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We have come a long way in the Jacksonville saga.
Kathy Jackson the “whistleblower” is now no longer considered the heroine she was a few years ago. Michael Lawler her partner is no longer seen as a man of integrity and worthy of honor as he was in the days before he hooked up with Jackson.
It may have taken a few years but finally the reputation of the couple has turned from noble into decidedly dodgy in the eyes of the vast majority.
The main-stream media have done a sharp U-Turn, the Royal Commission have endured a crash course and cast the pair aside, the Victoria Police have woken up and are back on the case, Federal Court have ordered Jackson repay $1.4 Million she spent living the high life, the union movement that once employed her now see her as some sort of leper, and even the Liberal have backed away, albeit slowly.
With everyone finally coming to their senses it defies logic that 4 Corners would find itself in the Jacksonville corner. However according to The Australian’s Brad Norington, who has been one of the leading reporters on the case, that is precisely where they have chosen to place themselves. I guess we will have to wait till next week to see. One thing we can see from the promo though is that Michael Lawler is looking well for someone who has been on sick leave for 9 months on full pay at taxpayer’s expense.
If 4 Corners do come out in Jackson and Lawler’s defense despite the overwhelming evidence against them I doubt it will change any minds but it may just point to an issue within the ABC. It may indicate the possibility of strings being pulled by a desperate government in a last-ditch attempt to save the reputations of some of its members. Perhaps pressure being brought to bear by some right-wing members of the ABC Board?
Keep looking over that shoulder Kathy
Image – The Australian
Almost a month ago I published an article that strongly suggested that Malcolm Turnbull would be wise to distance his Party from Michael Lawler and Kathy Jackson as those ties would only end up acting as an anchor for him.
Perhaps the message sank in as in the last few days we have seen a bit more regarding the Coalitions relationship in particular with the Lawler family. However what we have learnt from what has been reported may not be quite what was intended for us to pick up on.
Firstly we had new Employment Minister Michaela Cash announce that an independent investigator had been appointed to look into Michael Lawler as the public need to have “confidence in Fair Work Commission”. I guess she thinks they don’t have it now?
Malcolm Turnbull has acknowledged that a decision to remove Lawler must come from parliament, choosing to support the view of the FWC President and the Australian Bar Association and contradict Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz’s statements.
Speaking of Abetz, his successor Michaela Cash has told press that the decision to appoint an independent investigator came from Abetz.
On this claim I have my doubts.
Abetz has been under fire consistently for months now over both Jackson and Lawler in particular. If he was appointing an investigator I would imagine he would have announced it himself whilst under fire rather than let it come from his successors mouth.
Leaving aside from the bizarre notion of someone appointed by a Liberal Minister being “independent” Abetz’s name being raised arouses my suspicions.
I suspect that given the level of support Abetz has given both Jackson and Lawler and the numerous phone calls that phone records show Jackson made to his office that efforts are being made to try to cover his level of involvement which I also suspect may be greater than any of us realise.
Also linked with Abetz in this regard I suspect is George Brandis, as the pair have been involved heavily with events surrounding Jackson and Lawler. In particular the Trade Union Royal Commission which evidence has already shown the cosy relationship the Commission had with the pair now being investigated by Vic and Federal Police.
I strongly suspect the “independent” investigator is more likely to be “fact fudging” than “fact finding”.
Huge phone bills and hot air – Stage managers Brandis and Abetz
Yesterday came the news that Tony Abbott had invited Michael Lawler’s parents to an event to meet the Queen in 2011, and event that Kathy and Michael also attended.
There have been those that have been critical of Pamela Williams article claiming, as Sir Peter Lawler has received a Knighthood he deserved to attend the function. While this is a fair enough point it misses the real question.
Was there nobody related to Abbott’s Shadow Ministry portfolio’s or from his electorate that would have liked to attend? Rather than Sir Peter who was someone unrelated to his parliamentary interests or hundreds of miles from his electorate.
I have claimed right from the start of my Jacksonville series all the way back in May 2012 that there was a family friendship between Abbott and the Lawler’s, this is in my view evidence of that.
Given the links between Abbott and the Lawler’s there is in my view a question mark over the initiation of the entire original Fair Work investigation that was also slammed in an independent inquiry by KPMG.
