For those who rely on main-stream journalism for their news it must have come as a rather nasty shock to hear about Kathy Jackson, Tony Abbott’s heroic union blower spending like a drunken sailor on the dime of some of the countries lowest paid workers.
For others who choose to stay ahead of the times and seek their news online this news was only startling in that it had taken the mainstream so long to join the party.
On Wednesday in Federal Court the Health Services Union dumped a bucketload of allegations and evidence on Kathy Jackson. Kathy of course as previously had not deemed the Federal Court worthy of her divine presence.
Amongst the evidence was the infamous $3,000 Bulgari earrings that Jackson purchased as a gift for Michael Williamson’s wife Julie. As readers here were made aware of in May 2013 it was the union members that paid for this gift, and that money was given to the union in an alleged bribe to rob cancer workers of $3 Million worth of their hard earned entitlements.
Never mind, I’m sure the earrings look lovely.
Also covered were her $63K honorarium payment covered here way back in 2012, as well as what the ABC described an eight year spending spree.
All of the details and documentation of Kathy’s eight years worth of allegedly using the union bank account as her own personal ATM can be found on the Jacksonville page at Independent Australia or a convenient summary can be found with links to documentation in my statement to the Royal Commission.
Today the HSU’s Federal Court case against Jackson concluded with a decision on Jackson’s financial fate expected to be handed down by the judge within the next 30 days.
However, this is just the civil matter, the criminal case has yet to even start with an investigation currently in progress.
The criminal investigation I can confirm is in the hands of a Federal Taskforce. That taskforce has a distinctly and aptly Greek name, Taskforce Heracles, and it is being headed up by police in the Serious and Organised Crime division. This is a joint operation with Victorian police.
No longer is it just in the slippery hands of Michael Smith’s old mates with their dodgy arrest warrants in Vic Police.
Being investigated by the Serious and Organised Crime division doesn’t leave a favorable impression, and it sure makes Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne look like perhaps the worst judges of character.
Speaking of Abbott, his appointment Kathy Jackson’s de-facto hubby and some allege partner in crime Michael Lawler as Vice President of what is now Fair Work Commission.
With the controversy surrounding Lawler’s involvement in HSU matters, his questionable dealings with the estate of dementia sufferer QC David Rofe and his taking of months upon month of fully paid sick leave from his taxpayer-funded $435K pa paying role, Abbott and Eric Abetz have been keen to absolve themselves of having to deal with a problem of their own creation.
Today the Australian Bar Association released a media statement linked below that contradicts the position of Abbott and Abetz.
Australian Bar Association Statement
A funny story about the above statement.
The statement was originally sent out via email by the Association, but ironically for a statement involving Lawler, Abbott, and Abetz and apparently named mr_aba after Abetz it went out a corrupt file, it had to be resent later so people could open it.
Parliament needs to remove Lawler now, not next week, now. He needs to be given no golden handshake with benefits no pension plan, in fact he should be asked to return taxpayer funds that he has taken as sick pay while dealing with Jackson’s legal matters and trying to move the proceeds of her alleged crimes into his name, matters still before the bankruptcy courts.
In fact I hope Abbott’s pseudo toughness on border protection covers not only fleeing terrorist wannabe’s but also fleeing fraudsters.
Jackson and Lawler – Ready to bolt?
How the mainstream media failed the public regarding this case is something that has bewildered many for a long time.
Kathy’s lead cheerleaders Fairfax’s Kate McClymont and The Australian’s Ean Higgins seem to have found somewhere to hide and lick their wounds as since the Royal Commission I can’t recall an article from either on any issue related to the HSU. Their absence however has not been sorely missed, although it has been noticeable.
Since Fairfax let the likes of Nick McKenzie and Ben Schneiders loose on the matter the revelations regarding all that McClymont had intentionally set out to ignore rapidly floated to the surface like an unflushable turd in a toilet bowl, one that I’m sure Kate would much rather was safely headed for the sea or the sewer.
The Australian’s Ean Higgins must be left feeling like the village idiot. Since Brad Norington started on the matter I have to say the credibility of News Ltd’s journalism flagship has kicked up many a gear. Since Norington has departed the Australian the baton has been well and truly seized by Pamela Williams and she is sprinting with it. Both Kathy Jackson and her de-facto hubby Michael Lawler have come under attack in the Aus’s editorial, as if just to give an even greater indication of how out of touch or out of his depth Ean Higgins actually was.
Even Pia Ackerman’s court pieces have had a distinctly different tone without the contribution of Higgins as a co-writer seeing them slammed by a Magistrate for reporting complete and utter falsehoods.
As a bit of a blast from the past I looked back at an article written by Milanda Rout The Australian saw fit to whack on their front page all the way back in June 2012 that sought to make a mockery of yours truly for talking about evidence and allegations against Kathy Jackson and Michael Lawler. Ironically it is The Australian leading the charge on the same allegations and evidence against the pair years later.
How the tide has turned.
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One of the many reasons why I subscribed to IA today. Good work-maintain the momentum.
How are these people still free to roam the streets?
