Remember back in 2013, when the LNP Opposition and the (mainly Murdoch) mdia were regularly attacking Federal Labor for what they said was a 'debt disaster'. Who could forget the touring LNP Debt Truck; we were surely on the 'eve of destruction'? Well under the LNP that net debt has now just about doubled to over $300 billion.  Not that you'd know it; there seems to be a media blackout on LNP debt. There is two standards for fiscal competence; one for Labor and one for the LNP. Why would that be?

The writer's festival  organisers should be congratulated  for a very enlightening event and the diverse views expressed by the participants. I spent all day on  Sunday listening to opinions from "18c and me" , the ethics of euthanasia" and "the moral tightrope".

The moral tightrope was  around the history of ethics  and the moral tightrope concerning the social needs and political desires in relation to religious thought.    And of particular interest in relation to the debate on same sex marriage and the proposition to legislate euthanasia law in Victoria. I found it interesting to read the letter from Helen Leach who is concerned that; The real issue at stake with same sex marriage legislation is the lack of protection for basic rights of freedom of religion, speech and conscience , and that nothing should be done until this risk to basic human rights is resolved.

In my opinion we need a Bill of Rights  as our constitution does not protect free speech. But I disagree with her assumption that allowing people of different views or needs is an attack on human rights, it is defending human rights  and not an attack on freedom of speech and conscience. People have every right to voice their opinion, as have others with a different view point. What concerns myself is that we should not  be dragged into legislating to enshrine morality. We need rational answers to the social and political questions of our day, not rhetoric based on old history.

Blimey, the Kiwis never give up, with that underarm fiasco coming back to haunt us again, courtesy of Barnaby Joyce.  It appears that Barnaby Joyce is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, but more to the point, is he the black sheep of Aussie politics, and refusing to resign as well. I wonder how Johhny Depp, pistol and boo feel being tossed out of OZ by an alleged New Zealander.

On the face of it, his situation appears to be in conflict of the constitution, so if he is allowed to stay in parliament, what message does that send to the community, and changing it is not going to be easy either. In 2001 when this was drafted, it was decided that to change this document would require a majority of voters in a majority of states. In hindsight, it is incredible, that the Governor General, can install a group of people as the Government of Australia, without knowing if they are all eligible to be there in the first place. So if Joyce in particular is found to be ineligible, they are technically in Opposition, not Government, and now we have a Prime Minister basically thumbing his nose at the electorate again, by having one rule for the LNP, and another for the rest. Just when you think things could never get more ridiculous, along comes another disaster. Might be time to start over again.