Australian Politics thread [merged]

[1965]

This is what got Peter Slipper into trouble, someone asked the Feds to investigate.

Watch this space.

Labor MP Rob Mitchell asks AFP to investigate Tony Abbott’s expense claims
 
October 17, 2013 - 1:43PM

Jonathan Swan
National political reporter

Labor MP Rob Mitchell has written to the Australian Federal Police to request formal investigations into the alleged misuse of parliamentary entitlements by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Attorney-General George Brandis.

Saying it was "extremely alarming" to see continued reporting of MPs seemingly abusing their taxpayer-funded expense claims, Mr Mitchell urged the AFP to launch an investigation "as a matter of urgency".

The Victorian MP singled out the Prime Minister for what he described as a "systematic" pattern of claims, including about $1700 to attend the weddings of former colleagues Peter Slipper and Sophie Mirabella and billing taxpayers thousands of dollars to compete in a range of sporting events including the Port Macquarie Ironman.

Mr Abbott has since repaid the costs he claimed for both weddings.

"What concerns the Australian public is what appears to be a consistent and deliberate abuse of taxpayer funds for personal gain," Mr Mitchell writes.

Mr Brandis was singled out for claiming expenses to attend the weddings of Mr Slipper and the former radio presenter Michael Smith – which Mr Brandis has since repaid – and for his $13,000 taxpayer-funded personal library.

Mr Brandis has defended the claims for books as legitimate, saying all acquisitions were ''clearly within the entitlement''.

"Two sets of rules appear to be in play for federal MPs," Mr Mitchell writes.

"Mr Brandis made significant personal effort to ensure police scrutiny and prosecution of a former MP [Peter Slipper] over his alleged false travel entitlement claims."

Mr Mitchell said he needed to have absolute faith in his own expenses to lodge these complaints, given Labor MPs and senators have also been exposed for questionable claims.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-mp-rob-mitchell-asks-afp-to-investigate-tony-abbotts-expense-claims-20131017-2vog3.html#ixzz2hwhgBWs0

[Smokey]

 

It is soooooooo nothing like what got Slipper into trouble.

Slipper went on a 'winery crawl' using government Cabcharges and asked the cabbies to falsify the information on the cabcharge vouchers so that it appeared he made completely different trips to the ones he made.  That's why he was charged with criminal offences and why his situation is completely different.  All the other politicians (Libs and labor) claimed expenses that stated what they did - whether the reasons/justifications fitted within the guidelines or were valid is another point and why so many of them have repaid part or all of the disputed amounts.

I don't condone any politician claiming travel or other expenses without it being 100% for work purposes and I am on record in this thread for saying the same and suggesting a (maybe) workable solution but to suggest it is what got Slipper into trouble is plain wrong.  At the worst any investigation will find that the justification does not fit within the guidelines and the money will have to be repaid unless there is evidence that records have been falsified or hidden and then charges could be laid.  I would think that Don Randall has serious questions to answer because at face value it appears he has used an unjustifiable reason for his claims and I would fully support an investigation into those but your are wasting your time getting excited and breathless if you think Abbott, Brandis, Dreyfus, Combet, Crean etc are going to the gallows over this.

[1965]

It is soooooooo nothing like what got Slipper into trouble.

Slipper went on a 'winery crawl' using government Cabcharges and asked the cabbies to falsify the information on the cabcharge vouchers so that it appeared he made completely different trips to the ones he made.  That's why he was charged with criminal offences and why his situation is completely different.  All the other politicians (Libs and labor) claimed expenses that stated what they did - whether the reasons/justifications fitted within the guidelines or were valid is another point and why so many of them have repaid part or all of the disputed amounts.

I don't condone any politician claiming travel or other expenses without it being 100% for work purposes and I am on record in this thread for saying the same and suggesting a (maybe) workable solution but to suggest it is what got Slipper into trouble is plain wrong.  At the worst any investigation will find that the justification does not fit within the guidelines and the money will have to be repaid unless there is evidence that records have been falsified or hidden and then charges could be laid.  I would think that Don Randall has serious questions to answer because at face value it appears he has used an unjustifiable reason for his claims and I would fully support an investigation into those but your are wasting your time getting excited and breathless if you think Abbott, Brandis, Dreyfus, Combet, Crean etc are going to the gallows over this.

Excited and breathless?

Please.

I cannot remember a government that has looked so bad so early in its term of office.

 

[Smokey]

It is soooooooo nothing like what got Slipper into trouble.

Slipper went on a 'winery crawl' using government Cabcharges and asked the cabbies to falsify the information on the cabcharge vouchers so that it appeared he made completely different trips to the ones he made.  That's why he was charged with criminal offences and why his situation is completely different.  All the other politicians (Libs and labor) claimed expenses that stated what they did - whether the reasons/justifications fitted within the guidelines or were valid is another point and why so many of them have repaid part or all of the disputed amounts.

