Federal Government
SRSLY: NSW government pushes for Jackson cheerleader as HSU administrator
Barry O’Farrell’s government has been keen to distance itself from the worst perceptions of its predecessors of sweetheart deals with mates.
O’Farrell certainly enjoys high poll numbers, partly because the likeable chap sounds reasonable, honest and almost like the community-minded neighbour who gets involved with everything and cares about everyone.
He really could do well.
But the news report in the weekend’s Australian Financial Review that his government intends to seek the appointment of a highly partisan and arguably strongly biased figure to serve as the administrator of the notoriously corrupt HSUeast branch will reflect extremely badly on O’Farrell and his government.
The Fin Review – which continues to improve to the stage where it’s a must-buy for those interested in political matters – reports that the NSW government has nominated Jeffrey Phillips, a senior counsel, as its choice to run the union.
There are suggestions Phillips is a friend of Kathy Jackson’s latest lover, the current Fair Work Australia vice-president Michael Lawler.
UPDATE: In addition, we learnt this morning that Phillips was a close friend and contemporary of Tony Abbott’s in student politics at Sydney University and was a very active member – with Abbott – of the Democratic Club there in the mid 1970s. They were involved in multiple student elections and for elections to the notorious Australian Union of Students, at the time, well-informed sources say.
Sources also tell VEXNEWS Phillips is a senior employer-side lawyer with not much knowledge at all of unions and until recently has been a Liberal party branch member, as the Fin revealed on the weekend. In the Vaucluse branch, no less, where the Young Liberal ladies are glamorous and the cocktails shaken not stirred.
His appointment could leave the door open for corrupt Kathy Jackson forces within the HSU – who have temporarily allied themselves with the HR Nicholls Society – to continue to run the union and pursue her pocket-lining, power-grabbing erratic agenda.
Jackson’s formerly far-left political allies, and those familiar with her racy personal history, find it rather funny and strange she’s moved on to socially conservative NSW Liberal backers, who tend not to find much sympathy for Noam Chomsky-loving, wildly nocturnal-living, thieving union bosses.
Mr Phillips description of Jackson as a “very brave and strong person” demonstrates a wilful blindness to the serious, credible and now thoroughly documented allegations of corruption against Jackson. It alone makes him a highly inappropriate choice for the sensitive role as Administrator which will no doubt be fraught with difficulty and drama. Phillips’ willingness to take on the role in those circumstances, according to Melbourne legal insiders, reveals a very different culture in Sydney where some lawyers are willing to take on matters despite serious conflict of interest issues. Phillips could – if it all goes wrong – be subject to ethics complaints that could imperil his otherwise prosperous career at the Bar. “And, for what, propping up one of Australia’s most corrupt union officials? It beggars belief… It must be a Sydney thing,” a legal industry insider noted.
For Phillips’ part, when confronted about the content of his lavishly generous writings about Jackson, the barrister declined to elaborate, telling the Fin the article “speaks for itself.” Indeed, it does. It’s outrageous he’s even contemplating accepting the appointment.
Jackson has – by attacking Craig Thomson (one of the MPs on which the Labor government depends) – won new-found friends among the government’s many critics, especially conservative critics in the Sydney media and in zealous workplace reform circles.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, seems to be the order of the day. It doesn’t make it right, though.
The fact that Jackson is now exposed as having fleeced the HSU membership in the most brazen way, on a website that has obtained documents demonstrating the malfeasance, is an issue her media-chums and labour-market deregulator friends have not yet confronted or contemplated.
If – and when – Police charges relating to corruption are laid against Jackson, as distinct from the Fair Work Australia civil charges already on foot, we suspect her new-chums’ enthusiasm for the troubled and psychiatrically ill union leader will dim to levels they would normally reserve for such a person. VEXNEWS understands that Eric Abetz has warned colleagues that he thinks Jackson is “dangerous” and “unhinged” and to tread very carefully in relation to her. There’s certainly been a noticeable change in rhetoric about Jackson coming from Abetz in recent months. It seems poor old Barry O’Farrell wasn’t sent the memo.
