Switching off the lights !

It must be hard for true-blue Labor supporters to even think of their political party returning to office and gaining the numbers to rule again in New South Wales.    The evidence of sleaze and corruption by Labor politicians and party bosses rolls on in a ceaseless torrent.   State taxpayers were plundered remorselessly to fund lavish lifestyles - and those memories will linger in voters minds for a long time to come.

Sadly, one of the best performers in Labor's ranks has announced that she is leaving politics.  Carmel Tebbutt will end a fifteen year career when she declines to nominate at the next state election.   She is married to senior Labor Federal politician, Anthony Albanese and together they have a young family.

Being a politician is like living life in a goldfish bowl.   Every aspect of private and public life is under the microscope - and subjected to scrutiny in the media.   Decisions made in parliament are closely examined for political bias - and probably attract the ire of at least half the voting population.   That is the very nature of politics in a two party adversarial system.

Carmel Tebbutt did not attract controversy.   She was twice approached to take the position of premier during the  jockying for power between the factions that deposed Morris Iemma in 2008 and Nathan Rees in 2009.    The top job finally went to Kristina Keneally - and it is noticeable that both these women are untainted by the corruption scandals that are roiling Labor.

The last Federal election saw many senior Labor figures take the opportunity to retire and it seems obvious that they foresaw the scandals that were about to break - and wanted no part in the recriminations that were sure to follow.   On both the Federal and state scene, party rebuilding is a formidable task that will fall to new talent.  It presents opportunity - for those with the ticker to withstand the heat !

That task can not commence until these interminable enquiries finally conclude and perpetrators go before the court and receive their punishment.    It says a lot about the justice system that despite the gravity of the crimes committed, years later the lawyers are still shuffling paper and the accused are living the good life.

It seems that the levels of justice are very different when the crime is committed by a politician - as opposed to a very ordinary member of the public !