Godwin Grech, the senior Treasury official at the heart of the OzCar affair, has admitted he wrote the fake email that alleged Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave special treatment to a Queensland car dealer.

The bombshell admission made from a Canberra psychiatric ward comes as the auditor-general is due to release its findings on the scandal today.

Mr Grech has told The Australian newspaper he cooperated with the Opposition so they would pass a bill to set up the OzCar financing scheme for car dealers.

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Are these fellows — Gretch, Abetz and Turnbull —for real? The fake email was going to embarrass Rudd and Swan, not help pass the bill...

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But it’s the whistleblowers we must be worried about.

They are the people who keep us informed about what the Government doesn’t want us to be informed about.

That’s a general but fair description of a WB but it is not a description of Godwin Grech, at least not the Grech of recent days. His whistle had a false note, a bogus pea.

This seems to have eluded Liberal senator Eric Abetz who, in a bid to dodge criticism of himself, used the Senate last Thursday to portray Godwin Grech as a heroic figure and any journalists who asked questions about him as hypocrites.

The two-faced crowd, according to Abetz - who flew out on an overseas trip yesterday - wouldn’t have asked those questions if Labor had received what the ABC now calls “unofficial information”.

Interestingly, the Abetz office put the hypocrite tag on Herald-Sun reporter Gerard McManus when he asked some valid questions, which still have not been answered.

Liberal sources have said that Abetz and Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull met Grech before the public servant gave his half-baked testimony to a Senate committee on June 19. The public servant showed them the text of the email now known to be a fraud, they said.

from Crikey .....

 Rundle: Turnbull is dead

 Guy Rundle writes:

It should have been obvious to anyone who came into contact with him that Godwin Grech was not a man whose robustness could be assumed. Apparently frail and ill from childhood, a solitary type who joined the CPS directly from university, he clearly found in public service a framework for his existence, and a meaning for a life he reasonably assumed would be foreshortened.

At some point that commitment became obsession, a disabler rather than enabler -- working increasingly long hours Grech appears to have made himself hospitalisable from his chronic bowel condition on repeated occasions. Who knows why he was permitted to keep working full-time under such conditions, but one should not assume it was indifference -- it may have been a form of mercy to not deprive someone of the one thing they had in life.

What is not in doubt is that he then fell into the hands of the worst people he could have met -- a Liberal leader who has never been defined by any cause except his own, and shows no sign of having a non-robust moment in his adult life, and Erica Betz, the Coalition's bloodless hatchet-man.

Most people would have spotted instantly that someone like Grech was out of his element, in crisis, that there was a point at which to stop. The true measure of the man is that his convoluted explanation for faking the Utegate email -- that he wanted the Coalition to pass the OzCar legislation and thus did them a favour, that he thought there had been an email and recreated it -- rings truer than any simpler explanation of spite, personal gain, etc. I don't mean that he is necessarily lacking in guile, strategy or intelligence, but he was someone suddenly playing in the wrong weight class.

That Malcolm Turnbull didn't see this is possibly a more damning indictment of his judgement than his increasingly obvious lack of political skills -- the most recent being to have an ABC Australian Story crew follow him round with apparent carte blanche, at a time when he was pursuing a complex gotcha attack on the government. Most post-adolescents develop some basic inner sense of how far is too far with someone like Grech, some allowance for human vulnerability, and some sense of responsibility for it.

That Turnbull didn't and couldn't may have been his own undoing -- the lack of moral insight was the flipside of a lack of psychological insight that would have rung alarm bells in a more astute person - but it also contributed to the ruination of a man whose one hope for a meaningful and rounded life, for a life that made sense, was to have been, and been remembered as, a dutiful and effective public servant. Turnbull was the stronger man. It was his fault.

The Australian Story footage caught that perfectly -- Turnbull bouncing around like a manic Mr Punch, with his bizarre boiler-room of wife, daughter and gormless second-rate staff ("what's concocted mean?"), a bunch of Bellevue Hillbillies who make the Kardashians look like Lincoln's Civil war cabinet. Grech's fate makes the whole thing look more tragedy than farce -- a bunch of Sydney sybarites sitting around quietly dismembering someone.

