UTE GATE or just another SWAN DIVE !?!



(For any American readers: A "ute" is a pickup truck; For any South African readers, a "ute" is a bakkie)

Talk about a big news day in federal politics ............... OK I'm waiting. More like another round of political gaming and diversions from the real issues that effect us all. What I see here with this and I'm sorry to quote it again but the "UTEGATE" affair should focus on two clear issues.

Firstly the incriminating email, who wrote it and why was it written? If it is really a fake as the AFP so quickly declared today just an hour after raiding Treasury employee Godwin Grech's home today, then it stinks on a whole new level. It would be naive of any one with a passing interest in politics to think that this type of cloak and dagger stuff is beyond any political party. Of course the conspiracy theories are already out there and I believe it will be a generation before we get the death bed confession/book relating to the truth of this matter.

Secondly, we still haven't heard a genuine explanation as to just what role Treasurer Wayne Swan really had in this and that he like many of his counterparts and colleagues is just as likely to be guilty of that age old "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" type of arrangement that IS done between politicians and business. Once again the credibilty of our elected leaders is damaged again and this will only add to the antipathy that many Australians have toward all politicians, especially at election time, resulting in the wrong people being elected.

What we do need to find out is if the Parliament was actually deceived and if so what is the PM going to do about it?

I don't think that politically speaking Rudd will ever admit any wrongdoing therefore he will not be falling on his sword over this. It may be that Swan will need to be the fall guy in this and really what benefit will that be to the country? I see no-one in the Federal Labour Party that comes close to being qualified to fill the current Treasurer's boots. Love him or hate him he is still the best man for the job whilst the current government remains in power.

Personally, I am having trouble following all of this and I am sure most punters have given up and see it for what it is, another diversion and a perfect media storm. Malcolm Turnbull is in no way guilty here. He rightfully assumed that the email was genuine because you can not expect every email that a politician sees to be suspected of being a fake, communication would simply not be possible without the AFP checking every hard drive in the country.

What needs to happen now is beyond this cartoonist because the waters are so muddy and I believe it will take a long time for the muck to settle and the picture to be clear again. The pollies go on their winter break shortly and I believe that this time away will be enough for this one to slip out of the media cycle and off the radar of most folk.

By the way, what has happened to the OZCAR plan? I didn't read the last budget paper but I am sure it was in there somewhere.