topic Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays! in Community Spirit

Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

icyfroth — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 05:30:46 GMT

Heydon refuses to quit inquiry

Dyson Heydon will continue as Trade Unions royal commissioner, despite pressure from the union movement and the Labor Party.

Justice Heydon delivered his ruling today, and said the royal commission would resume tomorrow as per usual.

Mr Heydon published a 67-page decision that concluded “it is not the case that a fair-minded lay observer might apprehend that I might not bring an impartial mind to the resolution of the questions which the work of the Commission requires to be decided”.

The unions have yet to respond to the decision.

Entire Article Here

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

watta*drama*queen — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:35:04 GMT

A principled man of high intellect .

Well done Dyson Heydon !

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

j*oono — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:52:15 GMT

Yes, that was his decision.

Comment: Trade Union Royal Commission: Dyson Heydon shows why judges really are a breed apart

Mark Kenney - Sydney Morning Herald

A welter of evidence clearly establishing a widespread public perception of bias on the part of the royal commissioner into trade union corruption has been brushed off as irrelevant by the highest legal authority charged with assessing it; the royal commissioner himself.

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

the_great_she_elephant — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 07:59:16 GMT

I don't think it came as any surprise, Joono - it's a bit hard to give yourself a kick up the bum

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

icyfroth — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 10:30:24 GMT

It's quite obvious that the unions and the Labor party will do anything to shut the TURC down because they fear the revelations of corruption that will come out of it.

From what I've heard they're going to petition the Governor General to remove DH from the post.

The general opinion is that they're going to try to tie up and delay the Commission until after the election, when it can become obsolete.

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

lurker172602 — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 21:51:45 GMT

I imagine that Dyson Heydon is probably a very nice man and I sure he's an excellent judge/adjudicator.
However, given the guaranteed politisation this RC was always going to attract, from either side, he had to be seen to be squeaker than squeaky clean. I think the RC is now critically tainted.
And, his defence has also opened a whole new acceptable response for anyone who doesn't want to answer questions. "I wasn't aware". That's dangerous territory

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

icyfroth — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 23:54:36 GMT

@lurker172602 wrote:
I imagine that Dyson Heydon is probably a very nice man and I sure he's an excellent judge/adjudicator.
However, given the guaranteed politisation this RC was always going to attract, from either side, he had to be seen to be squeaker than squeaky clean. I think the RC is now critically tainted.
And, his defence has also opened a whole new acceptable response for anyone who doesn't want to answer questions. "I wasn't aware". That's dangerous territory

I agree with you in that the Royal Commission has now been drawn into conflict through the accusations of the ALP.

However, Justice Heydon has had plenty of time to make his considerations to stand down or forge ahead, so he must have prepared himself with plenty of material to be able to defend himself well for the onslaught from the ALP. He must know they're not going to rest in their efforts to close the commission down. They have too much to lose to let it go ahead.

As to "I wasn't aware". It was actually when he became aware of the possible conflict of interest his attendance at the event could be seen as that he cancelled.

"I wasn't aware" was Mr Shorten's favourite response when he was in the stand, I believe.

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

moonflyte — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:46 GMT

If Dyson Heydon should lose his job for percieved bias then 99.9% of ABC staff should go as well.

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

tezza2844 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:02:23 GMT

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

moonflyte — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:05:05 GMT

@lurker172602 wrote:
I imagine that Dyson Heydon is probably a very nice man and I sure he's an excellent judge/adjudicator.
However, given the guaranteed politisation this RC was always going to attract, from either side, he had to be seen to be squeaker than squeaky clean. I think the RC is now critically tainted.
And, his defence has also opened a whole new acceptable response for anyone who doesn't want to answer questions. "I wasn't aware". That's dangerous territory

What tosh, trying to taint an honourable man with a sentence?? What should be commented on is the unions don't want to be investigated and they have used their massive power along with the left arm of unionism, the Labor party, to destroy this RC.

That's what's happening here and anybody who doesn't understant that ot doesn't want to see the truth of this onslaught is living under a mushroom.

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

monman12 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 07:11:15 GMT

One certainly could not argue that the term witch hunt is not apt, even though I suspect those who use the term ad infinitum overlook "trial by ordeal" which would be best suited to some of the CFMEU thugs exposed by the RC probing.

!st report recommendations

Criminal charges against a number of Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and Health Services Union (HSU) officials for acts of intimidation, coercion and corruption
The Victorian secretary and assistant secretary of the CFMEU should faces charges of blackmail
ASIC should consider charges against CGMEU's Queensland secretary

The report was also highly critical of the way unions operated "slush funds", commenting that the monies sometimes referred to as "related entities", "workplace associations" and "collections":

What many "seem" to overlook is that the RC produces reports/recommendations which can then be acted upon by judicial authorities wherein they must undertake due process., rules of evidence, freedom from self incrimination etc, etc.

Heydon does not act as a "judge alone" within the process, just a well credentialed investigator (witch finder) who is exposing the antics of the coven, as has happened in the past:

The BLF was deregistered at the federal level and in most states in 1986 following a royal commission into union corruption. Its federal secretary Norm Gallagher was jailed.

