~ The Parasite Class ~
“Laws are like cobwebs which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through” – Jonathan Swift, 1667 – 1745
There are a number of articles explaining why it’s perfectly OK for politicians to be corrupt and how such acts aren’t actually criminal. I only found one article that took the trouble to give an alternative take while explaining the NSW ICAC’s decision not to recommend criminal charges against Gladys Berejiklian who ‘engaged in serious corrupt conduct’.
“However, many see this as not good enough, and that such a matter of public interest should be referred to the DPP and that the prosecutorial body should, in turn, leave the matter to be decided by a court of law” – Gladys Berejiklian ‘Engaged in Serious Corrupt Conduct’, But Won’t Be Criminally Prosecuted by Sonia Hickey – Sydney Criminal Lawyers
Basic Law stuff we all know
Most would agree that severity is a crucial measure in determining society’s response to a criminal act.
Not wearing a seat-belt might attract a warning or a fine – up to $2,200 in NSW. Whereas murder, generally seen as a more severe criminal act, will usually involve harsher penalties. Unless of course the victim is Aboriginal and the perpetrator is a Police or Prison officer.
This dovetails neatly with another component of Law – deterrence.
Black Deaths In Custody (BDIC) persist because of a lack of deterrence exacerbated by the rarity of criminal charges (never mind a solitary conviction) ever getting up in these instances.
The Law clearly fails to give the protection to one group of people it does to others. A failure based on race and class. A failure that is unjust, but given our Law’s origins in Australia and the power of pastoralists, mining companies and other vested interests – a “failure” that is politically expedient.¹
Some more Law stuff
• proportionality – the overall punishment must be proportionate to the gravity of the offending behaviour.
So delaying a coal train – prison/fines?
“Serious corrupt conduct” by a Premier? Not even a criminal charge? Go and enjoy your ill-gotten gains and your lavish pension Gladys, accrued under your demonstrably corrupt regime.2
Proportionality (and the aforementioned seriousness) in Law seems to fall away in its travels to the upper echelon.
Next time you pay a fine for a petty offence, remember Gladys got off lighter than you did.
“Ensuring consequences for wrongdoing is fundamental to sustaining trust in government – the last election reinforced the importance to the electorate of integrity and accountability in government” – source
• parity – similar sentences should be imposed for similar offences committed by offenders in similar circumstances.
Anyone who has ever been in prison can tell you there are not a great deal of rich white people in there. Even though their crimes often involve far larger sums of monies being stolen and greater societal harm. Most of my cell-mates in WA and the NT (protesting attracts greater punishment than ‘serious corrupt conduct’) were poor and black.
What else do we need to know about the Law?
Here’s a handy thing…
‘The people (including, one should add, the government) should be ruled by the law and obey it and that the law should be such that people will be able (and, one should add, willing) to be guided by it.’ – Geoffrey de Q. Walker, The rule of law: foundation of constitutional democracy, (1st Ed., 1988) Source (with Interactive pie chart)
At first glance it seems this pie chart was constructed by some starry-eyed idealist, unaware that class, race, gender and a host of other variables determine what justice an individual receives and which laws are passed but strangely it’s actually how the Law is supposed to work. Let’s cherry-pick some of these assumptions and see how they hold up.
• No one is above the Law. The Law is applied equally and fairly?
As we’ve seen, Gladys’ serious (and unpunished) corrupt conduct, the Police and Prison Officer’s statistically impossible lack of convictions and the dearth of rich white criminals in prison, demonstrate how untrue that is in practice.
• Laws are made in an open and transparent way by the people?
Sure they are. Nothing to do with donors, corporate jobs after politics and the myriad political lobbyists for vested and foreign interests.
Bribery (political donations) is not illegal if the participants are government, corporations and billionaires.
• Open, independent and impartial judiciary?
Openness? The secret trials of whistleblowers and the opaqueness of the long-heralded NACC have kinda put the kibosh on that claim. Shane Dowling goes even further than this politically moderate scribe, suggesting the NACC is already compromised.
“Sections 235 and 236 of the (NACC) bill enable an attorney-general to prevent the disclosure of material that would “prejudice the security, defence or international relations of Australia”, prejudice Commonwealth-state relations, cabinet information, information on defence, intelligence and law enforcement operations, or reveal information provided confidentially by another government.”
National Security can be made to fit almost every eventuality. “Cabinet confidence“ the same. That’s a real problem when both major parties share the same donors and ideological agendas. Especially when, “companies that stand to benefit enormously from government policy are also members of the major political parties“.
