Friday, July 03, 2015

Scrutiny: MPs Not Above the Law

Vote early and often?

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley released a statement on Friday afternoon, indicating Ms Hay, a longtime ally of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi during their time in Parliament, would remain a member of the party until any specific evidence against her came to light. "I have today discussed with Member for Wollongong Noreen Hay an investigation into her office by the Australian Federal Police. During our discussion, Ms Hay offered to stand aside as Opposition Whip pending the outcome of the investigation," he said.
Noreen Hay stood down

The electoral office of NSW Labor MP Noreen Hay has been raided by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) over enrolment fraud  allegations ...

AFP raids office Noreen Hay

Via local - illawarramercury.com.au

Like Tony Abbott, Noreen Hay was born in London into a working-class family of practising Christians.
NSW Opposition Whip Noreen Hay resigns from her factional position as allegations over her connections to a Chinese company emerge. Not So Shiny Ways

Other Stories from the Bear Pit: The NSW Baird government has risked its relationship with Fred Nile by telling parents that ethics classes may be available as an ­alternative to religious education.
Reverend Nile, who holds the balance of power in the upper house and will be needed by the government to pass most of its legislative agenda, headed a ­committee that recommended ­religious education receive prom­inence on the forms parents complete to nominate what class they want their children to join Mike Baird faces balance-of-power tussle 

  • "May 28, 2015: Julie Bishop quotes that official's evidence to deflect Labor attack about why the Monis letter didn't raise red flags ..."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott's office knew Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had misled Parliament about Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis three days before the government eventually owned up to the mistake. The delay in correcting the parliamentary record until the end of a sitting fortnight meant the government faced no scrutiny in question time over its handling of the case.
The newly released, heavily redacted documents show Mr Abbott's office knew Ms Bishop had relied on false evidence to defuse Labor's line of attack about why the letter from Monis to Attorney-General George Brandis had not been taken seriously.
And further story from the Canberrean Sandpit

Allan Behm, in his recent book on ministerial staff, comes to a similar conclusion but for different reasons. He says "our national political enterprise is seriously and systemically damaged" although he says "Kelly's eschatology is somewhat more doleful than mine". More than enough ink has been used in speculation about the causes of these discontents, some of which are convincing. Nevertheless, there's still room aplenty to wonder how things could have gone so sour so quickly.
Political Stories Based on Recent Histories ...

The Australian arts sector held a crisis meeting in Sydney on Thursday night. More than 120 arts leaders from around the country attended to discuss what to do about one of the gravest threats to Australian culture in decades. Meanwhile, I received an email from a commissioning producer at a Melbourne performing arts centre. “Dark days,” he wrote. Several of his friends in small performing arts organisations are being laid off.
George Brandis and the arts funding crisis: one hell of a one-man show