{"id":2264,"date":"2019-10-31T10:10:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T10:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/?p=2264"},"modified":"2023-01-19T02:27:59","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T18:27:59","slug":"scott-morrisons-conspiracy-theorist-friend-claims-he-has-the-pms-ear-and-can-influence-what-he-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/scott-morrisons-conspiracy-theorist-friend-claims-he-has-the-pms-ear-and-can-influence-what-he-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott Morrison\u2019s conspiracy-theorist friend claims he has the PM\u2019s ear \u2014 and can influence what he says"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A friend of Scott Morrison, who is also a promoter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy that contends a cabal of Satan-worshiping paedophiles rule the world, has made extensive claims online and to others about his influence over the PM.<\/p>\n

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A SCREENSHOT FROM A VIDEO THAT PURPORTS TO SHOW TIM STEWART, A PROMOTER OF THE FAR-RIGHT QANON CONSPIRACY, WITH PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Standing in parliament last October, less than two months after becoming prime minister, Scott Morrison was visibly moved as he delivered the nation\u2019s formal apology to the survivors of institutional child abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the galleries, look at the Great Hall, look outside this place and you will see men and women from every walk of life, from every generation, and every part of our land. Crushed, abused, discarded and forgotten,\u201d he told a packed house<\/span><\/a> of parliamentarians, survivors and their supporters, some of them holding back tears. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe crimes of ritual sexual abuse happened in schools, churches, youth groups, scout troops, orphanages, foster homes, sporting clubs, group homes, charities, and in family homes as well.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cRitual<\/i> sexual abuse\u201d? This was not a phrase used by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse \u2014 yet it had made its way the PM\u2019s historic address to the nation. <\/p>\n

Why \u201critual\u201d abuse, and what does it mean?<\/h2>\n

Tim Stewart is a 51-year-old family man, Cronulla Sharks supporter, one-time operator of an online health food venture called Fruit Loop, a former bankrupt who came out of insolvency in 2015\u2026 and long-time friend of Scott Morrison. <\/p>\n

Stewart is also a prominent promoter of the US-based far-right \u201cQAnon\u201d conspiracy movement that believes there is a secret \u201cdeep state\u201d plot against Donald Trump and a cabal of Satan-worshiping paedophiles who rule the world and control politicians and the media. The FBI has identified fringe conspiracy theories, including those promoted by QAnon, as a domestic terrorist threat in the US<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Stewart\u2019s wife is best friends with the prime minister\u2019s wife, Jenny Morrison, a relationship which goes back to teenage years. The two women have been bridesmaids at each others\u2019 weddings and, since August, Stewart\u2019s wife has been employed by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the <\/a><\/span>recommendation of the prime minister\u2019s office<\/span><\/a>, working at the PM\u2019s Sydney residence Kirribilli House.<\/p>\n

In the days before Morrison\u2019s apology speech, Tim Stewart \u2014 who tweets as \u201cBurn Notice\u201d under the Twitter handle @BurnedSpy34 \u2014 claimed to have influenced the prime minister to make a reference to \u201critual\u201d abuse. In the hours before Morrison\u2019s address to parliament Stewart sent a text to a colleague foretelling that it would happen: \u201cI think Scott is going to do it!!\u201d<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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While sex abuse survivors waited for Morrison to deliver words of contrition, Stewart and key supporters specifically wanted Morrison to use the word \u201critual\u201d as applied to sex abuse because it introduced the idea of secret ceremonies with satan\u2019s involvement, which aligns with QAnon\u2019s theory of global threats.<\/p>\n

Morrison\u2019s use of the word \u201critual\u201d \u2014 instead of \u201csystematic\u201d or \u201crepeated\u201d which are factually accurate \u2014 was picked up by an international blogger who specialises in exposing religion-based conspiracy theories<\/a><\/span>, but otherwise the reference went largely unremarked in Australia.<\/p>\n