Independence? “The separation of powers doctrine means that in interpreting and applying the law, judicial officers act independently and without interference from the parliament or the executive.” Yet time and time again we see “interpretations” of the Law that end in politically expedient outcomes. To such an extent they have become predictable. I predicted Gladys would go unpunished. Hardly a solitary view.
Impartiality? The judiciary’s power and influence aligns them with the class interests of politicians and other capitalists. A fact, regardless of how one wishes to interpret it.
• The Law is known and accessible
Not so much to Aboriginal people and others with cultural and language barriers. In fact, the Law is generally considered inaccessible to most. Esoteric and complex. Hence the need for legal representation and copious amounts of money if it becomes necessary to continue with legal proceedings. A reality that favours the rich.
• The Law and its administration is subject to open and free criticism.
That’s good to know 🙂
OK so now you’re familiar with how the Law is supposed to work let’s examine some of that Gladys’ stuff.
Gladys’ bagman Dom
Mr Maguire told her he’d “talked to the Treasurer” and asked “how’s my hospital … am I getting my $170 million?”.
The MP went on to tell Ms Berejiklian he only got a promise of funds for graffiti removal.
“I said ‘no money for Wagga? You’ll have a fucking riot on your hand’,” Mr Maguire went on.
“I’ll deal with it … I’ll fix it,” Ms Berejiklian responded.
Two hours later, the pair were recorded speaking on the phone again.
“I’ve already gotten you the Wagga hospital,” Ms Berejiklian told Mr Maguire.
“I just spoke to Dom, and I said just put the (money) in the budget. He goes ’No worries’. He just does what I ask him to do.”
She was also heard saying: “I’ve got you now got you the $170 million in five minutes.” ‘Dom does what I ask him to’: Gladys Berejiklian’s explosive tapped phone call – Anton Nilsson – News Com
After listening to the recording, Ms Berejiklian said of herself and Mr Perrottet, “neither of us would have done anything which was not appropriate”.3
Her bagman Dom basically laughed the whole thing off when questioned by a reporter.
Mr Perrottet said: “Not at all. Gladys and I have a great relationship. As Premier and Treasurer you work very closely together”.
Perrottet told the Channel Seven breakfast show on Monday that “he wasn’t watching” the ICAC hearing, but his other half was.
She texted me in the morning and said “Why do you do what Gladys does and not what I ask you to do?!” he said, before bursting into laughter.”
Dominic Perrottet burst into laughter as he told the joke. Credit: Sunrise
Perrottet’s laughter encapsulates the open contempt these ‘born-to-rules’ have for the laws that bind and punish the rest of us.
Despite Perrottet’s involvement in Gladys’ corrupt ‘boyfriend assistance scheme’ the Liberals decided this was the man to take Gladys’ place and run for Premier.
The man who oversaw icare and set up the insurer in 2015 as finance minister. An entity of which, “Retired senior EY partner and actuary Peter McCarthy, who spent 35 years advising governments on workers’ compensation stated, “All these people have their snouts in the trough. It’s a disaster. Unmitigated disaster”.
The same man whose “five-man “Catholic Cabinet” rushed through a deal to deliver control of Sydney’s cemeteries, ergo $5bn in capital, to the Catholic Church, in defiance of independent expert advice. Then treasurer Dominic Perrottet, was warned multiple times by ICAC that his meeting with senior Catholic lobbyists in 2017 also did not meet with the guidelines.”
Looks as though corruption (which can be moral too) is rife in Australia
It certainly does seem as though corruption permeates our institutions and influences legal outcomes, which fulfills the promise in the title, ‘Gladys, corruption, rubber-toothed watchdogs and their apologists explained’.
The evidence presented so far, would suggest the scales of justice are weighted in favour of the Rich, White and Influential.
Dominic Perrottet was able to seek election as NSW Premier despite his “bagmanship” being publicised and Gladys ended up Managing Director of Enterprise and Business at Optus.
According to Optus, “She has a proven track record of executing and delivering major complex projects and building strong, trusted relationships with the business community – Our executives value excellence, integrity, service and innovation”. Boggles my mind, but apparently such moral aberrations are now normalised and unhesitatingly weaved into the ethical fabric of this country.
