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With the 70 charges being laid against Kathy Jackson the media have once again gone into a frenzy of self-congratulation and misperception.
There are many seemingly claiming to have broken the story, been there from the start, and set the tone for the coverage of the story.
Don’t get me wrong, many of those making the claims have played vital roles in the demise of Tony Abbott’s heroic whistleblower but it’s time we busted some of the myths.
We’ll start with Fairfax.
For years, Kate McClymont, one of Fairfax’s leading investigative journalists had been proudly displaying anything but an ability to investigate when it comes to Jackson. McClymont has seemingly taken Jackson’s word for everything and has run stories appearing to be based solely on Jackson’s word, which we now know is the word of a liar and fraudster.
To her credit however, McClymont was crucial in the exposure of Michael Williamson who is now serving the remainder of a five-year sentence in prison for approximately 20 less charges than Jackson faces and relating to around $500K less than Jackson is accused of defrauding.
McClymont has never had the courage to say she was wrong, or acknowledge her failure to look into Jackson despite being fully aware of the allegations against her and having access to the evidence.
Then there is Nick McKenzie from Fairfax who has been quite vocal in his claims of breaking the story of Jackson’s spending and slush fund.
Nick McKenzie’s 2014 piece along with Richard Baker, and the follow ups with Ben Schneiders, Nick Toscano and Royce Millar went into the NHDA slush fund set up with money from selling out the workers at Peter Mac Cancer hospital.
The exposure of this slush fund was crucial in changing the mainstream perspective on Jackson, turning her from a whistleblower in the publics eyes to someone willing to steal from cancer researchers. While McKenzie’s piece and it’s follow ups didn’t contain any new information as such, they linked the NHDA fund to Peter Mac which had never been done before. This was both vital and timely, the link to Peter Mac was a crucial one and the story ran just before the HSU hearings at the Royal Commission into Trade Unions.
While these pieces were a vital strand of the tangled web, the slush fund covered approximately $284K of the over $1.4 Million Jackson is facing charges on.
There is no doubt that this story altered the coverage of the main-stream media from being pro-Kathy to being anti-Jackson. Years of knowing of documentation and solid evidence meant little, but the words of someone from within the “special club” meant far more.
Living large in Europe – Kathy and friend Ruth Kershaw
Image – Supplied
Then there is Brad Norington, formerly of the Australian, whom many will have seen interviewed on 7 30 by Leigh Sales. Sales introduces Brad as someone who has “followed every twist of this saga” although that is far from accurate given that for much of the saga Norington was based in the US. Norington has done little or nothing to correct the false impression that he has been there from the start of this saga. Norington came into the story shortly before the Royal Commission commenced, and despite the rhetoric has uncovered little if anything new in the Jackson HSU matter, instead relying on the work of others to make up his book “Planet Jackson” , titled one would assume to borrow heavily from the “Jacksonville” title on the series of articles on Jackson’s deeds that precedes other mainstream reports by several years on Independent Australia.
Norington however broke entirely new ground with his investigations into the financial affairs of Jackson, Lawler, and David Rofe QC whose $30 Million estate they became heavily involved in despite Rofe suffering from dementia. Again this was an example of superb investigative journalism, certainly more so than his colleagues. This brilliant work by Norrington was also utilised in the eye-opening and jaw-dropping 4 Corners episode that so brilliantly displayed the Jacksonville mentality.
There there David, I’ll look after your financial affairs…
Image – The Australian
While I am happy to commend the hard work of others when they have broken new ground, those in the main-stream don’t see this as a two-way street and like to take credit for their work and that of others as well. Fortunately anyone with access to Google can see who was publishing evidence of Jackson’s questionable spending and shelf companies back in 2012.
As for myself, I’m quite comfortable saying that I believe no other publication has followed this story longer, in as much detail, and broken as much new ground as Wixxyleaks and Independent Australia. In fact as we continued to show those in the mainstream how investigations involve evidence more than the word of a self-proclaimed whistleblower, rather than breaking the story as they now appear to be claiming, they were ridiculing us and sending lawyers after us to try to stop our coverage.
Despite all of this you will never hear me claiming to have broken the whole story, there were others writing about Jackson’s deeds long before I came along. In particular there was Vex News run by Andrew Landeryou.
Vex had been following this saga already for years before I arrived on the scene and had delved into the fallout from the Jeff Jackson and Pauline Fegan factional brawl that became the catalyst for everything that followed. While Vex may not have followed the saga through to its current point, Andrew’s assistance and knowledge has been crucial to the Jacksonville series even though we disagree on the odd occasion.
So while everyone scratches their heads re the exact charges that are involved the media are keen to talk about the dollar value as if that is they key factor in how long she may face in prison. The fact that there is more money involved than in Michael Williamson’s case may be interesting, but it is not the critical part of Jackson’s woes despite media speculation.
The charges that will be of concern should they be amongst the 70 will be those involving “destruction of evidence” or “perverting the course of justice”. These are the meat in the roll, the dollars are merely the gravy.
