Part 2 The Media Release of 9 October and the Smith’s Beach Report.

CCC Spin exposes lack of integrity

The Desert Rat has always thought the media statement released by the Corrruption and Crime Commission (CCC) at the time of the tabling of the Smith’s Beach report on 9 November 2007 was defamatory of Burke and Grill.

Having read the CCC's Smith’s Beach Report and been unimpressed by the gloating, quoted comments in the media release by the CCC’s CEO Mike “Children Overboard” Silverstone, the Desert Rat mistakenly thought that there must have been another volume of the report.

The Smith's Beach Report and the press release do not properly relate to each other!

“What’s wrong with these CCC clowns?” the Desert Rat asked. Did the staff get their law degrees and other degrees from out of Weeties packets?

The media release was written with little reference to the report and was designed to inflict maximum damage to the reputations of Brian Burke and Julian Grill.

Take for instance the statement in the media release:

“Also, in the Commission’s view lobbyists (former Premier, Mr
Brian Burke and his partner, former Minister, Mr Julian Grill) acting as agents for Canal Rocks Pty Ltd and its representative, Mr David McKenzie, influenced or attempted to influence public officers to engage in misconduct.”

There is no such statement or finding in the Smith’s Beach Report! Additionally there is no evidence in the Smith’s Beach Report at all to support this assertion in respect of Julian Grill and Brian Burke.

This clumsy, false and defamatory comment in the media release is more about politics than Justice and reflects on the calibre of people employed at the CCC. The media release was a political attack on Burke and Grill and was designed to inflict as much damage as possible to their reputations.

If this is the standard of investigating and reporting that Jim McGinty tolerates in his government departments and agencies he cannot expect any respect as a Minister.

To compound the inadequacy he says the CCC is doing a wonderful job, despite the well documented litany of incompetence by the Corruption and Crime Commission.