The fix was in early
The role of the media in “smoothing over” evidence of Gladys’ and Dom’s corruption is no surprise. The MSM’s politicisation is evidenced in “…the royal commission report into the robodebt scheme (which) paints a grim picture of a minister keen to use “more friendly media” to counter reporting on the scheme, and a “particularly mean-spirited” strategy to attempt to silence victims speaking out that was labelled as an abuse of the power of his office.” 4
Their “reluctance” to publicise the Robodebt hearings is further proof of their politicisation.
“The former Queensland supreme court chief justice overseeing the robodebt royal commission has singled out reporters from Guardian Australia and the Saturday Paper and citizen Twitter journalists for their “committed” coverage of the evidence, calling it a “remarkably useful and important public service”, while criticising many other media outlets for their “patchy” coverage.”
Nothing patchy about the media’s adoration of Gladys and their disdain for the NSW ICAC.
“The shock resignation of Premier Gladys Berejiklian came the same day she was named (by AFR)
alongside three other state premiers, the “most powerful person in Australia”
‘How embarrassment!‘ (Aussie colloquialism)
Real tear-jerker here as Channel 9’s Airlie Walsh lionises “our Gladys”
and gives the ICAC a piece of her mind (Not too much we hope)
Waleed Aly leapt to the defence of Gladys Berejiklian and blasted the corruption watchdog in this video
Politicians support for the ‘seriously corrupt’ Gladys Berejiklian
There is no doubt the messaging from Labor PM Albanese and the NSW Premier Minns, was aimed at minimising any finding of corruption.
That’s why a ‘seriously corrupt’ Gladys walks free and Aboriginal kids as young as 10 are in cages for far less societally damaging crimes. Where’s the ‘proportionality’ in that? When does that ‘No-one is above the Law’ tenet kick in? It seems to be the legal equivalent of the neoliberal ‘trickle-down’ theory. Promissory but non-existent.
“In Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews called Ms Berejiklian ‘a person of integrity’.”
“Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had always respected Ms Berejiklian and found her to be ‘good company’.”
This “thank you for your service” Americanism is repeated by “Albo” and Minns
“Former Liberal prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott both heaped praise on Ms Berejiklian.”
“The then NSW Transport Minister and state MP for Bega, Andrew Constance – “You couldn’t have a more hard-working, deeply principled, you know, Australian female politician than Gladys Berejiklian. – Do I think she’s got the capacity to be prime minister of Australia? You bet.”
The latest NSW Premier (the Koala-killing Minns) is not only defending Gladys’ corruption he’s undermining the ICAC’s corruption findings.
“Asked by reporters whether he also accepted the ICAC’s finding that Berejiklian acted corruptly, the Labor premier said: “I’m not prepared to make that claim.”
“Asked whether he thought Berejiklian should offer the state an apology he said: “No, I’m not calling for that”.”
“For all our disagreements, I never doubted Gladys’ dedication to NSW, or her work in the service of it. I thank her for her service.”
“What I would say and what I said about premier Berejiklian yesterday is that I thought her service to the state during Covid was exemplary, and notwithstanding the findings from ICAC in the last 24 hours, I don’t think it detracts from her record of service during what was a terrible period in the state’s history.”
Exemplary FFS! Well he would say that…
All hail Gladys’ pandemic management, which ended up spreading COVID all over Australia,
infecting New Zealand and killing 2,551
Minns has however given the NSW ICAC a warning of things to come.
“If there are changes we can make to the ICAC Act that are in a bi-partisan way, a multi-party way, to bolster accountability and community support for the independent agency, then we will do that”.
“If you’re an official or public servant that is the subject of an inquiry, to hold your life effectively up for years and years is just too long,” he said.
Inconveniencing corrupt politicians is just not on, as far as Minns is concerned. A view shared by his ethical mentor Gladys Berejiklian.
“NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has revealed the Independent Commission Against Corruption will miss out on an extra $7.3 million worth of funding, while also insisting that spending public funds to win elections was not illegal and part of the political process.”
Scott Morrison’s (then PM) partisan ejaculations were no surprise, “Her integrity is not in question, I don’t believe, at all, because I know her form and I know her character and I think people in NSW do also,” he said.
“Even Anthony Albanese and his predecessor Bill Shorten have expressed sympathy for her position and not endorsed calls by NSW state Labor for her resignation“.
“Albo” – ‘I certainly don’t think that she should be judged on any personal issues, I make that very clear.”
He neglected to add, “Unless it’s Senator Thorpe, then personal issues are open slather”.
“I know Gladys, I’ve known her for quite a while, I wish her well.”
