Peter

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Over the years we have seen many a political stunt go pear-shaped, take Sarah Palin for example.

Here in Australia political stunts extend as far as character assassinations, even to the point of arrests being made under false circumstances. At least they do now.

Some of you may have read my previous article on the allegedly stage-managed arrest of Craig Thomson last Thursday. The article which was published on Wixxyleaks and Independent Australia delved into the claims by Thomson and his solicitor McCardle that this arrest warrant did not exist.

This claim was dismissed by most, however I thought that it was the Victoria Police claims that seemed to be rather ridiculous. I struggled to see how someone could be given over a month’s warning of an arrest, I also struggled with the validity of the charges, particularly ones involving ice cream, as there seemed to be numerous ridiculous charges just there to make the overall number of charges look big.

Arrest Warrant in December?? WTF?

Arrest Warrant in December?? WTF?

As it turns out, my doubts were justified as it has now been confirmed by NSW Police that there was in fact no arrest warrant issued in December at all as Vic Police had claimed on the day.

That’s right, the justification for Thomson’s arrest was a lie.

I suggest at this point you nip out, make yourself a cuppa, and let that sink in for a bit.

If my assessment of the evidently fictitious police arrest warrant was correct, then that again makes me question the timing of this most public of spectacles.

I should just point out now, that I may have given some flack to Ean Higgins in previous articles, but I think he deserves a pat on the back and congratulations for his article on this today. Credit where credit is due.

On the timing of the baseless arrest, I have been told by reliable sources that the Victorian Police spent the night before in Terrigal, on the NSW Central coast.

This of course would mean overnight accommodation at taxpayer expense as well as meals. Victoria Police are yet to respond to my query as to whether any of the officers involved had ice cream, or watched an in-house movie, and if so, if can we expect charges laid or an Internal Affairs investigation announced, in fact Victorian Police refused to comment at all.

Crowne Plaza Terrigal - Famous for its in-house movies and ice cream

Crowne Plaza Terrigal – Famous for its in-house movies and ice cream

What this actually means is that Victoria Police more than likely woke up on their fluffed pillows at Crowne Plaza Terrigal, had a nice hearty taxpayer funded breakfast, maybe even in bed, and then sat around for half the day waiting to arrest their man.

So if the Victorian Police stayed overnight then it makes the stage-managed claims seem even more plausible. It would seem an amazing coincidence that police who had been on the Central Coast for more than 18 hours would happen to make the arrest during Tony Abbotts speech that lasted minutes. That is either one hell of a fluke, or a fine example of stage management. Considering high level arrests are often well rehearsed and planned, the fluke option seems unlikely.

Again one only has to look at the involvement of George Brandis in the NSW Police investigations to understand that the possibility of strings being pulled with the Victorian Coalition Police Minister are higher than the audience at a Nimbin reggae festival. At least that is how it looks to a large and growing section of the public.

George Brandis relaxes with his friends

George Brandis relaxes with his friends

The main stream media however seem to have been sucked in by the conspiracy theory of the right. This utterly ridiculous theory is that Gillard called the election early because she knew Thomson was to be arrested the next day.

I don’t even think this is a real theory, I think the best disguise for a legitimate theory of stage management is to try to create a conspiracy theory so preposterous that it makes any theory seem wild. The right have created their own theory to deflect attention from the real questions being asked by the public, and on cue the right-wing press run with it.

This is straight out of Propaganda For Dummies, and the public are not fooled.

I would like to see NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell launch an investigation into the circumstances of the arrest, instead of making wisecracks about it. After all it seems based on the statements of NSW Police, that they were misled, or flat-out lied to by Victoria Police in order to fulfil a political agenda, surely a serious crime?

Col Dyson, an extremely senior Officer has been made to look a fool over this because he has been misled and fed false information by another states police department. This should not be just shrugged off.