Given the Fair Work investigation was used to attempt to overthrow a Labor government amidst a hung parliament by removing a Labor Member, Craig Thomson who was subsequently found not guilty of virtually all the charges, having run out of funds to continue with any further appeals. The fatally flawed Fair Work investigation was also one of the major factors in Abbott’s decision for the Royal Commission into Trade Unions, a clear political witch-hunt and means to damage the reputation of his rivals with the taxpayer picking up the tab.
With the Federal Police now investigating and from I understand asking questions relating to several politicians one wonders where this will all lead to.
Those who accuse Malcolm Turnbull of leaking the story regarding Abbott and the Lawler family may just be right.
Could it be that Turnbull has an idea of what is to come and thinks he can save Abetz and Brandis but Abbott is beyond saving? So given Abbott likely wont be in parliament next term the most useful he can be to the party is a fall guy?
No matter what the motivations in the Coalition camp are there are two things that we know for sure. Firstly there is a major criminal investigation into the matter underway, and secondly something has seriously spooked the Liberal Party.
I’m looking forward to finding out what that is.
I hope the Victorian police find a receipt for a men`s rolex that was engraved “To My Darling Michael”
Adding receiving would be a fitting finale`
Keep plugging away Wixxy you`re almost there,from GO to WOE
Something has spooked the government. Maybe Cash told truth re Abetz recommending inquiry but was overruled by Abbott.
Who knows but one can’t help but believe Kathy will bring many down before this sorry saga is over.
Who knows what police found in that container they went through.
You devalue your comments with very poor sentence structure and grammar. At least read over what you have written before you post. Much of this really makes no-sense because of the above. I rarely comment on these issues. The frustration of reading this drove me too it!
The ABC and Four Corners are a disgrace. They ignored Jacksonville all these years, apparently happy for the Craig Thomson prostitute stories to run without question while KJ played the role of sainted whistle-blower. It’s a bit late for them to be doing a show on it now.
Anne, your allegations of bad grammar doesn’t detract from the contents. Most who have followed this sorry saga do not see one word written as nonsense. Yes, my grammar is also bad.
Anne Leorke – the frustration drove you too (sic) it?
Peter’s readers are not here for grammar, we’re here for his brilliant and dogged detective work. If you want grammar there are plenty of other sites for you to frequent.
Re 4Corners motive..I will be very disappointed if Kerry O’Brien, one of the most prominent and respected names in Australian journalism and the programmes front person, is involved in bowing down to Govt or the well known Coalition supporting ABC hierarchy, in supporting the two criminals Jackson and Lawler.
I cannot imagine how 4Corners can do anything but condemn the pair on the evidence available on the public record and through the freely accessible years of investigative work by Peter Wicks.
Re Anne Leorke…with respect, you need to get out more 🙂
I am always impressed by your detailed and thoughtful articles on the Jacksonville saga. It is obvious to everyone, apart from the govt and the legal community, that they are both corrupt, differing only by degrees. If I had been sick for 9 mths on full pay, my employer would send me for an independent medical assessment, yet his goes unchecked. A court has found her to be a thief of epic proportions, yet she still walks free. As you allude, there still may be people pulling strings to protect them. To what end, I do not know, all I know is there will be some serious egg on faces and some manic back pedaling.
Anne Leorke “The frustration of reading this drove me too it!”…..too it?….no-sense…..?.Yeah, Mi to!.. Golly, I would have thought the substance was of more interest than the “very poor sentence structure and grammar”. But, like you, I rarely comment on these issues, but reading your drivel drove me to, (or is it too?) it. Keep up the good work Wixxy!
Can’t understand why they haven’t spent the past 9 months of Lawlers sick leave stoking the incinerator and feeding the shredder. Fancy holding onto a shipping container of incriminating documents
Methinks Anne Leorke`s AVATAR is really Michael Smith
How`s Thailand Michael,and you are checking that if you pay a prostitute for sex there the legal age of consent is 18.
Wow I can’t wait to see the story.
If 4 corners is in KJ and ML’s corner then something has gone seriously wrong with their normally good investigate stories. Or, as you say, pressure is being brought to bear from somewhere.
Maybe now that Abbott is gone there is a hope of the ABC getting some funding returned and they are wanting to get some runs on the board with the Coalition? I hope I’m wrong on that tho.
