Accountability, Schmaccountability
Well, by now everyone's well aware of the most recent step in the Tories' new accountability program. I really don't know why they keep failing in this. I mean, is it just incompetence, or are they actually explicitly going out and defying the rules? Do they feel that they can get away with it, since our past deeds are still a little fresh and they know we can't play the "accountability" card without looking bad ourselves?
I mean, I know we're limited, since just saying "look at the Conservatives! They're as bad as WE were when they're in power! And they've only been there a year!" definitely isn't a very good election strategy.
I would normally just chalk it up to some problems learning the actual accountability rules, but it seems to be more than just random chance, and a few mis-declared meals or trips here and there. At this pace, they have to be really stupid for these to be all accidents.
And if they really are trying to subvert the rules, you think they would at least wait a bit, until they got a majority. I mean, it seems insane that they would actually be trying to skirt the rules when they've got such a tenuous hold on power.
So which is it? Are they trying to subvert the rules, or are they just incompetent?
1 comment:
I'd guess a desire to look frugal to their base, which despises the spending of taxpayer money, allows for these exceedingly narrow interpretations of the various rules.
Incompetence would indicate simply being unaware of the rules, which I don't think is the case. This is selective compliance where a slanted reading of the rules trumps what might be tagged as common sense adherence to their alleged accountability principles.
But at this point, you'd think the PMO would be on this and whip their Ministers into shape. Perhaps they're busy at the moment trying to figure out their story on Afghanistan detainees...
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