For the Stewarts, though, it was a triumph. <\/p>\n

\u201cGreat moment,\u201d tweeted Stewart\u2019s son, Jesse, as @jesse_onya_m8. \u201cYou know #theGreatAwakening is in full swing when the Australian Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP mentions #RitualAbuse<\/a><\/span>.\u201d Jesse described it as a \u201cbig step in a good direction for Australia\u201d. \u201cScott is a patriot\u201d, he remarked.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA new conversation began today in Australia,\u201d Tim Stewart AKA Burn Notice tweeted out to his 20,000-plus followers. \u201cIt was a stepping stone to be sure, but we took the step. @ScottMorrisonMP<\/a><\/span> took control of the narrative powerfully and commenced phase 1 of our restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n

A prominent QAnon figure from the US was thrilled: \u201cDo my ears deceive me?,\u201d asked Joe M. \u201cThe new Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison must be a rider in #TheStorm<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Richard Bryant, a professor of Psychology at UNSW and an expert in PTSD, told Inq<\/em> that \u201critual sex abuse is a term that sprang up in the 1990s in the context of satanic cults\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the modern iteration people have sometimes used the word \u2018ritual\u2019 instead of common or habitual. But the word ritual relates to rites. We can\u2019t say it didn\u2019t happen in institutions but there is no evidence of ritual abuse in the sense as initially intended, though there may be some instances of habitual sexual abuse in a church setting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a furphy that people should get excited about ritual abuse. We can\u2019t make claims that this is a common occurrence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, Ian Coyle, a forensic psychologist and adjunct professor of law at La Trobe University, told Inq <\/em>that \u201cthe prevalence of [ritual sexual abuse] is vanishingly remote at best. Cases where cases [of] ritual sexual abuse have been reported have been thoroughly discredited. Indeed I am not aware of any verified cases of ritual sexual abuse in Australia.\u201d He added that \u201cthis is not to deny the plague of child sexual abuse that the royal commission identified\u201d.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the PM told Inq <\/em>that \u201cthe term \u2018ritual\u2019 is one that the Prime Minister heard directly from the abuse survivors and the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Reference Group he met with in the lead up to the Apology, and refers not just to the ritualised way or patterns in which so many crimes were committed but also to the frequency and repetition of them\u201d. The PM\u2019s office made no comment on the alleged influence of Tim Stewart.<\/p>\n

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A conspiracy of satanic paedophiles<\/h2>\n

For Stewart and his supporters, Morrison\u2019s apology speech was an important moment because, according to QAnon, there is a conspiracy of paedophiles at the highest levels of the judiciary and government who behave in a way more grotesque than the common understanding of child sex abuse. <\/p>\n

In his guise as Burn Notice, Stewart refers to \u201cLuciferian\u201d or satanic ritual abuse. He depicts elaborate ceremonies where children are prepared for sacrifice by groups of adults operating in secret.  <\/p>\n

One document posted by Stewart<\/a> <\/span>purports to show key dates in the calendar of satanic ritual abuse categorised according to the type of ceremony conducted. These include human sacrifice of children, orgies involving the rape of children and drinking of animal blood.<\/p>\n

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Burn Notice reveals his mission in his Twitter bio to be \u201cJustice. Building new networks. Promoting truth and transparency. Dark to Light\u201d \u2014 code words which hold particular meaning for other QAnon followers, who believe there is an anonymous operative in the White House known only as \u201cQ\u201d who has a secret, all-encompassing plan to save the world against a conspiracy of deep state actors. Critically, Burn Notice and other followers believe \u201cQ\u201d will triumph over a cabal of satanic, or Luciferian paedophiles who secretly control everything from government to banking to the media.<\/p>\n

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A Stewart family affair<\/h2>\n

The coming-to-power of Scott Morrison has been hailed by Tim Stewart. Stewart marked the day \u2014 24 August, 2018 \u2014 by launching his new Twitter identity, Burn Notice. Address: Miami. Message: \u201cTotally burned. Dropped in a new city.\u201d His first tweet cryptically announced \u201cA fresh start. Rebuilding a new identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those in the know would recognise the reference: Burn Notice<\/em> is a US television series about a covert intelligence operative who has been \u201cburned\u201d, or identified as a dangerous agent. <\/p>\n

