Mr Ward's Death - Margaret Quirk's mea culpa

Are McGinty and Carpenter Fred Chaney's real racists?

The continued publicity following the manslaughter of Warburton Elder Mr Ward has prompted this comment. The Desert Rat previously covered this issue when praising the sole public comment from Labor by Labor MP Ben Wyatt.

Fred Chaney is reported to have weeped recently as he talked of Mr Ward's death as an example of entrenched racism in government bureaucracy.

Chaney is no doubt genuine and caring about Aboriginal people but the Desert Rat always thought he was part of the problem and not, part of the solution. Chaney talks often of self determination and Aboriginal control but it seems - never without them accepting any real responsibility for themselves.

Former Prisons Minister Margaret Quirk in a TV interview recently issued a public mea culpa in respect to Mr Ward's death saying she wanted to apologise for

"failing to convince her cabinet colleagues about the need to replace the ageing fleet of prisoner transport vehicles".

This comment suggests Quirk repeatedly asked for the funding in cabinet but got rolled.

This begs the question of who rolled her?

If either of Jim McGinty as Attorney General (and the previous Corrections Minister who jettisoned the department from his AG ministry), and or former Premier Alan Carpenter supported her call for funding, it would have been approved by cabinet.

It would appear that these two idiots were not particularly troubled to see Aboriginal prisoners shipped around the state in vehicles that could double for Pizza ovens on a hot day.

Are these the actual 'racists' to whom Chaney should have directed his remarks? Chaney is quick to criticise the public servants, but those primarily responsible are the politicians in cabinet whose did nothing when they had the opportunity to appropriate the desperately needed funding to replace these death traps.

Chaney's comments should have been directed at McGinty and Carpenter - but he avoids offending them. By the way Fred, how much did you earn Chairing McGinty's Bill of Rights inquiry and in other government sinecures?

Chaney has been on the public tit ever since he left the Senate; he like many other people who the Desert Rat thinks are the architects of the current indigenous mess.

One is entitled to ask: What practical achievements has Fred Cheney helped gain for Aboriginal people to ameliorate their plight?

CCC dumps Finance Brokers Inquiry. No report after four (fruitless?) years.

We are dangerously incompetent. We specialise in ruining the reputations of honest hardworking citizens and refuse to be accountable.

What a hide these Corruption and Crime Commission clowns have!

What, no Report?!!

The CCC have refused to admit that they are idiots. "We may be liars, incompetent and a miserable failure" a spokesman said "but we are not idiots".

After four year of investigation and public hearing into the Finance Brokers term of reference, which was designed to damage the reputations of a number of politicians, Brian Burke and Julian Grill, the chief clown and ringmaster Major General Len Roberts-Smith has informed the victims that:

"...I have concluded it would be unproductive and not in the public interest to proceed further and, specifically, not to proceed with the preparation of a report for tabling in the Western Australian Parliament."

The Desert Rat wonders what the investigation was about.

Earlier last year the Desert Rat undertook his own detailed investigation of this matter and asked the same question! This was thoroughly reported in an earlier post here.

It took about six hours of work to investigate and write the article. The Desert Rat could have done an investigation and written a report for the clowns at the CCC for about $5000 - that's about 10 days work at the Desert Rat's modest fee.

Why has it taken the CCC, four years, costly public hearings, millions of dollars and thousands of hours of unproductive staff time to reach this conclusion? Commissioner Roberts-Smith and Executive Director Silverstone are spendthrifts and pathetic incompetents.

Would they waste their own money as they waste public taxpayers funds?

The backsliding Roberts-Smith says "he has concluded it is unproductive and not in the public interest to proceed further.." surely they must have done something in four years? Roberts-Smith has also "concluded" to "not to proceed with the preparation of a report for tabling in the Western Australian Parliament". There is no CCC grovelling media release making this announcement, just a grubby low key letter to the victims.

Well Major General Roberts-Smith, we want to know what you found out in four years?

• Is it not in the public interest to expose your former patron Jim McGinty's role in the Finance Brokers term of reference?
  
• Is it not in the public interest to conclude that Brian Burke and Julian Grill did a public service by placing enormous pressure on Jim McGinty to honour his pre-election commitment to compensate the many pensioners who were defrauded?

The public and the WA parliament deserve a report, so that there is some indication as to whether these citizens have done anything wrong or right which is more likely!

