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Why the Liberals shouldn’t listen to Gillian Triggs

Well, it’s very clear that this government isn’t going to listen to anyone who’s partisan. I mean, that was clearly the problem with Gillian Triggs’ report. It was clearly partisan, even though it also criticised the Labor Party.

Now, for those of you who are having trouble following the Liberal logic here. I’ll put it in the form of a few simple steps.

  1. All people have the right to a point of view.
  2. Private institutions and media outlets have the right to be biased.
  3. People who receive any form of government funding do not have the right to bias and should never be partisan.
  4. We can tell we they are being partisan, because they criticise us, which they have no right to do because they’re meant to hold no views at all. Unless those views are critical of the Labor Party or The Greens because that’s an objective reading of the facts.
  5. We know this because those private institutions and media outlets agree with us and that shows that anyone critical is obviously partisan.

You see it’s not the substance of the report that matters. It’s the person delivering the report who needs to be questioned. If a total stranger called out, “Fire” would you ring emergency services or try to establish the person’s credentials? Personally, I wouldn’t do anything until the person produced a comprehensive resume and a credit check, even if the smoke was making it hard to read either, because it’s the person making the report and whether they can be trusted, that’s the central issue.

So, of course, Gillian Triggs criticism can be just dismissed, because when you have someone producing reports like that, well, they’re clearly not the sort of unbiased reports that justify the things we want to do. Maurice Newman, now there’s a man who gives a good unbiased report. And Dicky Warburton, he’s another. But just so you don’t think we don’t take any notice of women, and try to play that sexist card, don’t forget that we got Amanda Vanstone to give us a report on all the ways in which we could stop spending money on people and start making savings. And her audit committee only cost almost twice as much as we budgeted for, but let me say that it was money well spent, because they handed down a total non-partisan finding that told us that we needed to cut as much spending as possible to those in the worst position to fight back.

Whoops, did I say “fight back”? That’s nearly as big a no-no as saying “Workchoices” in Liberal ranks!

Now, while I’m right behind the Liberals all the way, as most regular readers of my blog will know, there’s just one thing that concerns me.

They’re on record as admitting two things:

  1. They lost confidence in Gillian Triggs.
  2. They suggest that they’d give her another job if she resigned.

Which strikes me as a very bad principle. Surely they wouldn’t throw away taxpayers’ money by giving a job to someone that they didn’t have confidence in! Surely, they should only be giving jobs to people in whom they have full confidence like Amanda Vanstone or Sophie Mirabella.

Because offering a job to a statutory officer like that could be misconstrued by wicked people who’d suggest that it was an “inducement”, which, of course, is another word for bribe. And, while we accept the notion of bribing electorates, bribing the Human Rights Commissioner is actually illegal. So there’s no way that the Attorney General would be behind such a thing, because surely the Attorney General understands the law.

Surely.

55 comments

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  1. DonG

    And listening to later testamentary they realised they have made a big error in their statements, now they are trying to change previous statements to the senate committee to save their backsides, Brandis and Moraitis should step down, or better still charged.

  2. John Fraser

    <

    I haven't read your Article because its partisan.

    You're writings are appalling and if you would like a job with my company please contact me.

    Are you a woman ?

    Not that there's anything wrong with that.

  3. Rossleigh

    @ John Fraser

    And I haven’t read your comment because it’s too partisan about my article.

    But if I offer you a bottle of Grange will you say nicer things?

    Shit, I just had this flashback to reading “Catch-22”!

  4. Terry2

    Oh dear ! I have just heard that Brandis’ emissary , Chris Moraitis, Secretary to the AG, has lost his notes of the meeting he had with Gillian Triggs on 3 February: that’s three weeks ago.

    Surely he can remember offering the inducement of another job, possibly overseas, if the Human Rights Commissioner would stand down.

    As you say, Rossleigh, that is a criminal offence and the matter should be referred to the AFP and Brandis and Moraitis should be stood down pending a thorough investigation.

  5. John Fraser

    <

    RossLeigh

    Major Major once told me that I had what it takes.

    Looks like The Greens are going to refer "Soapy" Brandis to the AFP.

    Inclined to tell them not to bother because they have their hands full holding Abbott's dog whistle while dodging questions on the Bali 9.

  6. diannaart

    …and this is just the stuff we get to hear about… what else goes on?

  7. Kaye Lee

    George is obviously grooming his boy Tim for stardom. Get rid of Gillian and put a man back in charge – women are so overemotional.

