By GDL.
The Craig Thomson saga and the incompetence that the Labor party manifested since 2007, are surely the obvious reasons why they are at the lowest point in the polls.
This week surfaced again(sic!) Craig Thomson's affair, with the report from Fair Work Australia. It took four years for Fair Work Australia to investigate whether Craig Thomson, the Labor MP for Dobell, and other members of the Health Services Union, had acted improperly and whether they should be prosecuted for criminal offences.
As reported in the press months ago, Craig Thomson had allegedly used the union credit card for his own enjoyment, i.e to pay for prostitutes, dinner, travel and cash outs which amount to more than $100,000. These expenses appeared on the bank statements and signatures affixed to the payments. Mr Thomson continues to deny all wrongdoings.
After four years of enquiry, Fair Work Australia submitted its report into allegations of unfair use of HSU's finance by its former Federal Secretary, to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution.
The report was not made public but it is understood, that, it named three members of the HSU. There are apparently 118 cases of wrongdoings and 71 cases of breach which are liable to prosecution.
In a bizarre twist, the DPP declared, after receiving the report, that it will not act on this document to engage in prosecutions. It is up to the HSU or Fair Work Australia to lay formal charges to the DPP to consider prosecution. This was not the case with the enquiry report.
It is no strange, under these circumstances that, in the general public's mind, there is an attempt of cover up somewhere. The Opposition leader was quick to highlight the failure of Fair Work to provide prosecutors with the brief of evidence required and qualified this as a deliberate act of " obstruction of justice."
Mr, Abbott told radio 2GB, "I think the public are concluding that basically a protection racket has been at work here inside officialdom to look after Craig Thomson and the Gillard government.”
For her part the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, brushed off any suggestions that Fair Work Australia was trying to protect the government by concealing any wrongdoing by Mr Thomson, whose departure from parliament would threaten Labor slim's parliamentary majority.She said the workplace watchdog was wholly independent.
For her part the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, brushed off any suggestions that Fair Work Australia was trying to protect the government by concealing any wrongdoing by Mr Thomson, whose departure from parliament would threaten Labor slim's parliamentary majority.She said the workplace watchdog was wholly independent.
While I understand that legal procedures can be quite complex at times, I am surprised that despite all that has been written and said in the media, it has taken four years for Fair Work Australia to "properly" investigate whether Craig Thomson had misused the union's money. I found this unacceptable that after four years of enquiry, there is still no signs of whether Craig has committed a criminal offence. Is this Australia or another Australia ?
I find it hard, not to believe or suspect that everything is done to delay that the case goes to Court, in view of the Gillard's minority government. If Craig Thomson is found guilty, he brings down the Gillard's government with him. The longer it takes the better it is for the government to rely on Craig Thomson's vote. It might take up to the general elections.
I have the impression that I am living in a third world country in Asia or Africa, where the separation of powers is not embedded in the constitution and where corrupt politicians do everything to pervert the course of justice.
For my part, I am really disgusted by the way this saga is turning. This Gillard's Labour Government is just a disgrace.
