Let’s be clear, Gladys Berejiklian is being investigated because SHE brought her personal life to work
Over the last few days, there has been a full court press by senior Liberals to get Gladys Berejiklian to run against Zali Stegall for the Federal seat of Warringah.
This necessarily involves attacking the NSW ICAC for what Scott Morrison described as their shameful “pile-on”.
“We have seen plenty of these things and recordings of private conversations detailed intimate things that were paraded around in the media. What was that about? Was that about shaming Gladys Berejiklian? I thought that was awful.”
The ICAC is investigating whether Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust by failing to declare a conflict of interest from her relationship with Mr Maguire, and if she failed to report suspicions or encouraged corrupt conduct.
The reason private conversations were aired was because they showed Ms Berejiklian potentially ignoring corruption and blatantly misusing public money for political gain. The fact that the other party was her boyfriend was irrelevant to the act but relevant to the motivation. The more intimate parts of recordings were not made public but heard in private session.
Let’s be clear here.
It was Gladys that mixed work and play. It was Gladys that chose to keep the relationship secret rather than manage the conflict of interest transparently. It was Gladys that overruled departmental advice to, instead, award grant money to bolster her partner’s political standing.
As Gladys so arrogantly said in her defence, “I don’t think it would be a surprise to anybody that we throw money at seats to keep them. At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, that’s democracy.”
Pork barrelling is not illegal, but it certainly isn’t democracy either.
Morrison said this morning, “What I found is that Gladys was put in a position of actually having to stand down and there was no findings of anything. I don’t call that justice.”
I would remind the Prime Minister that the findings have not yet been brought down and that Ms Berejiklian stood down in compliance with the ministerial standards she herself made. Resigning was her choice entirely.
With the vast majority of the electorate in favour of a Federal ICAC with teeth, and the government’s broken promise to legislate one, attacking the NSW ICAC is a risky strategy.
Zali Stegall is no pushover. If I was Glad, I would seriously consider whether it’s worth the attention that her candidacy would draw.
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John Hanna -
king1394 -
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Kaye Lee -
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Kaye Lee -
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Michael Taylor
Return to home pageSome of us are old enough to recollect the “Paddington Bear” affair, It pales into insignificance these days especially after Howard refused to comply with the standards of that era by standing down naughty liberals, things have gone downhill ever since.
https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/scandal-for-labor-over-bear-in-there/news-story/c01ecc4bb71875bdd095fef16c2edf5d
Every Liberal politician who portrays Gladys as a victim is also showing us where they stand on the same issues of corruption that brought her down. They see nothing wrong in pork-barrelling, hiding your relationships, promoting and supporting blatant vote buying.
I bet Zali Steggal is keeping her finger and toes crossed, hoping these Death Wish Liberals get their way.
The total arrogance to pretend that they and Gladys are above any mere ICACCY Thingee. Investigations are for the rif raf of Society, not for us “Born to Rule”Elites”.
Never disturb your enemy while they are making mistakes. Napoleon Bonaparte.
Thanks, Kaye.
Yes, The Guardian Today has just come out with Glad’s tilt at Warringah as its leading story.
I think the Libs might have made a big whoopsa. Hope so!
It’s just that the Liberals cannot unearth an untainted candidate.
It’s a fact that most prisoners in Australian gaols vote for the coalition. It s not their politics they applaud, it’s their getting away with it that they admire.
Interesting to hear Albanese’s answer to a question about Glad running….
“doesn’t matter who the candidate is for Warringah. The policies of climate denialism, the lack of funding for universities, the lack of support for TAFE, the failure on health, the failure on so many policy areas, the failure to have an anti-corruption commission at a national level will not be assisted, no matter who the candidate is.”
With you there, Kate. Carol and I were discussing similar thoughts this morning.
Jokingly, we added that we wouldn’t put it past the Libs to wheel out Sophia Mirabella again in our electorate of Indi.
Hey, Michael.
What a great idea. I feel a three-word slogan coming on: ‘Bring back Mirabella’! Or maybe, ‘Unditch the Witch’!
They ARE bringing back Mirabella….it’s the husband this time. Replacing Scott Ryan.
https://www.northernbeachesreview.com.au/story/7536084/new-liberal-senator-waits-to-be-sworn-in/
Ah, but nothing that Gladys, Beetrooter, Christian (oh the irony), Trudge et al have done, comes close to the Labor scandal of nearly 50 years ago when Jim Cairns shocked the LNP’s family oriented values with his affair with a staffer AND he was MARRIED!
