Environment
INDICTED: The bunging of Bob Brown
Liberal Senator Helen Kroger’s case against Greens Leader Brown and his colleague for corruptly and cynically promoting the financial interests of a massive political donor is much stronger and more problematic for him than widely realised.
In a devastating case against Brown that will be considered by the Senate’s Privileges Committee and could potentially lead to the imprisonment of Greens senators involved in what was a blatant promotion of multi-millionaire Graeme Wood’s property development scheme.
It’s a matter of public record that Graeme Wood gave Bob Brown’s party $1.6 million, the largest ever political donation in Australia’s history.
The most damning tell-tale sign of wrongdoing and advancing the rich man’s interests was in the changed position the Greens’ had on the question of compensation for Gunns, the logging company the maddies love to hate. Initially Brown opposed it. But when it became clear that Wood’s deal was dependent on Gunn’s being satisfied by compensation, the Greens, led by Brown, reversed their position.
Bob Brown’s defence of his backdoor dealings with Woods could have been scripted by Sir Joh’s crew in the 1980s:
Knowing the man, I contacted him and said I thought (Wood’s property development) was a good idea, of course I did and of course one should if you believe in promoting Tasmania…
The unsubtle manoeuvrings confirmed the multi-millionaire’s boast to the Sydney Morning Herald that he thought his enormous donation would offer a “good return on investment.”
The internal disciplining of MPs by their own for corruption of the parliamentary privilege is provided for in the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987.
In the absence of a federal anti-corruption commission, the process Senator Kroger has initiated is the closest thing to a legal process that could bring Bob Brown and corrupt colleagues to justice. Her submission to the Privileges Committee is detailed, with appendices, constitutes many dozens of pages and has been meticulously prepared.
The Senate – under the Privileges Act – could vote to imprison any of those involved found guilty of a breach of parliamentary privilege by entering into a corrupt arrangement that influenced their behaviour as Senators in return for cash for a period of up to 6 months or impose fines.
There are many complex political issues around politicians judging each others’ conduct.
But the serious matters of which Brown and colleagues are accused are not complicated. They are as old and sleazy as politics itself.
Corrupt politicians know they need money to gain power. They then use their power to gain money. That’s exactly what Bob Brown has done here and those interested in the good governance of Australia will welcome the Privileges Committee’s examination of the precise nature of the tawdry dealings in which Bob Brown has involved himself.
The Greens party’s representatives have misused their position to brazenly benefit a donor, their biggest ever, indeed nation’s biggest political donor, changing the position on issues, as it suited Wood’s commercial interests.
The House of Reps has imprisoned people before. The power of our parliaments to conduct inquiries and take decision action against corruption is there. And it should be used. Anyone reading the damning indictment of Bob Brown set out by the industrious Helen Kroger could scarcely reach any other conclusion.
Indeed, when the Senate President John Hogg responded to Senator Kroger’s letter on the scandal, he responded that she had raised “very serious” matters.
The Australian’s Christian Kerr, whose work on the Greens party has been enough to nearly restore his good name after emerging from the reputational abyss that is Crikey, a left-wing email newsletter that was purchased for $1M a few years ago but now struggles to break even, reports that Brown’s internal nemesis, the vile and reviled NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon has been intriguing against Brown over the donations issue.
He reveals claims from inside the troubled far-left party that Rhiannon has been “white-anting” Brown over this issue. Kerr writes:
“Angry Greens believe Senator Rhiannon set out to embarrass her leader over the privileges reference with a string of media releases and press conferences over donations and a notice of motion on lobbyists as the Senate vote loomed and in its aftermath.”
Nice. Rhiannon’s training at the Lenin School was not wasted. He continues:
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when Senator Rhiannon was linked to a report in The Australian on the Wood allegations when they were first raised in the Senate on her anti-donations Democracy4$ale website.
Tags: Discussion
Comments are disallowed for this post.
Categories
VEXNEWS QRCode Information
I think the Liberals (and Labour for that matter) are jealous that they are not getting the corporate funding they used too as well as membership numbers declining and ageing. The average Liberal is about 65.
But what do you expect for two parties that constantly argue over trivia, get us involved in unnecessary unwinnable wars, and preselect do nothing or do little dud MPs.
If Kroger gets Bob Brown imprisoned for corruption, she will be one of the biggest heroes in the Liberal Party for a generation.
