Who needs friends?

Australia desperately requires a reality check. Scientists are marginalised in order to bring about a political solution which does little for the environment in the Murray/Darling Basin. The Department of Defence is so enmeshed in secrecy and self that it failed to advise the minister on the unseaworthiness of three major naval vessels and provides upbeat and incorrect advice on the war in Afghanistan. A failed Pink Bats scheme; the school shelter shed rort; the removal of non renewable energy sources from the agenda; a half baked carbon policy stitched together by a Labor Party acolyte, who seeks to bully the rest of Australia into the bad deal he sold to a gullible and impractical government. Ross Garnaut put together a dog of a scheme that has too many politically driven compromises for it ever to achieve what is claimed for it.

If Australia wants a workable carbon policy, try the CSIRO, but allow them complete independence, protection of that independence and proper funding for the organisation to undertake such projects.

The media driven knee jerk reaction to the slaughter of cattle in Indonesia, says much about this unworldly and unsophisticated government, where the life experience of most members can be written in two paragraphs. Where was consideration for the subject of the ban – the cattle? What of those left stranded on wharfs, in trucks, in feedlots and on farms and stations short on feed?

It seems to me that what is lacking in the current political leadership is commonsense and courage, reflected in collapsing major party membership. The absence of courage starves compassion of oxygen. We see this in the carcases of policies which once worked but were discarded in the face of fear and race driven diatribes, and opinion polls which breed and feed off fear.

Where is the leadership to counter fear?

Although it is unlikely to happen, now is the time for both Gillard and Abbott to leave the political scene and be replaced with Combet and Turnbull. The, 'say anything to get elected' Abbott, is a clown and political courtesan, respected by few even amongst the ranks of his erstwhile supporters. If he ever becomes Prime Minister he will be an embarrassment to equal Gillard. Haven't we had enough?

The best and probably only thing going for Abbott is Gillard. She is out of her depth, with her partner claiming she should be respected because she is Prime Minister.

The Malaysian deal will ensure respect is marginalised for a country, which had so much on offer but failed to live up to its own and others expectations; a wealthy and spoilt member of the international community, living off its inheritance with little effort to create wealth.