Would the CCC open themselves to public ridicule if they admitted they got it badly wrong again in respect of Julian Grill, Brian Burke, Anthony Fels and Noel Crichton-Brown? The CCC's gratuitous public humiliation of each of these men, sanctioned by the likes of Roberts-Smith and Mike Children Overboard Silverstone was like kicking someone while the were down - and yet no apology!

• Has Roberts-Smith been sufficiently vague in the wording of his letter, to suggest there was not enough evidence to prosecute these men?
  
• Has the CCC run out of money and can't afford to complete the investigation and write the report?
  

What has happened to dump this investigation after four years without any report?

The Desert Rat is very confident that all the main facts are in his earlier post on the matter . The only missing part is, Jim McGinty's version of his dealing in the Finance Brokers matter? McGinty's vindictive treatment of those who worked so hard to get a resolution of the matter should have come under scrutiny. Neither Jim McGinty or any of his apologists has disputed the Desert Rat's account of events.

Don't expect the sleazy duo of Len Roberts-Smith or Mike Silverstone to ever be gracious in defeat, it is not part of their thick and bullying demeanour to be fair.

McGinty - Reign and Succession

McGinty: Failure on all front or deliberate deliverance of Fremantle to the Greens?

Tomorrow is the unwanted by-election for Fremantle. Jim McGinty politically odouriferous stench has ensured he has remained invisible during the campaign which presents most Fremantle voters with Hobson's choice. A Green, no Liberal candidate and a Liberal standing as a Labor candidate and nondescript independents.

Jim McGinty's legacy is an embarrassment, he controlled the biggest Left union, and therefore the Left Wing of the ALP and therefore the State Executive of the ALP, which in turn has endorsed all ALP candidates for seats in parliament; McGinty effectively controls the Parliamentary Labor Party for the last 19 years. This power gave him defacto control of the WA Parliament and the Government of WA for the 7 years of the Gallop and Carpenter Ministries.

Despite this power and influence, he always failed to plan for the future and in 19 years put Left Faction types into Parliament of insufficient ability, to be ministerial material, let alone leadership material - the goons gig - the star recruit being Fran "Do you want a threesome" Logan.

McGinty failed to groom people to be able to take on the Left leadership. Perhaps he thought it would never be necessary once the self appointed Emperor assumed the Kim Jong Il mantle.

The result was that after the 2008 election, the cupboard was so bare he had to desperately move to slot Roger Cook (who was elected by the skin of his teeth in Kwinana) into the position as deputy leader of Labor, even before he had taken a seat in the house. Other obvious talent with parliamentary experience such as Aboriginal Victoria Park MLA Ben Wyatt were passed by because they were not paid up obedient members of the McGinty controlled Left Faction.

The net result has been a talentless group of Left members who McGinty could herd and bring to heel and a policy bankrupt ALP Left Caucus of voting fodder.

When McGinty resigned from the state seat of Fremantle, he left the ALP in a hole because there was no-one with an ALP pedigree with any local credibility, to slot into Fremantle. The result is a card carrying Liberal Peter Tagliaferri who contested the 1990 election against McGinty, who recently donated to the Liberal Party. Remember Julian Grill was expelled from the ALP for forwarding a cheque to the National Party from one of his clients. Bare-faced hypocrisy again!

The Desert Rat reckons Tagliaferri could well be an Independent either shortly after (or before if he gets a chance) he locks in his pension.

McGinty has achieved all this with one vote, one value and increased the malapportionment in the Upper House which was supposed to entrench Labor in the Lower House and the Greens in the Upper House.

One can only think about missed opportunities to consolidate Labor with good like-minded people. All they have got from poaching outside the Party are rent-a-politicians Alan Carpenter, St Carmen Lawrence and now Peter Tagliaferri, perhaps.

The Desert Rats wonders if Jim McGinty would actually prefer a Green elected in Fremantle, as he has done his level best to achieve that end by (unwitting or deliberate?) stealth.

At least McGinty has that in common with the Liberals in this by-election.

The whole sorry saga reflects McGinty's pre-occupation with short term thinking and action - today's quick fix is tomorrows f f...failure.

"Le Cirque McGinty a pris un coup de soleil.." - claims scalps

McGinty and Silverstone desert the CCC's sinking $$ Black Hole.

