Tripodi: Jump, jump, jump!

Who is this man, and why does have so much power? And who's his partner in skulduggery, Eddie Obeid?

As Housing Minister, Tripodi introduced the infamous "Reshaping Public Housing", against the advice of all housing NGO's and activists, which seems to be transforming public housing into a statewide free-range psychiatric hospital with no services on site for the inmates.

We can have some sympathy with the view that State governments had no choice but to tighten up eligibility criteria for public housing to those "most in need" when the dastardly Howard government gutted the the C'wealth State Housing agreement to the tune of $3 billion over 10 years. (Or so Labor used to say, though now they seem to be revising that to $1 billion).

But Tripodi had infinite choice on how to promote this policy. He chose the cheap populist route of drumming up hatred and resentment for the people his brief was to protect. His only reported public comment during his tenure as Housing Minister was to vow to stamp out the BMWs threatening to eat public housing (according to him and his acolytes Cherie Burton and Matt Brown)

DH has only once witnessed Tripodi's parliamentary performance. She's been trying to track it down in Hansard with no luck. The gist: In response to a serious question from the opposition on the state of NSW transport, Tripodi was the class clown, all bumptious posturing and schoolboy hooting and hollering. Anyone who has ever taught young bullyboys will immediately recognise the sure sign that they haven't done their homework. And let's not forget the oil-slick of sleaze that surrounds Tripodi wherever he surfaces.

If he won't jump, can't somebody push him?