Oh how that pious Mr. Brown must hate this. After lecturing to Australians for years on every crazy idea he can dream up he is being lectured to by one of his own, yet more crazy, Senator Rhiannon.
Not a word from that leadership seeking Hanson -Young defending Brown, intriguing.
Bob would very much love 6 months in the slammer
I don’t think prospective political party candidates should be allowed to stand by their party if there are involved in adultery and failed a marriage as a result
we should sign Tasmanian over to New Zealand and help boost the New Zealand economy, After all they share a common sea and on overstated and over represented view of each other.
Then if New Zealand-Tasmania want to join Australia they can become the Island states of Australia.
Be warned.
Adrian Jackso is the new pen-name for Julian Burnside.
We need to change the marriage act to allow polygamous marriages. Why should a person be limited to just one spouse.
Why do we not also allow marriages between cross culture and cross species. Sheep or Tasmanian devils should be allowed to be web. Animal behaviourist could attest to the consent between animals and adults.
It is a human right that love should be recognised as the core requirement for any marriage and it should not be limited to just man and woman in the act of procreation.
We demand equality and freedom of choice. Love must rule our hearts and act of marriage. It is a human and non-human universal right
anon – you are correct. If Brown gets browned then Kroger would go from zero to hero. She may not be the most impressive Senator but something like this would be catapult her into political folklore… a veritable “Kroger Söze” if you like.
Furthermore, if this matter came down to a vote in the Senate it will be intriguing as to how Labor Party members vote… will they shut up shop and stand behind their man, or amputate the Gangreens from their political appendages?
No I dont wear daggy left wing glasses like Julian does
Remind me again why Scott Ryan is challenging Helen Kroger’s position on the senate ticket? Has Scott Ryan done any work at all since being elected?
Bob Brown would take his prison sentence like the fairy he is, on his knees.
anon – don’t just limit your comments to Scott Ryan. Don’t forget, Ryan is being encouraged and supported by that other member of the ‘Taliban’ Mitch Fifield. Together they have ensured that the Vic Lib Senate ticket is in complete turmoil… the war has begun my friends!
Bobby Brown will certainly enjoying acting out these lyrics from The American Breed during his stint in the big house:
Bend me, shape me anyway you want me
you got the power to turn on the light…..
Let the Greens’ internal war begin!! The coming inevitable showdown between the Brownite Environmentalist liberal-left and the Rhiannonite Trot Green-Left Weekly entrists will make the American Civil War seem like a schoolyard blue.
Anon, 14.03pm, You’re inbred I bet!
saw Helen at the races a few weeks ago..she wears a good hat, a nice dress and carries a base BALL BAT in her purse….. she loves to fight…she may look nice, but she is gonna get him, like a spider she only strikes when she knows she can and will win, prob the biggest story the major media hasnt picked up… I’ll cheer when she does…keep an eye out
Helen has picked up where Judith Troeth left off. THey even look the same.
Yeah…she must have spent a month preparing that brief against Brown. Can’t wait to see what she’s been cooking up for the preselection fight.
She should challenge for the first spot and let twiddle dum and twiddle dee Fifield and Ryan slug it out for second and third…
anon – who does Scott Ryan have dirt on to challenge Kroger’s position? He is most uninspiring.
Brown will be happy in the slammer. Will spend the whole day bending over, hands on his knees and say to all and sundry……I’M FREE!!!!
Bob Brown; an expert on life. Bob Brown; an expert on family pressures. Bob Brown; an expert on teen issues. Bob Brown; an expert on cost of living pressures. Bob Brown; wher X is unknown and spurt, a drip under pressure.
Industrial action set for malvern vic hospital?
what about corruption at the local level? There is a Councillor in the N W who is being investigated by the Municipal Inspector for a host of things. If his terrified victims do not clam up out of fear of this terror, he is finished at long last.
Bobby Brown may have done a dirty deal with Wood and he certainly will be seeing a lot more wood if found guilty.
what about the other thing – when Brown owed a large sum of money and if he had not paid it back he would have been declared bankrupt and kicked out of parliament. But wait on, he owns several properties
When your belief in the morality of your cause is absolute, the ends justify the means. Only the truly ignorant or liars are morally certain about anything.
They should have split the donation like the mining lobby did and when they donated 1million through the Menzies institute and 1 million through W.A. Liberals totalling 2 million. That splitting of the donations is why some people believe that it is an Australia’s best interest to not to make any money from the resources being taken from our ground and shipped overseas.