Federal Government
DISGRACE: The Australian’s false implication of embezzlement at PM shames our great newspaper
The Australian’s story suggesting the Prime Minister of Australia is an embezzler (from 17 years ago) is a disgrace at so many levels it’s hard to know where to start.
For a time in the late 1980s, early 1990s, the Australian Workers Union was run by a militant leftist sect, who were later purged by its now moderate and very highly regarded Victorian leadership.
It is understood that some of the sleazy leftists took liberties with union funds. They generally ran the Victorian branch into the ground. It was certainly not secret or hushed up, there was litigation and general carnage about it. The members booted out the crooks and reformers took over, leading to a new period of stability and growth under respected union leaders like Cesar Melham, Bob Smith and Bill Shorten.
The moderate AWU leadership – having purged the leftist crooks – loudly, publicly and pro-actively sought prosecution of the nasty leftist crooks by the authorities.
The Victoria Police appear to have investigated the matter and it went nowhere, for reasons that aren’t clear. In our system of justice that means we need to presume the lefty crooks (and their lovers) innocent.
And yet because the Prime Minister went out with Bruce Wilson at the time and was apparently did some legal work for the AWU, she was therefore – by the nasty implication in the Australian’s story – an embezzler of some unspecified kind.
We heard about it at the time, including from people who didn’t like Julia Gillard at the time.
No-one then, and no-one now with any knowledge of the sleazy leftists who controlled the AWU in Victoria briefly, thought she had anything to do with the activities of the rogue leftists. As a notoriously hyper-ambitious, rapidly-promoted lawyer at Slater & Gordon, who was actively looking around for preselection, it was considered reasonably unlikely she would have involved herself in what amounted to a brazen, clumsy and blatant fraud.
As originally reported by one-time high-flying now unemployed journo Glenn Milne at the time, the worst that could be reasonably said of the PM was she was dating the wrong bloke. Conflating that into a sleazy she-must-have-known yarn is pretty harsh even by the harsh standards of VEXNEWS.
It’s a guilt-by-association story and it doesn’t merit being on the front-page any more than if they had investigated much-gossiped-about rumours of former PM and traditional-values advocate John Howard’s piece on the side, variously a school-teacher or librarian in Canberra.
Its deep absurdity and unpleasantness is confirmed by the only “new” part of the old story which is that Ralph Blewett reckons he’ll tell the whole tall tale if he gets “immunity” from prosecution, something he almost certainly won’t get from law enforcement in Australia. We think the pensioner has been spending too much time watching American legal drama. What The Australian editor’s excuse could be we cannot say.
Let’s be clear and say what most wouldn’t: This old story is a joke, it won’t go anywhere, it might very help destabilise the PM’s leadership but we suspect it won’t even do that. It’s only the embittered ex-ministers who are still astonished their talents were over-looked by the PM who’ve been repeating it.
When folk like conspiracy theorist and Greensparty preference feeder Stephen Mayne and others who ought know better run out this yarn, while always insisting that everyone involves denies wrongdoing to create their false impression there’s responsible broadcasting/reporting going on, they are left looking very silly. It’s a shame one of the nation’s best newspapers, usually a credit to the company that subsidises it, has descended to this.
Shame on them.
Discussion
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The Oz is the Heart of the Nation. Great work from the Oz.
And now we are going to get a huge dose of Xenophobia from the hard right of the Coalition. Yep….everyone in Australia can now have a chinese shiver thrown up their spine free of charge from the oppositionist opposition. Ucking excellent!!!!!
“Some” legal work?
Lol!
She as a Slater and Gordon Partner, set up the entire bizarre and out-of-ordinary account structure for her boyfriends embezzlement scheme.
Apparently, Slater and Gordon made partner someone who was to stupid to recognise this.
At *best* it goes directly to her total and complete incompetence as a person.
Some would say that this is the end for Gillard but that time was here months ago.
We need to elect Aussies (born here) to parliament. It like spot the Aussie in our parliaments.
So who received $17,000 worth of goods from “Town Mode”? (a women’s fashion boutique in Melbourne).
Who set up the associations, and related accounts (of which there were many) based in W.A. for someone in Victoria?