I’m still in recovery mode.
Harking back to that time of the Dismissal, I never quite understood Labor’s vow to never employ the tactics that Fraser used. I would have thought that giving the GG constitutional power to dissolve parliament in times such as these for instance when the Government has example after example of corruption & broken promises. Having a non-partisan GG saying, “I think this has gone too far; let the people decide.” Is hardly undemocratic.
The Libs really don’t give a shit about the ICAC investigation, Gold Standard Gladys is just a “great” bet for the mad monks old seat. Here’s hoping that Zali Steggall retains, and even increases her voting percentage, the seat which would be a kick in the gonads for Mr. Marketing.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-06/prime-minister-pushes-for-gladys-berejiklian-to-run-in-warringah/100676304
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-not-a-consideration-as-liberals-say-berejiklian-shifts-thinking-on-federal-tilt-20211205-p59f0f.html
Gladys CHOSE to resign the second she caught a whiff of the fact that ICAC was about to investigate her. Why? Becauise Gladys KNOWS what ICAC knows about her.
Thanks for that, Kaye. Surely he couldn’t be any worse than Sophie. She set a very low bar.
Kate, I don’t think anyone will be a threat to our sitting member, Helen Haines. Helen – relatively unknown at the last election – only just snuck in but now she’s the face of the community. She’s gold.
If ST. Gladys of ICAC,victim of gross injustice as both she and the Liar are wailing,then it shows that neither of them have learned a thing.It also points up their utter contempt for justice and the electorate at large,let alone any morals or integrity.It also suggests growing desperation on Morrison’s part,because it runs the risk of an almighty backlash.Berejiklian is damaged goods,and Morrison is flat out filling in the hole he’s in.
Meanwhile,two legged rats are scuttling off in all directions.Let it be the greatest wipe out in Australian political history…that would be something to tell Jen and the kids,and so richly deserved..
The federal Libs desperatly desire Gladys’s prolific ability at document shredding as a backup should a federal ICAC ever be established
Kaye Lee
You said in your article – “Pork barrelling is not illegal, but it certainly isn’t democracy either”.
I understand that are a number of statutory Acts, and Regulations that cover the misuse of public purse money’s. Of course the difficulty is the will to pursue potential offences and the ability to prove the case.
I draw your attention to the following well written paper by Susanna Connolly :-
The Regulation of Pork Barrelling in Australia* Susanna Connolly 1 BA/LLB (Hons), TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland.
I would suggest that it is far too early for Gladys Berejiklian to be considering taking on Steggall in Warringah. For a start Steggall is an excellent local member and there is no certainty that Gladys would win and surely she doesn’t need the ignominy of being a failed candidate in a seat where federal Liberal policies put paid to the last Liberal incumbent.
Apart from which, her dealings with dodgy Daryl and her reckless use of public funds to support his ambitions has yet to be pronounced upon by ICAC.
Gladys must be thinking : ‘you gave Barry O’Farrell High Commissioner for India and all your offering me is a fight over Warringah.’
The inability to understand and accept regulation in matters of legality, morals, ethics, decency, behaviour, has led to the current sickness of, Overwhelmingly, conservative political figures in or out of office. Lying, story telling, contriving, weaving, fabricating, inventing, concealing, these features of modern life fully infuse the greedy, ambitious, righteous, rampant conservative type. From the P M down, The Pustular Misfit, we have infection and fatal suicidal humiliating self focus in a world of fraud, fantasy, mystery, selfromancing rubbish. They just do it, like randy rabbits of rorting, because that’s all they know and feel. NEVER ever vote for or believe a conservative after anything. Recycling Berejiklian, the soiled and unsaintly sinner from Daryl’s room, is ruinous…
Gladys would need to have a very good look at section 44 of our Constitution before she made any decision on running for federal parliament.
If she was referred by ICAC for prosecution she could be caught by section 44 and barred from office no matter what Morrison may say :
………….has been convicted and is under sentence, or subject to be sentenced, for any offence punishable under the law of the Commonwealth or of a State by imprisonment for one year or longer
And that includes a sentence that may be wholly suspended.
Why would she risk that possible public disgrace………………perhaps she would be better advised to wait for a future federal election when all of this has been sorted.
@ Michael Taylor, Kaye Lee: Check out the story that I think was in the SMH about how Sophie married the candidate husband. There were some interesting details published that indicate that both Sophie & husband may be totally unfit for any public office ….. which would naturally make them dead cert as pre-selected candidates for the Liarbral Party.