Gotta question the character of a PM who defends a person eventually found guilty of serious corrupt conduct
The Labor/Liberal Duopoly hate whistleblowers
Labor and the LNP sharing the same views about Gladys and corruption is no surprise. They share donors and policies in a manner that makes their complicity inevitable. Both parties have an interest in minimising or better still, extinguishing any exposure of corruption.
Labor’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has just “approved funding for the former prime minister (Scott Morrison) to respond to possible findings against him in the robo-debt royal commission.” Apparently $2.5M has already been handed over to people appearing at the Royal Commission.
Compare this largesse for allegedly corrupt politicians to Labor’s treatment of whistleblowers that face prison for exposing corruption and war-crimes. They get no assistance from a Labor government that continues their prosecutions despite the enormous societal value of their revelations. The message is clear from both the LNP and Labor. Whistleblowers will get no protection from prosecution, so best they keep their mouths shut.
“Seriously corrupt” former NSW Premier beloved by NSW business too (no surprises there)
“Businesses and industry groups have praised outgoing NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian after she resigned, announcing she was the target of a corruption investigation.”
“Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, said Ms Berejiklian had been instrumental in the resurgence of NSW.”
“She has brought the rare combination of vision and a drive to get things done to all of her roles,” Ms Westacott said.”
“Her understanding of the role of leadership has been critical to helping steer the country through the pandemic, as has her rare ability to work constructively and effectively with employers.”
~~~
“Australian Retailers Association boss Paul Zahra said Ms Berejiklian had been a strong advocate for the business community.”
“Despite the ongoing COVID impacts, she displayed strong leadership and determination to get things back open safely and to ensure life could return to normal,” Mr Zahra said.”
“Her departure comes at a critical time, and it’s important her successor stays the course with the reopening road map in NSW so businesses can get up and running and thriving once again.”
~~~
“Daniel Hunter, chief executive of Business NSW, said Ms Berejiklian had “ably” led the state through some of its most trying times.”
~~~
“Australian Hotels Association NSW director John Green said Ms Berejiklian would be remembered for leading NSW “through a significant time in history”.”
~~~
“Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn said he was “disappointed that NSW will lose such an effective leader at this important time”.
~~~
“The NSW Farmers Association commended Ms Berejiklian for her “genuine commitment and contribution” to rural and regional NSW.”
~~~
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry declined to comment. – Source of MPs and businesses that believe corruption is cool and normal – Business hopes for more of the same from Berejiklian’s successor – Finbar O’Mallon – AFR
Kinda sickening to see this praise heaped on someone who betrayed the public trust and conspired to give monies to her “secret lover” thereby causing detriment to those not romantically linked to her government purse-strings.
Gotta say, Gladys’ record as someone with “a rare combination of vision and a drive to get things done” isn’t all that apparent to those of us who have followed her career with interest.
This political, business and media support for a Premier under investigation by the ICAC and eventually found guilty of ‘serious corrupt conduct’ is of course unconscionable in a democratic society. Jodi McKay (the then) NSW Opposition leader was not of their ‘corruption is cool and normal’ ilk.
Jodi – “She heard what Daryl Maguire was telling her. And his wheeling and dealing, the dodgy deals that Daryl Maguire was doing went to the heart, the very heart, to the very top of this government with the Premier involved.” (October 12, 2020)
Jodi’s denunciation of Gladys’ corruption clearly wasn’t simpatico with Labor’s “boy’s club” agenda. Moves were soon made to get rid of this troublesome woman who insisted on speaking out about corruption Labor demonstrably wanted minimised.
“I have always tried to build consensus within our party, but it is clear that although I was elected leader in a democratic process, there were those within our party who have never accepted that,” she said. Jodi blamed internal “destabilising” as a factor in her decision. (28 May 2021)
Jodi knew full well the affect corruption had on people in NSW.
“The ALP has been rocked by allegations at the Independent Commission Against Corruption that two senior Labor powerbrokers, Mr Roozendaal and Joe Tripodi, and then mining tycoon Nathan Tinkler sought to blacken Ms McKay’s reputation and undermine her as she fought to hold on to the seat of Newcastle in the March 2011 state election.”
“Ms McKay wept in the witness box when it was revealed to her that Mr Tripodi was behind a “dirty tricks” campaign which was being bankrolled by Mr Tinkler, whose bribery attempts Ms McKay had rebuffed.” – Jodi McKay calls for Eric Roozendaal to be expelled from the Labor Party – By Kate McClymont – SMH
Jodi is gone and Eric Roozendaal is back in the fold. All is well in the NSW Labor world.
