Friday 3rd of May 2024
Home » Blogs » John Richardson's blog

utterly implausible .....

utterly implausible .....

This is the judgment levelled by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of Craig Thomson's explanation to parliament of claims he misused union funds for personal perks and pleasures.

It is clear there is no love lost between the Liberal leader and the exiled Labor MP with Mr Thomson describing Mr Abbott as unfit to be Prime Minister - and an MP - yesterday.

Mr Thomson told parliament yesterday he was innocent of fraud allegations arising from his time as a union leader, using the speech to hit out at the Opposition and the media for hounding him and his family and placing his mental health at risk.

The acrimony escalated this morning as the Opposition Leader returned fire, saying Mr Thomson's address was ''a travesty of due process''.

''I don't think he has seriously addressed any of the questions he needed to,'' Mr Abbott said. ''There are very serious findings of fact [in the Fair Work Australia report] that he misused half a million dollars of union members' money.''

Mr Abbott said Labor could not escape from its ties with the Member for Dobell, claiming Prime Minister Julia Gillard was protecting Mr Thomson in a desperate struggle to hang onto power.

''It is an increasingly revolting spectacle of a government which frankly shouldn't be there,'' he said.

Mr Abbott was unfazed by Mr Thomson's scathing attack, in which he said the Opposition Leader had ''unleashed a lynch mob'' and should ''hang his head in shame.''

''I think that those sorts of statements will be treated basically with derision by the general public because this is someone who has failed to explain his own conduct,'' Mr Abbott said.

Meanwhile, Ms Gillard said she did not watch nor listen to Mr Thomson's 59 minute address to Parliament, opting for a briefing of the content of the speech by her staff.

Speaking to reporters in Chicago at the close of the NATO summit, Ms Gillard said she had seen the summary of the speech and that it had not changed her mind that parliament was not a place of judgment.

''Look, I've seen a summary of Mr Thomson's remarks to parliament,'' she said. ''I haven't had the opportunity to do any more than that as I've been focused on NATO. But I have said before, it is not for the parliament to be judge and jury.''

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says Parliament needs to get to the bottom of whether Mr Thomson or Fair Work Australia is presenting the accurate version of his behaviour as national secretary of the Health Services Union.

Mr Oakeshott said Mr Thomson, who attacked the FWA inquiry as biased and wrong, had "raised some pretty serious allegations against an independent statutory body".

"We need to get a handle on who's right, who's wrong," he told the ABC.

"Either Craig has got it wrong and is pretty quickly going to go out the back door based on misleading of the Parliament. Or, we've got some pretty substantial allegations right back at Fair Work Australia - the length of time they took, and for pretty badly landing some of these findings. And so a rocket's going to go one way or the other.''

Like other key crossbenchers Tony Windsor and Andrew Wilkie, Mr Oakeshott yesterday voted with the Opposition to try to bring on a debate about Mr Thomson's statement, but they were unsuccessful.

Thomson's Explanation A 'Travesty Of Due Process': Abbott

however .....

It looks like the government has got away with it. That's what the Craig Thomson excitement was all about yesterday - can the Gillard government, with its wafer-thin advantage, survive his statement to Parliament?

To stay in power, the government needed the scandal-dogged Thomson to do two things yesterday.

First, it needed him to commit to fight on. If he were to quit Parliament, it would precipitate a byelection in his central coast seat of Dobell. On the current polling, Labor would be wiped out. With Dobell would go the government. Thomson struck a suitably defiant pose. Tick.

Second, the government needed Thomson to create some measure of doubt about the case against him. Not to exonerate himself - that would be too hard. And it's not necessary, in any case.

All the government needed was for Thomson to create just enough doubt that the independent members of Parliament would not try to move against him.

The crossbenchers who keep the government in power have been feeling the sting of public revulsion with Thomson. They've been under pressure to distance themselves.

To forestall any action against Thomson, the government needed him to cast confusion on the accusations against him. Or on his accusers. He did both.

The government whip, Joel Fitzgibbon, gave the game away yesterday morning when he said Thomson would be able to give "plausible alternative explanations to some of the allegations". Not "the truth", you'll note.

"It will be successful from a parliamentary perspective if it persuades all involved that the best place for these things to be determined is through the normal legal processes," Fitzgibbon said.

None of the independents last night was signalling support for moves to remove Thomson from Parliament. Tick.

So the Gillard government survives. It got away with it. But the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, and Australian democracy, have not got away with it.

The Craig Thomson stink and the Peter Slipper stench are wafting through the parliamentary hallways because the two big parties thought they could get away with it.