I don't condone any politician claiming travel or other expenses without it being 100% for work purposes and I am on record in this thread for saying the same and suggesting a (maybe) workable solution but to suggest it is what got Slipper into trouble is plain wrong.  At the worst any investigation will find that the justification does not fit within the guidelines and the money will have to be repaid unless there is evidence that records have been falsified or hidden and then charges could be laid.  I would think that Don Randall has serious questions to answer because at face value it appears he has used an unjustifiable reason for his claims and I would fully support an investigation into those but your are wasting your time getting excited and breathless if you think Abbott, Brandis, Dreyfus, Combet, Crean etc are going to the gallows over this.

Excited and breathless?

Please.

I cannot remember a government that has looked so bad so early in its term of office.

 

 

I can.

2007.

 

[tiga]

So 65, where is your report on the Nicola Roxon story? Probably the hottest political story going around at the moment and you missed it for fluff pieces on parliamentary entitlements. I wonder why??

Well here is the link Courtesy of the ABC....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-16/nicola-roxon-kevin-rudd-bastard-james-button-memorial-lecture/5027030

[1965]

So 65, where is your report on the Nicola Roxon story? Probably the hottest political story going around at the moment and you missed it for fluff pieces on political entitlements. I wonder why??

Well here is the link Courtesy of the ABC....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-16/nicola-roxon-kevin-rudd-bastard-james-button-memorial-lecture/5027030

Quite a speech but really...

Nicola who?

 

[tiga]

I should have known better than to enter this thread after seeing piles of old newspapers lining the hallway and having to negotiate my way past more than 2 dozen cats. 

[Chuck17]

It is soooooooo nothing like what got Slipper into trouble.

Slipper went on a 'winery crawl' using government Cabcharges and asked the cabbies to falsify the information on the cabcharge vouchers so that it appeared he made completely different trips to the ones he made.  That's why he was charged with criminal offences and why his situation is completely different.  All the other politicians (Libs and labor) claimed expenses that stated what they did - whether the reasons/justifications fitted within the guidelines or were valid is another point and why so many of them have repaid part or all of the disputed amounts.

I don't condone any politician claiming travel or other expenses without it being 100% for work purposes and I am on record in this thread for saying the same and suggesting a (maybe) workable solution but to suggest it is what got Slipper into trouble is plain wrong.  At the worst any investigation will find that the justification does not fit within the guidelines and the money will have to be repaid unless there is evidence that records have been falsified or hidden and then charges could be laid.  I would think that Don Randall has serious questions to answer because at face value it appears he has used an unjustifiable reason for his claims and I would fully support an investigation into those but your are wasting your time getting excited and breathless if you think Abbott, Brandis, Dreyfus, Combet, Crean etc are going to the gallows over this.

Excited and breathless?

Please.

I cannot remember a government that has looked so bad so early in its term of office.

 

That's because you are a biased flog

[1965]

That's because you are a biased flog

 

[tiger101]

This is what got Peter Slipper into trouble, someone asked the Feds to investigate.

Watch this space.

Smokey has already pointed out the difference between these matters and the Slipper situation but to put your concerns at ease the police have forwarded on the letters to the correct department which would be already investigating the matters already I would presume.

The AFP later confirmed receiving two letters from Mr Mitchell and a number of complaints from members of the public about the alleged misuse of entitlements by members of parliament.

"The Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of entitlements for members of the Australian Parliament," the AFP said in a statement.

It said it was not investigating the allegations, but had forwarded them to the finance department.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/mp-asks-police-to-probe-abbott-brandis/story-fn3dxiwe-1226741762569

[1965]

So why did Slipper get charged?

 

[1965]

As the last line says "And this before Parliament's even convened for the first time."


'Trust-me Tony's' silence on expenses is curious
Political Opinion Date October 17, 2013 - 7:20PM

Mark Kenny
Chief political correspondent

When Tony Abbott wasn't casting the election as a referendum on the carbon tax or border security, he was framing it as a referendum on trust.

Restoring trust in government, voters were assured, was the bare minimum Australians were owed after the multiple breaches of the Rudd/Gillard period.

Measured against this imperative, the Prime Minister's studied silence on the ongoing expenses scandal ensnaring some of his own MPs is curious.

Advertisement It is jarring to see how quickly the public's reasonable expectation of probity in its political representatives has been superseded by the reflex to secrecy and self-protection in the new political class.

A series of reports by Fairfax Media exposing the imprecise world of MP's expenses claims, has raised genuine questions. Questions which go to the integrity of the system, and by extension, the quality of individuals involved.

