In case you were distracted by the current news cycle, Albo just approved an extension to the Middlemount coal mine.  

I want to stress the point it is not the job of our politicians to make business deals period.  When it comes to money, the only thing pollies should be given access to, is rules regarding taxation or grants.  I don't even agree they should get donations, certainly not without full discloser and especially before and as the entry requirements into an election.

We already have systems and institutions in place called independent government agencies.  The 'independence' means they operate the same way regardless of who's governing.  It also means they are transparent ergo they need to report their actions publicly.  It's critical for a democracy to work well that all monies are visible to the public.  Agencies keep the politicians away from business deals, which keeps them away from influence stopping pollyacess.

Our democracy is under threat, and we desperately need to not just police the politicians but hold their actions accountable to law like any other citizen.  At the moment, the operate outside the law, and are so comfortable in doing so, the corruption is obvious for all see.  We shouldn't have to prove they are corrupt, they should prove they're not corrupt.

The easy solution is to change 'may' to 'must' for NACC public hearings.  I believe a single word change, will start the ball rolling on laying down the foundations for change, to implement accountability and justice to all politicians that don't even know where the line of morality ends and corruption begins anymore.

I want to know why, and for what justification, did Albo approve the new mine, in the face of known climate change, and the cost of a warming planet.  I want to know did the Labor party get any donations for the approval?  I'm allowed to ask these questions, but who is doing this on my behalf?  And why is the government being secretive about these decisions?

If a new coal mine is good for Australia, when all the other foreign owned fossil fuel flippant corporations don't pay their taxes?   Wouldn't it be easier to simply chase up the $600B in owed taxes from all the tax avoiders at the top end of town, then mine for more coal?

Lets do some simple maths here:  
- for 1 tonne of coal exported we (world ranked #2) earn $10-15 in public revenue while Indonesia $20-30 (#1) and Russia (#3 - probably before the war) $35 to $45.  We earn sweet F.A. in revenue.
- for 1 barrel of oil exported we (world ranked #23) earn $10.  Norway (#7) collects $64 while Saudia Arabia (#1) collects $100.  Like WTF?

This is exactly why you don't get politicians to do deals, because they are shit at getting a good outcome for their constituents.  All they care about is some cash under the table so they can get re-elected.  That's not governing.

We can be the envy of the world, with our own space station, military, manufacturing industry, world class recyclers, 100% renewable energy independence, sovereign secured data centres, no homelessness, whatever the dream you fancy to make Australia great, but it starts with kicking out the corruption in our political system.

Please share my rant, and if you haven't already, sign my petition to make NACC hold public hearings.  Cheers.