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Things are looking up
 Oh
boy am I in a poopy-liver this morning. My back is killing
me, courtesy of a rather strenuous game of Killer Tiddlywinks
and even the soothing ministrations of Matron have failed
to take my mind off the matter.
If you are interested, Killer Tiddlywinks is a green-tea
fuelled game where people play the old Tiddle, or is that
a Wink?, as normal, but your opponent can biff things to try
to knock your piece off-target.
Things were going fine as we threw smarties around, but we
all had to duck for cover when old Neville picked up a copy
of Who's Who and slung it at my about-to-win shot.
Unfortunately for me it not only connected with the target,
but it forced dear old Norbert to dive sideways and he landed
straight on top of me. As Norbert weighs in at around 300
kilos I suddenly found my nose driven into the carpet and
my feet were somewhere near the ceiling. It took six staffers
to get him off me.
Anyway, that started off the morning in a most annoying way
and my mood was only lifted when I discovered that disgraced
former MP Andrew Theophanous - he of the corruption
conviction - has been sent to jail for six years.
Yup, he's got a minimum of three-and-a-half years in the
pokey for conspiracy, bribery and defrauding the Commonwealth.
Now that not only means time behind bars (and not the ones
in Parliament House), but also opens the way for him to lose
all his superannuation benefits (around $1.5million) plus
all the lurks and perks offered to ex-MPs.
And, while a stunned Theophanous began to comprehend just
what his sentence meant, the judge got stuck into him with
the style and grace of a social commentator we all know and
love.
He included in his comments: "You abused your power
for money and even sexual gratification . . . you acted as
a bully . . . you show . . . absolutely no remorse for what
you have done."
And: "Corruption is like a cancer. . . the presence
of corruption in the parliament of a democratic nation has
the potential to destroy democracy itself.
"When the allegations of your corruption first emerged,
your response was not simply to deny . . . but you did so
offensively and strongly, accusing your accusers of racism
and other dark motives."
Hear, hear, I thought, well done County Court Judge Graeme
Crossley!
And hear, hear also to former colleague and the Labor Opposition
Leader Simon Crean who said: "The conviction and sentencing
are an appropriate reminder to all that no one can be, or
should be, above the law."
Well, having heard all that I feel much more cheerful. Very
cheerful indeed, where's the bubbly Matron?
If there is something that has really got up your nose,
let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com
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