Slush Funds

[izabsmiling]

http://www.kingstribune.com/index.php/component/k2/item/1643-casting-the-first-stone-tony-abbott-and-the-awu

Casting the First Stone - Tony Abbott and the Slush Funds

extract ;''Even if you think Julia Gillard is being misleading and less than honest, you have to conclude that, in relation to his slush-fund past, Tony Abbott is too. If the PM has questions to answer - as the media has been telling us ad nauseum for months now - then so has Tony Abbott.

And more of the more interesting questions to come out of all of this - why have the media been hounding the Prime Minister about her alleged “conduct unbecoming” (which occurred before she entered parliament) and ignoring the actions, while he was a sworn MP, of the alternative prime minister?'

[catsnknots]

I have always been disgusted by what they did to Pauline Hanson. It is one reason I will never get into politics as if you become a threat to them  they will tear you down and ruin you. 

Tony Abbott is a pretty ruthless player. That has always been on show. 

the argument is not that the slush funds happen, even though we are mostly disgusted with these things all sides of politics have them. 

The argument is the setting up of the slush fund in the name of the AWU and not telling the AWU that it was there and also lying to the WA departments about its use....  The money was then dishonestly gathered as a promise to help people get elected and then it was not used for that purpose but the money stolen and used for personal use. 

I think that there needs to be a Royal Commission into Union money... and how it is collected and what it is actually used for. 

I also think that the money should not be donated to political parties as not everyone in the Union is of a Labor calling. The money should only be used for bettering the members in ways that directly help. 

I think you are doing a great job Iza in getting involved in these discussions... most people say they don't know anything about politics but when you sit down and chat to them they are more knowledgeable that they give themselves credit for and without even realising it they do have opinions that are of great importance. 

[izabsmiling]

Hi Meep*too,

Thanks .I think that concerns be most is the thought the the AEC's actions (or lack of ?) appear questionable or not adequate ?.I do firmly believe that we all need to have faith in the actions of the AEC.

I need to help my son be as informed as he can possibly be as he is a voter.He has a tendency not stop listening and automatically say 'The Greens.The others just fight'.Even though he doesn't have the same capacity to take it all in as most,I wonder if others do the same ?

What stands out most in the timeline of events are the statements below

18 September 1998
Electoral Commission sends a letter to Tony Abbott, asking him to disclose the names of the Australians for Honest Politics’ donors

[izabsmiling]

I pressed post by mistake .I hadn't finished.

http://www.kingstribune.com/index.php/component/k2/item/1643-casting-the-first-stone-tony-abbott-and-the-awu

20 October 1998
Tony Abbott responds to an AEC request to disclose the Trust’s donors by saying that he is not required by law to do so, saying “Before seeking donations to the Trust, I spoke with one of Australia’s leading electoral lawyers who assured me that the Trust would not be covered by disclosure provisions.”

10 June 1999
The AEC replies to Abbott that it accepts his assurances that AHPT is not an “associated entity” (of a political party) and therefore need not disclose its donors.

5 September 2003
Margo Kingston asked Tony Abbot about the Trust:

KINGSTON: You said the donors did a good thing for Australia, so why did you design the trust to ensure the donors would remain secret?

ABBOTT: I didn’t design the trust so that the donors weren’t required to disclose. I set up the trust to support legal action

KINGSTON: So why did you take legal advice on secrecy before soliciting the donations?

ABBOTT: I didn’t take legal advice on disclosure until after I got the AEC’s letter. I sought legal advice and got oral advice from a senior lawyer

[izabsmiling]

#2

I think the thing that concerns me most is the thought the the AEC's actions (or lack of ?) appear questionable or not adequate ?.I do firmly believe that we all need to have faith in the actions of the AEC.

[izabsmiling]

“Misleading the ABC is not quite the same as misleading the Parliament as a political crime”.

[azureline**]

This is interesting.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbottts-plan-puts-politics-over-good-policy-20121209-2b34r.html

[freakiness]

I'm a bit over the union bashing campaigns. Down here we have a corrupt and bankrupt Chamber of Commerce and they (CCI) still have the hide to blame the greens and labor for everything wrong in the world.

It looks like it's ok for business people to form groups and create fighting funds but not OK for the working people to do the same.

Some here seem to belive that commercial groups are all good and honourable, while union groups are all corrupt and criminal. Labor voters and members are all corrupt and criminal while Liberal and National are all upstanding and honourable. Labor pollies are criminals and Liberal pollies are all honorable, like they're different species or something.

[izabsmiling]

The media aspect is interesting .When MSM wouldn't cover Margo Kingston's article..Independent Australia published it .The managing editor has written to the AEC .

If someone who is a sworn MP gives false information to the AEC isn't that a criminal act ?

[izabsmiling]

anyone written to the AEC ?