The vast majority of Williamson’s sentence is for these charges, not the fraud.
In Jackson’s case the excuses of mystery floods and disappearing exercise books may not be enough to convince a magistrate.
It is not just Jackson with concerns regarding destruction of evidence charges, also having restless nights will be Jeff Jackson, Marco Bolano and Kathy’s old pal Ruth Kershaw who has had allegations made against her in this regard.
Kathy and Kershaw – Kissing but not telling
Image – Supplied
Also concerned will be the current Secretary of the NSW Branch of the HSU who has had many questionable dealings with Jackson. During the Royal Commission it emerged that he was sent to Melbourne specifically to ensure documentation was not destroyed by Jackson. Instead of arranging for the boxes of documents to be kept safe and secure he instead allegedly stood there and watched as Kathy Jackson and Marco Bolano loaded them into a car and drove off in search of a mystery flood.
I wonder if he gave them a kiss goodbye and a wave as they left with the evidence?
The only downside to the charges being laid at this time was that perhaps the biggest victim of Jackson’s lies (aside from the members) was on a plane somewhere over Europe.
Craig Thomson must have been grinning like a Cheshire cat as his phone loaded the messages at Heathrow Airport. One of those messages was from me asking for his reaction to the charges. Thomson’s response in full was;
“I am surprised that it has taken so long and so much of what has been published on Wixxyleaks and Independent Australia, and indeed what I said over 5 years ago in Parliament was totally ignored, dismissed and ridiculed by Walkley winning journalists and the entire mainstream media who seemed more interested in taking down a government than investigating the truth.
Maybe though unlikely, we can hope the accepted stories peddled by Jackson and her political cronies will now be questioned for the first time by the mainstream media. Unfortunately however their reporting so far does not give me any confidence they will ever concede that they were part and parcel of a great lie fabricated by an alleged criminal, flamed by political enemies with the aim of taking out an elected government. Until they do, be assured, I will continue to fight on to clear my name.”
The wheels of justice grind slowly Craig, but at least they appear to be grinding now.
At long last.
Follow @madwixxy
I’ve never read or put any stock in any coverage of #Jacksonville other than yours Peter.
Wixxyleaks is the journalism we have to have.
Thanks heaps Dean, that’s a big compliment coming from you
Thank you for putting the record straight.
Plus 1 to that Banistersmind.
I doubt I have missed a word you have written about this criminal Jackson and her associates. Peter you are the shining light among investigative journalists in this country, it is bloody time the rest of them and their publishers swallowed their pride and publicly acknowledged your contribution, in bringing the criminal Jackson to justice.
The country and particularly the HSU will forever be in your debt and the LNP (Pyne in particualr) should hang their heads in shame for being part of her criminality, by their total support of her filthy deeds for their own political gain.
Bloody well done mate!
Has Jackson&Lawler been cut off from David Rofe?
Every word of your report is true, Peter. Eventually you will be recognised for your brilliant investigative work and history will re-evaluate you – and the credibility of those others who rose to fame on your findings.
As for McClymont, I cannot forget her disgusting interview on 2UE in which she claimed that Craig Thomson was an appalling liar for saying nasty things about those good people Kathy Jackson and Marco Bolano. That interview, on 19 February 2014,with with John Stanley and Garry Linnell,was still on the internet the last time I looked which was a few months ago.
To their shame, the Parliament passed a resolution apologising to Jackson and Co. for what Thomson did to these criminals!
Will Abbott, Pyne and co. get around to apologising to the Australian people for their blatant misrepresentations of Jackson as the people’s heroine. Will Reith and the H.R. Nicholls Society ever apologise for their support of Jackson and defamations of Thomson? Will the Parliament ever apologise to the people of Australia for apologising to Jackson and Bolano?
Not until a population of pigs takes to the air over Parliament house.
Congratulations on your outstanding work over many years.
Everything Craig said to parliament about Jackson, Pyne and Abbott has been proved correct.
Pyne’s contrived apology in parliament for the wrongs done to Jackson seems like the current government silly and based on the conscious deception of parliament. Pyne must be held accountable along with Brandis Abbott etc. The AFP must be investigated for its general politicisation and dilatoriness re Jackson when you compare its speed in LNP politically convenient investigations eg NBN and Slipper [who was eventually totally vindicated with no apology from the LNP]. Do not forget the convenient timing of the Vic police staged arrest of Craig on national tv overseen by Lewis of Murdoch fame at Abbott’s National Press Conference – on an illegal warrant too !.
Great post again Peter! Your journo skills & MOST OF ALL…DAMNED PERSISTENCE ! in reporting the facts..man…just the facts……are highly commendable, to say the least! Just to watch again, video of say, Pyne Box in the House…heaping praise on Jackson…makes me cough up my cornflakes.
Let us just hope that the ‘mainstream media’ will FINALLY get the message & start following the truth in this whole sorry saga…equivalent surely! to Watergate!!