Who did the conveyancing work (free of charge) for a house, bought by [this new] association, against the principles under which the association was set up?
There was apparently a legal bill paid for over $60K to a well know law firm.
Why was someone suddenly NOT working for said law firm, very shortly after they were quoted as saying that they’re their to stay, and who later found themselves unemployed for 6 months until an emily’s list type got them a staffer job in the ALP? (for then Premier)
Has anyone seen the alleged “hand written receipt” for renovation work done to a different house, stating that work was paid, in cash, by the owner? (as opposed to an association).
If you check the record, none of these questions have been answered.
The Australian journo(s) running this down are true patriots. As is Glenn Milne, and Mike Smith (ex Fairfax/2UE).
Go listen to Alan Jones interviewing Smith (podcast available on 2GB website) – it’s VERY interesting listening.
I don’t know if anyone has done anything wrong, and I’m not saying they have… what I am saying (as is the Australian) is that questions must be answered – hitherto they have not.
GOD! That really brought the froot loops out of the woodwork to defend the biggest rag in the Southern hemisphere. That pillar of balance and journalistic integrity — The Worstralian! Dare I say the ‘F*rt of the Nation’?
[deleted - profanity]
The Australian. Once known as the ‘Government Daily’ pre 2008 and know known as the ‘Opposition Oracle’.”..shames our great newspaper” LOL.
Chris
At 14:14. Are you Alan Jones or Ray Hadley? Why don’t you do the world a favour and jump off it.
Adrian,
That leaves out Abbott then. He was born in England!!!
Blewitt needs to be given the indemnity and the evidence simply needs to be investigated by the police. I agree media coverage is not helpful to the truth coming out. In light of the HSU scandal the public will demand nothing less. If the Government tries to stop this it will look like Nixon trying to stop Watergate.
The PM should come out and support a full investigation – otherwise it will look bad for her.
PM must have VEXNEWS by the short and curlies over something for such a virulent defence mounted on behalf of a young and naieve innocent in what is but yet just another story about union officials taking advantage of their position for personal gain and despite being caught out not being brought to account.The AWU affair of years ago got swept under the carpet and today we have at least five of the key players/broom operators in federal parliament or on the bench of the federal court that have enacted or operate under law that effectively puts union officials above and beyond the law that their paid up members and the general community are required to abide by.
The DISGRACE is VEXNEWS attempts to dismiss revelation of union corruption as a vexatious attack on possibly not quite the most popular PM we’ve had but it was so long ago just get off it and forget about it. Disgrace.
Leopard spots/Tiger stripes?
I think this sums it up best: http://moroniclodge.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/bruce-wilson-and-the-kerr-st-cur/
benji – yes it does and I knew that. I am not a member of any political party.
Psst. Follow the trail to the cheques that were provided at settlement and you will be astounded where the dosh is drawn from!!!!!! Shhhhhh!!
ALP 15% primary vote!! Oh dear, Julia has done much more than the above – she has made the ALP a basket case, that may not even have a single MHR in Queensland, NSW, NT or Tasmania.
DEAN MIGHELL next to go.
Leave my toy boy alone, he loves to play ‘sword fights’ with me whilst Howard films the action.
Well done The Australian, someone has to take up the challenge of bringing these criminals to justice. Let the fight begin and bring down the corrupt Australian labour Government. Oh yes VEXNEWS to are total losers
So Mighell had a Kirribilli agreement to go but he is now trying to wriggle out of it. Maybe he needs a push Troy you cannot leave him their to destroy our branch whilst, at the same time he continues to throw mud at Queensland & NSW, the man is now totally trying to wreck all the good work he initially did in ’95
Time to stand up Troyboy, once you are rid of that cancer our branch can go back to its roots once more
Guns in the dam,all over FIG.
Bar the shouting and there will be plenty of that
Young and naive is as pathetic an excuse as I have ever heard. Banging moles while others pay for it and extorting money from developers are the big go in the ALP. After lunch they have their mates hold inquiries into legislation and get the thumbs up. At night they burn houses down. Gotta love the ALP
Maybe it would be guilt by association if not for the fact that Gillard, as a partner at Slater and Gordon, set up the AWU Workplace Reform Association that was used to receive the stolen funds. It was an incorporated entity, a type of organisation never used to conduct the business of unions. Gillard was a law partner yet apparently didn’t know this. Gillard evidently asked for no authority from the union to set up the fund. Another minor legal whoopsie from the young and naive Gillard? When Bruce Wilson bought the house in Fitzroy, Slater and Gordon did the conveyancing. They asked for a bank cheque but ended up accepting a cheque from the incorporated entity Gillard had set up for Wilson.
