What a selfish bunch some pollies are as both government and opposition members decide to cut and run, providing the usual excuse of wanting to spend more time with their families.

Given the excessive number of pollies caught up in the dual citizenship scandals and the causing of expensive by-elections and the incurring of huge legal fees has many a voter fuming. To top it all off are the Clive Palmer ads, reportedly costing millions whilst the taxpayers had to stump and pay the entitlements to his workers at his nickel refinery. Not a word from any of them or the use of government solicitors and barristers acting to recover these debts.

Then we have the remote possibility of Mr Palmer again being elected to parliament and being greeted by his fellow colleagues as he enters the chamber.

Fair dinkum, how much lower does our parliament have to go before someone stands up to the guy and demands he repay what he owes. No more taxpayer salary for him, for heaven’s sake, but still he insults the parliament without a word being spoken against him.

Finally, I say to date your non actions in bringing Mr Palmer to account for his actions is an insult to you all. I wish a whole lot more of you would resign and be done with it and it would do us all a favour if you did!

Thousands of kids started a new school year across Australia this week.

While it’s a big week for students, many parents are also under the pump as they are faced with the ever-increasing cost of getting their children ready for school.

New shoes, uniforms, backpacks, stationery – the list of things needed to ensure our children are able to be successful is a long and expensive one.

In some cases it includes things that the schools used to provide themselves – like whiteboard markers.

While the cost of everything seems to go up, wages have not.

It’s why parents want their school to have enough money to educate their kids properly.

It matters everywhere, but particularly in regional Australia where the latest research shows there is an increasing gap between city schools and those in regional areas.

All Australian kids deserve a fair go, regardless of where they live.

That’s why a Shorten Labor Government will provide an extra $14 billion for public schools to deliver the biggest school investment in Australian history.

The National Party – in fact all regional MPs and Senators should back this commitment.

Maybe they could even match it.

If our kids are going to have a chance to have a good life with a decent job they need a good education and the money we spend on this is an investment in their future.

Well done, Scott Morrison

Warren Mundine is a highly intelligent man and an experienced politician.

An Indigenous Australian withe Shoalhaven family ties, he is man whose values are exemplary and whose vision for Australia is one that most of us can only dream of.

In other words, an ideal candidate for parliament.

It’s sad that Grant Schultz is so hurt but surely he realises that Mundine would have the best chance of winning a Liberal majority vote in Gilmore.

Schultz’s resignation from the Liberal Party and decision to stand as an independent because of sour grapes indicates that his Liberal loyalty was most wanting and his motive was simply to become an MP.