Stewart\u2019s 22-year-old son, Jesse, is also an enthusiastic promoter of the QAnon conspiracy. <\/p>\n

And Stewart\u2019s wife has publicly signalled her support for \u201cThe Awakening\u201d, a key QAnon concept in which the world turns away from \u201cthe Dark\u201d \u2014 and likely a reference to the revivalist Christian movement of the 18th century aimed at revitalising an individual\u2019s personal relationship to God at a time when the rise of rationality posed a threat to religion. <\/p>\n

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A post on Stewart\u2019s wife\u2019s Instagram points to a <\/a>website <\/a><\/span>operated by her husband<\/span><\/a>, where followers can read a four-part book called Feeding the Egregore<\/em>, effectively a QAnon manifesto which explores \u201coneness with God, the power of consciousness, quantum energy, belief systems [and] the teachings of Christ\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Awakening is revealing that dark forces have found their way into the highest levels of influence,\u201d the site explains. \u201cThis book helps illuminate the true battle-lines and the insidious nature of this deception.\u201d <\/p>\n

The world of conspiracy theorists<\/h2>\n

Inq<\/em>\u2019s investigation reveals that behind the scenes Stewart and his son worked in tandem with one of Australia\u2019s most notorious conspiracy theorists, Fiona Barnett, as part of efforts to have the prime minister endorse the idea of ritual abuse in the national apology.  <\/p>\n

Barnett\u2019s lurid claims<\/span><\/a> include that the late Kim Beazley Sr. (father of  former ALP leader Kim Beazley) had taken part in \u201ca well documented, CIA-backed psychological operation\u201d and that, as a member of parliament, Beazley Sr. was \u201cthe man who oversaw the trafficking of Fiona Barnett to VIP\u2019s at Parliament House in Canberra \u2014 as part of a \u2018dirty tricks\u2019 operation to compromise and control politicians\u201d. Barnett has claimed that as part of a government operation she was supplied as prostitute to US president Richard Nixon and forced to have sex with him at Fairbairn air force base.    <\/p>\n

Barnett\u2019s website conflates the ideas of ritual abuse and CIA mind control, a common link made by the ritual abuse community. And like Stewart, Barnett alleges there is a powerful conspiracy of \u201cLuciferian paedophiles\u201d at work in the world. In one video<\/span><\/a> she offers eye-witness testimony of what she claims was a satanic child sacrifice ceremony held in Bathurst NSW where the late Beazely Sr., aided by late cricket legend Richie Benaud among others, beheaded children before an orgy took place involving adults.<\/p>\n

On the day of the national apology, Stewart was quick to acknowledge Barnett\u2019s help in getting the prime minister\u2019s official endorsement of the term ritual abuse. \u201cWell played,\u201d he tweeted to a trio including Barnett and his son.<\/p>\n

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The role of paedophilia in the \u201cdeep state\u201d<\/h2>\n

Tim Stewart\u2019s tweets reveal a deep concern, bordering on obsession, with the idea of paedophilia and child sacrifice. He charges that the media is doing the work of the \u201cdeep state\u201d in \u201cconditioning us\u201d to \u201critual\u201d child sacrifice.<\/p>\n

This September, Stewart again had occasion to back Morrison on paedophilia when the government moved to legislate for the mandatory sentencing of convicted sex offenders, covering federal offences such as internet grooming or downloading child pornography (most paedophilia offences are covered by state laws). <\/p>\n

The Law Council of Australia is sceptical of the government\u2019s case for the law \u2014 the government claims 28% of convicted paedophiles receive no prison time, though it will not reveal the data publicly. The council opposes the law because it takes away the court\u2019s power to exercise discretion in individual cases. Studies also show<\/a><\/span> that mandatory sentencing (for any crime) results in higher incarceration rates, but does nothing to reduce crime rates.<\/p>\n

