Category: Politics

I can only imagine the timing of the release of the FWA report on Thomson’s litany of abuse of trust and power and simple theft of members funds was deliberate. I can just see Gillard thinking…. release it on Budget eve and everyone will be talking about the budget and forget about Thompson. Ain’t going to happen sweetheart! Tomorrow, everyone will be thinking – typical budget of a government in trouble and get back to the troubles. Gillard and the ALP have a hell of a problem with Slipper and Thomson. If Thomson resigns, as he should, then she will be vulnerable with the subsequent by election unlikely to favour the ALP. If he stays then she will be subject to questions all day, every day up to the election and the Independents will be under constant pressure to back a no-confidence motion. How long can they maintain support of the ALP while Thomson is in the House? If the ALP change leaders and reinstall Rudd then they will have their opinions of Rudd thrown at them all day every day up to the election so I can’t see that happening. Makes you wonder how Gillard can front up every morning and spend the day ignoring the herd of elephants she has in the room. Oh, and the budget… Defence down $5.4b; boat people up $1b; debt ceiling to hit $300b; tax the rich and give to the poor; attack wealth creators… ALP in a nutshell…nothing to see here – move along.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith flippantly mentioned on radio today that no-one is lining up to invade us. With such deep thought and careful consideration the government look to rationalizing cutting the defence budget by $4 billion. Defer the F35 contract, cancel the long range artillery and invent $240m worth of procrastination over what we want in the way of submarines to replace the Collins class boats. That takes all that boring defence stuff out of the budget so Wayne can talk about his blessed surplus. Peter Costello muses on the problem of deficits

I suggest a new tactic for the government when it comes to selling this year’s budget: to level with the public and tell the facts rather than weave the spin. This would involve admitting it was costly and unnecessary to ramp up spending by 36 per cent in the last four budgets. It would mean admitting that if a budget surplus takes pressure off interest rates now (as the government is claiming), then more careful budget policy would have helped over the last four years when we returned budget deficits of $27 billion, $55 billion, $48 billion and $37 billion – in total $167 billion. And, further, it would mean admitting the 2012-13 budget would not be a surplus at all if the government included its spending on the national broadband network (up to $43 billion), which it has taken off the budget.

So Wayne argues that a few billion surplus this year will balance the last four year’s deficits and let’s ignore the $43b NBN. Are we supposed to believe that the ALP are good economic managers. I don’t think so. To help defray any debate Defence Media have been flat out issuing emails telling us what a great job the ALP are doing. I’ve received four seven just today. And another defence matter; Watch for the Royal Australian Regiment to be gutted once Afghanistan is finished.

Pyne once asked Ashby for his contact details. Oh my God! Worse; Mal Brough once met Ashby! This amazing series of events is put forward by the ALP as a means of trying to distract everyone’s attention away from the Slipper/Thomson allegations of sexual harassment, misuse of public monies, misuse of unionists fees for whores and outright theft. The Pyne/Brough defence is just another reason this current mob needs a break from the onerous duties of government whereby they can stand easy and spend some time working out exactly where they went wrong and how they can fix the shattered reputation of the ALP. That’s the kindest way I can put it.

THE Australian Federal Police have begun a formal criminal investigation into allegations the federal parliament’s Speaker, Peter Slipper, misused taxi dockets. Maybe they knew of this incident;

THE Finance Department accepted a $285 Cabcharge voucher for Peter Slipper that was processed using a card he had reported lost, had the wrong origin and destination and was initially thought to involve a trip undertaken in Queensland while the MP was overseas.

Meanwhile, in downtown Sydney, Police are currently raiding HSU Headquarters and removing car loads of evidence.

Minutes ago, (at 9:18) police swooped on the Pitt Street offices of HSU East, the allegedly crooked branch run by Mr Williamson where he and Mr Thomson, when he was an HSU official, are claimed to have taken secret commissions from graphic designer John Gilleland.

Maybe, just maybe, the public will finally know what happens in the seamy world of union gravy trains. Should do wonders for union membership. UPDATE: A report in The Age raises some questions;

Police raiding the Sydney offices of the Health Services Union (HSU) say they have major concerns that efforts have been made to interfere with their investigation. Detective Superintendent Col Dyson, Commander of the NSW Fraud and Cybercrime Squad, said that any interference may result in criminal charges. Police intercepted bags of documents that HSU personnel were attempting to take out of the HSU East branch building in Pitt Street, Sydney, this morning.

Who tipped them off? UPDATE II THE union boss Michael Williamson has allegedly been caught attempting to take a bag of documents out of the HSU while a police raid occurs on the premises.

The head of the fraud squad, Detective Superintendent Colin Dyson, confirmed police were considering charging someone with attempting to hinder the investigation by removing information. The Daily Telegraph reported that the person is Mr Williamson. The documents he attempted to remove were seized by police. Mr Williamson is also a former National President of the Australian Labor Party.

I wonder how Gillard’s feeling right now? UPDATE III Julia Gillard:

I think that there is a line which has been crossed here.

Moving Forward:

The line is now conveniently marked with police tape.

(From Catallaxy)

LABOR MP Craig Thomson is set to quit the party and sit on the crossbenches of Parliament as an Independent, Sky News has reported. Mr Thomson is set to announce his move at a press conference outside his electorate office at noon, AEST. Not good enough. Gillard will still be dependent on an alleged thief and a whore monger as I can’t imagine him not voting ALP. I’d say he has been told to go to stop the ALP bleeding but I can’t imagine voters are going to suddenly think – Oh well, he’s and independent now so his behavior doesn’t reflect on the ALP.

Cartoon: Mike Knight

Parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper says he has proof the criminal allegations against him are false. He has issued a statement along with photocopies of 13 Cabcharge dockets.

“These documents have all been completed by me and are clearly in my handwriting as I said they were,” Mr Slipper said. “The so-called criminal allegation is a complete fabrication, just as the other claims are not accurate.”

How does he prove that the documents he is referring to are the same ones that Ashby was referring to? The text of the article doesn’t make that clear. In any case, I doubt any thinking Australian would be happy with Slipper going back to the Speaker’s chair whilst the sexual abuse case is still alive. It matters not whether the claims are civil or criminal, they are disgusting, smack of abuse of power and need answering.

I note Gillard wants a speedy inquiry into the Slipper allegations but definitely doesn’t want a speedy inquiry into Craig Thomson. The difference? – two votes on the floor. As I understand the matter, whilst Slipper is stood down he can’t vote – he is still legally the Speaker. So if Thomson’s inquiry was finalized and he was charged and thus forced to resign while Slipper is still standing down, then she is minus two votes and consequently, a job. Some light reading on the matter – Details of claim under the Fair Work Act (link from Catallaxy)