Members shall observe the highest possible standards of ethical conduct. They will avoid any action, or inaction, which could in any way impair the Bank's capacity to carry out its duties, or compromise its standing in the community and its reputation for integrity, fairness, honesty and independence. - Reserve Bank of Australia Website.
All sides of politics lose sight of ethical judgement from time to time, but John Howard's Coalition has been blind to it from the beginning. Their incestuous relationship with big business would have to be the reason. No one has ever accused big business of being either ethical or moral. The Coalition is their representative in government.
The Costello-Gerard Reserve Bank miscarriage is yet another of possibly hundreds of examples of this government's arrogant, flaunting corruption, which by now is second nature.
There is never a remote sense of shame in their declarations of innocence because for them right and wrong are meaningless in the face of profit and the amount of repression required to promote its increase.
"Robert Gerard has broken no law. I do not believe that it is wrong for a person to contest a tax audit. There would be thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of Australians who do that." - Peter Costello, Federal Treasurer of Australiastan.
Didn't Little Johnny promise to govern for all of us? Peter Costello sure thinks so. And that's good for us hoi polloi. No longer do we have to live in fear of a tax audit. If we're caught following convention by fudging our books to save a few hundred pesos, we can simply settle out of court as Gerard did. Appointed to the Reserve Bank board in March, 2003, Gerard paid $150 million (he was facing a maximum payout of $250 million) later in the same year to bring the 14-year investigation into his Caribbean tax haven scam to an overnight conclusion. Presto Cheque-o!
Now, according to Potentate John and Vizier Pete, we should all be able to do the same. Since "for all of us" means we're all in it together, we might even call Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody by his first name in our letter of settlement. Say we're caught cheating the government out of $58.73. We can settle for twenty bucks or so. "Mick, so sorry, how's this?" The precedent has been set.
As well, each one of us will be eligible for the next vacancy on the Reserve Bank board.
Wait, I forgot. We would have to donate at least $1 million to the Liberal Party, just like Robert Gerard. Then, we'll be eligible.
Of course Peter Costello knew all about the 14-year investigation and settlement. He just didn't give a damn. Of course Robert Gerard broke no law. For the Liberal Party and their country bumpkin cousins in the National Party, the only laws not made to be broken are those in place to silence dissent. As for breaching laws requiring ethical behaviour, the Libs just overlook them. When challenged by the opposition or an interviewer, the glib Lib simply changes the subject.
Finally, here's another of course. The rumour is that Gerard's appointment was the idea, not of Peter Costello, but of -- who else -- John Howard.
(Based on Jason Koutsoukis' House on the Hill, 1 December 2005, The Age)
