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TV or not TV? that is the question...

Now you may not have seen him around and about over recent months, but apparently Richard Alston is still the Minister for Disappearing.

His official title is Communications Minister, but our boy doesn't seem to communicate a lot with we who pay him his outrageous salary.

Now I thought his camera-shy behaviour was due to a fear that his transistor-era knowledge may be found out in the ultra modern communications age, but it appears I was wrong.

His disappearing act seems to be down to one thing and one thing only - a beautiful, state-of-the-art widescreen digital TV that was sent his way by Telstra.

Must be nice to have one in the office, you'd think, although it seems the good senator actually has his beautiful, state-of-the-art widescreen digital TV that was sent his way by Telstra in his home.

This is so the minister responsible for digital TV (and the Internet among other things) can brush up on the stuff he's supposed to know while watching massive pictures of his favourite sporting events.

A cost estimate of his beautiful, state-of-the-art widescreen digital TV that was sent his way by Telstra is about $10,000.

Now if you or I were to be given a state-of-the-art widescreen digital TV that only a few get sent by Telstra then I wonder what sort of Fringe Benefits Tax penalty we'd cop.

I can just see the fantastic guys and gals in the Australian Tax Office just leaping out the door to look at that little perk ...

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com