Labor re-endorsed Thomson for Parliament even after the Herald first reported the accusations against him in 2009. The Liberals knew of Slipper's eccentricities for years yet continued to re-endorse him. The parties did it in the arrogance that they could get away with it. It took a long time, but their arrogance is being rewarded.

The public has judged Thomson, and Slipper, and the entire Parliament. In the Morgan survey of the people's respect for professions published last week, federal MPs rated a dismal 10 per cent, a fall of six points in two years. Power without glory, indeed.

MP Ticked The Right Boxes

a fall guy...

The MAN IN THE STREET believes Thomson has been (and is being) framed... and I will tell you why...

The man in the streets knows a lot about brothels and how one can make bookings... No he's not a client but he is an expert on being victimised for knowing too much... Pubs have cameras on all floors as well as entrances and back alleys... Brothels have cameras from entrances to waiting rooms, not in rooms, though who knows. Apparently, the recording have to kept for a minimum of seven years.

Anyone can make a booking to a brothel over the phone using a credit card and driving licence number. Anyone at HSU would have had access to Thomson's numbers (credit card and licence number).

Hacking of mobile phone is child's play even for an amateur, if you know how to do it, including tempering or swtiching sims cards temporarily (yet, the original phone numbers can be matched by simple re-registration with the telco).  

The fact that Thomson's signature appears on a "statement re-brothel" is no proof that he did make the booking and/or the visit. ONLY the tapes can prove or disprove this point. Either way, a signature can be forged easily and/or please, remember "The Party" — that comedy, a movie with Peter Sellers? You'll know how easy it is to sign any bit of paper, a signature that snowballs into a series of disasters. Not the first time nor the last...

Apparently, the law firm representing Kathy Jackson "pro bono" has some strong affiliation with "liberal" (conservative) circles, such as the H R Nicholls society... I am not suggesting she is telling porkies but meanwhile, Thomson has to fight all by himself by hiring a law firm, since the Labor party is "not allowed to provide him with assistance"... As well Jackson's relationship with Lawler, a bloke at the main investigative body of Fair Work Australia is "suspect" and Lawler should have set himself aside. There is a possible conflict of interests....

Furthermore a lot of stuff got leaked to the press without anyone "pressing charges for whatever" against Thomson. Thus the media has an interest in keeping this affair on the boil, because the media was the culprit that spilled the beans in the first place... The media wants to be "proven right" while there is a strong chance it will get egg on its face...

The rancid attack by Senator Brandis demanding "urgency" on the matter and finding Thomson guilty guilty guilty, were to me a sign of some conspiratorial motion. The more time Thomson has on his hand to "clean himself" or "find the truth" if someone has tempered with the evidence, the less impact the hammer for the kill. 

There is also the question of A LOT of documents having disappeared from the Union — AFTER Thomson's departure...

The man in the street believes that Thomson is a fall guy — a clean skin — conveniently creating situation for the Liberals (conservatives) to exploit presently...

Please note, Thomson expeditures on electioneering all add up and are clean — after having been tooted by media and opposition as a rort.... More to be said... The man in the street is far more clever and knows far more than he looks...

a different street ....

Hi Gus,

We must live in different streets ....

For what it's worth, all those I've met in my street think that Thomson is guilty as hell. Having said that, most also think the matters should be dealt with by the Police & the Courts & not the mad monk's crazed handlers.

For my part, to focus on the issue of whores, bodgie phone calls & the suggested illegal use of credit cards to pay for same is just part of the sordid side-show. It's what Thomson didn't say that decides the issue for me ... not a word about the $100K in cash withdrawals on his Union credit card, for which no documentation exists ... or maybe someone-else did that too?

Thomson deserves to go down for either being an arrogant & dishonest crook, who has betrayed those working men & women who he was employed to protect, or for being the world's greatest dope & not being awake to the fact that the entire world was out to get him .... or maybe both.

Cheers,

JR 

different streets indeed...

The documentation was destroyed AFTER Thomson LEFT the HSU... No bull... And not the entire world is out to get him... If the Labor party was not so delicately poised, the Libs (conservatives) would not bother, nor the HSU nor the courts either... My "man in the street" is highly acute to this process of "tainting" people. Seen it before, including manufacture of evidence by police or "fake" witnesses, kneecapping and/or elimination of... Thus as you say, the court has to decide but it is my belief that the court will never be in full possession of the facts... It is my presumption that the court and the police know that most of what has been thrown at Thomson won't stick "because of discrepancies" in the "evidence""... For example if Thomson is correct about discrepencies in timelines — him being in Perth when he was supposed to have been visiting a brothel, this will kill off much of the action... This is easily verifliable and it will be. 

