Pokies and Pollies

Like most of the Australian population, Wilkie now has reason to feel dudded by Gillard. Leaving his electorate to get on as best it can while he pursued a personal vendetta on pokies, Wilkie strikes me as a obsessive/compulsive type of guy. Obsessive people really worry me particularly when they have power, however fleeting it may be. From behind The Australian’s paywall

Tasmanian sources say that the pokies issues has taken up so much of Wilkie’s time that his capacity to perform as a local member has been diminished. “He doesn’t get a huge amount of press down here to be frank,” another insider said. The two main issues where Wilkie has had strong local coverage, the insider indicated, have been pokies reform and the agreement he struck with the government as part of his deal to keep Labor in power for extra funds for Hobart Hospital, only to discover the money would come out of other grants to his struggling state. Local observers say this indicates Wilkie is naive.

Gillard must feel particularly annoyed by Craig Thomson having a go at her. Be quiet Craig…the ALP don’t want any mention of your name in the media lest the public remember that it is alleged you have stolen monies from the poor Health Services Union members. The Australian Tax Office are also interested in having a chat with Craig. All this is old news as discerning readers know but it doesn’t hurt to remind others. Noting how the Fair Work Australia division of the ALP has been investigating this matter for three years I’m sure Abbott will bring it up in parliament when it sits again in a couple of weeks. The Police are on it as well. Certainly a shaky start to 2012 for Gillard. Her power rests on Peter Slipper. Good luck PM!