Not totally unrelated to the subject of this thread. (Cut and pasted from the Oz politics thread.)
Former general turns firepower on Smith
The ''cash-strapped'' Gillard government has put its own political risk ahead of Australia's national security, a highly respected former general says.
Major-General Jim Molan, the commander of the 300,000 strong coalition force in Iraq in 2004, says Labor's management of Defence since 2009 has been ''appalling'' and is having a ''terrifying'' effect on the Australian Defence Force.
General Molan, now a public speaker and defence commentator, is scathing in his criticism of Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who he says has gone beyond ineffectiveness to actively damaging his portfolio.
'Mr Smith does not seem to like the ADF, does not seem to trust it, apparently does not want to be its chief executive, shows no public interest in its ultimate operational effectiveness, does not know how to measure efficiency or effectiveness [and] is risk averse in a portfolio that is all about risk,'' he said.
There's a bright side to the current bad floods in southern Queensland - the AAVN chopper drivers are getting some much-needed flying.