cods wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 10:46am:
Bam wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 10:38am:
cods wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 10:24am:
Bam wrote on Apr 5
th, 2014 at 9:36am:
Many have said that Obeid needs to be imprisoned. That does not go far enough. The assets he acquired improperly should also be seized and sold, so he gains no benefit.
This issue exposes fundamental flaws with governance. We have Sinodinos apparently forgetting to list companies where he was involved. What was the punishment when he was caught out? None!
he hasnt been charged with anything YET?try to understand that he is a witness and he claims he did nuffink wrong..
I was not clear in my previous post. I was not referring to the corruption inquiry but the politicians' own rules. Politicians are supposed to register their pecuniary interests on a Parliament register, but there's apparently no punishment for omissions or failing to register changes in a timely manner.
On the other hand, someone claiming welfare who makes a similar error can be charged with a criminal offence if they don't register such changes within 14 days - and the law that criminalised this was made retrospective to 2001. Retrospective criminal laws are a violation of human rights.
One set of soft rules for the politicians, and draconian rules for the disadvantaged.
I think you are wrong... he wasnt working for this water Co.. when he was elected to the senate...I think they only have to note what they are involved in at the time... not the past....although I am not 100% sure on that score..
everyone has interests bam you cant rule out everything......
Sinodinos didn't declare all of his. I didn't state that the undeclared interests were AWH specifically. However, I was incorrect about a lack of punishment - if the omissions were intentional, he can be fined or even jailed - but good luck proving that. I doubt anyone ever gets fined or jailed for omitting pecuniary interests.
Conflict of interest: Sinodinos breached the rules (1/3/13)
Quote:SENIOR Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos has been caught breaching parliamentary rules by failing to declare six company directorships during his 15 months in the upper house.
The former chief-of-staff to ex-prime minister John Howard last night admitted that his register of pecuniary interests contained the significant omissions after inquiries by The Daily Telegraph about the anomalies.
“I apologise unreservedly to the senate and to my party colleagues for these oversights,” he said.
“I believe at no stage were there any matters arising from these directorships which may have occasioned a conflict of interest.”
Company searches revealed Senator Sinodinos failed to declare five current directorships, including with an aged healthcare firm whose directors include former Liberal minister Santo Santoro, who quit in disgrace over omissions from his parliamentary register.
The revelations come after the senator’s business interests came into focus this week when he backed away from claiming a potential multi-million-dollar stake in an infrastructure company after it was linked to Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid. Senator Sinodinos is considered a rising star and almost certain to win a ministerial position in an Abbott government.
Senator Sinodinos may now face a privileges committee inquiry over the omissions, with punishments for knowingly providing incorrect information to parliament including jail or fines.
Not wishing to derail the topic though ... I expect all of our politicians to maintain a high standard of pecuniary integrity, no matter what party they represent. If that ever happens, it will be on the same day that science announces the discovery of a new mammal previously unknown to science,
Porcinus aviatus.