 

The mud will stick though but that is the purpose of the exercise... We are in 2012 and the events "happened" between 2003 and 2007... At this stage, Thomson cannot present any evidence of "conspiracy" against him... Something will turn up soon. 

perhaps ....

Hi Gus,

Perhaps you are right .... yes, the world is replete with examples of 'conspiracies' ... we all know that.

But equally, that doesn't mean that every two-bit crook is the victim of a conspiracy.

In our business, no-one can withdraw cash using a company credit card ... simply not acceptable & the machines won't respond if you tried. Why did Craig Thomson need $100K in cash & what did he do with it? If you were a member of the HSU, wouldn't ypou like to know? Would you be happy with his behaviour? Hardly.

If there is a conspiracy & everyone is out to get poor Craig & he is entirely innocent, surely it would be in his interests to assist the police & everyone-else in clearing the thing up as quickly as possible, instead of hiding-out in Parliament & wasting the world's time ... I would have thought that he would be keen to get to court as quickly as possible if the evidence against him is so poor?

As to your suggestion that our parliamentarians are omly interested in going after him because it could potentially bring down the government ... so what ... get rid of all the bastards if we need to ... starting with him, then Slipper, then Abbott, then Gillard ... why stop there?

Cheers,

John. 

burn the whole lot in Canberra?

One of the problem here is that it will be impossible to get rid of Abbott (in the list suggested) — Even if he self-destructs, the media will prop him up... because should Abbott become non-existent, Julia would shine against all the media's desire...

 

Now we have a superbig Liberal (conservative) government in Queensland already on the hustle to dismantle things of value and replace the public service with LNP cronies... I know people who voted for Newman (LNP) because they did not like what Labor was doing — at below snail pace but doing it anyway... Now the snail pace is accelerating towards warp speed on the same products that these people objected to in the first place... These voters are like kangaroos caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck and they don't know it, because the media told them to stay in the middle of the road.

 

Similarly in New South Wales, Barry O'Farrell now lies in bed with James Packer and others we haven't not heard of yet... Sure, the likes of Obeid and his favourable treatment was smelly under Labor, yet I am confident Obeid will appear as a tiny potato chip once the Libs (conservatives) put in place their own self-protection rackets with the help of the media... At least there is a "senate" in New South Wales. Queensland has no second house of review... Everything is rubber-stamped by the Governor — the Pommy Queen's representative in Qld... Stinks, of course. Democracy? Idiocracy?...

 

In regard to Thomson, I know, many people do not like Gillard, even in the Labor party, for many things including having knifed Saint Rudd, but if Saint Rudd had had any balls, he would have asked for a clean leadership spill, when tapped on the shoulder... But he knew then he would have been rolled 100 to zip — that's why he just cried, took his bag to the back bench and plotted his holy return, always spilling nasty anti-Julia rumours to the media... The Catholics in the Labor party do not like Julia for obvious reasons. Many men in the Labor party do not like her for obvious reasons. Many women do not like Julia for their own reasons... Much of this has nothing to do with politics — apart from the shock jocks who are anti-science and anti social-support that is not tax-deductible charity... The media does not like Julia because many journos simply hate her because they have been told to hate her by their shareholders (owners)...

Yet, when her minority government was formed, the independents knew that the only way forward was to go with Julia — and despite the "embarrassing" Thomson and Slipper affairs, they still stick with labor. The independent officially are up in arms being dissatisfied with Thomson's explanation, yet I'm sure they know something fishy is going on as there are some obvious discrepencies in the "investigation" against Thomson.

The last elections had been skewed by a highly slanted media that wanted Abbott to win.

 

Abbott is the pits... Did I mentioned I did not like him and his policies?

And if this means having Julia Gillard as a prime minister, so be it..

 

Julia sports a serene smile under the strongest of pressure and gets most things moving in the right direction, unlike Abbott, who more often than not behaves like a nasty farting dog, lies more than Pinocchio, uses devious tactics that would make Machiavelli proud — and ditches his "useless" friends, and has friends like Pyne, Joe and Sophie... I believe Malcolm is embarrassed by Abbott and if he is not he should be.

Abbott is eager to bury us — the sooner the better.

 

I believe Julia used meditation and has a hidden satirical streak deep inside her heart to deal efficiently with the crap that is thrown at her. Abbott is a lead balloon... Gillard is the Copper Maiden as opposed to the Iron Lady that rusted away... 