    I nearly choked when Senator MacDonald, chair of the committee, said “I didn’t bother reading the report”. Well why would you. The content is completely unimportant. How dare they tell us what to do. It’s a stitch up I tell you. I bet Labor sponsored these kids to come just to make us look bad. It’s all about the look after all (as evinced by Kevin Andrew’s hair).

  8. DanDark

    I couldn’t get past the photo, which one is the dog and which one is Vanstone
    Oh I see the dog is the one on the right of photo……..silly me 🙂
    As for the rest Rossleigh not good enough, but don’t worry you will be offered another job in another area
    because um ah er, I am not sure why, hold on I will ask Bookcase Brandis what he is going to do with you 🙂

  9. David

    Brandis, Sullivan and particularly the Senate Committee ‘non’ Chair MacDonald exposed themselves as the bullying misogynist reptiles they are. There sitting behind the witnesses was he who thought he was in line for Prof Twiggs job, the lump of dung himself Asst Commissioner Timothy ($$$’s) Wilson IDSFA and Bar.
    Well no way Timo, this lady’s not for jumping, this professor is staying put because she isn’t scared of your mates thuggery as you Timo, you sit in the background, not one word of support for this strong woman, your boss. You are nothing by comparison.

    http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m548/davidlen2/politics/law_zps433841fe.jpg

  10. Kaye Lee

    Ross has been offered the job to be my entire cabinet, speech writer, and official interviewer (and answerer). Any attempts to offer him another job will be referred to the AFP in whom I have absolute faith to not be partisan….especially the ones who are employed to stand next to Tony at every press conference.

  11. John Lord

    “It’s absolutely crystal clear, this inquiry by the President of the Human Rights Commission is a political stitch up,” The PM said.

    The vehemence he shows towards Professor Triggs, considering neither he or Brandis read the report, borders on misogyny.But reading reports seems to be anathema to conservatives. Pyne never read Gonski either.

  12. Kerri

    The Government has lost confidence in Gillian Triggs? The Government has lost confidence in Gillian Triggs??
    When will the headlines read the truth?
    The Australian people have lost confidence in the Government!!!!!

  13. DanDark

    oh righteo Kaye, that’s it then, Rossleigh you have your to do list and their will be no butts or Abbotts about it.
    You are Kayes lock stock and barrel by the sounds, goodluck in your future torture oops job…. LOL LOL
    and thanks for the laugh, very funny you guys…oops and gals 🙂

  14. Kaye Lee

    Michael is my chief of staff. He looks good in leopard skin speedos and has folders heaps bigger than Peta’s.

  15. rossleighbrisbane

    HeY, I only agreed to be speechwriter. I didn’t realise it’d become “Fifty Shades of Kaye Lee”!

  16. Kaye Lee

    You wanted the job where you don’t have to do anything except agree with the PM…you only volunteered for education minister but that job description covered all of cabinet so I figured we’d save money.

  17. John Fraser

    <

    Kaye Lee

    Sit the hell down …. I don't need any of your calibre of woman trying to steal my next script writer (even though i don't know if he can write for nuts).

    Just get out of the way Kaye Lee this is a job for MEN !

    Whatever inducement Kay Lee may offer you RossLeigh not only will I better it but I promise you the only woman that you will have to work with will be the tea lady or some good looking blondes (heh heh) and all your shirts will be ironed (blue ties included) by an underpaid employee (woman).

    Don't try to beat me Kay Lee …. this is mens work.

    Go home and do your wifely duties like a good girl.

    Sweet cheesus where's a wall when you want to punch one.

  18. stephentardrew

    Point is who is going to polish your bike seat Kaye and has Michael got leash long enough to keep you in line.

  19. Rossleigh

    But seriously, I wonder when the Auditor General gives his report on the whole East-West Link fiasco down here in Victoria, whether that’ll be another case of “partisanship”…
    Perhaps he might be offered the job of the next Human Right’s Commissioner…
    Or asked to audit how much human rights have cost us in lost productivity.

  20. Kaye Lee

    I have already said there will be NO bike riding.

    And John, sooner or later you guys are gonna get hungry.

  21. John Fraser

    <

    Kaye Lee

    Very prescient of you.

    The boss just told me to fire up the bbq.

    No daylight saving in the backward State.

  22. Aortic

    Regardless of the contents of the report it surely is not “form” for a PM to publicly castigate an internationally renowned law advocate. This could well be the catalyst that brings this abysmal Prime Minister and hopefully his equally abysmal government . The GG should do a “Kerr.”

  23. Michael Taylor

    Can I wear a suit instead? I actually look quite spiffy in a suit. 😳

  24. Kaye Lee

    I’m wondering if Tony’s Closing the Gap report was a stitch-up too. After all, even though “the Government has spent the past 12 months focusing our efforts in Indigenous Affairs on getting children to school, adults into jobs and making communities safer,” most Closing the Gap targets are not on track to be met.