The prime minister has championed the tough new laws which introduce life imprisonment \u201cfor the most serious offences\u201d and mandatory minimum sentences. He has recorded an impassioned video announcement, posted to his Facebook pages, and has dared Labor to oppose them. \u201cThese offenders are the lowest of the low,\u201d Morrison said<\/span><\/a>, \u201cand we\u2019re going to ensure they go to jail with new mandatory sentencing laws. We owe it to our kids to protect them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burn Notice immediately backed in Morrison\u2019s announcement with a well informed tweet at the ready for his QAnon community. \u201cAustralia has had notoriously short sentences for pedo\u2019s [sic] for decades. Many have watched in shock as sentences measure months or 2-3 years,\u201d he claimed. \u201cIt seems that light is finally being shone on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Another QAnon supporter, known as Corruption Detector, tweeted his delight at Morrison\u2019s \u201ccoming war on pedophiles [sic]\u201d. \u201cTake a look,\u201d he says, \u201cMaking Australia Great Again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart and the PM<\/h2>\n

Tim Stewart has denied that he uses his access to Scott Morrison to influence the prime minister on policy. In early October, speaking as Burn Notice, he told The Guardian<\/span><\/i><\/a>, \u201cI have never spoken to Scott about anything of a political nature. I\u2019m not an adviser. The idea of me talking to him about this \u2026 it\u2019s just not true.\u201d <\/p>\n

Yet that is the opposite of what he has told at least one close confidante. In the past few weeks a former fellow traveller, Eliahi Priest, has published his text exchanges with Stewart, conducted through encrypted messaging app Signal.<\/p>\n

Priest points to more than 50 mentions of \u201cScott\u201d in text exchanges with Stewart. He has signed a statutory declaration<\/span><\/a> which claims Stewart told him he had passed on \u201cseveral\u201d letters to Morrison via Stewart\u2019s wife. Stewart is on the record telling Priest of a \u201cmassive connection with Scott tonight\u201d. \u201cWe are moving fast,\u201d he texted. \u201cScott is awakening.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one exchange Priest points out a reference in the Victorian schools curriculum that 13 year olds will be taught about anal intercourse. \u201cI am in shock,\u201d Stewart responds. \u201cThis is going straight to Scott.\u201d <\/p>\n

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In better days Priest and Stewart together hosted a leading US proponent of the QAnon movement, Isaac Kappy, an actor who alleged that Hollywood was run by paedophile rings. Priest is no stranger to the world of conspiracy theories and he has been the subject of counter-terrorism investigations. Yet he shakes his head at the idea that Stewart has any influence at all with Scott Morrison.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is embroiling the prime minister of Australia in a conspiracy theory that exists on [defunct extremist-linked site] 8chan,\u201d he says, \u201cthe very same 8Chan that Scott Morrison banned because of [the shootings] in New Zealand. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is happening outside official process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inq approached Tim Stewart for comment but he declined to respond.<\/em><\/p>\n

Inq has also established that tweets by both Tim Stewart and his son Jesse which refer to Morrison\u2019s apology speech have now been deleted. This occurred after <\/em>Inq put questions to the Stewarts and the Prime Minister\u2019s office.<\/em><\/p>\n

Inq took the precaution of saving copies of the relevant tweets and will publish these as needed and can share them with other journalists.<\/em><\/p>\n

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DAVID HARDAKER,<\/a><\/span> OCT 31, 2019<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by Amber Schultz. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  A friend of Scott Morrison, who is also a promoter of the far-right QAnon conspiracy that contends a cabal of Satan-worshiping paedophiles rule the world, has made extensive claims online and to others about his influence over the PM.   A SCREENSHOT FROM A VIDEO THAT PURPORTS TO SHOW TIM STEWART, A PROMOTER OF […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,3,164],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australias-move-to-the-right","category-political-issues","category-the-pm-and-the-qanon-conspiracy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}