AUSTRALIANS have always expected a great deal of their elite athletes, even more so from those who are sponsored by our taxes.
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So it was a sad moment when the findings of a reports emerged yesterday afternoon revealing our Olympic swimming team was described as being grossly mismanaged during the games in London last August.
Particularly concerning was reports of evidence of swimmers breaching the team agreement by misusing prescription drugs and bullying during the games period. Already the nation's elite winter football codes are under the magnifying glass with allegations of illegal drug use and even match fixing. Apparently in London our swimmers were getting drunk, misusing prescription drugs, breaching curfews, being deceitful and bullying.
We believe this country should support it's elite athletes by providing funding for training and competing on the world stage. But if incidents such as those just described are true, then it makes it even harder to argue for this fiscal support.
WHEN the Daily Liberal's big sister publication, the Sydney Morning Herald describes the Prime Minister Julia Gillard as a dead woman walking then there must be fire with the smoke issuing from Canberra.
Yesterday the SMH published stories headlined thus: Julia Gillard's lack of leadership has spurred on her inevitable demise, the treasurer Wayne Swan was the weakest link and the end of the ALP/Greens alliance announced by the Leader of the Greens, Christine Milne. Things are crook in Tullarook if this is the case and if the election is due on September 14 then the death of a 1000 cuts may be too excruciating for this nation and its people. If the Kevin Rudd supporters are to get on their bike, then they must do so soon as this limbo-like state we're in could do irreparable damage to our economy.