 

 

COPPER - This mineral can combat lethargy, passivity, restlessness, excitability and non-acceptance of

oneself. It stimulates initiative, optimism, diplomacy and independence. It emits a philosophic energy, free

of orthodoxy and bias. Copper provides a harmonic connection between the physical and astral bodies and

aligns the subtle bodies. It has been used successfully to amplify and transmit thought. It is said to be a

bestower of good, bringing benefit to its wearer. It opens an activates the base a sacral chakras, advancing

and stabilizing the the energies of intuition, sexuality, desire and vitality. It allows one to recognize the

barriers which are in the path of ones development.

 

 

Let the courts decide the fate of Thomson, before hanging him. The parliamentary inquiry would (will) be a waste of time, as Thomson has only got to defend himself by repeating he told the truth in parliament until there is a stalemate and everyone is blue in the face. So now there is only $100,000 to be acounted for out of the half a million this saga started with... May be he bought himself a Cartier watch and one for his good lady then... That would make up for the missing money... But he did not.

piling it on with dosh...

The member for Dobell was informed yesterday that the Nine Network show was planning to air an interview with a prostitute who claims he was a client about seven years ago.

It is understood the escort was paid $60,000 for the interview.

Mr Thomson has told News Ltd papers that the producer of ACA, Grant Williams, spent 90 minutes in his parliamentary office seeking his response to the claims from the anonymous prostitute.

Mr Thomson said he refused an offer from Mr Williams to view a DVD of the interview with the woman once he learned she had been paid to appear.

"They said they have got the tape if you want to see it. I asked them if they paid for the interview and they said 'yes'," Mr Thomson said.

"To buy a story from a prostitute is chequebook journalism at its worst.

"Who is going to take this seriously when they pay a prostitute money? It has absolutely no credibility."



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/anonymous-prostitute-identifies-thomson-20120524-1z63o.html#ixzz1vkHdihok

enough is definitely enough...

CRAIG Thomson has made an extraordinary appeal to be left alone, fronting a media pack this morning to plead ‘‘enough is enough’’.

Mr Thomson made the surprise statement after it was revealed that the producers of the Nine Network’s A Current Affair were planning to air an interview with a prostitute who claims he was a client about seven years ago.

It is understood the escort was paid $60,000 for the interview and identified Mr Thomson from a photograph.Mr Thomson said the producers were guilty of ‘‘chequebook journalism at its worst’’.

 


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/enough-is-enough-thomson-20120524-1z63o.html#ixzz1vkNWikkr

chequebook delayed journalism...

The Nine Network has defended its journalistic credibility over its investigation into allegations Craig Thomson used union funds to pay for escorts.

The network says it has interviewed a prostitute who says Mr Thomson was once a client of hers.

It says the woman has signed a statutory declaration, which means she could face jail time if her claims are are found to be untrue.

Reports this morning suggested Channel Nine paid the escort $60,000 for the interview, but A Current Affair's investigative journalist, Justin Armsden, says she has not received any payment as yet.

"A fee for her story has been discussed but no fee has changed hands and nor will it until an investigation is complete," Armsden said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-24/craig-thomson-a-current-affair/4031634?WT.svl=news1

media conspiracy ...

 

 

A HIGH-CLASS escort has signed a statutory declaration alleging she had sex with the federal MP Craig Thomson.Last night Channel Nine's television program A Current Affair told viewers it had interviewed the woman on camera last week.Facing criticism that the prostitute had been paid $60,000 for the interview, ACA said on air that, to date, no fee had been paid, ''nor will it until our investigation is absolutely complete''.

 

 


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/the-mp-the-escort-and-a-meeting-in-the-boardroom-20120524-1z7yv.html#ixzz1vpO3YJ2c

 

---------------------------

I am an expert on face recognition... In order to do silly caricatures one has to be able to quickly grasp indication of character and the biometrics. But it's not always fool-proof and memory can play tricks... In the streets out there we have "twins", people who look like us with small variations... And there are more than "twins"... I've also seen instances where features of someone are transferred to someone else by memory...


Thus let me say this: The statutory declaration is worth zip...

and the professional excort should know that there is a strong chance she'll never see her cash, because "invetigations are never absolutely complete" — even in the most sure of court cases. It's a trick of the trade... Media and prostitude go well hand and in hand... Mind you , several questions could be asked: Why did she not talk to the police? No cash? How old was she when she allegedly had intercourse with the "accused"? Was she under-aged, was she working for the same organisation and still doing so? After seven years or more? Was she new at the game then?... Is she tired and wanted some dosh to exit the profession?

Strangely, Channel nine is doing the bidding to help Thomson while trying to bury him...

nine investigations...

A number of MPs have expressed concern that embattled crossbench MP Craig Thomson is being pushed to breaking point because of a "toxic" atmosphere in Parliament.