There may not be proof positive of her guilt but to say she has no questions to answer is beyond belief coming from anyone outside The Age and the Herald. Did Gillard put the same pressure she put on News Ltd and Fairfax when she had Glen Milne and Michael Smith sacked? If she really has nothing to hide, why not just answer the case instead of suppressing it? Oh that’s right – she did that already: “young and naive” was her only defence. Very disappointing Andrew – to say that Gillard is innocent is one thing. To say that newspapers have no right to report on serious and substantiated allegations is another altogether.
[VEXNEWS: "an incorporated entity, a type of organisation never used to conduct the business of unions." That assertion isn't true. There are many unions that own companies, in whole or in part.
What Ms Gillard appeared to do was accept instructions from her client (also her boyfriend - so yes, that itself was her mistake) as secretary of the union to create or assist the creation of an entity controlled by her client.
We're not familiar with the detail of what Wilson or Blewett did with the entity.
But we are familiar with the gossip and claims in the mid 90s about it. And we don't recall anyone accusing Ms Gillard at the time of anything beyond falling in lerv with the wrong lad.
I don't believe the allegations are serious or substantiated. They are crap. And, while we aren't certain about what happened, we can recall very clearly the gossip of the time and even among the now PM's then foes, they made no claims of the kind implied by The Australian and others now.
This story will go nowhere. It will not be pursued by law enforcement. If Blewett was a thief or involved himself in sham transactions, as he appears to be saying, it would be best he stopped watching American legal dramas, stopped talking with Watergate re-enacting journalists and pulled out his chequebook and return the money, plus interest. There's something that doesn't smell right about this, claims the PM is an embezzler are so serious they ought be subject to a very high standard of proof and none of what was presented in this front-page joke story reaches anything like that level.
We've been critical of the PM when she's deserved it but this is just utterly disgraceful sewer journalism and it besmirches only those who peddle it.]
“Shagger Thomson” is a very apt monniker..if it was in the “normal frame” we imagine a “shagger” to be”….but then, we’ve all heard of ;”one hand clapping”…?
She was the unions solicitor.
She had as good an understanding as anyone as to how the union worked.
She set up the bank accounts.
The cheque to buy the place in a persons name, not in the name of the union, was a union cheque and not a bank cheque.
She received some of the largesse from the fraud.
She was rooting Wilson.
Naive and young, whilst aged 35′, is wholly inadequate.
Question is – did she cooperate with the criminal investigations. Like hell she would have.
She can be regarded as suspiciously as the rest of the crooks until she explains. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that and anyway, she’s protecting me.
Another Mighell shitjob about to be released on the national office, more members money & more lies when will it end? When Mighell honors his kiribilli agreement with Troy and just leaves
We are all sick of it Dean just put all the bullets, swords and WWII helmets in a big box and leave & save us all further embarrassment
Come on Troy, organisers meeting Monday, let’s end this now
LONG LIVE THE KING.
The King is dead
Come clean Dean…… The end is nigh
Juliar has got plenty to answer for this and Vexnews is just showing us how the media manipulate how people think .
Shame on you Vexnews I’ll never trust you ever again.
Gillard as an employee of Slater &Gordon should of asked lots of questions of her then partner Brian Wilson about the accounts she set up for him . The cheques that were put in to these accounts were from builders who bought freedom from industrial action ( blackmail ) from Wilson. Gillard was showered in gifts and renovations for her home while setting up the bodgy bank accounts for Wilson and she reckons she was young and naive , come on cut the crap she was a senior partner in Slater & Gordon she knew where all the gifts were coming from . Juliars guilty as sin and she knows it .
You are correct that some of the accusations (those relating to specific transactions) have been pinned on Gillard without substantiated evidence. I deliberately refrained from mentioning those because I agree that there is a lack of evidence to implicate her. Michael Smith also refrained from making any such allegations, though he has made mention of them – his decision in that matter is questionable.