The crux of the matter
Neither the LNP, Labor or Big Business want the corruption that greases the wheels of commerce in Australia to end – the “pork-barrelling” the “rorts” the dirty donations, the consultancy firms and their flexible reports. Corruption (often “legal”) that ensures the labour and resources of the people benefit an avaricious few rather than the many.
Former KPMG Partner Professor Brendan Lyon’s words on ABC 730, who was savaged
by the Big4 firm for refusing to botch a multi billion dollar NSW Transport Report
Nor do they believe corruption is reason enough to damage the careers of politicians. A view echoed by the MSM.
“In the years following his resignation as NSW premier, Greiner was touted for a federal role, including replacing Alexander Downer as federal Liberal leader or even as a future prime minister. It’s an idea some suggest former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian could consider, following her exit from the top job as a result of an ICAC inquiry.”
“Is Gladys Berejiklian dressing for the job she wants? Ex-premier totes a $3,000 Louis Vuitton handbag and wears $860 Ferragamo heels to lunch amid speculation she could one day become Prime Minister.”
The MSM, Big Business, Labor and Liberal have been deifying Gladys since the ICAC went public – coupled with criticism of the ICAC. Unless the NSW ICAC are robots there is no way this onslaught would not have influenced their decision making. This is not casting shade on the ICAC. It’s acknowledging the political reality for the humans working there, expected to combat corruption from within a corrupt system.
Who’s to say their belief that criminal charges wouldn’t get up against Gladys, wasn’t founded on a pragmatic recognition of the widespread corruption barely touched upon in this article?
Therein lies the crux of the matter. Our whole (corruption lubricated) system is geared to satisfy the voracious appetite of 10% of the population.
Inequality on Steroids as Bottom 90% get just 7% of Economic Growth Since 2009 – Australia Institute
The Parasite Class
The Parasite Class – One that contains politicians, high-ranking public servants, lawyers, the judiciary, bankers, landlords, CEOs, media commentators, consultants, etc…
All those people who rarely face the same penalties that us poorer folk do for crimes that are comparatively inconsequential. This is corruption and legalised theft on a massive scale.
It is due to this moral and political corruption permeating our entire society that our leaders are not held to higher standards or face greater punishment for betraying the Public trust – than those 10 year old kids imprisoned for comparatively fuck all.
Statement on corruption in the context of COVID-19 – Corruption is the ultimate betrayal of public trust – by António Guterres – The ninth Secretary-General of the United NationsBackground NASA – Climate Change heat map
My reply below is to one of those naive individuals incapable of understanding that the basic tenets of Law have been perverted by our Parasite Class. It pretty much sums up my thoughts about arguing legal interpretations with those agents who support and facilitate a demonstrably unfair and weighted justice system.
– Fini –
Brian Houston Found Not Guilty of Concealing Child Sexual Abuse – 18/08/2023 by Sonia Hickey – Sydney Criminal Lawyers
About the Author – Mick Lawless is the Editor of Dingo News and a research fellow at the Legal Institute of Ethical Studies (LIES)
Feature image: ‘Gladys of Arc’ – found on Twitter
Notes:
1 Case in point: Albanese launched a vicious personal attack on Senator Thorpe who had been trying to have the BDIC Royal Commission recommendations included in any deal regarding her support for the Voice to Parliament. Why wouldn’t the PM implement such long awaited (1991) recommendations?
2 Given Berejiklian has been found to be ‘seriously corrupt’ you would think there’d be some interest in investigating her past business deals which have always been steeped in controversy.
3 Remember this ‘defence’ next time you’re up before a Magistrate for some comparatively innocuous offence.
4 Tudge yet to pay for his crimes.
5 Here’s a legal argument that had everything going for it apart from that all-important ingredient ‘political expediency’.
“It’s not an illegal practice.” That’s NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s last line of defence, and it may be the one that does her in. Because it’s a lie.
We now know that before the last state election the Berejiklian government repurposed a $252 million fund — originally set aside to help local councils deal with its abandoned merger policy – as an undefined slush fund for grants to councils for “community development” projects.
We also know that 95% of that money went to councils in Coalition-held seats (which make up 51% of the total). No guidelines were published; most councils didn’t know the program existed; some received grants and were then asked to apply for them (eg Hornsby Council, which copped $90 million).
Insert – Gladys said 95 per cent of the grants handed out through the program went to Coalition-held seats, because “there are more Coalition seats than any other” – A contextual lie – as of the 92 seats in the lower house, the Coalition holds 51 per cent.
