Julia Gillard initiated the KPMG inquiry.
It was done as a brazen attempt to glean kudos for her miserable, mega - discredited minority government.
It is amazingly, apparently successful!
Look at the sequence of events.
- First Gillard ensures that Federal and State police both investigate the Thompson allegation of fraud.
- Nothing ever comes of it - amazingly both police forces are happy with allegation of fraud being investigated defacto in - house by the government's industrial acolyte / Qango!
- And happily do nothing - or plainly do nothing - even if serious potentially criminal matters are involved!
- I wonder how anyone else would be treated?
- Years later Fair Work Australia comes up with a 1000 page document which obviously will /can never be used to proffer charges.
- Then impeach FWA document as above. Warm inner glow for Labor: how is this possible in the crazy post - modernist world we find ourselves in?
- Oh - and now Thompson claims he has been vindicated!
Could someone tell me why Senator Abetz - a quality Liberal lawyer - cannot see through this abysmal saga? He was interviewed on ABC TV Lateline 21/8/12
It is at best delienates it all as a masterly / astonishing, pathetic exercise in time wasting, at worst - say merely much worse.
Consider merely how even an untrained twirp could postulate that there was at least a potential prima facie case that the police should have investigated years ago!
Instead we have foisted on us these junk words ex ABC Lateline 21/8:
TOM IGGULDEN: The report paints a picture of an under-resourced investigation which struggled to find the manpower to do its work or properly use its investigative powers. Craig Thomson's claiming vindication.
Then Abetz [and ABC reporter!] lame lines which essentially play into Gillard's hands:
ERIC ABETZ: Whilst it was painfully slow I don't think anybody has been able to actually lay a glove on the actual findings of Fair Work Australia, and so for Mr Thomson to claim show this vindicates him is a complete nonsense.
TOM IGGULDEN: Despite years of evidence-gathering, KPMG found the investigation "did not consider all potential sources of information, particularly electronic information". The Opposition says had they done so, things could be different.
TOM IGGULDEN: Despite years of evidence-gathering, KPMG found the investigation "did not consider all potential sources of information, particularly electronic information". The Opposition says had they done so, things could be different.
And a mere backbencher - Ronaldson and ABC.
Ronaldson plainly is not very bright:
MICHAEL RONALDSON, LIBERAL SENATOR: He's a very lucky boy and the Prime Minister is a very lucky leader.
TOM IGGULDEN: But crucially for the Government, the report "did not identify any indications of potential interference in the investigation", undermining a key claim from the Opposition.
TOM IGGULDEN: The Workplace Relations Minister says changes are needed at Fair Work Australia.
Then Bill Shorten searching for a ''lesson'' in all this ''to make sure it doesn't happen again?''
BILL SHORTEN, WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTER: What can be done to make sure this doesn't happen again? What are the lessons from this unacceptably long report?
TOM IGGULDEN: But he's not backing Craig Thomson's claim of vindication.
BILL SHORTEN: The matter of who did what will ultimately be tested in the courts.TOM IGGULDEN: As the heat begins to recede from one of Labor's bigger controversies, there's also been improvement today in its poll numbers. Newspoll has its primary vote up two points to 35 per cent. It's still all but electoral oblivion, but Labor MPs could be forgiven for hoping that political momentum's begun to swing back in their favour.
The above is surely ultimate insult to our collective intelligence.
I used to think the left were stupid - having no idea about how to win any fair debate.
I no longer think they have a monopoly.
Geoff Seidner
13 Alston Gr
East St Kilda 3183
03 9525 9299
03 9525 9290
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www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2012/s3572971.htmShare
10 hours ago – The report by auditors KPMG has also cleared the Government of ...MICHAEL RONALDSON, LIBERAL SENATOR: He's a very lucky boy and the ... very plainly that Mr Abbott's not used to taking orders from a woman, I think.#########################################################################
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KPMG attacks FWA investigation into HSU
Former Labor MP Craig Thomson is claiming vindication after auditors KPMG released a scathing report into the Fair Work Australia investigation into the Health Services Union.
Transcript
EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Former Labor MP Craig Thomson is claiming vindication tonight after the release of a report highly critical of the investigation into him.The report by auditors KPMG has also cleared the Government of interfering in the Fair Work Australia investigation.
The Opposition isn't conceding that Mr Thomson's been cleared of wrongdoing in his earlier life as Health Services Union boss, saying KPMG didn't take issue with the findings of the investigation.
Political correspondent Tom Iggulden has the latest from Canberra.
TOM IGGULDEN, REPORTER: The Opposition and Craig Thomson agree on one thing: the KPMG report is not kind on Fair Work Australia's 3-year investigation into the former union boss.
CRAIG THOMSON, INDEPENDENT MP: Fair Work Australia have totally bungled this right from the start. This is what I have said right from the start.
ERIC ABETZ, OPPOSITION WORKPLACE MINISTER: This review, if anything, indicates to Craig Thomson that chances are he's fortunate to still be where he is because of the go slow and incompetence by Fair Work Australia.
TOM IGGULDEN: The report paints a picture of an under-resourced investigation which struggled to find the manpower to do its work or properly use its investigative powers. Craig Thomson's claiming vindication.
CRAIG THOMSON: I've consistently said from the start that this whole investigation was flawed. It's a series of allegations, accusations on which conclusions have been based.
TOM IGGULDEN: But the Opposition is still taking those allegations seriously, despite the flaws in the investigation.
ERIC ABETZ: Whilst it was painfully slow I don't think anybody has been able to actually lay a glove on the actual findings of Fair Work Australia, and so for Mr Thomson to claim show this vindicates him is a complete nonsense.
TOM IGGULDEN: Despite years of evidence-gathering, KPMG found the investigation "did not consider all potential sources of information, particularly electronic information". The Opposition says had they done so, things could be different.
MICHAEL RONALDSON, LIBERAL SENATOR: He's a very lucky boy and the Prime Minister is a very lucky leader.
TOM IGGULDEN: But crucially for the Government, the report "did not identify any indications of potential interference in the investigation", undermining a key claim from the Opposition.
CRAIG THOMSON: They've been totally wrong in relation to the Government's position of interference, they've been totally wrong in terms of the facts of the issue. They are standing here today with egg all over their faces.
TOM IGGULDEN: The Workplace Relations Minister says changes are needed at Fair Work Australia.
BILL SHORTEN, WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTER: What can be done to make sure this doesn't happen again? What are the lessons from this unacceptably long report?
TOM IGGULDEN: But he's not backing Craig Thomson's claim of vindication.
BILL SHORTEN: The matter of who did what will ultimately be tested in the courts.
TOM IGGULDEN: As the heat begins to recede from one of Labor's bigger controversies, there's also been improvement today in its poll numbers. Newspoll has its primary vote up two points to 35 per cent. It's still all but electoral oblivion, but Labor MPs could be forgiven for hoping that political momentum's begun to swing back in their favour.
One even went on the offensive today about Mr Abbott's controversial removal from question time yesterday by the female Deputy Speaker.
ANNA BURKE, DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will remove himself from the chamber under 94A.
TANYA PLIBERSEK, HEALTH MINISTER: The response she got shows very plainly that Mr Abbott's not used to taking orders from a woman, I think.
TONY ABBOTT, OPPOSITION LEADER: I take directions from women every day. My wife, my daughters, my chief of staff.
TANYA PLIBERSEK: "Some of my best friends are women!" [laughs] I just think that's a funny thing to say.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE, MANAGER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS: That is another one of the Government's weapons of mass distraction.
TOM IGGULDEN: All this two years to the day since the last election, and a year at most until the next one.
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