Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #300 – February 13, 2026, 04:42:14 pm

Once you have wealth and power and access to resources concentrated in the hands of a few, the possibility of corrupt behavior by both giver and taker increases significantly.

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #301 – February 13, 2026, 07:59:12 pm

My father used to know a number of politicians back in the day, some from his school (he went to Richmond Tech until his father died), some from his business dealings. It did colour the way he voted. He found Labour almost impossible to vote for after that.
My Uncle was the dux at Camberwell Grammar, and knew some people on the other side of politics. His tales were interesting, but ultimately didn't effect the way he voted.
Some of my voting behaviour comes from my time teaching. At some schools I was told not to attend when a strike was going on, or "I would know about it". That made sure I didn't go on strike.
Similarly, I was extremely unimpressed by the changes in education that eventually became the VCE. (Thankfully, many of my issues were eventually addressed, but it took a long time for sense to prevail.) I wanted us to strike over the idiocy, but we were told we were not allowed to strike, because a Labour government was in power.
Similarly, when the schools were being closed back in the day, we were told to strike when Kennett was in power. When we were not happy when the next Labour government continued the policy (just not making it public), we were informed that we couldn't strike.

I have never appreciated hypocrisy and have never liked it being thrust in my face.

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #302 – Today at 12:01:58 pm

Quote from: DJC – on February 13, 2026, 02:35:55 pm

Quote from: shawny – on February 12, 2026, 07:29:26 pm

Nice try at deflecting.

How people accept this absolute bloody disgrace corrupt bunch of criminals that just happens to be in charge of running our state - running it into the ground astounds me.

And my comparsion to US politics and the obsession with everything that happens on the other side of the world is very relevant and if comparing that to the corrupt government we have here just happens to trigger you well so be it.

Im fking triggered at the corrupt spending of 15 BILLION dollars of OUR money.

15 billion in case you didnt know is 15 thousand MILLION and yet not one comment about your thoughts on this situation.

i wonder why that is ?😏

I'm still waiting for you to have a crack at Chris Minns for the scumbag who kinghit Peter Dean being dealt with under the Young Offenders Act

If you're triggered by headlines, you probably should delve a little deeper, and I don't mean listening to influencer podcasts.

First of all the Allan Government doesn't "just happen to be in charge", they were democratically elected and, when you consider the rabble that's supposed to be the opposition, it's easy to see why. The opposition at national level is worse, if anything, and Malcolm Turnbull's description of their incoming leader as the “best qualified idiot” is spot on. It's funny how politicians often make more sense after they retire.

Secondly, the allegations, and that's all they are at this stage, were set out in a draft report by barrister Geoffrey Watson SC. The draft report detailed the results of an investigation into CFMEU criminality and corruption commissioned by CFMEU administrator Mark Irving KC. As I'm sure you know, Irving was appointed by the Commonwealth Government to clean up the CFMEU. The report isn't a public document and is the property of the CFMEU. When Irving read the draft, he directed Watson to delete two sections alleging that the Allan government knew of the CFMEU aggression and corruption, that Watson estimated cost Victorian taxpayers $15 billion, because he (Irving) was “not satisfied that they were well-founded or properly tested”. That's the opinion of a King's Council and one of the most senior and respected industrial relations lawyers in the country, not a half-baked politician or shock jock.

Watson is p1ssed off that his allegations have been discarded but he recently said the government “would be mad to get rid of Mark Irving" and “I’ve worked for Irving for two years now, and I’ve never met a more honest or decent man … I can tell you, everything he did was opposed to corruption and was in favour of fixing the CFMEU.”

I think that scuttles any suggestion that Irving's rejection of the $15 billion corruption allegations was politically motivated or in any way intended to protect politicians or CFMEU operatives.

It's possible that the CFMEU did cost Victorian taxpayers $15 billion, or perhaps even $30 billion. Heads should roll if the CFMEU cost Victorian taxpayers any funds above and beyond legitimate construction costs, and I don't just mean Allan and the relevant Ministers. There's a raft of people - bureaucrats, police, regulators, auditors, union officials, opposition leader, shadow ministers, etc - who should be taking action at the slightest whiff of misuse of public funds and union corruption.

For the record, I don't think much of our democratically elected State Government; they're tired, short on talent, running out of ideas and money and desperately need a spell in opposition. Sadly for Victoria and Victorians, the alternative government is no better after such a promising start by John Pesutto. While I admire him for taking on the fascists, he wasn't very smart in the way that he went about it.

The Allan government were not democratically elected, Allan was handed the position by her party after the criminal behind her up and resigned which was after yet another lie after promising 6 months prior to the election he would be seeing out his term. This was not a leader that was elected democratically by the voters let's get that straight.

Back to the point at hand, we can all find reports pointing to slightly different reasoning behind why and how the money wasted occurred and you may even choose to accept Allan saying she knew nothing about it but lets be honest that is all semantics and you can draw whatever conclusions you want from that - the bottom line is it happened and the governing party at the time is responsible. Surely you agree with that.

I'm in agreeance with you in not being overly confident in the Libs but we as a state cannot allow the current party to govern any longer and anyone that cast's their vote for them again in November won't be able to keep a straight face saying they are voting with their head, as they aren't.

Long overdue for a change

Ok that's it for me - off to do some weeding.

Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments

Reply #303 – Today at 01:49:19 pm

Quote from: shawny – on Today at 12:01:58 pm

The Allan government were not democratically elected, Allan was handed the position by her party after the criminal behind her up and resigned which was after yet another lie after promising 6 months prior to the election he would be seeing out his term. This was not a leader that was elected democratically by the voters let's get that straight.

Back to the point at hand, we can all find reports pointing to slightly different reasoning behind why and how the money wasted occurred and you may even choose to accept Allan saying she knew nothing about it but lets be honest that is all semantics and you can draw whatever conclusions you want from that - the bottom line is it happened and the governing party at the time is responsible. Surely you agree with that.

I'm in agreeance with you in not being overly confident in the Libs but we as a state cannot allow the current party to govern any longer and anyone that cast's their vote for them again in November won't be able to keep a straight face saying they are voting with their head, as they aren't.

Long overdue for a change

Ok that's it for me - off to do some weeding.

You need to brush upon our system of government Shawny. Voters elect their local member and five MLCs for each of eight regions. The party that controls the Legislative Assembly forms government and their party room elects/appoints the Premier, Ministers, etc. The ALP was democratically elected in 2022 and they chose Jacinta Allan to be Premier. That's our democratic process for better or for worse.

As I said previously, there were unsubstantiated allegations contained in a draft CFMEU commissioned report. Those allegations may be true or they may not. Again, if the allegations can be substantiated, heads should roll.

I agree that we need a change of government but the Coalition isn't a viable alternative and even hard line conservatives like Steve Price are on record stating that they can't win the next election. Time will tell I guess.

Our local member works extremely hard for our community and a Liberal candidate would need a 17% swing to unseat her. That's not going to happen ... and I'm in a rural electorate.

If you run out of weeds I've got plenty at my place