Funny side note – I read the last sentence as “How the turd has turned” 🙂
They should have their passports confiscated. Whatever you think these people are up to, you can be sure it will be worse. I am glad there is a Federal task force acting, and it is appropriate it should be headed by the Serious and Organised Crime Division. Heracles, indeed!
Oh Wixxy…. I’m not in any way a religious man but I hope and pray (Yes, brothers and sisters…Pray!) that Jackson is about to get her cumuppence. I’m actually a lot more optimistic than I was even a week ago. (Mind you, that was rock bottom in the optimistic stakes) . Thanks so much for the reports…you are making an old man very happy!
I hope News Ltd send you a don`t sue us cheque Wixxy
Thank you
I dont know how anyone could even contemplate Lawler staying in his position as vice president of our fairwork commission . I suppose the person who gave him the job has little integrity also, promises broken all over the place..
It is like reading of the behaviour of some fourth world south american dictatorship. The only thing missing is the gold braid and a jacket covered in medals.
Well,I wonder what Abbott or Pyne will say now that the facts of K athy Jacksons activities have been revealed.Karma does have a funny way of coming back and bitring you on the bum,doesn`t it?
That is funny and strangely appropriate….
Good on you Mel, they are worthy of the support
Interesting that you think the Australian’s into her. That strikes me as serious for her, more so than any number of coppers. As I believe I’ve said before on this site, she’s ultimately quite disposable. Why, she’s a UNIONIST!!!!!
Exactly right, Peter. How things have changed. It has taken many years for your findings to be acknowledged by the mainstream However, they are yet to acknowledge you as the investigator who discovered the facts and the author who reported them!
I am still waiting for McClymont to explain how she and The Herald so carefully investigated Kathy’s allegations back in 2009 that they published a copy of what was supposed to be a copy of Thomson’s credit card statement with his name spelled incorrectly. This was not only less than “independent as always” but criminally negligent. Some time ago, the same person – the winner of “the journalist of the year” award – told a radio shock-jock that Thomson was an incredible liar for making dreadful claims about those really lovely people Kathy Jackson and Marco Bolano.
Those who follow your work and compare it with what is written by the likes of McClymont, Higgins, Steve Lewis and company know who should be getting the Walkley Award. Australian journalism owes you great deal. So do citizens who want to know the truth.
Thanks once again Wixxy you have been on to this way way back. No accusation without backup evidence. For newcomers, go to Jacksonville & read all of it, trust me the goings on will blow your mind. Wixxy, without you she would be sitting pretty. No mention of money & car paid to ex husband.
There are many “journalists” who must be feeling embarrassed about their published articles and claims, considering the conflicting evidence was avaliable to them all at the time.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out in Parliament when it resumes. Many uncomfortable questions could be asked, if Labor has the courage.
What would be more entertaining is the prospect of the players turning on each other in a scramble to get away from it all, like Abbott’s dash for the door to avoid Thomson’s vote.
Is it possible that Kathy Jackson has dual citizenship with Australia and Greece? If so she may well be off to the Greek Islands very shortly.
Yes i know like Abbott i said it somewhere else but we’re going to have to get used to repetition with Abbott as minister for Propaganda
“Why mess around and wait for Murdoch to do it. Just put the Q&A and the ABC under the Office of the Prime Minister News and Current Affairs Umbrella. If he can be the indigenous Prime Minister and Minister for Women he can easily manage Minister for Propaganda. He already has the staff.
The LNP Propaganda Ministry, directed by Tony Abbott could control of all forms of communication in Australia: newspapers, magazines, books, public meetings, and rallies, art, music, movies, and radio. Viewpoints in any way threatening to his beliefs or to the regime could be censored or eliminated from all media. http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007677 ” can’t laugh at my own jokes any more it hurts
Peter, This is from this article in the Age.
The account, the existence of which was first revealed by Fairfax Media, was set up after a $250,000 payment from the Peter MacCallum cancer hospital in 2003 to Jackson’s HSU No. 3 branch.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/whistleblower-kathy-jackson-faces-allegations-of-misappropriating-hsu-funds-20150710-gi9eq7?stb=twt&skin=dumb-phone
Is it true that Fairfax first revealed or is it more likely you gave them this info???
Peter, Is this true? From the same article.
In February last year, Labor and the Abbott government passed an unprecedented parliamentary motion last year apologising to Jackson and HSU members for the conduct of Craig Thomson. The Coalition called Jackson a “lion of the union movement”.
I can’t remember any Labor member raising praise for Jackson for it to be in Hansard for ever?? Or am I a bit confused?
The spending was on my website as was the NHDA info, however Fairfax discovered it was a slush fund and linked it to a dirty deal with the Peter Mac cancer hospital.
Fairfax did a brilliant job on this
The apology motion was raised by Christopher Pyne and was passed.
I’m not sure who voted for it or who abstained but it is a bit rich indeed for the media to insinuate it was some sort of bi-partisan motion
My take from Labor members I spoke to re the motion was that they were not gonna kick up a fuss as they were happy to watch Pyne and Abbott dig their own graves
Peter, thank you.
I know, my subconscious is so amusing…. 🙂