As for O’Farrells wisecrack about Thomson’s strip search, do I need to remind him about his Arts Minister George Souris? Here’s some things that may refresh his memory, public masturbation, two men in a pool, it’s rude to point, and police called to scene. Glass houses and stones anyone?

George "Does this room come with a balcony?" Souris

George “Does this room come with a balcony?” Souris

Speaking of the strip search, more rather disturbing information has come to light regarding the series of events involving the search.

Thomson went before a magistrate immediately after being strip searched. This is unusual as normally he would have been searched after being before the magistrate and only if refused bail. Being placed in the hands of Corrective Services prior to court proceedings seems designed to humiliate and to delay the outcome and again see him placed in custody overnight.

So what has come out of all this as fact? It is fact that the warrant that we were told by police Thomson was arrested on did not exist. It is a fact that the chain of events surrounding the strip search were highly irregular. It is fact that the Victorian Police whom the arrest was made for had spent many hours in the area before making the arrest just as Tony Abbott commenced his speech.

It is also worth remembering that if this is a case of Coalition interference, it would not be the first time that an arrest has been made as the result of a campaign run by the current Federal Opposition.

Pauline Hanson actually spent time in jail before it was uncovered as being a set up based on lies. The set up was orchestrated by the Coalition and paid for out of a slush fund set up by none other than Tony Abbott.

Democratic process? I'll fix that...

Democratic process? I’ll fix that…

Now, I’m no fan of Hanson, but what I am a massive fan of, is having the democratic right to have my say when I vote. Tony Abbott sought to take that right away from us all.

“Obviously in hindsight I shouldn’t have done it. But if I had my time again and it was necessary to make an alliance with some pretty unusual people to stop a very serious threat to the social cohesion of the country, well, I would do it. I mean, how else were we going to stop One Nation at the time?”

Tony Abbott when asked to justify his slush fund to attack Pauline Hanson

Having political opponents arrested under false pretences sounds to me more like a dictatorship than a democracy. Is Tony Abbott basing his proposed style of government on North Korea?

When Abbott was asked if he regretted what he did to Pauline Hanson he said he’d do it all again.

Maybe he is.

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34 thoughts on “Been Had Before”

  1. I remember friends saying none of this much mattered, but this is North Korean stuff.

    But you insult those poor trees, I don’t think they are Brandis’ friends at all.

    Craig must be one hell of a strong character to cope with this endless crap.

  2. Maybe CT’s lawyer could subpoena video footage of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal, just to see who the police met in the preceding 18 hours.

  3. I really hope Thomson sues O’Farrell and while he’s at it Abbott, Pyne and Brandis

  4. Wixxy, I’m no lawyer, but if you are right about it not being a criminal offense to use a credit card issued to you by a company in your name however you want if that company hasn’t released guidelines on how to use that credit card – how would the law look at the police involved in his arrest?

    I’m asking because it’s a criminal offense to try to prevent a sitting member of Parliament from voting or attending Parliament (unless by means of a vote of no confidence) and the entire reason that Members are not allowed to be arrested on civil grounds or forced to attend a trial within 5 days of Parliament sitting is to prevent precisely that.

    So if it turns out that they didn’t have grounds to arrest him on criminal charges, is it possible the only people who have committed a crime would be the police officers and maybe whoever issued that warrant?

  5. Why did they need to fly up the day before. When did they fly back. I was under the impression, that it was the norm for business men to fly down and back in the same day.

    !40 possible charges here. 150 FWA Coincidence?

  7. Hasn’t Craig been given an opportunity to repay any amounts proven to be outside the guidlines?

  8. There were no guidelines.

    Based on the FWA report, the only procedures at head office for the HSU were the ones Craig Thomson introduced. Most of which stopped happening after he left.

  9. Daritee, do you live on mars? What guidelines? That is the point dear, there were no guidelines.

  12. No, you asked if he was asked to pay back anything outside the non-existent guidelines.

  13. I reckon the PM. should call in the military and bag the whole bunch of cats!

  15. “I don’t even think this is a real theory, I think the best disguise for a legitimate theory of stage management is to try to create a conspiracy theory so preposterous that it makes any theory seem wild. The right have created their own theory to deflect attention from the real questions being asked by the public, and on cue the right-wing press run with it.”

