CCC targets Media and Centre - Right faction members
Western Australians and the Desert Rat rely on the media to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the Carpenter – (McGinty) Government and expose its internal machinations. The two biggest threats to the power and hegemony of the Social Left controlled Carpenter Government are the media and the Centre - Right factions of the Labor Caucus.
McGinty's spat with and antipathy for Paul Armstrong, the editor of The West Australian, and his aversion to the Centre-Right are well known. Both these groups have come under sustained attack by both the Government and the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).
The CCC was criticised in late 2007 when it emerged it had secretly interrogated a number of Perth journalists. In 2006/2007 the Commission held 40.5 days of open hearings and 22 days of secret hearings.
The Desert Rat agrees with the journalists’ union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, when it described the secret hearings of the Corruption and Crime Commission as “insidious and sinister”.
The journalists were threatened with “fines and lengthy imprisonment” if they told anyone about their attendance. Under CCC law, witnesses can be fined $60,000 and imprisoned for three years if they disclose their attendance or discuss it with others.
The journalists were ABC TV’s Sue Short, Channel 9’s David Cooper, Channel 7’s Gary Adshead and The West Australian’s Robert Taylor.
Short and Cooper appeared before the Commission on 26 June over “…identifying the person or persons who on or about 12 May 2006 provided information and/or assisted her (Short) in identifying the new suspect for the murder of Pamela Lawrence as being in custody for another homicide”. (The appalling Andrew Mallard miscarriage of justice)
Adshead and Taylor were two of 21 witnesses who appeared before the Parliamentary Inspector of the Commission, in late June and early July when he investigated the leaking of a Commission document to Parliament on former Labor MP John D’Orazio.
“We are bringing it (the secret hearings) to public attention because we are deeply disturbed by its impact on the practice of journalism,” Alliance WA Branch Secretary Michael Sinclair-Jones was quoted in The Australian Thursday 8 November. He said the hearing had the characteristics of a star chamber with interrogations and investigations held in secret and people who were unwilling to testify threatened with severe penalties. “These journalists could not tell their families, their boss, their union…it’s police state stuff.
“The blanket suppression of free speech at secret hearings that nobody is allowed to know even occurred is deeply troubling. But we are even more concerned that journalists are being secretly threatened with long jail sentences and massive fines for protecting confidential sources. “Such inquisitorial powers would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. Press freedom and democracy will inevitably suffer if the secret state powers are used to intimidate journalists and crush leaks.”
Are we looking at the CCC in the correct light?, after all it was largely created by Geof Gallop & Co.
ReplyDeleteIs he not questionable? a poser, knowing that at least one Mate of Grill was instrumental in creating 200 years of uncontrolable State Water Pollution, was well aware that W.A. has the highest incidence of Child Lukemia, likely closely associated with Grills Mates State contaminating activities, then Gallop has the "neck" to "trot off" to teach Environmetal issues at a University.
Just look at the Moira Rainer/ Laurie Marquet issue, thieving, lying Homosexual intravenous drug using burocrat, she as Ass; Director of the triple C, tips him off that he is being "bugged" , by her Department, the CCC, obviously guilty, yet she "gets off", why is this? is it down to the negligence of Jim McGinty's Department? in prosecuting her? of course it was.
Marquet ceased to use his phone after her "tip off", she was obviously guilty, but not so if the Department is not really trying to "pin her",.
What does she know that scares them off properly and efficiently dealt with in the Courts??
How many WEST AUSTRALIANS are aware that the CCC has a "get out" of investigating corrupt Officials, or more so many "getouts", one is that the Official resigns, then in the private sector the CCC take no action, another is to rely upon, other Department "Investigations", that is another Government Department performs a negligent "Investigation", from then on its "Fate Accompli", mission accomplished, no real investigation, how Corrupt is my State?
Paul
ReplyDeleteWho is the Mate who helped create 200 years of uncontrolable water polution and how did they do it?