Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Love, Lust and the Future of Politics and Culture
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Carr behind Orange Grove's scuttling: Black report
The Premier, Bob Carr, and his office sought to "inappropriately direct" a decision to scuttle the Orange Grove factory outlet based on "the improper influence" of Westfield, an explosive parliamentary report has found.
It also concludes there was a conspiracy to cover up the affair.
The final wording of the upper house committee report will be discussed at a meeting of the committee today and will be released next week.
A majority of the seven-member committee support the conclusions, but it is almost certain the three Labor members will issue a dissenting report.
The findings, seen by the Herald, come midway through the Independent Commission against Corruption hearings into Orange Grove. They are scathing about Westfield's role and are likely to prompt another debate about the role of political donations in gaining access to decision makers. Westfield is a big donor to the NSW Labor Party and the Liberal Party.
• Orange Turning Black ; [A Sydney terror trial witness admits lying about his combat experiences with a terrorist group and giving the FBI information based on his dreams Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Hamdi ]
• · · Tests Reveal Yushchenko's Dioxin Level Poison level 6000 times higher than normal ; [Who assassinated John Newman? ]
• · · · While the Premier is overseas the Union NSW or former Labour Council is busy drumming up the number for the political survivor who swims on the left side of the Blue Mountains River. In addition, the ABC journalists love him: Next Premier? [At Time like this it must be tempting to do Michael Knight...]
• · · · · · Catching cabinet colleagues by surprise, he decided to fall on his sword only after being told by Sir Alan on Tuesday that a sequence of forgotten, but potentially compromising, faxes and emails would not allow him to deliver a clean bill of health. It was a dramatic end to one of the most tenacious political careers. As a child born blind in a poor home, Mr Blunkett, 57, rose to hold one of the most important and demanding offices in the state - and lost it for love. Blunkett's emotional exit
