Abbott/Liberal Govt Watch

[Q.]

Criminal Tudge found guilty of criminal conduct:

Acting immigration minister Alan Tudge engaged in "criminal" conduct when he ignored a tribunal decision and left an asylum seeker in detention for five days, a judge has found.

Justice Geoffrey Flick delivered the scathing decision at the Federal Court on Wednesday, saying the minister “engaged in conduct which can only be described as criminal”.

...

“The minister cannot place himself above the law and, at the same time, necessarily expect that this Court will grant discretionary relief,” court documents read.

“His conduct exposes him to both civil and potentially criminal sanctions, not limited to a proceeding for contempt.”

Seems there's another set of rules for the corrupt LNP. Anyone else would have been forced to resign.

[Q.]

Sukkar's employer from 2006 to 2013 brought in to review, umm, Sukkar:

A federal inquiry into the office of Assistant Minister Michael Sukkar was outsourced to the law firm he used to work for, sparking questions over a conflict of interest in its findings.

The Finance Department chose national law firm Ashurst to run the review after revelations in August of branch-stacking and smear campaigns by Liberal Party operatives hired at taxpayer expense in electorate offices.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/conflict-concern-minister-s-former-employer-handled-review-into-his-office-20201020-p566wb.html

[Q.]

$30m Western Sydney airport land deal 'looks like' a cover-up, says infrastructure chief

The head of Australia’s infrastructure department has agreed that it looks as though officials attempted to cover up an inflated valuation for a controversial land sale connected to the second Sydney airport – and insists that he’s embarked on a clean-up exercise.

Simon Atkinson, the secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, faced hours of questions on Monday before Senate estimates about a decision by officials to spend $30m on a parcel of land near the Western Sydney airport worth just $3m – an acquisition that has been excoriated by the Australian National Audit Office.

The controversy stems from a decision in 2018 when officials on behalf of the commonwealth agreed to pay a Liberal donor, the Leppington Pastoral Company, 10 times the fair value of 12.26 hectares of land that, after 30 years, will serve as a second runway for Sydney’s second airport.

[Q.]

Gosh, it's hard work keeping up with LNP corruption

[stan]

Gosh, it's hard work keeping up with LNP corruption

No it's not. You just assume there will be a new one each week.

[Q.]

Morrison wetting down his lettuce leaves as we speak:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/11/03/commonwealth-integrity-commission-toothless/

Ms Aulby and the Centre for Public Integrity have long pushed for a federal corruption body.

She said the government’s proposal was inadequate, and that its requirement for conduct to meet criminal thresholds meant numerous corruption scandals would escape scrutiny.

“They’re setting that bar so high for investigations that they wouldn’t be able to investigate ‘sports rorts’ or the Western Sydney airport deal,” Ms Aulby told The New Daily.

[Q.]

Morrison's destruction of the China trade relationship is turning out to be a disaster for our food, wine and resources exporters:

Australian food, wine and resources exporters fear they may soon be hit by a wave of further Chinese sanctions after Beijing banned Queensland timber imports and suspended trade with another Australian grain exporter.

The latest trade strike comes as the Federal Government scrambles to save $2 million worth of live rock lobsters stranded on the tarmac in Shanghai. China's Customs agency alleges the lobsters may be contaminated.

And three wine distributors in different Chinese cities have also received sudden notification of an imminent ban on importing wine and other products from Australia, although Chinese authorities are not confirming it and doubts remain about the authenticity of the instructions.

The new uncertainty comes after China's Customs agency said it would block timber imports from Queensland after finding a bark beetle in a shipment.

Australian grain handler Emerald Grain was also suspended from exporting barley to China over the weekend when local officials claimed to have found weed seeds in a consignment.

Australia's largest grain exporter, CBH, was blacklisted by Chinese authorities in September for similar reasons.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-03/china-broadens-trade-war-against-australian-imports/12841142

[Armchair expert]

The "lobster" fishers would rather not fish than sell their product to the Australian public.

They can gagf

[Bum Crack]

The "lobster" fishers would rather not fish than sell their product to the Australian public.

They can gagf

They might not have a choice soon

[cracka]

Might be a bit of short term pain but I think its in our best interests not to have so much reliance on trade with China

[DOC]

I think you are spot on.

[Q.]

Might be a bit of short term pain but I think its in our best interests not to have so much reliance on trade with China

You don't do that by wiping out major export markets

[cracka]

Might be a bit of short term pain but I think its in our best interests not to have so much reliance on trade with China

You don't do that by wiping out major export markets

They're the ones playing games with our exports.

[Q.]

Might be a bit of short term pain but I think its in our best interests not to have so much reliance on trade with China

You don't do that by wiping out major export markets

They're the ones playing games with our exports.

Trade relations is a fine art and Morrison is a bull in a china shop

[Q.]