Turnbull is dead. The prime bull is now a side of beef hanging from a hook. His political skills are laughable -- witness his ad-hoc announcement of campaign finance reform to cut out corporate donations, a move which would destroy the Liberal Party and make the Greens the best funded party in Australia. The party organisation would rather lose half a dozen elections than corporate funding. So Turnbull has made enemies of both the inner party, and the general public, the latter regarding him as not only a dill, but as "not much of a bloke".

"Not much of a bloke" is the Australian equivalent of the Yiddish judgement of someone that "they're no mensch". It's a final judgement, because it goes to the heart of someone's basic sense of humanity -- the rough mix of respect, sympathy, humility, attention to the other, that we all try to project at the same time as we purposefully pursue our lives. Too much of it is a lack of will masquerading as morals, but an absence of it simply exiles you. Weirdly, being judged NMOAB is a worse assessment than more forcefully expressed judgements.

The trouble for the Liberal Party is that such a judgement attaches to their two most likely leaders, first Abbott and now Turnbull. Nothing in Abbott's medieval worldview condemned him absolutely -- it took a single remark about the late Bernie Banton to do that. For a Christian, Abbott couldn't understand that there was something Christlike in the calm patience of Banton and others in the face of death at the hands of evil. Who would have blamed a dying James Hardie worker who sank a staysharp into the neck of a Board Member outside a courtroom? But they didn't, and that was the operation of grace wherever you think that quality comes from, and the fact that Abbott couldn't see it made it clear to everyone that, well, he was NMOAB.

Like many of a certain type of Roman Catholic, and Turnbull is the same, Abbott is a man without a soul who outsources its provisioning to the most dependable outfit around -- and one that, unlike protestanism or Islam, doesn't demand that you make much of an effort to change your nature.

Churchill, that noted author-politician famously remarked that a conservative leader needs to be held up if drunk, covered up for if an adulterer etc etc, and "poleaxed if he is no good". The bell tolls for Turnbull, and the party may as well make it quick and decisive. The fact that both he and the Mad Monk are out of consideration by any sane strategist actually helps the one other contender, Jolly Joe Hockey. True, he wasn't in consideration months ago, he's a big boofy man, retaining more fluid than the Canberra aquifer, a human beanbag who assumes the shape of the last person who sat on him.

But he is recognisably a decent bloke, and clearly the party can minimise its next election losses -- which is all we're talking about now -- by assuring the public that is it not entirely composed of creepy pod-people. Hockey also has a genuine popular touch, and he'd show up Rudd's spin-doctored faux-nomie in a way that neither Turnbull or Abbott can, because they are simply second-rate versions of him.

Turnbull will go to whatever he's going to do next never really understanding what happened to him, Abbott drift into deeper bewilderment as the role of spiritual political leader he thought he would take is played out by a man who looks like the Norwegian Minister for Social Security, and Godwin Grech goes to invalidism with the hope that people will remember him as a man and not a fall-guy.

From Annabel Crabb:
Malcolm Turnbull, as ever, is not proving easy. He is a creature of contradictions. Charming and persuasive, yet aggressive sometimes to the point of brutality. Disarmingly frank at times, and given to silly fibs at others.

On one hand, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Turnbull. He took a hot tip from a trusted source, a seemingly unimpeachable senior Treasury official throwing himself at the Opposition. How was Turnbull to know, back then, that Godwin Grech was about to detonate a colossal exploding Havana?

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From a SMH reader:
It is a long time since my press secretary days, but I hope I can still give Malcolm Turnbull some advice after seeing the ABC’s Australian Story: reduce the advisory input of the wife and daughter and hire a press secretary who doesn’t have to use Google to find out what ‘‘concocted’’ means.
Jim Eames Gerringong

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From Godwin Grech himself
...

In light of the Prime Minister’s comments to the house about the Hunter Holden representation, including the possible inference he had not been aware of what had happened with it, I suggested to Ken Henry, the head of Treasury, that it may be prudent for the Prime Minister to correct the Hansard. The most intensive and difficult representation I had to deal with was [Dealer 7]. It is unfair and misleading to conclude I went out of my way to assist this dealer because the principal was a donor to the Liberal Party.
...

It is largely as a result of my work and sacrifice over eight months that the economic future of more than 400 car dealers, their 2000 employees and their families are much more secure.

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from Phillip Coorey

MALCOLM TURNBULL has dumped on Godwin Grech in a bid to salvage his leadership by releasing documents showing the Treasury official initiated and scripted the OzCar assault on the Government.

