We don’t trust govt to tell the truth: survey. A year of political and financial upheaval across the world has helped contribute to a global decline in confidence in government and CEOs, according to a recently-published study of public trust.

The annual trust survey, released by PR firm Edelman, found that just 33% of Australians 18 and over trust their government, with 60% responding that they do not have faith in their leaders to tell the truth. — Tom Cowie (read the full story here)

Rinehart’s ransom insurance explained. Ransom insurance may be the ultimate fail safe for rich people who become the victims of extortion. But according to one senior industry leader, it’s a policy that necessitates secrecy.

That’s one word you wouldn’t use to describe the ongoing court battle over the Rinehart family fortune, which has become the centre of a media frenzy after details were released last week. — Tom Cowie (read the full story here)

Why Gina has to stop the circus. Gina Rinehart has spent the best part of the last two months desperately trying to keep the details of her bitter family feud out of the public spotlight, filing a series of legal actions designed to get the details of the NSW Supreme Court case suppressed.

Gina, it’s officially time to stop wasting your time and money going down the suppression route. — James Thomson (read the full story here)

Power Play #21: replace sympathy with empathy. Power Players don’t sympathise. They empathise. “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” — that’s what Power Players say to themselves.

Sympathy is wasted. And frankly a little bit pathetic. Like feeling sorry for the kid in grade school who had to wear a back brace to correct some type of scoliosis. No matter how much you try, you’ll never know what it feels like unless you try to catch the school bus with a body brace underneath your clothes. — Rose Herceg (read the full story here)