"Family values" Tudge and "Family Values" Porter embroiled in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment scandal:

Michael Pascoe: Yet again, it’s a matter of trust with Canberra scandal

[Ronnie]

"Family values" Tudge and "Family Values" Porter embroiled in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment scandal:

Michael Pascoe: Yet again, it’s a matter of trust with Canberra scandal

So all of a sudden we are now reporting on the private relationships of politicians? Even to the extent of trawling back to their University days for dirt?

Ok then, I look forward to the next instalment from 4 Corners on the shenanigans on the Labor side, maybe even the Greens, who were notably absent from the last instalment.
It might help to get hold of an aggrieved ex Prime Minister who might be looking to settle a few scores. There's a heap of material in Canberra, if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.

[Q.]

"Family values" Tudge and "Family Values" Porter embroiled in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment scandal:

Michael Pascoe: Yet again, it’s a matter of trust with Canberra scandal

So all of a sudden we are now reporting on the private relationships of politicians? Even to the extent of trawling back to their University days for dirt?

Ok then, I look forward to the next instalment from 4 Corners on the shenanigans on the Labor side, maybe even the Greens, who were notably absent from the last instalment.
It might help to get hold of an aggrieved ex Prime Minister who might be looking to settle a few scores. There's a heap of material in Canberra, if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.

Wait, so your response to sexual predation & harassment, power imbalance and misconduct is - what about Labor and the Greens? No doubt they have their own stories to tell, but that your reason to bury a story (that was fully corroborated with witnesses that had specifically come forward) that is in the public interest is because it's about the LNP is totally specious!

And it is totally in the public interest, not least of all because both politicians have been staunch advocates for certain policies under the guise of "family values", but most importantly because misconduct like affairs severely compromises the security clearance of an Attorney General.

[Q.]

"Family values" Tudge and "Family Values" Porter embroiled in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment scandal:

Michael Pascoe: Yet again, it’s a matter of trust with Canberra scandal

So all of a sudden we are now reporting on the private relationships of politicians? Even to the extent of trawling back to their University days for dirt?

Ok then, I look forward to the next instalment from 4 Corners on the shenanigans on the Labor side, maybe even the Greens, who were notably absent from the last instalment.
It might help to get hold of an aggrieved ex Prime Minister who might be looking to settle a few scores. There's a heap of material in Canberra, if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.

Wait, so your response to sexual predation & harassment, power imbalance and misconduct is - what about Labor and the Greens? No doubt they have their own stories to tell, but that your reason to bury a story (that was fully corroborated with witnesses that had specifically come forward) that is in the public interest is because it's about the LNP is totally specious!

And it is totally in the public interest, not least of all because both politicians have been staunch advocates for certain policies under the guise of "family values", but most importantly because misconduct like affairs severely compromises the security clearance of an Attorney General.

Also, in Morrison's own words:

"I'm sorry — if you sleep with your staff, it's not private anymore, it's public, because you're a minister in a position of responsibility and power, over those who work for you," Mr Morrison told Insiders.

"And we owe it to them to live up to this standard."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-18/scott-morrison-warns-ministers-over-sleeping-with-staff/9459256

[Jimmy_041]

I can imagine every person in Australia is currently trying to delete their uni history, or research that of their opponents.

Has anyone got access to @Psyber’s

[stan]

"Family values" Tudge and "Family Values" Porter embroiled in sexual misconduct and sexual harassment scandal:

Michael Pascoe: Yet again, it’s a matter of trust with Canberra scandal

So all of a sudden we are now reporting on the private relationships of politicians? Even to the extent of trawling back to their University days for dirt?

Ok then, I look forward to the next instalment from 4 Corners on the shenanigans on the Labor side, maybe even the Greens, who were notably absent from the last instalment.
It might help to get hold of an aggrieved ex Prime Minister who might be looking to settle a few scores. There's a heap of material in Canberra, if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.

Wait, so your response to sexual predation & harassment, power imbalance and misconduct is - what about Labor and the Greens? No doubt they have their own stories to tell, but that your reason to bury a story (that was fully corroborated with witnesses that had specifically come forward) that is in the public interest is because it's about the LNP is totally specious!

And it is totally in the public interest, not least of all because both politicians have been staunch advocates for certain policies under the guise of "family values", but most importantly because misconduct like affairs severely compromises the security clearance of an Attorney General.

Also, in Morrison's own words:

"I'm sorry — if you sleep with your staff, it's not private anymore, it's public, because you're a minister in a position of responsibility and power, over those who work for you," Mr Morrison told Insiders.

"And we owe it to them to live up to this standard."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-18/scott-morrison-warns-ministers-over-sleeping-with-staff/9459256

I love the fact that it had to be banned. I mean sleeping with co-workers in general is such a bad idea, imagine people who worked for you.