Hilariously, Jackson’s own submission to the Federal Court apparently demands she continue on in her role, in addition to her notoriously thuggish deputy general secretary Marco Bolano, who has been worrying about whether his high salary would continue after the appointment of Administrator. You read it here first, Marco, it’s time to start looking for a real job, mate. The party’s just about over.
It’s one thing for the enthusiasts of the HR Nicholls Society and mostly red of neck Sydney shock jocks to salivate over Jackson on the basis of her service to the cause of unseating the federal government, it’s another thing entirely for the Premier of New South Wales to so closely associate with her. It was a risk not worth taking and we suspect it will be rejected by the Court, saving the government from a potential stink-bomb of epic proportions.
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When will the MSM get this?
Check Kathy Jackson’s spend on http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/thomson-8-the-hsu-family/
When will the MSM get this?
Is it tim to remind everyone that a union is meant to be the expression of the collective will of its members. No one as far as I know asked Kathy Jackson to nuke the whole organization with her allegations. On the contrary two thirds of hsueast members voted to see the back of her at the last convention. Now if she has her way the members can expect her to survive any purge and if OFarrell has his way someone the union doesnt want will take her place under the aegis of an administrator the members would want even less. Crazy days indeed.
For Labor and the ACTU to embrace the concept of “Administrators” is clearly dangerous. Those who BOF would appoint, and especially Abbott, are no friends of the union movement nor understand and sympathise with their aims. In the end unions placed under an Administrator would be destroyed from within. While the HSU leadership (?) deserve nothing but contempt the members do not so what is wrong with the ACTU taking over direct control until such time as the scum are cleaned out and fair elections held.
I understand that Baird the Younger is all in favour of BoF making that appointment – it will make his move for the top job even easier.
WTF, Jackson is willing to have all positions in HSU East branch declared vacant except for hers and Bolanos”?
So the Thomson Affair wasn’t about misuse of union funds then ?
Cause what I have read Jackson seems worse .
Oh well, maybe the Thomson Affair was to get Labor people out so more Liberals can step in and have power , control and extra funding pocket-lining luxuries ..
Be (A) ware people the warning signs are there.
Jackson has turned this whole affair into a “three ring circus”.
When was it ever about the members?
Seems KJ has had a change of heart over her position:
HEALTH Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson last night called for the entire executive of the embattled organisation to resign in a bid to clear the decks over its financial scandal.
Ms Jackson said she would ask the next national executive meeting to back a fresh round of elections, including for her own position, because the suspension last week from the Australian Council of Trade Unions was a “vote of no confidence” in the leadership.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/clear-out-hsu-and-start-over-says-national-secretary-kathy-jackson/story-e6frfm1i-1226322485753#ixzz1wmV7j6EK
A change of heart perhaps
HEALTH Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson last night called for the entire executive of the embattled organisation to resign in a bid to clear the decks over its financial scandal.
Ms Jackson said she would ask the next national executive meeting to back a fresh round of elections, including for her own position, because the suspension last week from the Australian Council of Trade Unions was a “vote of no confidence” in the leadership.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/clear-out-hsu-and-start-over-says-national-secretary-kathy-jackson/story-e6frfm1i-1226322485753#ixzz1wmV7j6EK
MSM refuse to touch her. What’s going on there. Is she, or those close to her, particularly well connected?
Hopefully when she enters or leaves court tomorrow, hair and make up done no doubt, some journo with cred will ask her a couple of questions:
Ms Jackson, can you explain the consultancy fees paid out of No 3 branch without substantiating documentation?
What positions did your partner Michael Lawlers school age children who lived in Sydney hold in the Victoria No. 3 branch?
Well done on the upload of the Fin Review article. I can’t afford $3.00 a day to read it. A few of your other scanned articles had been unreadably small but this one was right on.