And we know that despite her continuing protestations that the program was managed by the Office of Local Government, the premier had her hands all over the funding decisions. According to evidence from the OLC to a parliamentary inquiry, of the $252 million, $142 million was “allocated by the premier”.
Finally, there’s the small matter that all the documents relating to the allocations were shredded by her office.” – The NSW premier says pork-barrelling isn’t breaking the law. We put that to the test – Michael Bradley – Legal Correspondent Marque Lawyers – Crikey
References
Gladys Berejiklian touted as future PM
Berejiklian shrugs off ‘slush fund’ scandal, backs away from ICAC boost
NSW prosecuted 11-year-old, put hundreds of children behind bars
ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle faces trial after immunity defence fails
NASA Finds June 2023 Hottest on Record
ICAC finds former premier and then member for Wagga Wagga corrupt
Government’s Climate Active program should be probed for potential greenwashing, Allan Fels says
Jodi McKay calls for Eric Roozendaal to be expelled from the Labor Party
The former state treasurer Eric Roozendaal back in the fold of the Labor party
Joe Tripodi back doing the numbers
Australia’s richest 1% gain 10 times more wealth in past decade than bottom 50%: Oxfam
Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 No 35
‘Horrible mistakes’: COVID-19 spread to 62 people beyond Ruby Princess passengers
Nick Greiner on surviving ICAC and being the ambassador to Wall Street
Australia’s Aspen Medical: A case study of healthcare privatisation
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
What Gladys Berejiklian could do next
Gladys Berejiklian ‘Engaged in Serious Corrupt Conduct’, But Won’t Be Criminally Prosecuted
Michael Pascoe: The opportunity cost of the Pork Party – ‘tens of billions’
‘I am the boss’: The truth behind the secret relationship Berejiklian tried to downplay
Minns won’t say whether he believes Berejiklian acted corruptly
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Killer NT cop given ‘favourable treatment’
Prosecution of war crimes whistleblower David McBride must be dropped
Gladys Berejiklian backed some huge projects, but two Wagga Wagga grants are in ICAC’s sights
Exclusive: Morrison approved for legal aid over robo-debt
Gladys Berejiklian resigns the same day she was named country’s ‘most powerful person’
Suspicious Circumstances: Injustice Served at the David Dungay Inquest
NSW government dumps Olympic stadium redevelopment as Covid-19 restrictions set to ease
NSW corruption: Gladys Berejiklian is just the beginning
Horrific death in custody behind class action lawsuit over ‘racist’ WA fine law
Gladys Berejiklian and the ICAC tapes
Why the PM has backed Berejiklian to the hilt
‘Snouts in the trough’ circle Australia’s $60b workers’ comp system
Corruption is the ultimate betrayal of public trust
Business hopes for more of the same from Berejiklian’s successor
Government’s Climate Active program should be probed for potential greenwashing, Allan Fels says
Climate activist sentenced to 12 months in jail over coal train blockade in NSW
Gladys Berejiklian entitled to $2 million pension payment
Who’s in the room? Access and influence in Australian politics – PDF
PwC scandal: who’s guarding the guards? Nobody
Fossil fuel firms owe climate reparations of $209bn a year, says study
Canberra lobbying must be reined in. Here’s how we can protect our democracy
Revolving Doors – Democracy at risk
There is no place for secret trials in Australia
Labor must return dirty donations before safeguard negotiations
Dutton says ‘balance is right’ on Labor’s anti-corruption laws, clearing path for bill to pass
Anthony Albanese backflips on national cabinet secrecy and refuses to say why
National Anti-Corruption Commission – PDF
How George Pell won in the High Court on a legal technicality
Gladys Berejiklian agreed Daryl Maguire was ‘the boss’ in a tapped phone call
Minns talks ICAC reform after Berejiklian corruption finding, high fives on hold
12 things you should know from the Berejiklian report — and why they matter
Secrets and lies: How ‘Dodgy Daryl’ brought down a premier
Do ANY rules apply to an increasingly arrogant Gladys Berejiklian?
Corruption isn’t OK even if you have a soft spot for the perpetrator
Ministerial Code of Conduct – PDF
Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 No 35
Sentencing Principles, Purposes, Factors
Section 142.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) is Abuse of Public Office
Berejiklian was right to resign, but her conduct was not criminal
Berejiklian praised and rebuked after corruption ruling
What next? ICAC wants NSW Parliament to lift its game on integrity