Recently, Joe Hockey claimed that the government is trying to 'bully Treasury into a certain set of numbers'. I’m sure Martin Parkinson, the Secretary to the Treasury, a man of integrity and expertise, would hardly appreciate such a comment. He could well be working side by side with a man who thinks that he can be stood over into giving whatever figures the government wants.
John Howard had only high praise for the competence of the Treasury. Contrast his congratulation of Paul Keating when he won the Euromoney Finance minister of the Year and Hockey’s taunts when Wayne Swan was awarded the same accolade.
Hockey belittled the achievement because it had been won by Serbia, Nigeria, Bulgaria and Pakistan. He did not mention that it had also been won by Canada and China. Even his thick skin could not cop potential retaliation from those two countries.
Should Hockey become our future Treasurer, he is hardly the person to instil confidence in maintaining our proud international image. Yet Tony Abbott insists he has a team of experienced campaigners.
Frank Carroll
Such taunts seem almost like China's taunts against the Dalai Lama and Lu Xiaobo when they won their respective Nobel Peace Prizes.
ReplyDeleteWhile the rest of the world recognised the achievements, the Chinese government refused to recognise either award, because these two men disagree with the ruling Communist Party.
Is this the sort of government Abbott would unleash on Australia - a government that does not recognise achievements purely because of political differences?