Hmmmmm interesting Mr Phillips bleats lots about Harmers workplace legal firm on his blog site , isn’t that the same law firm Ms Jackson is using? Interview with Uhlman 7.30 report
“CHRIS UHLMANN: And why do you think Harmers workplace lawyers is representing you pro-bono?
KATHY JACKSON: I think they are representing me pro-bono because they believe in my case. I’m not making this up.”
So if they don’t believe in your case they will charge you??
Interesting indeed
It appears the MSM have either been told to lay off Jackson by her friends in ‘high places’ or they realise they have gone too far already and are shite scared of any legal consequences. A certain Mr Thomson (no P)is waiting in the wings smiling.
appoint DEAN MIGHELL’S AT THE HSU he fit’s the profile well plenty of cash,credit cards no accountability overseas junkets. his your man.
No shit , i’ve got a believable true case too Kathy, will Harmers reperesent me for free too? Problem is my boyfriend’s not an FWA Liberal chum judge and can’t bring down the vote on a minority govt….???
She hasmampretty good rack though
Actually I understand Jeff Phillips started out as an industrial officer for the FIA under Laurie Short AND Michael Harmer as an Industrial Officer for the ETU.
Is Kathy Jackson Adrian’s mother?
I don’t think Noam looks too impressed listening to Kathy’s union-ponzi theories.
perhaps next time she has a latte with her new LNP chums Pyne & Abbott she can quote the great man.
“In sum, neoliberalism is the immediate and foremost enemy of genuine participatory democracy, not just in the United States but across the planet, and will be for the foreseeable future.
”
Noam Chomsky
Kathy Jackson is nothing but a , in the truest sense of the word. I’ve worked hard all my life in a hospital in Melbourne and paid my dues. To read all what Kathy Jackson and others have done with my fees is nothing but criminal. Bring on fresh elections as I an numerous other members can’t wait to vote Jackson and anyone associated with her out of this union for ever.
Good luck in court today Kathy, we are all thinking of you, my god be with you.
Lawler and JAckson in the top 1% of earners
http://www.afr.com/Page/Uuid/e7cba504-ab91-11e1-ad5d-90a851ba734a
interesting to read Lawler will return to work at the end of June – AFTER the court hearing?
Check out todays aus newspaper treatment of wicks blog on Jackson quoting with approval her defense that controversial expenditures were approved by management committee. Guess what. So were expenditures by those she is blackening as corrupt. You cant have it both ways Kathy even though the msm seems intent on letting you have it any way you want . Sickening all round.
Article as mention by Anonymous -
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/craig-thomson-fuels-the-hsu-fire/story-fn59niix-1226384015178
Jackson has relied on allegations of nepotism to smear hsueast executives. Presumably her employing the children of her partner is perfectly okay however. She’s also alleged conflicts of interest in the selection of consultants and contractors. Over the years she has spent a lot of the members money on lawyers and external services. Newspapers have the resources to explore whether or not those engaged were her friends and associates. But they wont do it because it doesnt suit their agenda of kicking the tripe out of the unions and the government.
Whistleblowers shouldn’t be allowed to swallow the pea when their own hypocritical behavior is under scrutiny. The refusal of the media to highlight the blatant double standards stinks to high heaven.
To Our Hero….. How inappropriate for you to seek our Lord to be with Kathy Jackson in court today. True, God looks after everyone but to gain Gods love and support one must show remorse for sins committed. Kathy has not once publicly declared she is in some small way, responsible for the dis functionality of the HSU and instead has blamed everyone except herself. She will get what’s coming to her and her bodyguard Bolano and once she’s convicted and accepts the decision only than can she pray for Gods forgiveness and all the thousands of low paid workers she and others have ripped of over the years.
If as the Australian article report “it is another smear campaign” why does Kathy Jackson answer the questions.
