Yet we are urged by anonymous business leaders to replace older and more experienced MPs with those of a younger age.

It would appear to me they might better serve Australia by withholding such advice and offering their services to the Australian people by seeking preselection to win a seat in parliament, whatever their political leaning.

Were they, say, as in my case, aged 45 with 25 years of previous successful personal business and life skills experience, including 16 years of volunteer local government service, they should be ready to provide the management our nation requires.

Having presumably seen their children through university and accumulated some investments, they should be able to survive on the very limited remuneration the Australian people are prepared to pay politicians, and which is only otherwise attractive to those younger persons whose long-term employment prospects would not provide an income in, say, excess of $50,000 to $70,000 a year. They are often to be found in the rear offices of the trade union movement and the parliamentary offices of some serving MPs.

Such persons are well trained in the art of politics but deficient in the area of business management that the nation requires.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25457602-7583,00.html

How many original Federation electorates are left?

Wentworth, Parramatta, North Sydney, Robertson, Werriwa, Macquarie, Newcastle, Hunter, Cowper, Richmond, New England, Hume, Eden-Monaro

Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Kooyong, Flinders, Gippsland, Indi, Ballarat, Bendigo, Corio, Corangamite, Wannon

Brisbane, Moreton, Wide Bay, Capricornia, Herbert, Kennedy, Maranoa

Perth, Fremantle, Swan, Kalgoorlie

(1903) Adelaide, Hindmarsh, Barker, Wakefield, Grey

(1903) Denison, Franklin, Bass

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1290338.htm

Ian Melrose paid around $30,000 for a 30-second television commercial, which received maximum exposure during last night's Australian Open men's quarter finals. The ad claims the Federal Government has stolen $2 billion in revenue from the East Timorese.

http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/ian-melrose-fantastic-advert-regional-human-rights-abuses

Why would he do that? What’s his agenda?

He’s got bucks, his prerogative to spend them on whatever he likes? X and B seem to agree that foreign ownership is bad. Tossers.

Myopia for all.

The X and B ads were, funded by Optical Superstore founder Ian Melrose.

Why would he do that? What’s his agenda?

I believe they will have to pay the tax collected back if the legislation to hold onto it is not passed this week.

Ah ok, makes sense.

I believe they will have to pay the tax collected back if the legislation to hold onto it is not passed this week.

I presume splitting the legislation enables the Government to play the same game again this year.