The countdown is over! Number 1 goes to Dr Jennifer Wilson for this article from February 2021 on what would be one of the biggest stories – and one of the biggest scandals – of the year.
Congratulations, Jennifer.
The Morrison government is a sewer
An allegation of the brutal anal rape of a child in 1988 has been made against an un-named minister in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s cabinet.
The victim took her own life in June 2020. NSW police have confirmed that a criminal investigation into the allegation dies with the victim.
Despite their knowledge that police will not investigate because the complainant is dead, government ministers and some journalists continue to claim that the matter must be left to the police.
All of them are wrong, according to police.
So @lanai_scarr says on @InsidersABC everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence. True. But she says we should wait to see what the police do. Again: it’s vitally important to understand that criminal investigation (as NSW Police confirms) dies with the complainant.
— Louise Milligan (@Milliganreports) February 27, 2021
Morrison said that he has referred the allegations to police.
Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, yesterday said the accused minister will not be stood aside, and that the matter should be left to police.
(It is puzzling that Birmingham is commenting on this. It would seem to be more appropriately the job of senior lawmaker Attorney-General Christian Porter, who has thus far remained silent.)
On ABC Insiders program this morning, Australian Financial Review journalist Phil Coorey repeated the government line. “This is for the coppers,” he stated, “and it should be for the coppers first and foremost.”
This seems at first blush to be wilful ignorance, gross carelessness, the peddling of misinformation, or an attempt to yet again create and control a narrative that best favours the government.
The accused minister has not come forward to defend himself against the allegations. It is not credible that anyone who is innocent would want to continue public life with accusations such as these left unaddressed, and yet, that appears to be the case.
It is also only a matter of time until the suspect is named. There appears to be no legal requirement to suppress his name, particularly as there will be no trial. He can also be named under parliamentary privilege. It is undoubtedly in the public interest for his name to be released, and were he anyone other than a Liberal cabinet minister, he would not probably not be protected by anonymity. Footballers, for example, are stood aside while allegations of sexual assault are investigated, and they are named. Not so much cabinet ministers, it appears.
It is also remarkable that the accused minister appears to be happy for his cabinet colleagues to be tainted by the rape allegations. As long as we do not know who the minister is, there are around sixteen possibilities in the cabinet. Every time a cabinet minister opens his mouth we can legitimately ask, are you the alleged child rapist? This can’t help but have a destabilising effect on the government, as its already tenuous legitimacy is further eroded by the presence of an anonymous alleged rapist in its highest ranks.
As the complainant is deceased, there won't be a criminal prosecution. However, there remains a grave allegation against a sitting cabinet minister. There is no real choice but for him to step forward and address it. The alternative is a paralysed government.
— marquelawyers (@marquelawyers) February 27, 2021
Then there is the question of national security, a subject close to the hearts of both Morrison, and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, also a cabinet member. In 2017 when Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister, he had occasion to warn Christian Porter, prior to making him Attorney-General, that his drinking and his behaviours towards young women were leaving him open to the possibility of compromise, making him a security risk:
“…it is just not acceptable. And he knew that I was considering appointing him attorney general, which of course is the first law officer of the crown, and has a seat on the national security committee, so the risk of compromise is very, very real.”
By the same token, one may conclude that an anonymous cabinet minister who is accused of the brutal anal rape of a child might well be a prime target for blackmail, and is a serious security risk.
Indeed, everyone in the cabinet who is aware of and concealing the alleged rapist’s identity is a security risk, and vulnerable to exploitation.
Is this government even tenable while this matter is “left to the coppers?”
It is alarming that Morrison seems oblivious to the security dangers the situation presents. It’s even more alarming that Morrison seems entirely impervious to the immorality of protecting and hiding an alleged child rapist.
The hideous situation has come to light just days after the government spectacularly failed to cope with the alleged rape of media advisor, Brittany Higgins, in Parliament House just metres from the Prime Minister’s office.
Ms Higgins was left unconscious and half naked by her attacker on Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ couch. This could have cost Ms Higgins her life, as she was inebriated and unable to care for herself. Security guards “checked on” Ms Higgins through the night, but nobody called for medical assistance. At least thirty people, including ministers, the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate and the Prime Minister’s Office most senior staff knew about this “serious incident,” and none of them informed the Prime Minister until two years later.
The Morrison government is a sewer. It is steeped in allegations of rape and sexual assault of the most serious and sickening kind. It is almost certain that Morrison will attempt to brazen out this latest allegation. He will not stand the minister aside, and he will continue to contend that it is a matter for police, in full knowledge that the police cannot pursue criminal charges.