To quote Wixxy: Instead of denying, disputing, challenging or rejecting any of our findings, the best response she can make, it seems, is to label our six previous investigative articles as just a “smear”.
http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/thomson-7-credit-card-slips-clarifications-and-truth-bombs/
And to quote him again: A smear campaign… really, is that your best shot?
Attacking me or Independent Australia will not make these facts go away. In fact, it just leads to another question…
What are you trying to hide, Ms Jackson?
From the Aus
in a letter sent to the editor of Independent Australia, Numbat Consulting proprietor Kerren Clark says the post was wrong and she had provided years of advice for the HSU on workforce issues, and submissions to governments.
Interesting that someone called Kathy Koukouvaos (possibly now Jackson) and Kerren Clark both appear in this Monash Uni publication in the early nineties.
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=active&as_qdr=all&biw=1920&bih=1038&q=%22kathy+koukouvaos+%22+monash&oq=%22kathy+koukouvaos+%22+monash&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=serp.3…4276.5410.0.5935.7.7.0.0.0.0.142.535.4j2.6.0…0.0.XVQWXTsuYMk
Are they the same protagonists in the Wicks disclosures. If so, did they know each other when Clark was engaged? And if so was that disclosed by KJ when she engaged her and paid her that money?
After all we all know what KJ thinks about everyone else’s conflicts of interest.
From the Aus
in a letter sent to the editor of Independent Australia, Numbat Consulting proprietor Kerren Clark says the post was wrong and she had provided years of advice for the HSU on workforce issues, and submissions to governments.
Interesting that someone called Kathy Koukouvaos (possibly now Jackson) and Kerren Clark both appear in this Monash Uni publication in the early nineties.
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=active&as_qdr=all&biw=1920&bih=1038&q=%22kathy+koukouvaos+%22+monash&oq=%22kathy+koukouvaos+%22+monash&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=serp.3…4276.5410.0.5935.7.7.0.0.0.0.142.535.4j2.6.0…0.0.XVQWXTsuYMk
Are they the same protagonists in the Wicks disclosures. If so, did they know each other when Clark was engaged? And if so was that disclosed by KJ when she engaged her and paid her that money?
After all we all know what KJ thinks about everyone else’s conflicts of interest.
IA have responsed to the Australian article – thank goodness someone gets it right!
http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/business/media-2/thomson-truth-clouded-by-news-corp-slant-and-smear/
IA have responsed to the Australian article
http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/business/media-2/thomson-truth-clouded-by-news-corp-slant-and-smear/
Kathy holding firm in court, this is one brave lady
The ‘brave lady’ just got herself into strife with the judge for trying to surreptitiously influence the case. Thank God for an unbiased legal system and Justice Geoffrey Flick.
Who does this Justice Flick think he is? What has the world come to if a fine,upstanding member of the community like Kathy Jackson can’t have a quiet word in a judges ear?
Kathy is a freedom fighter
I’m HSU member in Victoria. How come O’Farrell can decide who administers the union which covers Victoria as well as NSW? Time for a clear out of the HSU. Kathy has lost all respect by getting into bed with the Abbottites and the HR Nicholls Society. A pox on all their houses.
Kathy has seen a cockatoo, nearly as many as me.
First Kathy assumes the role of courier to the FWA personally delivering boxes of evidence for Terry Nassios perusal before she conveniently nicks out of the country..
Now she has sent emails directly to the chambers!!! of the Judge presiding over the HSU dispute hearing today .
Is she getting a refund on her pro-bono’s??