However, what remains is that Gillard personally made application to the WA Corporate Affairs Commissioner to register a new legal entity – the AWU Workplace Reform Association, and she asked for no resolution of the Union to do so. She didn’t ask for minutes and she didn’t protest to her boyfriend that the rules of the union prohibit the establishment of such an association. Someone who was young and naive enough to take the word of her boyfriend above all legal principles was somehow intelligent and competent enough to become a partner at Slater and Gordon. You believe this improbable paradox, and I don’t. Either she was complicit or she was the most incompetent legal parter in the country – not inconceivable given she’s the most incompetent PM the country’s ever known – but how can you know that for sure without an inquiry?
“VEXNEWS: That assertion isn’t true. There are many unions that own companies, in whole or in part.”
It’s possible I’m misinformed. Give me some examples of incorporated associations set up for conducting union business, to demonstrate that this is a normal way for unions to operate, and I will eat my words.
“VEXNEWS: We’re not familiar with the detail of what Wilson or Blewett did with the entity.”
Then you ought to familiarise yourself with the conclusions of the report written by Detective Sergeant McAlpine of the WA Fraud Squad. He concluded that Wilson would pay visits to large building companies and ask them to write out cheques payable to the entity. At least half a million dollars was paid into the account of the company Gillard set up without any legal mandate to do so. This is according to a fraud squad detective, not simply media gossip.
“VEXNEWS: But we are familiar with the gossip and claims in the mid 90s about it. And we don’t recall anyone accusing Ms Gillard at the time of anything beyond falling in lerv with the wrong lad.”
Who was Julia Gillard in the mid 90s anyway? At most she was a minor accomplice of no station or consequence. Now that she’s wormed her way up to the highest office in the country, surely more scrutiny is warranted. There ought to be an inquiry regardless of who Gillard is, but it’s much more pertinent given the station she occupies. Compounded with Gillard’s penchant for pathological dishonesty, the case for further investigation becomes compelling. If you are truly convinced of her honesty, you ought to be welcoming scrutiny, not seeking to suppress the issue. Can one be blamed for further suspicion of Gillard given the mysterious silencing of Michael Smith and Glenn Milne?
“VEXNEWS: This story will go nowhere. It will not be pursued by law enforcement.”
Of course. But that says more about the corruption of the system in which these people operate than it does about the facts of the case or the wisdom of reporting the case. If anything, it’s wise to be shedding light on the rotting carcass of a system in which this kind of scandal could transpire.
“VEXNEWS: claims the PM is an embezzler are so serious they ought be subject to a very high standard of proof and none of what was presented in this front-page joke story reaches anything like that level.”
Gillard should be subject to nothing more and nothing less than the same standard of evidence that every other citizen in the country is subject to – beyond all reasonable doubt. If that cannot be proven, she should not be the subject of formal legal sanctions. However, based on the balance of probabilities a case can be made that Gillard has not been entirely forthcoming about her role in the scandal. In the interests of transparent government this alone is enough to warrant reporting of the issue and an inquiry. Who knows what further evidence might come from such an inquiry? If no further evidence should come from it then Gillard can walk away vindicated and this matter can be put to rest.
Gillard has said before that at the time of all this she was .. A PARTNER in SLATER AND GORDON Law Firm .. and she was quote; “Young and Naive”…What in the hell was a self proclaimed “Young and Naive”person doing as a practicing Lawyer. What was a Young and Naive person doing handling top flight legal matters.
Sorry the “Young and Naiver”line is just another .. “there will be no Carbon Tax under a Government I lead”.
Slater and Gordon did not provide gifts or offerings to Mr Mighell. Mr Mighell did visit Julie to fix her fence to keep her dog in,then realised she didn’t have a dog.
Troy doesn’t know how to fix fences.
Hahaha, need a bridge repairer rather than a fence fixer
lol. I didn’t know you wrote comedy.
Sleazy leftists and nasty leftist crooks. Priceless.
Have you any idea how true this rings of the whole union movement and ALP to conservatives?
Load your pistole and take another shot champ. This is a long way from done and I’ve a feeling the PM isn’t a pure and innocent in this pigsty as you’d love to believe.