The minister will not be investigated by police. He will not be exonerated. His name will not be cleared. Suspicion will linger over the heads of all male cabinet members, including Scott Morrison, Christian Porter and Peter Dutton.
We should probably assume that being suspected of the anal rape of a child does not necessarily perturb any of them.
While we know not all cabinet ministers are alleged child rapists, we do not know which one is. The Prime Minister is doing everything possible to conceal that knowledge from us.
How good is that?
This article was originally published on No Place For Sheep.
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Sewers are useful, relevant, “honourable”. This government of the P M, a Pamphlet Manufacturer, is anything but, being just offensively putrid. Devious, dishonest, drunken, dickheaded, delusional and desperate, it stands as the ugly knob of neocapitalist exploitation, profiteering, consumer coercion and control. Scotty, Bananaby, Solly, Gerry, Rupert, Stokes, Costello, the Fat Frau of the West, these are the unterfuhrers, the little josef and heinrich and eva hunnish horrors of our depraved politics.
Sadly, this fucking lying rabble of so-called “liberal” (?) politicians is proving to be a rotten lot of cover up merchants, of the first degree! ALL Australians who are normal, decent persons must be disgusted with this fucking mob, hopefully, they are ALL kicked out at election time. Great & true article AIM! Keep up the good works & thank you to you all!
The victim mentality in the Coalition is astonishing.
Porter was a victim. Barnaby Joyce was a victim. Gladys Berejiklian is a victim. Peter Dutton even claimed victimhood when people objected to his dismissive “he said she said” comment about Brittany Higgins. Andrew Laming is now claiming to be a victim as is George Christensen re security concerns about his questionable behaviour in the Philippines.
The standard has fallen so low that they truly believe they should be beyond reproach regardless of how despicably they behave.
I suggest we turn our minds away from the sewer that is our federal government and propose the AIM Number 1 award for the person of 2021 go to Greta Thunberg.
That a small Swedish teenage girl could cause such gut wrenching, vein popping red faced outrage among Rupert’s scurrying minions is a truly remarkable achievement.
A small girl that sends the fruits bats of Rupert’s SAD coterie into apoplectic fits brings a smile to the dial and a warm glow to the heart and must be worth at least a gold medal award.
Plus anybody that can cause Barnaby Joyce’s beetroot face to turn even redder gets my vote.
Let Greta and the world know some Australians care.
I second Ross. Not all of us start fires at Old Parliament House in a stupid copy cat copy of 6 January. Some of us are ashamed of being Australian right now. I do wish Kate the anally raped teenager had gone to the press and the police at the time. We would have been spared the drinking, womanising attorney general who got others to pay for his needless ABC hounding. And I hope Berejiklian goes to prison, but bet she won’t…
The contents of the Pariamentary bubble are a self-inf;licted wound that only the Australian voters can change by voting in every election
.
VOTE ANYONE BUT LIARBRALS IN CITY ELECTORATES
.
VOTE CREDIBLE LOCAL INDEPENDENT OR SFF IN COUNTRY ELECTORATES &
.
VOTE FOR ALL THE CANDIDATES IN THE ORDER OF MY PREFERENCE so that
.
we may yet save Australian democracy for our kids.
The rubber spine effwit has…yet again…back flipped! https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/national-cabinet-requirement-for-close-contacts-and-covid-cases-to-get-day-six-test-scraped/news-story/c8743af0edc55e58a3e6915c0180215a
And now this is something Scummo should be very proud of –
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/30/world/covid-cases-omicron.html
How can this incompetent, lazy, imperious, deluded, inferior group of oafs under Morrison be safe and confident in their stupidity? How can the superstitious mediaeval rodent Perrotet live with his uttered garbage, repeated ignorance? This murderous dereliction of duty is unforgiveable. Conservative dummy fronts for greedy profiteering and coercion remain a BLOT, a criminality.
A well deserved award to Jennifer Wilson for her carefully argued searching article. Furthermore, I find a piece by Tony Wright written a couple of years ago, on the personal relationship Morrison has had with the NSW Police Commissioner both interesting, and instructive. While it’s a different Minister Morrison is seeking to defend (Angus Taylor) in Wright’s article, the model of political interference is made explicit.
Yes, that’s right, the official line in the case Jennifer Wilson is discussing is that because the defendant took her own life, there is no need for a NSW police investigation into allegations she made. How convenient this judgement made by the NSW police authorities, must have been for Morrison.