To Ordinary Women. To answer your question, why can the NSW Government appoint an administrator, the answe is because the HSUeast branch which overs Victoria is a NSW registered organisation. This arrangement was agreed to when the merger occurred thanks to none other than our very own so called Victorian hero and freedom fighter Kathy Jackson. Boy, I hope this poor excuse for a female gets what coming to her along with her bumb ass body guard Bolano
Kathy,
See the one with the pencils and notebooks?They are media reporters. They will print anything you say, true or not, and tell you that you are a good girl for doing so because it helps them fill their pages. Now – see the man sitting on the bench? He’s what they call a federal court judge. He’s special. He’s only interested in finding out the truth. This doesn’t mean he’s a fabrication of your enemies. He’s a real person. If you contact him out of court with a bunch of allegations, he’s not going to invite you to talk to him on TV. In fact he will be upset with you because he will think you might a scheming and unreliable person who is trying to take unfair advantage of the court system. Reporters, over there. Judge, up there. Try to remember the difference for next time.
Ev’rybody’s talkin’ ’bout
Feganism, Williamsonism, Brownism, Lloydism, Mylanism, Jeffism
This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism
All we are saying is give Kathy a chance
All we are saying is give Kathy a chance
(C’mon)
Ev’rybody’s talkin’ ’bout
Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters,
Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give Kathy a chance
(Let me tell you now)
Ev’rybody’s talkin’ ’bout
Revolution, Evolution, Masturbation, Flagellation, Regulation,Bolanoation,
Integrations, mediations, United Nations, congratulations
All we are saying is give Kathy a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
This is really getting creepy. Eagerly watching TV for news of Jackson’s scandalous behavior in the HSU case. But nothing, nil, nada. Am I just paranoid or is the fix in with the mainstream news outlets.
Thanks DEAN been a busy week with the hastie problems.Good to see the plumbers had a good outcome with the workers to receive there full entitlements.a bit to much work for DEAN MIGHELL took the easy option got himself on TV the working hero.got them redundancy and nowhere to be seen.making millions out of the ESSO account.sitting back in the departure lounge.all over in the coming months DEAN waiting for your reply federal court June 21st.
I am disgusted at the seemingly total disregard by the mainstream media ( who I know read Vex daily ) at the lack of attention at the behaviour of Kathy Jackson. Surely her latest efforts in trying to interfere with none other than a presiding court Judge in an attempt to sway his opinion is something that needs to be taken seriously and reported. This woman will go to any extent to manipulate any argument be it in front of a court, or a public hearing to ensure her complaints about everyone else is heard but any complaints against herself are totally disregarded and goes basically unreported. Kathy Jackson obviously is a master at political manipulation or is a master Mistress who has provided services to a lot of people to protect her personal involvement in the rorting of members funds over the years.
Come on journalists, be professional and report all the facts not just selected ones that are forced down your throat by this media tart .
Harmers would be best to drop Jackson.Not only has she cast tremendous doubt on her own whacky testimony and whatever it is she is trying to prove (nothing new really we all know how dysfunctional club HSU is, she herself supported administrators being appointed) , she has shown reckless disreguard to proper process and respect for the law.
She may have trumped the uncritical media circus the last few months who gave her a free ride, but today showed her complete arrogance to the process we must all abide as equals before the courts.
Looks like the ABC may be getting wind of a story.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/hsu-case-judge-critical-of-jackson-emails/4053366
As an aside, has anyone else noticed the No-alition’s current attempts at distracting any focus on this story by flinging the Asylum Seeker issue around? Thing’s are awfully whiffy in the Tower of Abbott. Mincing Poodle may well bring down Tone the Moan sooner rather than later.
The judge doesnt understand. Sometimes Jackson speaks as a union official. And sometimes, like her partner, as a private individual. Sometimes as a litigant and sometimes as something else. Like when the Phantom becomes Mr Walker. The judge shouldn’t get his knickers in a knot. If he doesnt understand these distintions he should follow the lead of the media and let her say and do anything she wants.
Lawler was recently seen at his local Bunnings trying to buy a 40′ plank. Why would he need a 40′ plank???
wow baby
Bazza O fazza being corrupt and putting a mate of ABbott’s into this role
What is the governor doing? Snoring?
How many votes of no confidence in the wacko team does it take to get rid of them .The HSU. is gone thanks to the clowns in Melbourne.
FOB