farmdoc's blog post number 611

Today I write of secrets. I don’t like them.

So it’s no secret that I love my darling sister Sue. Today’s her birthday. Exactly a year ago, on her 2008 birthday, I wrote this. A year later I wouldn’t change a word of what I wrote then. Except that today I love her even more. I wish you a wonderful day today, Sue, and then a whole year of wonderful days until your 2010 birthday.

As much as I love Sue, I loathe politicians. Especially those that keep secret what they should divulge. Sure there are state secrets, in the interest of public security. But all other state information should be available to the public – in the public interest. I’m a citizen and I pay tax. Politicians who control the spending of public money must account for it. And be accountable for spending it. For example, in 2000, then Victorian premier Bracks set a A$40M annual cap on government ‘major events’ spending. But the cap’s notional and unenforceable, so the government’s unaccountable in relation to it. The Age reported yesterday that in the nine years since 2000, the cap’s more than doubled. It’s now A$80M plus. And still the government refuses to reveal to the public – the money’s owner – how much money the government spends, and what the financial return is on that money for each event. Why? Current Victorian premier Brumby (pictured) said: ‘This is a very competitive business, and we don’t give away our trade secrets’. Trouble is, the state opposition, for all its current sanctimony, is unlikely to be less secretive if it wins next year’s election. Ho hum.