Do Politicians pick up their telephones, call the Big Kahuna at the newspaper and say; “I would consider it a personal favour if you did not draw attention to this issue”.
I am not a Journalist. I am not a Politician. I do not work for anyone in the media or within the confines of Parlie House. Like many others, I read papers, I watch the telly and I talk at the pub.
In March of 2000, I embarked on what I thought was to be a two day quest to sort out some silly behaviour by my Manager in the Public Service.
For the past nine years, I have been embroiled in a war seeking justice. Unfortunately for me, the more I ranted & raved, the more I was punished!
Here in Adelaide South Australia, there was a furore in 2008 when the Manager of a rural prison gave permission for a Christmas Party, a gathering of the inmates. Some of these inmates dressed in drag and sang YMCA.
When the story broke, it was front-page news. For days, the media flooded the community with exquisite detail of every possible aspect surrounding the event.
The Manager was named, and shamed. Maybe rightly so.
The Government moved swiftly. Before the ink dried, she was relocated to an administrative position in the city, and an Inquiry convened. Moreover, before we were allowed to forget, the Inquiry meted out punishment and the media twirled the torchlight elsewhere.
Now, this is where I get confused, and when I get confused, I draw conclusions, rightly or wrongly. I try to explain away the confusions.
The office of the Public Trustee is responsible for, as reported in its 2007/2008 Annual Report, ‘…more than $1 billion of clients’ funds and assets under management…’
This Agency has been under the spotlight in recent years for all the wrong reasons. Allegations of entrenched workplace bullying, financial mismanagement, and sexual improprieties. Throw in a Police investigation, an extensive Government internal investigation, and a current Parliamentary Inquiry and you have all the ingredients for a media frenzy.
Considering the enormity of the sum total of events, and the fact that ONE BILLION DOLLARS of the public's money is involved, many others and I expected more from the local media. Other than my appearance on a local Current Affairs television show, there has been bugger all else!
I just cannot reconcile the attention given to the cross-dressing affair at the Port Lincoln Prison, to the lack of attention given to the alleged mismanagement of other people’s money, ONE BILLION DOLLARS of other people’s money.
One thing I know. The Government, for many years, moved very, very slowly on issues at Public Trustee. On the other hand, the Government moved very, very quickly to dump the Port Lincoln prison manager.
Do politicians pick up the phone? I do not know. However, it would be disturbing if this were a practice to which the media favourably reacted.
From what I have read in the local press, our Premier, Mike Rann, did just that when he chucked a mental at an Advertiser reporter during a press conference. I saw the video on television. He behaved like a goose. It was reported he demanded that the reporter pull his head in.
Maybe some of them do pick up the phone!
Country Prison frenzy.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21752777-2,00.html
Financial Mismanagement allegations, Public Trustee.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,,24663578-5006301,00.html