  25. CMMC

    Bureaucrats accused of trying to bring down the Government?

    Stalin initiated the ‘Promparty Trial’ in 1930 to prosecute certain bureaucrats, economists and engineers as members of a counter-revolutionary cell.

    Completely trumped-up accusations, of course, but the Prosecution had a mountain of evidence – government records – to play with.

    ‘Why did you spend so much money on this project, do you want the Soviet Union to go broke?’

    ‘Why did you spend so little, don’t you think the Soviet Union deserves the best?’

    Maybe Abbott will go after more of these ‘wreckers’.

  26. Kaye Lee

    If you own a suit then you get to be the PM and I’ll be the behind the scenes somethingorother.

  27. John Fraser

    <

    Can I be one of the leaks ?

  28. Kaye Lee

    Definitely….John you are now officially a “senior source close to the PM”

  29. hicom

    I think bronwyn bishop said workchoices can,t be said in parliament she certainly said kathyjackson is an unparliamentary word.

  30. stephentardrew

    Looking at the latest Morgan poll we bloody olds over 65 are the only group swinging towards the Conservatives.

    Time to find your way to the unpromising land fellow geriatrics.

    Keep the good ones though.

  31. John Fraser

    <

    Kaye Lee

    lol x ROFLMAO.

    My wife wants to know if she can be a 'terrorist" within the Liberal party.

    She promises to be an "insider" and will hold me to a constant stream.

  32. John Fraser

    <

    stephentardrew

    That part of the poll was done in the Murdoch dementia ward.

  33. lawrencewinder

    The complete bastardry of this ruling rabble has been on display with their disgusting behaviour toward Gillian Triggs. Their total lack of humanity, their total lack of morality and the baseness of their characters is now fully exposed. They have elevated the putridness of their treatment of Gillard to a different plane in this star chamber and it looks more like a Stalinist Show trial than an enquiry. These Liarbril are the scum of the earth and are not fit to hold the positions they do.

  34. Kaye Lee

    Labor has formally asked the Australian federal police to investigate whether the job offer made on behalf of the attorney general, George Brandis, to the Human Rights Commission president, Gillian Triggs, was an inducement that constitutes “corrupt and unlawful conduct.”

    The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, wrote to the police on Tuesday after Triggs publicly confirmed she had been asked to resign and offered another senior position in a way that was “clearly linked” by the secretary of the attorney general’s department, on behalf on Brandis.”

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/24/tony-abbott-maintains-attack-on-gillian-triggs-in-face-of-inducement-claims?CMP=share_btn_tw

  35. doctorrob54

    To think this is happening in todays day and age in Australia,it’s unbelievable.Lib’s are using ,double talk,slurs,innuendo’s to subtly blame the entire Muslim community for the action of a few.And nothing has ever happened here,even the coffee shop siege was done by a mental case that was turned away by four separate Muslim groups he tried to join.They new he was a nut case,and so did the coppers.And regardless you don’t change the rules and laws of a nation when it is about social liberties issues,at the whim of a desperate,lunatic PM.What’s worse is that abbott&brandis has enveloped the terrorism and refugee issues.This country makes me sick,sorry I got to stop.

  36. Annie B

    John Fraser …

    I think you may have used a registered trademark illegally ( at 7:21 pm ). LOL.

    I wonder if the illustrious Prime Monster of Australia uses their body / perfume products – to make him ‘stink pretty’ ? Cos he sure stinks rotten, without something to cover it all up ……….

    Did I say that ? – cover it all up ? … Ooops !

    Nothing could be further from the truth ….. the Government never covers up anything. …. they are perfection in pants ( and a couple of skirts here and there, when pushed or allowed to speak ) …………

    Aarrggh ! AIM doesn’t allow Webding thingy’s.

    What a shame, I thought I might be able to tell the Liberals what they could do with themselves, but to no avail. Not allowed. ROFL.

  37. Kaye Lee

    Did Gillian Triggs leave the Human Rights Commission open to accusations of bias due to the timing of its report on children in detention?

    Yes 20%
    No 75%
    Not sure 5%

    Total votes: 22372

  38. Annie B

    Rossleigh …..

    Was going to say what a good and witty article this is – and I still am / am still. …. You might ah, bet you am, I are.

    Then I read the hilarious repartee between noted posters to this website. … and fell about laughing.

