Saturday 14th of December 2024

news from the trough ...

news from the trough ...

Such is politics in these interesting times that it’s impossible when alerted to one scandal, to refrain from speculating if it has been confected to distract your attention from another.

So it is with Health Minister Sussan Ley’s current imbroglio which seems, at first blush, a nice little “look over here not there” moment arriving right on top of the Centrelink scandal.

In the former, federal Health Minister Ley appears to have spent an inordinate amount of taxpayer dollars travelling to the Gold Coast, including for two New Year’s Eve celebrations (what ministerial duties could she possibly be fulfilling on New Year’s Eve at the Gold Coast?) and, conveniently, at the time of the auction purchase by herself and her partner, a Gold Coast businessman, of an $800,000 apartment close to his office.

Noice.

Here is an analysis by the ABC of Ms Ley’s spending.

Ley has agreed to in part pay back some of these taxpayer dollars, acknowledging her fraudulent misappropriation of the money was “an error of judgement.” Many of us think of these behaviours as criminal activities that ought to be investigated by the AFP, but it all swings on the narrative.

In stark contrast, the AFP has joined forces with Centrelink to distribute intimidating letters threatening punters with jail if they might possibly have at some time in the last six years fraudulently claimed welfare benefits. People were advised to pay back the amounts Centrelink determined they owed, prior to any evidence that they actually owed anything. Three debt collection agencies have been contracted by Centrelink to pursue debtors, whether the validity of their debt has been established or not. This is an action Australian Lawyers for Human Rights describe as an abuse of legal process.

It does make sense that calling in debt collectors to pursue an alleged debtor before the debt has even been validated might well be an abuse of legal process. Somehow this fact escaped the notice of the Centrelink overlords, or perhaps they simply don’t care.

In any case, the contrast between the treatment of Centrelink punters and the treatment of Health Minister Sussan Ley could not be more stark. If it was hoped the Ley affair might distract from the Centrelink debacle, well, no. But I do understand that the LNP would think it might, as they are largely brain-dead.

And then yesterday the Australian’s star turn and renowned dog lover Chris Kenny hove into view, with a tweet on the Ley affair to the effect that “there’s a very experienced health minister waiting in the wings.” Ahahaha! the thlot pickens!

Of course that very experienced health minister must be Tony Abbott, and of course Ley was first outed by the Murdoch press hacks.

And so, Turnbull is wedged. If he doesn’t demote Ley: trouble from the voters. If he demotes Ley and doesn’t replace her with Abbott, who has long been agitating for a return to the front bench, he’s in serious trouble with the far right-wing.  Ley is also one of Turnbull’s few allies, and he won’t want to lose her from his cabinet.

However this plays out, the contrast between the manner in which Sussan Ley is treated and the treatment of Centrelink punters could not be a more outstanding example of what the Turnbull government thinks of its citizens. Ley, who ought to be investigated for fraud, is permitted to apologise and pay back the money. Centrelink punters are threatened with jail and repayment of monies, whether they’ve committed fraud or not.

Some humans really are more equal than others.

 

let's do lunch at the socialists expense...

Sussan Ley twice travelled at taxpayer expense to the Gold Coast on New Year’s Eve to attend events with Sarina Russo, one of Australia’s richest women, whose companies won multimillion dollar contracts under the Abbott government.

Standing aside as health minister on Monday pending an investigation into her travel, Ley said she had travelled to the Gold Coast on New Year’s Eve in 2013 and 2014 “at the invitation of a prominent Queensland businesswoman”. 

A spokesman for the health minister confirmed to Guardian Australia that Ley had been referring to Sarina Russo, the millionaire founder of a group of training and job placement companies.

read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/sussan-ley-used-t...

Meanwhile at Bronwyn Central:

Bronwyn Bishop has weighed into the Sussan Ley expenses controversy, blaming “socialists” for criticising the embattled MP who stood aside as health minister on Monday pending two inquiries into her taxpayer-funded travel.

Bishop, who exited politics after an expenses scandal for chartering a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong to attend a Liberal party fundraiser, told Sky News on Monday that Ley was being attacked by “people behaving like a pack of dogs”.

Bishop said when she resigned in 2015 as Speaker of the lower house she had done so because Tony Abbott had asked her to, and said her staff had arranged her travel.

read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/bronwyn-bishop-bl...

 

Good ridance to Bronwyn and to Susan... Malcolm has no choice but to sack Susan Ley, but then he is weak as piss...