The enemy within !

Yesterday, Julia Gillard summonsed eighty of her 103 Federal MP's to the Lodge for what was described as a " planning session ".   It was in fact an attempt to instill discipline and hose down backbench moves to resurrect Kevin Rudd to the prime minister's job because the rank and file think Gillard is leading them to inevitable defeat.

It is not policies that seem paramount to those earning a parliamentary salary - it is job security, and the fact that this Labor government remains on the nose with voters is causing fear in the ranks as the months tick away - closer to the next " day of destiny " with the voters.

There is another matter that many of those same voters are watching with interest.   The Gillard government walks a " numbers tightrope " and she has just lost the support of Andrew Wilkie when she walked away from her promise to him on poker machine legislation.   Now the continued presence in the parliament of Craig Thompson is critical.

Thompson is accused of " credit card irregularities " when he was boss of the electrical union - and since 2009 Fair Work Australia has been conducting a long and tedious enquiry.   Fair Work Australia is a creature of this Labor government, and it seems to many that any enquiry of misconduct  could not stretch to this length without political interference.

Just as it is finally reaching conclusion,  Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for FWA warns that " he can not guarantee that this FWA report will be made public ".

If the report makes adverse findings against Thompson and the Labor government fudges the legal process to keep those findings under wrap - so that Thompson can remain in office and save the government from being forced to face the people - it will be a case of blatant dishonesty.

This government - in the eyes of many - lacks a mandate to hold office because of the " carbon tax " promise that was callously broken when Gillard went into coalition with the Greens. 

Breaking promises is a matter of personal trust between politicians and the voting public.   Interfering with the due process of the law is an entirely different matter.    Any government that steps over that dividing line - does so at their peril !