Consider the wider context :
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-pm-the-phone-call-between-mates-and-amateur-hour-20191127-p53emc.html
and
Choke, gag, urg, gurgle…’straya, ‘straya, ‘straya, oi, oi, oi. Bucket, where’s the vomit bucket? The Scummo with with his jingostic and bullshit laden crap.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/scott-morrison-and-anthony-albanese-release-new-years-eve-videos/news-story/9552eeb15f346b995259a9f276ece9a3
Once again Albo’s message is short and to the point.
That’s a good idea, Ross, and something I hadn’t considered. It would surely be something positive among all the misery we’ve had to endure, and nothing works wonders like a good-news story.
But need it be a public figure?
A few decades ago – when I was the S.A. state manager of a finance company – I bailed up the managing director and said I was tired of hearing about the dedication, loyalty and achievements of the corporate staff in head office, noting to him than the teenage lass on the front desk of my office matched the dedication and loyalty of the big knobs in Sydney and our global head office in Chicago, yet nobody outside of my office could give a stuff about her.
He then went over and thanked her for all that she does.
This time I am going to swear: For fucks sake! The state and federal LNP is making Neighbours (or if you have watched Red Dwarf, Androids) look like the most grim and serious Greek tragedy ever written.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/covid-healthcare-staff-who-are-close-contacts-to-be-ordered-back-to-work-20211231-p59l6t.html
GL, it’s been a year full of “for fucks sake”, more so than any other year, though 2022 could well create a new world record for sakes of the fuck variety.
Michael,
Things can only go further downhill next year until the election at least. I still don’t hold out any hope that the unwashed masses will remove the LNP.
Anyway, I think I’ll go and watch one of my favourite Yes, Prime Minister episodes, “The Key” followed by a now classic TV horror movie called “The Norliss Tapes then see what happens from there. Think I might a have a can of really good alcoholic ginger beer as well (that’s my alcohol intake for the year there).
I like Kaye L’s comment ‘The victim mentality in the Coalition is astonishing’; it’s relevant across the LNP, GOP and Tories acting down….
This victimhood is not just the modus operandi of senior ‘conservative’ LNP MPs but also ‘leaders’ like Erdogan, Putin, Orban et al., it’s integral to developing (via managed media) anxiety, fear and paranoia amongst supporters or voters, against real and/or existential threats to LNP etc. power while substantive policies are non existent. Their supporters can also act irresponsibly while claiming victimhood e.g. authoritarian and threatening actions of Capitol Hill and then anti-vaxx Kochian ‘Freedom Protests’ inc. those egged on in Melbourne by several media outlets to create Tea party type angst towards the Vic. govt., for media content or agitprop.
The arrogant ‘Anglosphere’ has already seen how more ageing ‘conservative’ voters, of left and right, can be manipulated into voting against the interests of their democracy, society and future generations aka Brexit, Trump, global warming, Covid; ultimately supporting radical right libertarian socio economic ideology delivered by ‘conservative’ voters and/or dollops of authoritarianism.
US conservative journalist David Brooks wrote a disturbing article in The Atlantic in ‘The Terrifying Future of the American Right
What I saw at the National Conservatism Conference’ where he described too many participants as paranoid and fearful meaning there are no limits to anything anymore….. a relevant quote:
‘The NatCons are wrong to think there is a unified thing called “the left” that hates America. This is just the apocalyptic menace many of them had to invent in order to justify their decision to vote for Donald Trump…..
…the cultural and corporate elites have merged. Right-wing parties around the world are gradually becoming working-class parties that stand against the economic interests and cultural preferences of the highly educated’
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/scary-future-american-right-national-conservatism-conference/620746/
Why is it, when a murder is committed, an investigation occurs even though the victim has died. Yet when a rape victim dies, the investigation is cancelled. Just because the victim dies, doesn’t mean a crime wasn’t committed. What kind of disgraceful, low-life country are we living in?
It appears that the coalition will go into the next election as they did in 2019, with no policies other than to attack Labor and somehow to sell their belief that they are better economic managers than Labor : keep the data handy on Robodebt, massive Jobkeeper waste; excessive debt accumulation and all the pork barreling, from car parks, sports and coal mines..
What is more concerning is that the coalition seem to be building on their cold-war with China and trying show Labor as being soft on Communism : echoes of Menzies in the 1950’s when he initially tried to outlaw the Australian Communist Party, that was overturned by the High Court as being unconstitutional. Then he tried to change the constitution to suit his political ends but he lost the referendum too.
What is different now is that China is our biggest trading partner and industry, particularly those in resources, won’t have a bar of this political China bashing. The major miners are taking over diplomacy from the federal government and dealing directly with Beijing. Acknowledging that this coalition government have no idea about how to handle international diplomacy (take France) and in particular the important relationship with China.