Oh yes NEC. I am aware of how Sophie bankrolled her entry into politics and the eventual fate of her benefactor. And what a tawdry tale it is
https://www.smh.com.au/national/power-love-and-money-20110922-1knb7.html
I remember that, NEC. A scoundrel she is.
Michael,
In fact, I think we got threatened when I wrote a story about that years ago.
Speaking of tawdry tales, Kathy Jackson did a similar thing.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/people/2021/04/13/kathy-jackson-will/
I can’t believe that Jackson finally plead guilty and got off with a suspended sentence. I missed it during the pandemic. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-26/former-health-services-union-secretary-kathy-jackson-sentenced/12922338
She was a very litigious person, I believe.
By memory she received a settlement from the local Wangaratta paper over a story they published about her. And now I’m really testing my memory, but it might have been over offering $10M for the local hospital if she was re-elected.
I could be wrong.
Didn’t Tony Abbott call Kathy Jackson a hero?
If it was 40 years ago I’d remember. If it was recently then I wouldn’t be so certain.
Example 1:
Driving to the shops I said to Carol; “Oh look. The council have planted shrubs on the roundabout.”
Carol; “They’ve been there for at least seven years.”
Me: ☹️
Example 2:
After staring at the microwave oven blankly for 30 seconds I finally remembered that the cold drinks were in the fridge. 🤦🏻♂️
Please tell me this is normal. 😁
Now where were we?
Sophie successfully sued a newspaper who claimed she pushed Cathy McGowan out of a photo opportunity.
Cathy agreed that did not happen and told the court the ‘‘difficult situation’’ occurred on April 15, 2016, when she asked for a photo with Mr Wyatt at the opening of a Benalla nursing home’s new wing.
‘‘Mrs Mirabella didn’t want the photo taken, put her hands up to stop it happening, impeded it from happening. It was a very embarrassing situation,’’ Mrs McGowan said. ‘‘She put her hands on his chest to stop him moving towards the plaque.’’
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/29/sophie-mirabella-defamation-case-costs-victorian-newspaper-almost-300000
In 2014, then-prime minister Tony Abbott said:
“We’ve had people like Kathy Jackson heroically, heroically, say that enough is enough, it’s all got to stop and I think the honest people inside the union movement, the honest people inside the Labor Party will welcome this royal commission”
In 2011, Abbott said:
“Kathy Jackson is a brave decent woman and she is speaking up on behalf of 70,000 members.”
Christopher Pyne labelled Jackson a revolutionary:
“The person I particularly want to comment on is Kathy Jackson. Kathy Jackson is a revolutionary, and revolutionaries … Revolutionaries are not always perfect. Revolutionaries sometimes have to cut corners and do things in order to bring about a result. But she will be remembered as a transforming union leader.
“Kathy Jackson is a revolutionary, and Kathy Jackson will be remembered as a lion of the union movement.
“Jackson, Athena, toppled two union leaders … In her wisdom, and in deciding to wage war with the HSU, she may well have strangled the union-ALP umbilical cord.
“More strength to her arm.”
Senator James Paterson, before being elected, thanked Jackson when she spoke to the HR Nicholls Society
”From the bottom of my heart … thank you for all the ammunition you have provided us with tonight.”
Anything that happened in the last decade IS recent, and it’s results, not speed, that counts when remembering where the drink are.
Thank you, Kaye. I remember that now.
Cathy was rather gracious, I recall. (I must be right – Carol’s nodding in agreement).
“I had a commitment for a $10 million allocation to the Wangaratta hospital that if elected I was going to announce a week after the election,” she said.
“That is $10 million that Wangaratta hasn’t had because Cathy got elected.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-22/mirabella-victorian-hospital/7350008
Kaye, a good case of egg dripping off the faces of a few Liberals.
That $10M ‘promise/bribe’ went down in the electorate like a lead balloon.
Did I mention….
Former federal Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella has been handpicked by Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter to join the Fair Work Commission.
Her pay will range from $387,000 if she is appointed a commissioner to $470,000 is she is made a deputy commissioner.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/former-liberal-mp-sophie-mirabella-appointed-to-plum-fair-work-job-20210322-p57csf
Along with …
“This is not a career that I ever dreamed about,” says the 61-year-old Greg Mirabella, who will be confirmed as Victoria’s newest senator at a joint sitting of the state’s Parliament on Wednesday.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/greg-mirabella-s-unorthodox-road-to-canberra-20211129-p59d3h.html
And….
