Experienced and Seasoned Ministers? Hardly!

The ABC reports:

Federal Nationals leader Mark Vaile has apologised for appearing to question the independence of the Auditor-General.

The Auditor-General last week released a damning report into the Coalition's Regional Partnerships program, and Mr Vaile described the timing as "strange".

The Auditor-General's report found that the Regional Partnerships scheme had failed to meet an acceptable standard of public administration, and ministers had approved projects against departmental advice.

Mr Vaile now says he makes no judgement on the timing of the report's release.

"I regret any inference of that I'd left that might have cast aspersions on his professionalism or independence," he said.

I find it remarkable that no one has taken Mr Vaile's comments and his earlier antics of trying to ride a skateboard with his cap on backwards as examples of the churlish and childish behaviour from one of the most senior members of the government.

While the Howard government tries to paint a picture of the opposition as a bunch of amateurs who have no experience in leadership and in government, the deputy Prime Minister is allowed to get away with comments like the one above with just an apology and a retraction.

What HAS this man learned and taught his colleagues in his 11 years in government?

"Arrogance" would come to mind immediately as one observation. If this is the level of experience and sound judgement that Mr Howard keeps claiming for his colleagues then I suspect that most electors would find his accusations about members of the opposition somewhat tainted.

Of course some of the other more senior Ministers in the government have fared no better in the last few weeks of the campaign. Mr. Abbott the Health Minister has been filmed at a private Party meeting being less than politically sensitive and also been filmed making rude and crude remarks when he thought the cameras had been turned off.

The signs of an experienced and reliable politician that one could trust with the health portfolio or just what he has been described as being in other media outlets - namely a "bully boy."

Whatever the opinions that people may have about Labor and the Trade Unions if they are fair in their assessment of the achievements of the current government then they will have to admit that there is an increasing amount of evidence emerging about the arrogance, childish and churlish behaviour of government ministers as well as evidence of what I would certainly call mismanagement of the taxpayer's money to give their supporters more largess and provide less than a 'fair go' for other Australians who happen to disagree with their political views.

That's what the Auditor General has pointed out and if that is what the members of the Howard government have learned in their 11 years of power then it's more than high time for them to vanish from the political stage - preferably in disgrace!