I believe you will see Dutton leading the charge to link Labor with Communism and thus as fellow travellers of the Beijing leadership. He will do this under a shroud of national security but in reality it is all about political games with no thought of the consequences for Australia and our economy.
This will be Labor’s election to lose : I hope they are up for it !
Happy New Year all !
Terence,
Agree pretty much entirely, but methinks robodebt is by far the biggest hardest stick that they can (and should) be bludgeoned with.
All the cited examples illustrate proceedural ineptitude/corruption and a complete disdain for transparency or accountability, but robodebt also demonstrates malicious intent towards Australian citizenry and contempt for basic law.
Porkbarrelling projects and corporate donations can be casually waved away as flippant largesse (SOP for buying elections) but robodebt stands apart.
It was a direct, illegal attack upon swathes of vulnerable citizenry.
They not only completely fudged the equation to generate flagrantly false debts, but then blatantly broke the law to issue demands without proof.
This scheme, which combined sheer incompetance at mathematical equation and utter contempt for Australian law was overseen by Morrison (later treasurer then PM), Porter (later AG) and Tudge (later minista 4 edyookashun).
Robodebt was deemed completely illegal by supreme court ruling and scathingly castigated by the justice presiding, yet none of those responsible have accepted responsibility or faced more serious censure.
All calls for official inquiry into this systematic injustice occured have been obstinately refused, and all FOI requests stubbornly opposed.
Far too few Australians are aware of these facts.
Ps, happy new year, and thank you for your tireless efforts at providing the AIMN readership with accurate facts and rational analysis, all delivered in reasoned tone and terms.
Our rat infested Liberal Federal Government – Willfull Destruction and bastardisation of our constitution and democracy, lies and suppression of the truth. Sounds like a political crusade for dictatorial power to me – And the ringleaders and institutions are Hillsong Liberals. Pillage and rape of our values and way of life – Not Australia, just feudal and medieval.
Journalists should be asking our PM about his views and feelings regarding his personal spiritual guru (Houston of Hillsong) now being in court up on criminal charges, namely allegedly concealing serial acts of child rape.
Bear in mind that Houston was known to be under federal police investigation for these serious matters at the same time that Morrison invited him to attend dinner at the white house.
I know such enquiries would not yield an honest response, but it would be satisfying to watch him squirm.
CorvusB
Thanks for your comments and, yes the demise or Porter has pointed to some real concerns on political gifting.
Using a legal gimmick to hide the origin of monetary gifts he received from anonymous sources [whether to pay his legal fees or any other purpose] leaves a stain our our democracy and one that we need to address urgently.
There are still many questions about Stuart Robert who is the only Morrison government cabinet minister to have put a complete wall of secrecy around his assets via a blind trust.
Terrence,
Agree that politicians accepting large undisclosed anonymous donations to help foot their self-inflicted legal bills is poisonous to democracy.
Knowing the who-did aids understanding the why-did, and any concealed conditional hooks and strings attatched to ‘political charity’ can potentially be revealed.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the ALP referencinf Porters ‘blind trust’ giftbags as a talking point can be fairly easily diminished/deflected by the coalition making ‘whatabout’ counter-reference to a proceedural precedent in the case of Sam Dastyari.
Michael Taylor, my comment was a little tongue in cheek. Greta Thunberg does not need a person of the year recognition. Everybody knows who Greta is and what she represents and all kudos to her.
Consistently getting up the nose of the so called movers and shakers who orbit the celestial black hole that is Murdoch deserves an award far greater than any “person of the year”.
And yes you are right, a person of the year needs to be someone special, not some preening politician or so called celebrity. As you say a richly deserving ‘non-entity’.
Awards should be given to people who don’t need it or want it, but would hang it on the wall anyway.
It is time for a male version of Tame to be Australian of the year. Some man passionate about domestic violence within the family and the sexual abuse of children despises the sexual mistreatment of women in all forms.
Porter’s victim had one wish above all others, which has been granted. She was determined he would never be PM.
One of the coalition’s strategies will be to try to portray Labor as economically irresponsible. In response to Anthony Albanese’s announcement of funding an initial $300M to scope a fast train link between Sydney and Newcastle, Paul Fletcher asked where the money will come from. Labor needs to hit back and ask Fletcher where the coalition will dredge up the money for their $71 B sub program.
I think the entire narrative is BS and cynical politicking from a desperate regime but Labor must not let them get away with it!
The sewers, are where these mutated government RATS need stay and live out of our lives and OUR democracy FOREVER !!!. ALL of the LNP can … “GO TO HELL”, so our freedom and human rights, can recover from decades of this religious fanatical capitalist nightmare cult, we’re all living in.