Tony Abbott appointed Kathy Jackson’s partner Michael Lawler to the FW commission in 2002 when he was workplace relations minister.. It was alleged that Lawler benefited from the $1.4 million of union funds that a court found Ms Jackson had misused and rorted.
https://www.afr.com/politics/labor-considers-push-to-dismiss-kathy-jacksons-partner-michael-lawler-20150824-gj5zvp
Sigh…..
Michael – my GP tells me that many of us have a stroke without realising it.
In January, on the eve of my 85th birthday, I fell asleep while watching television. Or so I thought, but, when I woke up, I knew something had happened.
I live alone, stay up really late (I am seldom in bed before 3.00 am, or up before 10.30 am!) and the following morning when a friend rang me, I found talking a bit tricky, and when we ended our conversation, she rang 000 and got an ambulance to my place!
I spent 3 days in RDH, first having an MRI, which revealed a blood clot in my heart which had caused a mild stroke, and was put on blood thinners. Apparently I had had another stroke a couple of weeks earlier of which I was totally unaware! The blood thinners is a lifelong permanent medication which means that I can no longer take an anti-inflammatory to treat my sciatica!
By the end of that first day I could talk coherently and was physically unaffected (apart from back pain!), I got my driving licence back after a month and must now have a medical before renewal.
But my memory has been affected and every so often I look at my iPhone and do not have a clue what to do!
So be warned!
There is story in the Guardian today.
The Headline reads –
Guardian Essential poll: NSW voters sympathetic to Gladys Berejiklian despite Icac probe
The byline –
Majority of survey respondents in NSW agreed with Scott Morrison’s criticism of corruption watchdog’s inquiry into former premier’s alleged conduct
If this truly is the case, what chance do we have of getting better governments?
Is the electorate really that ignorant?
Thanks for the links, Kaye.
Wow! Our Sophe has really set us all off, hasn’t she? What a delightful human being she must be!
And, Sean. Horrible news from The Guardian. And the most horrible thing about it is that you can probably trust The Guardian poll.
The chair of the Centre for Public Integrity and former NSW supreme court judge, Anthony Whealy, criticised Morrison for dismissing the serious issues raised by the Icac inquiry.
“Even those who admire Berejiklian for many of her qualities when she was premier, realise there has to be a serious inquiry into the situation that arose … in unloading millions of dollars of public money into the Wagga electorate at the same time she was in a relationship with the member for Wagga,” he said.
“For Morrison to dismiss that as being of no significance, is to trash integrity and accountability in the most terrible fashion,” he said.
Whealy said calling it a kangaroo court showed the prime minister “had no idea what NSW Icac legislation says, because it is not a court at all.”
“It’s an investigative body that is precisely the same as a royal commission. No one suggested that the royal commissions into banking or trade unions, or aged care were kangaroos courts and they were conducted in public,” he said.
“To accuse Icac in this way, is to blatantly misunderstand its nature or it’s a wilful refusal to acknowledge what its true function is,” he said.
all good bible christians know god made women so that they can never be equal to men.
However, the rabbott said there are exceptional women and sophie is one of god’s exceptions. Presumably gladys is another?
ps
looks like scummo needs another diversion?
A boat would be handy or perhaps a diplomatic boycott?
One would think that the last thing Gladys wants after a gruelling ICAC going over is to then hop happily into a tough election campaign again a strong opponent in Zali Steggall (who incidentally, Kaye, has tweeted one of your articles 😀).
But Morrison is clearly serious as he has reportedly extended the cut-off date for preselection nominations until the middle of January (the original cut-off was last Friday). Gladys, apparently, is onboard.
The ICAC findings are due on the 20th of this month. I’m guessing that the results will not be made public. We can’t have Gladys going into a campaign with more baggage.
Rosemary, I considered that, but they were rare occasions. I put it down to having a lot on my mind. I’m heading off to Sydney next month for an operation, coincidentally, on my sciatica, and it’s playing on me.
I note that there are plenty of published comments by highly experienced and qualified legal experts calling the comments by the Liar on ICAC “Stupid and Disgraceful”.Morrison is a national embarrassment,and getting worse in his growing desperation.I wonder if his future is being discussed at headquarters?I foresee more desertions.
Michael sorry to hear about your condition and the need for an operation. Good luck.
Thank you, Henry. I appreciate your words.
According to “Mr Denmore” (a person whose word I’ve always trusted) he has it on good advice that Gladys will not be running. All this publicity has been crafted from Morrison’s office to try and discredit the NSW ICAC and thus ‘prove’ there is no need for a federal one.
This Morrison fellow… he’s a sly one.