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Gus: The Utegate cock up is a lesson in how not to do things — double-cross things. I have several spinning toons in my head: One is of Malcolm as a windvane that thinks it is the wind... one is of Malcolm trying to cut a big tree with a rubber axe, while his grinning "supportive mates" are "helping", chin resting on shovels, after having dug a grave nearby... One toon with Emperor Malcolm statue crumbling from the bottom up...

We all make mistakes... And an inflated ego often helps. As Guy Rundle writes: "lack of political skills -- the most recent being to have an ABC Australian Story crew follow him round with apparent carte blanche"... Boom... Although I don't know, I would suggest here that it is possible that the Turnbull office knew there was a glorious moment ready to land on Malcolm's lap thus it contacted the ABC program to record the Rudd/Swan downfall and the glorious climb to the podium of Caesar Turnbull...

In recent times, many moment of historical proportions have been recorded for posterity by camera crews. Pity, we have no videos of Napoleon and of Wellington at Waterloo. Contrary to Annabel, (whom I think has a softy spot for Malcolm's affability) I don't think Mal took a hot tip... I may be wrong again but, like the (vain) Cat in Red Dwarf, the fibrillating hairs in my nostrils help me suggest the boffins at the Liberal war machine saw a whiff of a crack in the Rudd machine and decided to "beef it up" by helping the cooking of the Grech sauce...

So, in the light of proper investigation, it appears that the Liberal Party may have "coached" Godwin Grech on writing the questions and his answers to the senate inquiry, featuring Senator Abetz... Thus the Inquiry was a farce played to the script known before hand by... Malcolm... Heffernam? Abetz... That is a serious offence.

Malcolm has thus poured as much scorn on Grech as he could, yet Grech has served the Liberal party more than the Labor Party — by being a Lib mole (rather than a whistle-blower) in the public service ranks. Contrary to Grech view of the public service, I also would be prepared to believe that his superiors knew his real weaknesses and sickness, including his depressive tendencies.

But the cake of scorn has to be given to Costello, who seemed he could not stop laughing his head off at Malcolm misfortune on Lateline, ABC TV, while promoting his own book, reprinted with two extra chapters added... Ahahah....

Too much, too much, this is why I preferred watching the "Pilot of the Hudson" than the "Triumphal cock up of Malcolmia" since I guessed It was not going to be pretty, nor give me new info on the email that fell from the back of a Utegate...

Malcolm is bleeding badly and it won't stop till he goes... Pity really... May be Annabel is right after all.

And thank you Godwin for all your good work. In Abetz words, you are a hero... Pity you've been manipulated by some ruthless affable bastards. Now, Abetz blames you... Ah politics...

Oh, dear. Here we are again, threading our way back through the goat tracks of the strangest story in contemporary political memory, finding fresh freakishness along the way.

Malcolm Turnbull, as ever, is not proving easy. He is a creature of contradictions. Charming and persuasive, yet aggressive sometimes to the point of brutality.

Disarmingly frank at times, and given to silly fibs at others.

On one hand, it's hard not to feel sorry for Turnbull. He took a hot tip from a trusted source, a seemingly unimpeachable senior Treasury official throwing himself at the Opposition. How was Turnbull to know, back then, that Godwin Grech was about to detonate a colossal exploding Havana?

On the other hand, natural human empathy for Turnbull is embarrassed into submission by the operatic scope of his self-pity. During yesterday's press conference in Sydney, Turnbull blamed his current circumstances on Grech, Kevin Rudd, Wayne Swan and the media.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/the-wheels-fell-off-but-turnbullx2019s-still-gunning-the-ute-20090804-e8kp.html?page=-1

The Federal Coalition's insistence that it is normal for Opposition MPs to meet public servants has been rejected by the Public Service Commissioner.

At the heart of the political drama is the secret meeting between Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, Senator Eric Abetz and Treasury official Godwin Grech.

Mr Turnbull and Senator Abetz have come under fire for meeting the senior public servant and discussing questions and answers prior to a Senate hearing into the OzCar affair.

Mr Turnbull says it is something all oppositions do regularly, and senior Coalition figures have also defended the secret meeting, describing Mr Grech as a whistleblower.

Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott says there is nothing wrong or unusual about public servants talking to politicians.

But on Thursday afternoon Commissioner Lynelle Briggs took the unusual step of issuing a statement contradicting the Liberals.

Ms Briggs describes Mr Turnbull's comments as extraordinary and says public servants should not meet opposition MPs without permission from the department head or the relevant minister.

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Mr Turnbull should know that. Senator Abetz should know that... I believe they both knew that, but tried to get away with it anyway, thinking of glory... If they did not know that, then they're not fit to be in politics. Nor is Mr Abbott. It's an insult to the voters that the opposition believe it's okay to sneak in anywhere they like and disrupt the government of the day, like thugs... Parliament is there for the biffo. Should Labor had done similar things and be caught while the Libs were in Government, we would not hear the end of it from these hypocrites... who, when they are caught with their hand in the cookie jar, blame the cookie jar...

Go away and play in your sand box...

Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says the Prime Minister should accept the rough and tumble of politics and not expect an apology over the OzCar affair.

Mr Turnbull is under pressure to follow the example of fellow Liberal Eric Abetz who has said sorry for his role in the saga.

The pair have come under heavy criticism for relying on the evidence of a now-discredited Treasury official to accuse the Prime Minister of impropriety.

Mr Turnbull has told the ABC's Q and A program on Thursday night that he has withdrawn his allegations and that should be enough.

"Some people have said you should make an apology to the Prime Minister," he said.

"The reality is it's a tough business in politics and a lot of criticisms are made.

"When Kevin Rudd was opposition leader he accused John Howard and Alexander Downer of being engaged in a corruption scandal with the Australian Wheat Board.

"Their innocence was completely established. No allegations were withdrawn and no apology was given.

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Completely established ??????? Ah The stench of AWB... and mentioned by Turnbull of all people... Is he mad? If Rudd wanted to lauch a full deep investigation into the AWB bribe scandal, away from the whitewashing inquiry made by the previous Howard government that more or less gave privileged status to the perpetrators... Hey? — And lets not forget tax exemption status to the bribes because they were changed to kickbacks in the tax schedule by Costello!! Brother... Yes, no one has been charged so far... May be we should revisit the whole affair, shouldn't we? My memory may be wonky and this site might accidently delete stuff, but my guts, dear Mal, my guts tell me you should apologise — and resign — otherwise you'll end up with more egg on your face... tax exemption status???

Godwin Grech, the senior Treasury official at the heart of the OzCar affair, has admitted he wrote the fake email that alleged Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave special treatment to a Queensland car dealer.

The bombshell admission made from a Canberra psychiatric ward comes as the auditor-general is due to release its findings on the scandal today.

Mr Grech has told The Australian newspaper he cooperated with the Opposition so they would pass a bill to set up the OzCar financing scheme for car dealers.

He says he was worried the Opposition would use the case of John Grant, a car dealer friend of Mr Rudd's, to frustrate the passage of the bill.

Mr Grech says he still believes there was an original email from the Prime Minister's office advocating help for Mr Grant but concedes it cannot be found.

While the the Audit Office is due to release its findings, the Federal Police are still investigating the fake email at the centre of allegations made by Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

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Even with this admission that "he cooperated with the Opposition so they would pass a bill to set up the OzCar financing scheme for car dealers" is a lot of Bullpit... It makes as much sense as someone wanting to drive one's car, pulled the distrubutor out... or filled the carbi with sugar... And Grech appears to still be deluded... see toon at top.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE since I took a peek inside Jacksonville, so I thought I should cross the border and boldly take a few steps into the abyss.

Some of you may think that things there have been quiet, but on the contrary — there has been plenty going on. As you know, the Temby Report in the HST East branch has just been released. I will be offering my analysis of it in the near future — after I have gone through it all. That is, rather than going off half-cocked before taking it all in, like Eric Abetz appears to have done — out there in the media today making all sorts of allegations about Craig Thomson. We will reveal some information about Eric Abetz – who may be far more intimately involved in the HSU affair than he has so far let on – later in this piece.

But there is a lot more to talk about before then.

As some of you may remember, Kathy Jackson’s interview on the ABC’s 7 30. That was the one Kathy told us she didn’t deserve to be paid so highly and had done all she could to have her pay reduced!

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/jacksonville-16-call-me-anytime/

see toon and story from top...