    This illustrates again what a powerful political tool it is to have the mainstream tabloids operating as the propaganda arm of your party. It doesn’t matter that even most AFL footy fans know the Herald Sun is printing garbage. It can set the agenda and decide what is and isn’t talked about. The ABC will follow with the political race-calling that is 90% of its coverage.

  17. What happens now that there is an admission of an incorrect arrest having taken place? We seem to be living in two parallel universes here. What role for the Guardian?

  18. Doubled up charges too to make it seem like a big deal. The ordering of the icecream and movie then authorising them.

    Jesus wept, how could the Vic DPP go along with such mindless crap.

  19. So Marilyn – should Union members ignore all credit card expenses incurred by Craig, Williamson, Jackson, etc whilst they were entrusted with overseeing the functioning of the Union “because there were no guidelines”. Please !!!! What a slap in the face for membership. What did Orwell say about pigs and equality???

  20. Thomson actually recommended guidelines be brought in when he was there, and I believe they were whilst he was Secretary.
    Kathy Jackson was there whilst guidelines were in place on credit card usage

  21. hi Peter. another great piece … scary, but great.

    you say: “The main stream media however seem to have been sucked in by the conspiracy theory of the right.” … close, but no cigar (or ice cream).
    i say: The main stream media are colluding with the right.

    politicians follow the instructions of their corporate masters … and the agenda is set by those corporate masters … situations developing as this has done add credibility to that claim.

    “The only force more ruthless and cynical than the business of big politics is the politics of big business.” (with thanks to Didier from Shamtaram – by Gregory David Roberts – for managing to articulate my opinion of these disgraceful acts so succinctly and perfectly.

  22. Wixxy – I am confused. In Ice Cream Man you wrote “it has already been ascertained” that there were no guidelines in place within the Union re Credit card use so the matter is a civil matter between CT and the Union. Did he introduce the guidelines as he was leaving the HSU? What are those guidelines? Would members be happy CT and subsequent officials followed those guidelines? Members are getting angrier with officials that have betrayed us – and the people trying to protect them – regardless of their political persuasion. Beware the Ides

  23. I will try and find the rules
    I believe they were put in place under Craig, but were not in place when the charges against him were alleged to have taken place

  24. Thomson had yearly audits, Jackson stopped them in 2008 and not one of Thomson’s audits found anything wrong.

  25. Rules or Guidelines – Marilyn talks about non-existent guidelines. Hope your sources can procure a copy. It will make interesting reading.

  26. Craig was needed to travel all over the country for the members, why the fuck do you think he should have to pay his own way?

    Our worthless pollies are paid for by us, Turnbull pays his wife rent and then claims overnight allowances from us.

    Don’t people understand that it is not much money in the scheme of things? Hotel rooms, meals, flights – it’s not much when the national committee and senior staff are required to attend.

  27. No one in membership is talking about credit card expenses for legitimate purposes such as flights, etc. We trust all usage, by CT, Jackson, etc will be vindicated – otherwise beware the wroth of the members. Membership support is not a given!

  29. I assume that they are relying on “implied terms of use”… sort of what would a reasonable person believe was acceptable to use the card on. Business travel? Yes. Prostitutes? No

  30. Wix

    If there were no guidelines, and CT tried to get some established but failed due to people higher up, is there any evidence of this? Emails from CT and the responses from others? Surely there has to be some.

    Evidence like this would help him greatly with FWA.

  31. What do they say about assumptions

    They make an ? of us….

    I try not to go by assumption

  33. Red letter day. Just heard Pyne use the term Primer Minister, not her or she. QT

  34. I notice the total now is $40,000, not hundred’s of thousand. I assume that is over many years.

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