As predicted this transparent fool His Irrelevance Jim McGinty has retired. McGinty, rejecting recent rumours, showed his usual honesty with the public by saying he had no intention to retire.

Strange how McGinty and his minions are happy to see others pilloried, who make genuine mistakes about the minutiae of detail in unrepresented cross examination.

McGinty's had three major achievements according to The West Australian in his 19 years of politicking:

• a prostitution Bill - that Bill will never be proclaimed, so its failings will never be exposed.

• the electoral reform of one-vote, one-value laws - where he actually increased the malapportionment in the Legislative Council and delivered enhanced prospects to the Nationals and the Greens with a more blatantly distorted voting system. The reform was so 'clever' and opportunistic that it helped Labor lose government. Most of the worst crimes of humanity have been perpetrated by those who have allowed the means to justify the end.
  

• homosexual law reform - to allow the legal sodemisation of 16 and 17 year old teenage males - in effect lowering the bar for pedophiles. No one of this age in recent decades has in effect been prosecuted where the ages of consenting males are similar.
  

Well done Jim McGinty, that deserves an Australian Honour which the Desert Rat is sure is on the way.

The Desert Rat is not surprised that Mike Children Overboard Silverstone is not reapplying for his Executive Officer job at the Corruption and Crime Commission.

Their masthead Smiths Beach Inquiry targetting Julian Grill and Brian Burke, which has probably cost $50 to $60 million of taxpayers funds, has completely unravelled and shown to be a house of cards. The CCC in their embarrassment at their incompetence being exposed, are resorting to petty behaviour with ridiculous false testimony charges - all of which, so far, have been shown to be petty and malicious and thrown out of court.

McGinty we are told by The West Australian is rumoured to be getting another job on the public tit - a cushy Rudd government job from Left Faction mate Julia Gillard as an Australian Industrial Relations Commissioner on $250 000 a year, together with his $2.5 million pension. The Socialist Left, whilst always obedient to the faction bosses, never aspires to vows of poverty and chastity.

As an under achieving parasite, Jim McGinty has never lived in a world where his income has not been guaranteed by government or a union with captive members and where his incompetence has exposed his own wallet.

McGinty despondent about mandatory sentencing or his own failures?

Jim McGinty despondent - doesn't that require emotion?

The Desert Rat is unimpressed by Jim McGinty's crocodile tears. He is quoted on ABC TV as being despondent about the Barnett Government's mandatory sentencing legislation.

McGinty's political policy gymnastics in crises, shines a flashlight into the greasy recess of the sad cockroach infested policy making apparatus within the state ALP. It's driven by polls.

McGinty should have thought about the folly of mandatory sentencing and its unintended consequences when he and Labor Premier Carmen Lawrence first introduced mandatory sentencing in 1991. The Stalinist streak in McGinty retreats only marginally, when he is in opposition.

Labors 1991 three strikes legislation was a shambles and from the Desert Rat's memory - had no effect on crime statistics and tied the courts up in red bureaucratic tape. It was an embarrassment just like the fiasco of McGinty's Truth in Sentencing legislation.

What McGinty can't comprehend is that the Labor Party can never outbid and should never outbid a conservative party on mandatory sentencing. It was a stupid road to go down and set the rabbit running.

After pathetically failing to protect nurses when he was Minister for Health and Attorney General, McGinty and the rabble called "Labor" now want nurses covered by new laws which they claim at the same time are dangerous and ineffective. Illogical Jim?

Will Jim McGinty ever understand that public respect will come from well argued policy that is coherent and consistent in both government and opposition? McGinty's position shifts with every change in the polls. Pot polls, mandatory sentence polls you name it.

Where's McGinty's Guts? Step up Kim Beasley.

When the going get tough, the wimps get going

When the Desert Rat saw ALP heavyweight (not in the sense of her obese colleagues) Ljil Ravlich on ABC TV "news" last night lambasting the decision to allow lead carbonate shipments through Fremantle, it revealed a lot about the dysfunctional ALP. The Libs were doing what Labor set up when in government!

The interview tells the Desert Rat that McGinty will resign from Parliament in May and Peter Tagliaferri will be the ALP candidate for Fremantle.