Building workers are now represented by the CFMEU.

Deja vu indeed !

Cole Royal Commission 2001 The CFMEU asserted that the purpose of the Commission was a "witch-hunt" to reduce the power of the CFMEU .

More Deja vu !

CFMEU coven meeting. wherein the "donated" financial reserves of the slush pot are admired

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

debra9275 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 08:00:22 GMT

Of course any crooks in any unions or corporations should be prosecuted but TURC let Kathy Jackson off the hook and she turned out to be one of the worst crooks of all, stealing $1.4 million dollars from hard working members. It was the hospital union itself that took action against kathy jackson, not the RC which I find to be quite strange

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

monman12 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:52:20 GMT

What absolute nonsense, I suggest you peruse KATHY JACKSON ALLEGATIONS CHAPTER 12.4 from the initial Jackson appearance at the RC.

"The matters set out above raise serious governance issues at the Victoria No 3 Branch, during the period Ms Jackson was Secretary.
It is difficult to imagine a more inappropriate series of arrangements. On Ms Jackson’s own evidence, significant sums of members’ money were kept in a kitty and handed out at her discretion. There were insufficient checks and records concerning other movements of money, including the use of credit cards."

Counsel assisting, Stoljar did not deal with other serious issues, as he said they were being dealt with by a civil case brought against her by the HSU. (much of it based upon the RC evidence)

The commission further exposed Kathy Jackson - who blew the whistle on former Health Services Union boss Michael Williamson - that she was using union funds inappropriately. It revealed that she paid her former husband, Jeff Jackson, $50,000 from a union slush fund she controlled. The commission went further than the media through greater access to Jackson's financial records.

"A joint Victoria and Federal Police taskforce, connected to the royal commission into union corruption, is probing Jackson for widespread fraud and theft. They will be watching"

"The Victorian Police is investigating alleged criminal conduct involving serving and former union officials, including those from the CFMEU and former Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson.

A union corruption taskforce codenamed Heracles, named after the Greek god of power and ingenuity, is examining allegations referred to it by the union corruption royal commission and any separate complaints and intelligence "directly relating to criminal activity by rogue elements within the union movement".

D9275: " It was the hospital union itself that took action against kathy jackson, not the RC which I find to be quite strange" Perhaps some research into RCs would help, they do not take action they report for others to so do when a prima facie case can be shown to exist e.g.:

"A joint Victoria and Federal Police taskforce, connected to the royal commission into union corruption, is probing Jackson for widespread fraud and theft."

Why would the allegedly "biased" Heydon "go easy" on yet another corrupt ALP union official after the style of Williamson and Thomson?

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

debra9275 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:15:08 GMT

oh really

Yet the 1817-page interim report by Commissioner Dyson Heydon dealt with a range of issues both serious and trivial but ignored Jackson. There was an oblique reference, without naming her, that other issues to do with the Health Services Union would be dealt with in a future report.

This inquiry, as the union movement has claimed, is a witchhunt and a waste of money if it is prepared to recommend charges against some other union officials for relatively minor transgressions but ignore the conduct of Jackson, a Coalition hero for exposing corruption in her union.

Dyson Heydon's interim report fails to deal with the documentary evidence against Jackson, her own admissions and the recommendation of his own counsel assisting Jeremy Stoljar, that charges be considered against her for submitting a "false claim" to the Peter MacCallum cancer hospital.

In any event, Stoljar arguably let Jackson off the hook – he did not deal with other serious issues, as he said they were being dealt with by a civil case brought against her by the HSU

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

debra9275 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:21:44 GMT

and

http://www.smh.com.au/national/kathy-jackson-referred-to-police-for-criminal-investigation-for-theft-20141112-11l127.html

A meeting of the union's national council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to ask police to investigate Ms Jackson, who rose to national prominence for exposing corruption within the union.

Acting HSU national secretary Chris Brown said the alleged thefts and fraud by Ms Jackson would be referred to police "as soon as possible". He said the 86-strong national council, including proxies, all voted in favour of the decision.

Mr Brown said there was extensive evidence against Ms Jackson and that it is alleged about $900,000 of the civil claim against her involved criminal behaviour, or the "basic theft of money" for her "own personal lifestyle".

"It leaves us with little option but to refer it to police," he said. "What we are referring to police is very, very specific information and evidence."

A previous criminal investigation of Ms Jackson by Victoria Police failed to progress but Mr Brown said that was politically motivated with little evidence, whereas the latest allegations are all new matters unearthed as part of the civil case.

"The reason we are able to refer this with confidence is as a result of this civil process, we were able to gather evidence that is pretty compelling."

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

tezza2844 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:45:27 GMT

@monman12 wrote:
What absolute nonsense, I suggest you peruse KATHY JACKSON ALLEGATIONS CHAPTER 12.4 from the initial Jackson appearance at the RC.