    All jokes aside, the vile and dirty attack on an esteemed member of the legal profession, an appointed representative to a high position for Human Rights ( it don’t get much higher in this country ) … only goes to show what kind of filth this Government is, and what it is inclined to stoop to – with the head sherang Scabbott making the bullets and firing them, himself. Prof. Gillian Triggs handled it all with aplomb.

    Forget Brandis – he’s as useless as tits on a bull.

    Whatever the hell it is we have here, we have to confront it, deal with it, and move aside – preferably off-shore a long way ( wishful thinking ).

    The Australian LNP are the scourge of the earth.

  39. Annie B

    @ doctorrob54 …

    Please don’t say it’s the country that makes you sick. Because it shouldn’t. If you want to throw up – take a tiny look ( that’s all it will take ) at the TRUE fouls in this country …. the current Government, but in particular, its’ so called leader …. a despot – and a very bad man.

  40. Annie B

    Typo alert …….. !!!

    ” Whatever the hell it is we have here, we have to confront it, deal with it, and move aside – preferably off-shore a long way ( wishful thinking ).”

    ….. that was meant to read ” move IT aside” ( not us ) …. preferably off shore – etc.

    Or perhaps long walks off short piers might be the go.

    Whatever, the Scabbot and crew, MUST go – and quickly. There seems to be ” movement at the station ” with more back-benchers taking a stand ( as of today ).

  41. David

    Lawrence you are saying what 100’s of thousands of Aussies are. If they are not saying they are certainly thinking. Abbott and Co are very fortunate when push comes to shove, Australians are not shovers. If so he would have bloody riots on his hands and they are too smart to give him that advantage.

  42. stephentardrew

    The guy is batshit crazy taking an academic of the reputation of Gillian Triggs.

    Brandis is going home with shit all over his liver while the rest of the fascist cabala of fools slink back into the bat cave one step removed from hell.

    Don’t they realise how utterly despicable they appear?

    Tea Party la la land where only the demented get to play.

    It’s only children after all.

  43. iggy648

    stephentardrew February 24, 2015 at 8:40 pm: I believe old white males tipped the balance in favour of the LNP at the last election. They are still the most likely to be influenced by Tony’s phony bravado, and get their information exclusively from the Telegraph and the Australian. We need to encourage our children and grandchildren to understand the power they have to influence the world! They might have spared us what we got at the last election. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-21/figures-show-25-per-cent-of-young-people-failed-to-enrol-to-vote/4903292

  44. Pingback: Why the Liberals shouldn’t listen to Gillian Triggs – » The Australian Independent Media Network | winstonclose

  45. diannaart

    Indeed iggy

    I was busy on twitter with my 2 cents worth in defence of Gillian Triggs when a self-identified old white man informed me that Gillian Triggs was a fraud among other things. I googled his exact words and arrived at a right-wing men-rights group.

    With notable exceptions both here and in general, I guess many ageing white males feel the most threatened by women in power and other right-wing objects of fear such as little children on leaky boats, people who don’t speak English, dark skin and the usual diversity of people.

    The crazy thing is, unless these men are wealthy (far too many voted for the LNP to feel superior through their wealth) they have as much to fear from the Abbottoir as the rest of us.

  46. Lee

    I think Batshit Crazy Brandis has bitten off more than he can chew this time. I look forward to watching his demise.

  47. grey&grumpy

    Rossleigh. Thank you for explaining in simple terms why Gillian Triggs is personally responsible for the partisan report. Just for a moment I thought that Tony and friends were being nasty little shits.

  48. Jennifer Meyer-Smith

    Rossleigh,

    normally I would say that I don’t envy Senator Brandis for offering nasty inducements to Gillian Triggs because I would not like to have the fear of legal sanctions coming his way.

    But since he is the arrogant Attorney-General of that diabolical LNP Degenerate Government with a total reverse reality when it comes to ethical and legal standards, maybe ole George is sitting back with a glass of champas and a cigar pleasantly thinking how clever he is.

    I’m glad he’s stupid, as are all his LNP mates, coz he/they can’t see the train that is coming.

  49. Kaye Lee

    Brandis drinks Campari and soda, which doesn’t actually surprise me.

    “There is the famous anecdote of George travelling to Roma with Peter Costello, going into the pub and ordering a Campari and soda and being told, ‘We don’t have any Campari and, hang on, we don’t have any soda.’ ”

    http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-art-of-compromise-20130705-2p60x.html

  50. Sir ScotchMistery

    @ Michael, re: 7:54 last night.

    People frequently walk past my house in suits.

    I usually check their feet. If they are wearing sneakers, I assume they are appearing at the court.

  51. David

    Not this moving on in age, white man

  52. diannaart

    Keep up the good fight, bro.

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