Road kill !

The negotiations over distributing the $ 42 billion stimulus package bear a strong resemblance to carrion birds fighting over road kill !

The Liberal/National party rejects the scheme outright on the grounds that it is too much - too soon, and will leave the nation with an unsustainable debt.

Deadlock in the Senate - with the bill's passage in the hands of the Greens and the independents.

The Greens have five Senators, plus Family First Steve Fielding and South Australian independent Nick Xenophon.

The Greens caved in first, bought off for a paltry few million to construct bicycle paths. Fielding also got his " pot of gold ", but Xenophon demanded big money for the restoration of the Murray/Darling river system - and the government baulked. Xenophon held firm - and the bill was defeated.

Panic in government ranks. A hasty session of the lower house and the bill was back in the Senate - and this time Xenophon got double the original offer - and the bill passed into law.

Now the feeding on road kill progresses. The big money to be spent on restoration projects like refurbishing primary schools will be handled by the state governments, and politicians of both persuasions will have their hands in the process of calling tenders and distributing the money.

It is simply beyond the capacity of the political mind to see the big picture and act like statesmen and stateswomen. That is the nature of politics.

Hopefully this huge experiment with the debt to be passed on to future generations will stave off an expected surge in unemployment - and leave the country far better off with improved infrastructure.

If it degenerates into " pork " that blows out costs and diminishes the benefits then the future of Australia will have been dealt a mortal blow.

The omens are not good - considering the spectacle of those holding the balance of power ignoring the greater need and squabbling to obtain benefits for their own political area in exchange for the political power they were able to wield.

It simply reinforces the stereotype image of all politicians as birds of prey !