This is a deeply concerning saga, and points to corruption that is breath-taking. The Aegean stables need a damn good powerwash!
I can’t see how Four Corners can do a story on KJ without talking to the person who knows more about the whole business than anyone else – and who should get credit for exposing KJ – Peter Wicks.
Hmmm..Anne Leorke, it’s now agreed that brains don’t care how badly a word is spelt or about grammar. They are wired to make the necessary corrections and make a message conclusion.
This happens in most brains except those which may not have been wired properly. I suspect yours is the poorly wired category.
Hi Anne,
Anyone who writes a lot will tell you that it is hard to proof read your own work, your eyes tend to see what your mind is telling it to.
I am sorry if it has grammar errors to typos, I actually finished it at around 2am after being at work all day and was rather exhausted as it has been a long week so far…
I tend to write in a conversational tone rather than the encyclopaedia reporting style that many prefer, but that’s just how I roll… I did rely heavily on the inbuilt spelling and grammar checker on my site this time however and I’m sorry if this caused you frustration.
I can’t promise it won’t happen again, but I’ll try and avoid it
There’s no reason for you to apologise or detail your travails. You were writing for the public not some right-wing language critic
Kathy Jackson’s quote on the 4 Corners preview:
“Oh I just can’t believe that it has just ended up like this. All these people that we have been talking about that are all quite real. And I was friends with all of them.”
To quote Lawler ‘That’s bullshit”, Kathy Jackson does not know how to be a friend, everybody in her life serves a purpose and has a use-by date.
Jackson thought it would only take a few weeks for Williamson to fall. Her ‘team’ would take over the amalgamated branch. This plan was a long time in the making: lots of people in play, votes to be gained, jobs and contracts to be had – all those ‘friends’ had a lot to gain with her in control of the big fat kitty of HSU East.
I can’t believe that she can’t believe it’s ended up like this. Seriously Kathy, did you really believe those skeletons would stay in the closet.
And another ‘I can’t believe’ – 4 Corners giving a sympathetic hearing to Lawler and Jackson…..have they been ‘drinking the koolaid’?
I wonder if we will get the David Attenborough-esque voice over as we witness the rarest of moments……Michael Lawler climbing into his car and heading to work.
You are amazing Peter. You should be the main speaker in this 4 corners.Surely the ABC will report this honestly.I wonder if the other boyfriend Michael Smith will be on the program.
There should be a program on the Ashby affair.Two Politicians lives ruined by the appalling LNP.
All the best to you Peter.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn9D4ZlB3y8
Thanks Helen, I am hopeful for a good 4 Corners story, but I’m not holding my breath on Smith making an appearance
An hour seems not long enough to address all the matters that have been raised here and I’m looking forward to an explanation of why they were all deliberately avoided when they mattered most during the Thomson saga.
Lawler has already started on his personal spin campaign for self-preservation
I’m very much looking forward to tonight’s story but fear it will be a political whitewash.
For me, the reputation of the ABC as a fair and serious commentator will be on the line.
I support commenter above [except the grammar/tpyo NAZI who is obvs a troll].
and Biggy’s “add a charge of Receiving” – fabulous. Can you imagine how the Libs would have ripped into Gillard for a watch from a thief?
Yes also to Lizzie above, and the KoolAid as supplied by IPA plants on the ABC board no doubt [hi Janet, now MKroge’s 3rd Liberal squeeze].
My Nan born 1897 always used to say “it is not what you might do, but how you do it which is important” and Lawler should have taken UNPAID leave. His Knighted Dad could have told him that.
Bravo to you PW. That $430,000 p.a. salary should be yours. wishing you everything good this week, this life.
If I heard correctly on AM’s promo this morning, Lawler admits spending his sick leave working on KJ’s case. I heard a while ago that his contract includes unlimited sick leave, but surely he would have to BE SICK to qualify!
I can see the film already emerging – wonder who will be cast as Kathy and Michael? Look forward to the Tony Abbott /Eric Abetz/George Brandis look-alikes, not to mention our hero, Malcolm
If he’s too sick to work, how can he be well enough to assemble a legal defence strategy on behalf of somebody else (plus himself, apparently) plus undertake financial and legal arrangements for his ailing “neighbour”.
However, if he’s not sick but has claimed paid sick leave that is simply fraud.