A “follow-up” …Four Corners would be a great start…& let us ALSO hope that there will be final justice for Craig Thomson…who only EVER was “foolish at times”…but NEVER CORRUPT!
WIXXY RULES OK!
I don’t know, but that’s a good question.
I think it is still being challenged legally
All of us that have had the sense to follow your investigative blogging Wixxy already know where the bulk of the both detailed and correct information comes from……….you.
Your tenacity (even when under threat at various times) has played a very significant part in the truth finally emerging. This can’t be downplayed by the various hanger-on’ers you’ve mentioned, or any other so called “journalists” seeking to take credit for what you have done.
No-one else can claim to have suffered so much and persevered for so long for this, and you emerge as being among the very few (I can count on only one hand) that are truly credible.
I hope you do one day finish that book as it’s conclusion won’t be far away……
……it seems Bolano and co should be prepping to spend some time living in a concrete cell….
One day I hope you can (if you ever get bored) followup and apply your skills towards another piece of shit called Solomon Lew.
Jeez I miss Vex News and hope Wixxyleaks and Independent Aus continue as being among the very few sources that continue to reveal the whole truth.
I wonder if Lawler is still feeling “c..tstruck”?
@Gypsy Girl
Lawler should just be feeling like the c*nt he is.
We need to go back to 1991 to get clearer picture Jackson, maybe even Williamson. This is when HSU was created out of HAREA, which I believe was mostly state based.
I understand that HSU was suspended for the first time about then. Most of the in formation of that time seems to have disappeared from the web. Is that when Jackson first met Lawler?
It was about the time Thomson went to Victoria I believe.
There are still too many unanswered questions about the earlier days.
I was working in a Ministerial office with a friend of Craig’s adviser at the time. They both shared a room in Emmo’s house. He put me on to the travesty that was being committed against Craig before it actually began in earnest. So I have wanted to support in a small measure by tweeting, retweeting and singing praises of good investigative journalism by you Wixxy, Vex news and the Independent. I will remain staunch in my belief that Craig was set up but sadly a little naive in some ways about who he thought mates but were deceiving him. I hope Lawler falls soon and takes a slew of filth with him regardless of which side they sit.
Attempted to post the following on “Kangaroo Court of Australia”…..
https://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2016/08/31/bill-shorten-linked-to-fraud-and-theft-at-the-hsu-and-kathy-jackson/
“Oh dear……
……not a mention of KJ and her connection to the LNP.
Surpise, surprise……..just a brief mention of her 70 charges and another feeble attempt to tie her to Shorten.
In the interests of parity, shouldn’t you also be mentioning KJ as being the well publicised pin-up girl of the LNP not so long ago…….or has this little factoid been conveniently forgotten?
Also forgotten is the fact that Kangaroo Court preferred to go after those telling the truth about KJ even years ago…….
It must be more than a little embarrassing for you now I guess.”
Will be interesting to see if this makes it on to that knobheads’ site ……….
YOU DESERVE JOURNALIST OF THE CENTURY AWARD !! like a dog with a bone, you never gave up with your lengthy challenge of proving to the Australia people Jackson was a bigger crook than the people she tried to ruin…well done Peter and on behalf of my entire family and friends, we congratulate you for exposing such a low life thief! if she doesn’t do a long prison term, then we would have to question who in the legal profession is still protecting her?
Wixxy u r an inspiration and a god send. I don’t make a huge amount of money but as soon as possible I will make a little contribution to ur website and honestly I can’t wait for ur book. Keep going hard mate and don’t let up on these neo liberal crooks
Didn’t think what I tried to post on “Kangaroo Court” would make it……..
….guess it doesn’t fit with Shane Dowling’s real agenda……
…..despite the claims he makes here https://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/aboutshane-dowling/
In others words, he’s a fraud.
well done, Wixxy. Yours are the only articles I trust when it comes to KJ et al.
You have been most gracious toward journalists who have been very mean in sharing the credit. I look forward to your book on Jacksonville which I hope is published soon. I wonder if Craig will have a chance to appeal the charges in the light of this new evidence.
Peter….well done buddy….well done…
I think it’s all pretty simple. Jackson was of great use to a media intent on taking down a government, as Craig Thomson points out. Now she’s not.
But thanks for showing all the twists & turns.
I always wonder about the final charges Craig failed to overturn on appeal. In essence the Court found Craig had stolen HSU money by withdrawing it [about $5,000 not the initial $500,000 alleged by the Liberals] from the HSU account using his HSU credit card. The debt or “chose in action” for the HSU was dependant on the duty the Bank owed it to provide funds in credit or pursuant to an agreed overdraft. These two were apparently not proved. The judge seemed to then find if it was someone’s it could only be the HSU’s as opposed to the banks though in Craig’s possession. He was charged with stealing the HSU’s money not the banks. The bank apparently consensually handed over the HSU’s money beyond its obligations to the HSU – if so how can it be the bank’s to steal ?