MARK Latham, who led the ALP to the last federal election, has been charged with assault and stealing after a scuffle with a newspaper photographer. The photographer wasn’t injured but Latham took his camera and dissassembled it under the age old mechanic policy “If it doesn’t work, hit it harder with a hammer” Life would be much sweeter for the ALP if they could just convince Latham and his ‘Dad’ Whitlam to go live elsewhere…anywhere but here. From Tim Blair

A bizarre footnote to the charging of Mr Latham was the appearance in the driveway of his home of a mask of a bearded man atop a white sheet. The apparent effigy was taken down on Monday afternoon.

Oh; the embarrassment of it all.

Because I read a hard copy of the Australian everyday I was beginning to believe the entire news of the world centrered around the AWB Cole enquirey. Under the guise of reporting on the AWB fiasco the Australian neatly encapsulates all the agendas of the main players. The US, for example are busy trying to get rid of the single desk aspect of the AWB because it is simply too efficient. Their agenda is to open up markets for their own wheat growers and they are simply cashing in on the fiasco. They couldn’t give a shit about paying ‘fees’ as they do it all the time; if not with wheat, then with other commodities. Every world trader has to do it if they seek markets in the third world. Read this piece and tell me I’m wrong. The US also have problems with the Canadian Wheat Board and continually (10 times in 14 years) make complaints to the WTO about their sales.

In February 2004, the World Trade Organization cleared the CWB of American accusations of unfair trade practices. The CWB called it a victory for western farmers. The WTO ruling was the 10th time in 14 years that trade rulings have backed the CWB.

From my point of view anything the US raises or, what might be more relevant, any quote the Australian journalists solicit from US players, has some element of self interest involved. The ALP, reported as highly excited at the chance to develop some cracks in the Government’s armour, have developed a sudden interest in what Saddam was doing with his ‘fees’.

As the scandal escalated yesterday ahead of the return of federal parliament this week, Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd questioned whether any of the kickback money was paid to families of suicide bombers, prompting an angry response from Mr Downer.

This from a party who argued against getting rid of Saddam right from day one. The ALP policy was to leave Saddam in place where, presumably, he would’ve continued to pay money to suicide bomber’s familys ad nauseum. The ALP agenda is very clear. Take advantage of the fiasco and do everything within their power to keep the pot boiling. That’s fair enought too as they are the opposition (sometimes) but readers must keep in mind that the whereas the ALP’s agenda is clear and predictable, their policy on Iraq is anything but. Kevin Rudd’s incessant yapping at everything he sees or hears is becoming boring.

I once owned a toy pomeranian I called Tricky after an animal in All Creatures Great and Small, an ABC show about a Vetinarian somewhere in England. Tricky didn’t know enough to shut up and would yap relentlessly at the docile Alsation on the other side of the picket fence; presumably, just because it was there. I would pick up this little yapper that was as big as a shoe box and show her the Alsation over the fence pointing out that the target of her yapping was about ten times as big, wasn’t threatening her territory and she should just shut the hell up. She just went on yapping and the Alsation just sat and stared uncomprehendingly at the noise.

Kevin ‘Tricky’ Rudd to a tee. The wheat growers themselves also have some dissent amongst their members but this is really only based on whether we should have a single desk wheat sale corporation or not. Their agenda is driven by perceived profits under one or the other system. If the grower is in the anti-single desk faction he will complain long and loud about ‘fees’ paid to Saddam. If he is in the other camp he will say it’s a part of doing buisiness in the Middle East and after all the AWB is charged with selling our wheat in a combative market. The agenda of the Australian is less clear. Looking at other newspapers in Australia I find a variation of news items on the front pages. Even the Age, quick as anyone to sink the boot into the Howard government, features an articles on the Muslim reaction to the cartoons, the abortion pill debate, local police commissioner news and doesn’t even rate the AWB fisco in the’Other top stories’ section. The SMH is similar, The Courier Mail mentions the issue but not as a leader. The Australian? Well the leader is ‘New blow to PM’s defence’ followed by the second lead story about the US and their previously mention agenda. The ‘blow’ is anything but and who cares what the US competition thinks? The government have had to be quiet in the public arena to avoid legal issues with the enquiry but no such restraint will be present when parliament resumes. Look for an attack on the ALP’s inconsistency on all aspects of Iraq in the ensuing week.