)" ... "no one drew our attention to it" ...

so much for responsible government.

with our federal behaving as if it is constructed like the usa not the uk/canadian/new zealand we're being royally 'tarded by the royalists - who seem to assume we haven't noticed we're not in a republic.