You Mexicans crack me up. Can one of you start crapping on about Israel just to maintain form.
I dont understand my people dislike Mighell. Apparently he is going to be a Senator for the Katther Australia Party. That what I read on Vex.
I have … how you say …. “serious questions to answer”
But I don’t intend answering them on account of self-incrimination.
Cant wait to see this play out
Steve Solomon just won heat 1. Good to see a white man beat the black men.
Caught up with myold friend Chris Pearce today and just like old times he ‘Pierced’ my rectum with his little chap.
Heinz white man always beat up us.
You must have read a different edition to the one I read.
The characteristics that enabled Gillard to be become PM are the same ones that will bring her undone. Happened with Kennett and many others.
Pierre says ; “…then this matter can be put to rest.” About the only thing “Pierre” will put to rest is his flaccid penis….but isn’t it always so?…
This is one of the biggest cover ups and it needs to be fully answered. Some people have lost everything here for trying to tell the truth and now it is out thanks Allah.
Andrew why are you so dismissive of this scandal do you know more than you are saying?
And was Julia on the student uni board?
Her words ring like that other liar Bill Clinton. I did not have ………………..!
There is nothing to play out, did the maddies here even read the article?
What the maddies are saying really is that if my cousin drink drives then I am guilty too.
For heaven’s sake, journos. have already lost their jobs over this stupid nonsense.
THANKS DEAN….from the etu.
when does DUCK SEASON start?pls take DEAN MIGHELL AND BOB KATTER.
I got receipts for everyfink …. trooly rooly.
http://shootersvictoria.com/SSAA%20Board%20Elections.html
I was young and naive and rooting a crook
Paul Keating gives another speech as Apologist-General for Communist China – and this man thinks he is from the right.
When the Islamic Nations of Indonesia is ready to spread Islam to Australia by force who would we rather have as a friend and supporter
and who would bother to look after us
China or USA?
[all the Indonesians would have to do is invade Darwin between Friday after 5 pm and Monday morning 9 am I,m sure our soldiers wouldn’t be allowed to work on weekends
Alternatively if the Indonesians all decided to invade us using leaky vessels and declare them selves poor asylum seekers fleeing tyranny the Greens, Muslim community and all the lefty’s would demand they be allowed to land safely on land.
This is a piece of guilt by association of which any McCarthyist could be proud.
Many would prefer the Prime Minister to answer the allegations made against her.
However, she is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the right to silence. No inference should be drawn from her choosing not to answer any question.
In a democracy, the public can choose to judge her silence at the ballot box.
So where’s your response, Andrew? No answer to my rebuttal of this vicious smear piece on the fearless Oz journalists who’ve pursued this important matter? What a gutless wonder you are – taking the high moral ground against supposed baseless muckraking – I mean, YOU of all people – and then refusing to comment when I back you into a corner with the facts. Where’s your apology to the Oz? Or at the very least, where’s your response to the facts?
Thanks “Everyone hates this grub not just Jimmy” how did I miss this one http://shootersvictoria.com/
Is there any end to this guys ego and ETU members money?
Response to what?
I’ve been following the claims made against PM Gillard in detail.
If there looked like there was anything in them, we’d be very interested indeed.
17 years ago, Julia GIllard had a boyfriend who was a dodgy leftist who like many dodgy leftist had his own union slush fund or campaign fund called a Reform group or whatever.
Big deal.
So did/does Kathy Jackson but she’s to be painted as a Joan of Arc because she’s critical of Gillard.
The double standards are amazing. Jackson has admitted stealing money from the HSU to fund her candidates in a union election campaign. She paid herself five grand a week plus Volvo. But that’s not of interest because she was throwing muck undermining the government.
The inconsistency is a bit much to bear.
And Mike Smith – still chasing this yarn despite being sacked from Fairfax over it – pontificating about it, pretending that it’s going to be the subject of legal process 20 years after the event is rather sad. And just wrong.
The worst that has been said about Gillard – and Slater & Gordon then – that they had a client who was a bit dodgy, perhaps not a criminal but a dodgy leftist whose behaviour had him drummed out of the AWU and replaced by moderate and decent people who cleaned it up. Nearly 20 years ago.
