Is Labor practicing what it preaches?

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer is critical of the Opposition for their continuing attack on Senator Santoro. “What more can he do?” Downer said. “Leave him alone now; he’s resigned, think about him as a human being.”

“I would have thought the Labor Party, which pretends it wants talk about policies should practice what it preaches, but of course it seldom does.”

Both Labor and the Greens are questioning the Prime Minister over the knowledge he had of Santoro’s share activity, suggesting that he is implicated in a cover-up. John Howard’s chief of staff, Tony Nutt, changed the wording of the declaration Santoro made to the Senate in December yet failed to detect the multitude of other share transactions.

The Prime Minister maintains he who knew nothing about Santoro’s other share activities until just a few days ago.

Alexander Downer Santoro John Howard Labor

Yes I’m done, you can take it away now nurse

Prime Minister John Howard needed Senator Santoro’s mess like he needed, “a hole in the head.” Fresh-faced Christopher Pyne has been given the task of inspecting the bedpans of the former Minister for Ageing. Allegations are rife that Santoro advanced the business interests of his nursing bed provider friend, Russell Egan Jr.

Meanwhile Labor is gathered around the piano in the recreation room singing the praise of the latest Newspoll results. Labor currently leads the Liberal party 61 points to 39 points on a two-party preferred basis.

Santoro might have taken a bath on his stocks with his enforced retirement, but at least he's guaranteed himself a bed?

Newspoll Santoro John Howard Christopher Pyne

A Matter of Interpretation

After his visit to Japan, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Prime Minister said that his main focus this election will be on keeping Australian troops in Iraq.

Asked for his thoughts on what impact the recent share scandal will have on the Coalition, Howard said that the mistakes and subsequent resignations of MPs, Ian Campbell and Santo Santoro, will do short term damage to the Government.

“In the long run, the public will make an assessment of how well we have governed for the country and how well the country has done over the last 11 years,” he said.

Labor has been making the most of the scandal. According to Deputy Opposition Leader Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister has grown tired and lost the grip he once had on his ministers.

She claimed over the weekend that that Senator Amanda Vanstone spent at least $31,000 (and possibly over $75,000) of taxpayer’s money on private Chinese language lessons, when she was the minister for immigration.

Denying that she had regular private language lessons, Vanstone accused Gillard of “mischief making.”

Only on occasion had she required assistance with Mandarin, Vanstone said. And that was for the preparation of four speeches. She recalled the total cost to be in the vicinity of $6000 over a 12-month period.

On recently revising the cost, however, Vanstone admitted to spending at least $31,000 but rejected Gillard’s claim that she spent over $75,000. It is “hogwash,” she said.

According to Vanstone if she’d spent that much she would be able to speak fluent Chinese by now.

Amanda Vanstone Julia Gillard Vanstone's Mandarin