Deja vu

Deja vu這源自法文的用詞, 中文的講法是「如出一轍」、「似曾相識」、「新瓶舊酒」, 用甚麼詞彙來講要視乎場景。最近這詞在傳媒報導時常出現, 由特朗普的競選連任過程中不斷指控選舉不公(盜票、種票), 以至弄糟了新冠病毒酒店檢疫, 都見到這詞語。早前墨爾本的酒店檢疫因為聘用了不合資格的保安人員而引發了社區爆發, 一搞就搞了幾個月, 到了最近兩三星期才平定了, 一宗也沒有, 所以把錄得0宗的日子叫donut day, 以其形作喻意。早兩天南澳又因為酒店檢疫的漏洞而爆疫, 所以就是deja vu。ABC新聞網站引述南澳大學教授Adrian Esterman的說法:

"Like Victoria, we've started off from a quarantine hotel. Like Victoria, the people infected come from very large, infected families.

"So that's very much all deja vu."

澳洲政府官員的官商勾結可謂使人看得目瞪口呆, 前些時被捅出因新機場收地的醜聞, 聯邦政府以$A3, 000萬收購一幅審計署認為只值$300萬的地, 如果沒油水可撈, 誰會做這種蠢事? 由於聯邦政府沒有ICAC, 又久久沒完成監察操守的法例, 此事只能轉介給聯邦警察調查。這還未算離譜, 另一deja vu事件是新南威爾斯省早兩天被捅出另一宗收地事件。近年新省大興土木, 開天辟地, 鐵路、電車路線一條條不斷在建築, 有工程自然有油水。早兩天被捅出的事件是2016年以A$5, 330萬收地作為電車廠一事, 此地在政府收購前的7個月由私人公司以A$3, 500萬購得, 7個月之間這公司賺了A$1, 830萬, 此公司聲稱事前毫不知情, 完全沒有內幕消息。也罷, 審計署估價這地值負A$300至負A$700萬。為甚麼會是負值呢? 因為此地滿佈重金屬、石棉及致癌物, 需要花龐大清理費來處理。省長被問及此事, 才同意應轉介ICAC調查。不過, 這裏的ICAC並非香港半夜拉人封艇那種, 這裏的是無牙老虎, 而且權力有限。無他, 政客怕作法自斃, 又豈敢太認真呢。其他省也有ICAC或相類機構,  權力也不同, 下列是Sydney Morning Herald去年對各反貪機構的簡介:

Victoria's body is called the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. It was established in 2012 and can hold public hearings, but only in "exceptional circumstances" where it is in the "public interest" to do so. So far, six sets of public hearings have been held.

The Northern Territory ICAC was established in late 2018. It can hold public hearings but has not done so yet.

The South Australia ICAC was established in 2013 and is very different to the NSW body of the same name. It can investigate only corruption that would be a criminal offence and it cannot hold public hearings, though this is under review.

Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission started operations in 2004 and "generally" does not hold public hearings, though it can if doing so would be in the public interest.

The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission was established in 2001 although it has its roots in the post-Fitzgerald Criminal Justice Commission. It can hold public hearings but only where it is in the "public interest" to do so – a test that involves weighing the benefits of the public seeing the hearing against the damage to the reputations of people on the stand. There is a presumption against doing so.

The ACT Integrity Commission was established in the middle of this year. It is still in the set-up phase and will begin receiving complaints from December 1. It can hold public hearings but, as with other states and territories, must pass a public interest test to do so.

The Tasmanian Integrity Commission has the power to conduct public hearings where there is a "likely factual basis to support a finding of serious misconduct ... or systemic misconduct" and there is significant public concern or an investigation is being prevented from uncovering all the facts of the matter. To date, no public hearings have been held.

但ACT (Australian Capital Territory)至今還未完成立法, 從此也反映聯邦政府多不着緊, 積極拖延, 就是不想引火自焚。這些不當的東西看多了, 謊言聽多了, 人也麻木。此事日後的發展, 大概隨便諉過於一兩個下層官僚, 就蒙混過去, 大家也很善忘, 事件一下子就隨風而逝。再發生的時候, 再講一次deja vu.