The preoccupation with dredging this all up is exactly the same viciousness that used to be directed at previous PM John Howard.
We didn’t like it then when aimed at him and we don’t like it now.
You might not like that but at least we’re consistent.
BTW, I knew Bob Kernohan (one of the accusers) from those times and very much liked him. I don’t doubt he had good reason to loathe the nasty lefties that seized the AWU in Victoria back then. But sorry that doesn’t make the PM an embezzler and frankly I think those involved in peddling it ought to be ashamed of themselves.
i noticed the attempt to smear the PM in the Australian.
They must be running out, to go back 20 years.
Are not the Slipper and Thomson scandals enough to topple our unstable minority government?
Oh, yes I forgot, they are the Ashby/Brough/all of SEQ LNP and Jackson/Williamson/Lawler/Abbott scandals now.
Perhaps the government will not fall after all. It does not appear to be very unstable……
You have to be joking that the Australian is one of the Nations’s best newspapers. The misinformation, lies and outright fabrication of facts and figures, particularly when it comes to the carbon price is laughable. Its just a propaganda machine for the coalition! Haven’t you read Dial M for Murdoch? Its an eye opener to the sleazy and dirty tricks many of their journalists engage in to capture the minds of the unthinking and lazy public. The only journalist that is worth his salt is George Meglogenis. How he keeps his integrity in tact working for that organisation beats me.
VEXNEWS WROTE: Response to what?
You know exactly what, Andrew – here are the points again – let’s see you actually answer them instead of question-avoiding and reframing.
1. Gillard personally made application to the WA Corporate Affairs Commissioner to register a new legal entity, used by her boyfriend to embezzle funds – the AWU Workplace Reform Association.
2. She asked for no resolution of the Union to do so. She didn’t ask for minutes and she didn’t protest to her boyfriend that the rules of the union prohibit the establishment of such an association.
3. The application to register the entity made references to the relevant act and yet breached the same act about 5 times.
4. Someone who was young and naive enough to take the word of her boyfriend above all legal principles was somehow intelligent and competent enough to become a partner at Slater and Gordon.
5. Incorporated associates are never used for conducting union business.
Quit the reframing and answer the points. Following is an answer to your reframe:
VEXNEWS WROTE: So did/does Kathy Jackson but she’s to be painted as a Joan of Arc because she’s critical of Gillard.
The double standards are amazing. Jackson has admitted stealing money from the HSU to fund her candidates in a union election campaign. She paid herself five grand a week plus Volvo. But that’s not of interest because she was throwing muck undermining the government.
And what has that got to do with it? If she has indeed done the wrong thing, she belongs in jail. Speaking of double standards – your double standard in condeming her yet exonerating Gillard of all suspicion, not even acknowledging there are quesitons to be answered, is astonishing. But then that’s your style isn’t it – too much to ask for nuanced debate from a gutless muckraker. It has to be all or nothing – deserving of death row or virginal pure. Never the possibilty that there may be questions to answer even if there isn’t proof positive.
VEXNEWS Wrote: …drummed out of the AWU and replaced by moderate and decent people who cleaned it up. Nearly 20 years ago.
So then what has Paul Howes done about it? Nothing. What did Bill Shorten do? Nothing during his tenure at the AWU and recenty he dismissed it as “ancient stuff”.
VEXNEWS Wrote: The preoccupation with dredging this all up is exactly the same viciousness that used to be directed at previous PM John Howard.
I don’t recall Howard making application for an illegal entity that was used to embezzle funds from a union. Regardless, any vicious rumours that were circulated about Howard have no bearing on the evidence against Gillard.
I note that you’ve made a song and dance about raising allegations that are unlikely to go anywhere yet that didn’t stop you from formulating an absurd and similarly fated case of workplace bullying against Sasha Burden. But then, naming and shaming some inconsequential uni student with a persecution complex is of far greater importance than substantiated evidence of prime ministerial impropriety, isn’t it? Or at least it’s more important to a muckraking coward like you whose venom is so poisonous that it extends even to vilifying journalists simply for having the courage and conviction that you lack.
I DARE you to publish this, Andrew, and show yourself up as someone who can’t answer points.