“Prime Minister Julia Gillard over the last few days has gone on a full frontal attack on the Australian Media which undermines free speech in this country. Her motive is to cover-up her own corrupt past. Julie Gillard has personally phoned executives and editors at News Ltd and highly likely Fairfax Media to stop reporting on her past of helping her former boyfriend Bruce Wilson rip off the AWU of over $1,000,000. It makes one wonder if she has also phoned other media as well in her cover-up attempt….”
Shane Dowling presents a very well researched chronology of the suppression of the Gillard-Wilson affair by our Prime Minister. I have no evidence that Ms Gillard did anything illegal or corrupt in her past. I have no evidence suggesting that Ms Gillard has a ‘corrupt past’, and I don’t agree with Mr Dowling on this. So it is bizarre that the PM should be so desperate to suppress this story and so frugal with any facts relating to it. Consequently, the story has now gained two new dimensions:
1. Is evidence of illegality or corruption by persons unknown in relation to the Wilson-AWU crime being suppressed? What has the whistle blower, Robert Kernohan, have to say about the Wilson affair and AWU theft of money that Ms Gillard is personally so desperate to suppress? Do any allegations involve the PM or people other than the PM?
2. Is Ms Gillard abusing the power of the Prime Minister by intimidating and restricting freedom of the press. When do multiple phone calls and implied threats become too much and an overt threat to the rule of law? Does Ms Gillard have a large conflict of interest, being the subject of allegations in the press and also being involved in the decision whether to have a media inquiry or not?
Newspaper editors being intimidated by phone calls from the PM, articles being rewritten or withdrawn and government critics being silenced and government-friendly press printing ‘nothing-to-see-here’ stories with not a thread of factual content. All this on account of what Ms Gillard claims is an old story which she answered many time before, but which answers are nowhere to be found. Apparently we need to take her word for it.
For public confidence to be restored, the Prime Minister must present what she says she has explained previously and demonstrate her innocence in the Wilson affair – as a competent lawyer and a high profile public figure, these must be at her fingertips and she only needs to show them to us.
Failing this, some members of the public might be unsure if their Prime Minister is not a previously corrupt person or a criminal, hiding behind the powers as a Prime Minister. Such allegations and doubts are not unheard of, even in western countries. Take for example Mr Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy:
Despite criminal charges and corruption claims, Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi offers to plough on as PM.
AP May 05, 2011Corruption ruling deals Berlusconi’s standing another blow
SMH, Gaia Piangiani July 11, 2011
A simple presentation of the facts in parliament by Ms Gillard would put an end to this whole silliness and let the country get on.
UPDATE:
A chronology of articles written about this matter are on The Mayne Report here.
Of note in Glenn Milne article “Julia left counting cost of lover’s con – Gillard admits: `I was naive’”
The Sunday Telegraph, November 11, 2007, is that he says that:
Hundreds of pages of new documents held by the AWU have now been leaked, detailing Wilson’s fraud.
We have already learned from the Thomson affair, that if the Union is not cooperative, investigation by police is not possible. These AWU documents were leaked only in 2007, according to Milne, long (10 years) after the Victorian police said in 1996 there would be no charges due to ‘lack of evidence’ and the National Crime Authority investigated the AWU.
The article had five grainy reducted documents. I wonder where these ‘hundred’s of pages are and if they were ever presented to the police in 1996?
what is your reasoning to not feeling shane dowlings story is true.? is it that it’s about pm of aus and she would never of had corrupt dealings? do you think mr dowling fabriicates lies ? your doubting mr dowling but same time asking simular questions as to his story points to.i think its wrong to not beleive mr dowling any more then miss gillard considering her past dealings to become pm i hold her in no high stead then any aus citizen.i beleive this is as possible to be 100% true through her media blockout over this otherwise she’de smack it right on the head
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