Photious Finish.

There was no need to call for a photo finish to the most recent NSW state election. But a Michael Photious finish could be a possible call for Barry O’Farrell.

Don’t get me wrong. On the face of it all, there is nothing wrong with starting your own business. There is nothing wrong even if that business makes use of your skills and experience. The problem begins though when you are the Vice-President of the NSW Liberal Party AND you have recently opened doors to a new lobbying company timing coincidentally with the coalition win in NSW.

Far from seeing anything wrong with serving as Vice-President for a party who also just happens to be in government, Michael Photious has urged others on the NSW Liberal Party board to join him.

By sheer coincidence, Michael Photious also lobbys for the AHA. By sheer coincidence, the AHA are gearing up for government changes to pokies machines. And by sheer coincidence late last year Barry O’Farrell heralded some watery announcement on numbers of pokies in a venue and numbers of machines that played blackjack or roulette electronically (multi-terminal machines).

So while the coalition was for a reduction of pokies, it was not for a reduction of gambling machines per se. In fact, they probably  consider multi-terminal machines as not really gambling and thats why they are removing the cap limits to these machines.

Leaving pokies aside, there is a rather disturbing thing occurring here. Michael Photious and Nick Campbell we are told run a faction that holds sway over 12 of the 19 NSW Liberal Party executive. Both men are lobbyists and both are Vice-Presidents of the NSW Liberal Party.

The whole idea I thought of getting rid of the last mob is they gave jobs to the boys. It seems we have replaced this with a party that is run by people that will listen to what you have to say, but only if you pay them.

How one can run a political party and still claim to run an apolitical company who’s sole purpose is to give you the ear of the government that is being run by the political party that you yourself help run is a little confusing at first, but it is exactly what is going on.

It’s also far from squeaky clean in transparency. If you want to get your ‘interests’ heard, you pay someone to get it done. The concern I have is if the government acts on behalf of an interest group at the expense of the people they represent then this raises all sorts of legalities.

Interest groups can come in a variety forms from unions, to environmental, to businesses and business groups. And you can rest assured that the coalition are going to close their doors to certain interest groups it does not like. This happens on both sides.

Still, the interest I have in interest groups is less interesting then what interests most.

I thought the whole idea of voting was to get the peoples message across. It seems without the signed cheque to the right lobby group, the message may go to the bottom of the to do list.

Money it seem may not buy you happiness, but it sure can get you the ear of a government.

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A. Ghebranious   2011  (All Rights Reserved)