The Moral Of The Story

Recently the Western Australia Treasurer resigned from his post. He had been found (found is a better word here than caught) having 'some fun' with a fellow female MP while on state business somewhere. No, the married female MP is not the married Treasurer's wife.

The initial reactions of politicians from both sides of the floor were muted. It was his personal affair. In this day, it is understandably hard for the pollies to be holding the moral high ground when a large proportion of them are probably standing on the same shaky moral ground, save for one thing, the lucky ones have not been caught, not yet. In the movie Air Force One, while watching a live game of football, the President's daughter saw a player perform a foul but the referee had not taken action. It was illegal, she said rather angrily. The President correctly replied that, ah it is only illegal if you are caught. (Maybe that is why the US ventures all over the world. It is only illegal if you are caught.)

So the Treasurer was not accused of sleeping with a woman not his wife. That was, eh, sort of his own affair, not ours. The Treasurer lost his job because he was using taxpayers' money to pay for the hotel room he used to have the fling. So he had no choice, but to resign, for about $200. And, the soon to be ex Treasurer had to promise that he would repay the $200 to the state. (I am sure the state needs that $200.)

The farce did not end yet. An investigation panel was set up to find what other wrong, meaning misuse of state resources, the Treasurer had performed while having his pleasure. The panel concluded, to the surprise of many West Australians, that the now ex Treasurer had done absolutely nothing wrong. He was not required to repay the money. He was actually in the hotel for a government business anyway. The fact that there was an unexpected guest had not caused the state to pay extra.

That was all good after the bad. Unfortunately, the ex Treasurer is still the ex Treasurer.

So, the moral of the story here is, it is not wrong, when you are doing something that looks like, well, immoral. Hold that resignation letter.