Why should we as legislators and the Minister for Health in particular, let the faceless unaccountable, undemocratic, unelected cabal at the Therapeutic Goods Administration supplant our role as accountable, elected and responsible representatives of the people.
A quote from one of the loudest critics of the 1999 republic referendum, Sophie Panopoulos. Then it was "Politicians aren't accountable or responsible enough to elect an Australian Head of State."
Funny how politicians become trustworthy once you become one yourself.
Disclaimer: This contradiction has already been pointed out in general terms by a least one blogger. (Can't remember who it was. Apologies for the plagiarism if it was you.) I just couldn't resist commenting on the poignant hypocrisy of Ms Panopoulos.
Sophie should keep her head low. I am sure many colleagues haven't forgiven her for labelling some Liberals MP's political terrorists
But she is at it again when she stated about the RU486 debate "The female sisterhood of the Labor Party is at it again: They criticise the Minister for his Catholicism and his views on abortion...and the wonder why the growing number of the religious rigt won't vote for them".
Apart from the fact that I wonder whether the ALP would attract any votes from this 'religious right' anyway (why would any 'right' group vote for a centre-left party in the first place?) Then where this places fellow Victorian Liberal Judith Troeth, who was a sponsor of the bill removing Abbott's decision on the matter?
I thinks that Sophie tries too hard. She still thinks she is fighting the Labor Club at Uni and adopts these crude methods. From what I can see she fancies hereself as a cultural warrior brownbeating all those 'out-of-touch latte sipping elites'.
Only that all she is not good enough at it.