"The matters set out above raise serious governance issues at the Victoria No 3 Branch, during the period Ms Jackson was Secretary.
It is difficult to imagine a more inappropriate series of arrangements. On Ms Jackson’s own evidence, significant sums of members’ money were kept in a kitty and handed out at her discretion. There were insufficient checks and records concerning other movements of money, including the use of credit cards."

Counsel assisting, Stoljar did not deal with other serious issues, as he said they were being dealt with by a civil case brought against her by the HSU. (much of it based upon the RC evidence)

The commission further exposed Kathy Jackson - who blew the whistle on former Health Services Union boss Michael Williamson - that she was using union funds inappropriately. It revealed that she paid her former husband, Jeff Jackson, $50,000 from a union slush fund she controlled. The commission went further than the media through greater access to Jackson's financial records.

"A joint Victoria and Federal Police taskforce, connected to the royal commission into union corruption, is probing Jackson for widespread fraud and theft. They will be watching"

"The Victorian Police is investigating alleged criminal conduct involving serving and former union officials, including those from the CFMEU and former Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson.
A union corruption taskforce codenamed Heracles, named after the Greek god of power and ingenuity, is examining allegations referred to it by the union corruption royal commission and any separate complaints and intelligence "directly relating to criminal activity by rogue elements within the union movement".

D9275: " It was the hospital union itself that took action against kathy jackson, not the RC which I find to be quite strange" Perhaps some research into RCs would help, they do not take action they report for others to so do when a prima facie case can be shown to exist e.g.:

"A joint Victoria and Federal Police taskforce, connected to the royal commission into union corruption, is probing Jackson for widespread fraud and theft."

Why would the allegedly "biased" Heydon "go easy" on yet another corrupt ALP union official after the style of Williamson and Thomson?

If you goggle HSU Jacksonville you will find that IA and others have been screaming for years for the Vic Police to investigate Kathy Jackson a long time before the TURC was even established, but to little or no avail. It back in about 2012 when serious allegations first arose about her spending on child care and payments to "consulting companies" but at that time she was the darling of the Liberal Party and one FWA vice president Michael Lawler . Good to have friends in the right places

Kathy Jackson and Peter Reith at at HR Nicholls dinner where she made a "speech"

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

monman12 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:32:51 GMT

"you will find that IA and others have been screaming for years for the Vic Police to investigate Kathy Jackson a long time before the TURC was even established,

Right, the self styled red rag IA and its citizen journalists? Why would they, and others????, "scream for years" for the Vic Police to investigate one of their own corrupt officials?

""scream for years" really?, perhaps " IA and others" should do a little basic research, they would have discovered that they could have initiated Vic Police investigations with just one prima facie tiny example of criminal malfeasance rather than screaming for years. For years?

Craig Thomson in Parliament where he made a "speech" complete with tears (crocodile variety).

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

para-slights — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:38:45 GMT

Oh I remember him when Abbott and Pyne negated his vote by running from the room like little immature kids

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

tezza2844 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:56:21 GMT

@monman12 wrote:
"you will find that IA and others have been screaming for years for the Vic Police to investigate Kathy Jackson a long time before the TURC was even established,

Right, the self styled red rag IA and its citizen journalists? Why would they, and others????, "scream for years" for the Vic Police to investigate one of their own corrupt officials?

""scream for years" really?, perhaps " IA and others" should do a little basic research, they would have discovered that they could have initiated Vic Police investigations with just one prima facie tiny example of criminal malfeasance rather than screaming for years. For years?

Craig Thomson in Parliament where he made a "speech" complete with tears (crocodile variety).

Wow was it amiss of me to mention " the self styled red rag IA and its citizen journalists". In future I will rely only on Uncle Rupert, Andrew Bolt, Miranda Divine or Piers Ackerman to get the real unbiased stories. Unfortunately, I can't find much of their postings about Kathy Jackson back before the TURC started it's "investigation Union corruption. Perhaps it was because she seen as a "hero" of the Trade Union Movement" and a very valuable asset to the Liberal Party

Re: Royal Commish Dyson Heydon Stays!

monman12 — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:44:04 GMT

"Perhaps it was because she seen as a "hero" of the Trade Union Movement" and a very valuable asset to the Liberal Party"

Really?, a long time ALP member and corrupt union official, not exactly unusual qualifications, attempting to ingratiate herself with the government . A turncoat would never been seen as an "asset" other than to air some more ALP/ACTU dirty laundry .

In a related twist : " The House of Representatives has made an unprecedented apology over the false statement made to the parliament by disgraced former Labor MP Craig Thomson.

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott will today call on the parliament to issue the apology on behalf of all MPs to the people accused of corruption by the convicted fraudster and disgraced former Labor MP.

The extraordinary move was flagged in a notice of motion tabled last night by the leader of the house Christopher Pyne.

And Labor will support the Coalition move, it emerged today.

The former HSU officials covered in the apology would include Kathy Jackson and HSU official Marco Bolano.

Oh gosh, Shorten was not part of the screaming for her blood as late as February 25, 2014. Well she was a paid up ALP member. No trouble being paid up when you are a union official, you just steal it from your members.