Mr Thomson has hit out at the unrelenting focus on his alleged past misdeeds.

By his count there are now nine investigations into his time as national head of the Health Services Union, each one picking over claims he misappropriated union money.

He has also described a "new media low", saying reports of a Nine Network interview with a Sydney prostitute defied credibility.

The Federal Government's whip, Joel Fitzgibbon, is the latest to call on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to end his witch-hunt against Mr Thomson.

Mr Fitzgibbon told the ABC's 7.30 program last night he has never seen the atmosphere inside Parliament as toxic as it is at present.

"We've never been angels, but the answer's no. We've had our moments where things have been particularly willing, but I've never seen such a toxic environment sustained for such a long period of time," he said.

Twelve years ago, the suicide of Labor MP Greg Wilton prompted calls from parliamentarians to tone down aggressive political debate.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-24/mps-voice-concern-for-thomsons-wellbeing/4031960?WT.svl=news1

a caring self-serving abbott...

 

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says MP Craig Thomson should quit Parliament for the good of himself and his family.

There is growing concern about Mr Thomson's mental health, amid mounting pressure over allegations he misused Health Services Union funds.

Yesterday the troubled MP, suspended by the Labor Party after a damning Fair Work Australia investigation detailed expenditure of union funds on prostitutes and other financial indiscretions, called a rare press conference to plead with media outlets to ease off their coverage.

"Is this about trying to push someone to the brink?" he asked.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-25/quit-for-your-own-good-abbott-tells-thomson/4032340

-------------------

Of course Thomson should stick it out till the bitter end and make a nuisance for Abbott till then... Because either way, he will be pursued by the hacks and the parliamentary devils... In fact, there is no conviction of any sort against Thomson yet... AND THERE MAY NOT BE ANY... Thomson should relax, meditate and wait... and wait and wait... a thing which Abbott is unable to do... If my memory is correct Abbott's condolences in regard to the death of Greg Wilton was quite out of line, but my memory is not what it used to be...

 

abbott's remarks show his insincerity...

The Australian Federal Police are considering whether to investigate death threats against suspended Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Mr Thomson began his hour-long speech to Parliament on Monday by describing the threats he had received, including one that said a bullet between the eyes would save the taxpayers money.

On Thursday he officially referred the threats to the AFP and they will now decide whether to investigate.

Mr Thomson issued a statement on Friday hitting back at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who said he had sympathy for Mr Thomson but also called for his resignation.

Mr Abbott has been urged to recognise the pressure Mr Thomson is under and tone down his attacks on him.

Mr Thomson says Mr Abbott's remarks show his insincerity and describes him as unfit to be leader or an MP.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-25/afp-considers-investigating-thomson-death-threats/4034174

abbott in breach of section 28 of the Crimes Act...

 

 

Labor ministers accused Mr Abbott of being more concerned with political self-interest than Mr Thomson's state of mind. The manager of government business, Anthony Albanese, said Mr Abbott was threatening to continue persecuting Mr Thomson unless he left the Parliament.

Mr Albanese said the ultimatum of ''we'll lay off if you you just resign from Parliament'' amounted to a breach of section 28 of the Crimes Act.

''It shows yet again his complete disregard for the rule of law, for the separation of powers and for the presumption of innocence, and I think he needs to have a good look at himself,'' Mr Albanese said.
''The opposition need to consider the damage that is being done to the political fabric of this country by the nature and the tone of the debate that is going on.''

 


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/labor-closes-ranks-as-abbott-calls-on-thomson-to-resign-20120525-1za1t.html#ixzz1vvm906V5

 

the stench from the other side...

Fair Work Australia vice-president Michael Lawler has had direct involvement in the internal politics of the Health Services Union, the ABC has revealed.

Leaked documents show Mr Lawler wrote a letter of complaint to New South Wales police last year on behalf of himself and his partner, HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson.

At the time Ms Jackson was a crucial whistleblower in FWA's investigation into Federal MP Craig Thomson.

In the letter, Mr Lawler made serious accusations against two HSU officials and against the union's national president.

The letter contains portions of the minutes of HSU meetings and details of contact Mr Lawler and Ms Jackson had with union officials.

It also reveals a complaint was made about Mr Lawler to the highest levels of FWA about a phone call he made to a union official.

Last week in an address to Parliament, embattled crossbencher Craig Thomson denied Fair Work Australia's findingsthat he misused Health Services Union (HSU) money on escorts and his election campaign, calling the report biased.

Mr Thomson said Mr Lawler might have interfered with the FWA inquiry, given his relationship.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-28/fair-work-australia-vice-president-deeply-involved-in-hsu-fight/4038274?WT.svl=news0