This, it must be acknowledged is a difficult area to police. In many respects, the MP's job is a unique one and the totality of tasks and responsibilities, hard to codify.

What constitutes legitimate "work" can be a matter of some perspective, which is why the system is so self-regulated and thus intrinsically open to abuse.

Most taxpayers would say attending a wedding is not work under any circumstances. Ditto for attending big sporting events – the kind that many taxpayers cannot afford the entry to let alone the airfares and accommodation they find themselves unwittingly funding.

The inscrutability of the Government and faux indignation of many MPs that their claims on the public purse are being scrutinised is about the only thing genuinely transparent here.

Spectacular examples of rorting, such as those in Britain's House of Commons, make constant public vigilance a necessity.

Mr Abbott's reluctance to reset the standards and be seen to prosecute fraudulent behaviour, suggest the government has already switched to putting its own political interest above those of voters.

And this before Parliament's even convened for the first time.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/trustme-tonys-silence-on-expenses-is-curious-20131017-2vpjm.html#ixzz2hyGjyy4n

[Smokey]

So why did Slipper get charged?

 

Because when the police investigated they found he had deliberately aided and abetted the forging of documents giving himself a financial advantage from the public purse.  And if Abbott, Brandis, Dreyfus, Combet, Crean, Swan, Gillard (who is still under investigation on an unrelated but much more serious matter) et al are found to have done the same then I would expect them to be criminally charged accordingly (and I would fully support such action regardless of the person or party involved).  But I don't expect any of them to be charged because the circumstances (based on the reporting by many different media agencies) are completely different.  I'm quite staggered that you don't' see anything wrong in what Slipper did!

[1965]

and why is he suddenly deciding to repay?


WA MP Don Randall to repay money amid travel claims furore

By Hayley Roman 

The West Australian Liberal MP Don Randall has announced he will repay the travel expenses he claimed for a trip to Cairns last year.

Mr Randall has come under scrutiny for spending taxpayers' money on travel to the Far North Queensland town with his wife in November on what he said was "electorate business".

A week later, he disclosed that he'd taken possession of an investment property in Cairns.

The cost of the airfares and travel allowance was more than $5,000.

Mr Randall has issued a statement saying that as the Finance Department cannot provide him with definitive advice about the claim, he has decided to repay the costs to ensure the right thing is done by the taxpayer.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-17/call-for-randall-to-resign/5029032

[1965]

I am not alone in my opinion

Yes Slipper is guilty but so is this arse wipe.



Dishonesty separates the dubious claims
Date October 17, 2013
Tom Allard

Expenses scandal widens
Liberal MP Don Randall is under pressure to explain billing tax payers for an extensive collection of books and a trip to Cairns.

West Australian MP Don Randall should be lawyering up and preparing for a full investigation by the Australian Federal Police after revelations of his taxpayer-funded cross-continental trip to Cairns last year, apparently to take possession of an investment property.

That is, if you take the experience of former MP Peter Slipper as the standard, rather than the cosy arrangement that all other federal politicians have enjoyed for more than a decade.

Slipper's case is now before the courts and, if found guilty of three counts of ''dishonestly'' causing a risk of loss to the Commonwealth, the man who left the Liberal Party to take on the lucrative job of Speaker could face prison time.

Normally a politician would be able to repay any misused entitlements as long as it is ''relatively minor''. Past experience shows that claims of more than $10,000 have been judged minor.

Hundreds of dubious claims have been repaid by MPs on the quiet. Data is incomplete but the only comprehensive figures show the payback provision was used 136 times by 56 politicians between 2005 and 2010, totalling $93,044.06.

No MP has been referred by the Department of Finance to the federal police, as is allowed.

The reason Slipper is before the courts is that a former staff member took the matter straight to the federal police last year and circumvented Finance. Slipper alleges James Ashby was part of a conspiracy by Liberal Party operatives seeking to discredit him after he left the party.

Slipper's alleged rorting of Cabcharge expenses for three separate tours of wineries amounted to just $1194, less than a quarter of the cost of the trip by Randall and a family member (believed to be his wife) to Cairns.

But the key word when it comes to any criminal investigation leading to court proceedings is ''dishonesty''. Slipper is facing three charges because he allegedly urged his drivers to break up the journeys into separate Cabcharge dockets to avoid any adverse scrutiny from Finance, which monitors and pays entitlements.

Yet it appears Randall, too, has been dishonest. He claimed the $5259 cost of his return flight from Perth to Cairns should be drawn from the public purse because he was on ''electorate business''.

The evidence suggests his main, if not only, order of business on the rapid turnaround trip was to secure the investment property.

While electorate business does not have to be confined to a member's seat, it does involve representing your constituents' interests, rather than your own.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/dishonesty-separates-the-dubious-claims-20131016-2vn45.html#ixzz2hyUMXM9M