McGinty has no guts and at 58 years of age can't find the courage to take on the Barnett Government. A costly by-election for taxpayers will result and McGinty will walk away with $2.5 million in superannuation. What's Kevin Rudd got to say about that golden handshake?

The Desert Rat has heard, that like his mentor Napoleon, McGinty will exile himself to an island off Italy. Since the fall of communism in eastern Europe, McGinty has discovered God probably doesn't think much of athiests and so he is contemplating repenting and becoming a born-again catholic and adopting a cloistered monastic life on the island.

Ljil Ravlich's claim to fame is, the first Croatian born woman from Split to be elected to Parliament in Western Australia. Ljil was encircled by Fran "Want a threesome?" Logan appropriatly the Member for Cockburn (in more than one sense of the word) and Fremantle Mayor Peter Tagliaferri and someone else, a nodding cheer squad member.

They must have begged the ABC to run this non-story! Not a good professional decision Aunty.

Why wasn't Jim McGinty there, after all it his electorate? Normally he would be spitting chips if other ALP members encroached on his turf. McGinty hasn't complained about their opposition to Magellan Metals plan, which has been approved by the Environmental Protection Authority.

The reason for McGinty's absence is that he is an embassassment to the ALP. He has no friends now that he can't dispense patronage. McGinty the self-crowned Emperor of WA is lost without the trappings of ministerial office and the shiny leather-seated ministerial car.

Since the election debacle, he is miffed; underlings have refused to genuflects before him and pay proper obeisance. The only use now for this one-time cock-sure rooster, is, as a feather duster.

Normally Peter Tagliaferri would not stand a chance of endorsement, but McGinty is doubtful that his preferred man Dave Kelly the secretary of the Misco's Union, can win. Losing Fremantle would be a dreadful reflection on McGinty's already pathetic legacy and on his dwindling respect among his ALP constituents, and add to his ignominy.

Former Docker Peter Bell is no longer interested in the seat since he found out the bullshit he would have to endure in the dysfunctional ALP.

Well Ljil Ravlich fronted up to the camera [not Sue Ellery the local Upper House member and McGinty acolyte, who should be the ALP's spokesperson on health and obesity]. Ljil condemned the Barnett Government for allowing lead carbonate to be exported from Fremantle. The rabble's hypocrisy was shameless and cynical, as the shipments were set up by the Carpenter Government!

Well the Desert Rat thinks Kim Beasley is a decent man and too young to be out to pasture, so why not have a go Kim - you would get a lot of support and would double the IQ of the shadow cabinet, if elected.

Peter Tagliaferri is not a sure bet, the Desert Rat always thought of him as a card carrying Liberal. His old man, a close mate of commo Paddy Troy and decent man would have warranted strong support - the son is an unknown quantity , at least to the Desert Rat.

McGinty's Legacy - Electoral Reform

McGinty's Scorecard: Power (Dist.) Politics (Fail)

Power before principle, is the hallmark of much of the mess created in the name of reform by failed former Attorney General Jim McGinty.

The Desert Rat thought it would be instructive to examine McGinty's so-called electoral reform legislation. McGinty thought that by introducing one-vote one-value, he would entrench the Australian Labor Party in power in WA for the next decade. By doing a grubby deal with the Greens to get their support in the Legislative Council for his legislation, McGinty actually increased the malapportionment in the Upper House - something he hypocritically said was immoral and wanted to rid the system of!

A principled approach would have been to have equal vote weighting in the Legislative Council. The Desert Rat has no doubt that considerations of power, not justice were the driving force behind McGinty thinking and actions on electoral reform.

The National Party who were supposed to be obliterated by McGinty's manoeuvre are now quietly laughing. McGinty has handed the National Party many Upper House seats and undreamed of power in the Legislative Council.

The Nationals can't believe how stupid McGinty has been and are very grateful.

This of couse will transfer hundred of millions of dollars to country electorates at the expense of McGinty's own electorate fo Fremantle and other metro seats. Again something McGinty miscalculated. Many former ALP country voters changed their vote because McGinty showed no interest in them - he abandoned them!

McGinty's stupid comments denigrating the vital Royal Flying Doctor Service incensed most thinking and compassionate people and underlined McGinty's contempt for country people.

McGinty's electoral shenanigans came back to bite him on his polished bum. He alienated those who saw through his cheap unprincipled approach and undermined any moral authority the ALP had on electoral reform.