With her back against a wall, faced with a decision she should have made two weeks ago, and after having tried to shovel that decision off onto the party secretary, Annastacia Palaszczuk has belatedly sacked “Billy” Gordon from her party and bizarrely claimed the decision is driven by “integrity”.
Even if you believe that somehow a criminal history dating back to the 80s had somehow escaped the Labor Party which has been so busy “listening” to Queenslanders of late, you have the fact that the premier knew about the issues on the 13th March yet took to the 27th March to refer matters to the police and the 29th to take decisive action.
Could anyone believe she would have taken this action if the correspondence hadn’t been leaked to the Courier Mail and made public?
We’ve seen much being made of the fact that this is the first majority female cabinet in the history of Australia, but it appears that, even with a freshly minted report of the task force headed by former GG Quentin Bryce, investigating domestic violence sitting on the premier’s desk, when it comes to a culprit sitting in the seats behind them other factors are more important.
The premier claims that Billy lied in the preselection process. Looks like he did, although if you want to run the state of Queensland, checking that candidates are actually telling the truth seems to be rather basic.
Not that the premier is too concerned with lying, as those with a long memory will remember she was part of a government that voted to make it OK to lie to parliament.
And if Billy lied, who else might have?
Perhaps it is time the Premier did police checks on all her colleagues. To lose one might appear unfortunate, but to lose two would be careless, and Premiers get too well-paid to be allowed to be careless.
MP Gordon previously stood for Labor in the 2013 Federal election for the seat of Leichhardt. Labor has had plenty of time t do the due diligence checks. There are questions about the tactics used by Labor and the Unions to “encourage” indigenous people in communities to vote for Gordon. A by-election, if it happens, will ensure there will be at least a spotlight on Labor tactics.
Comment by Derek Sheppard — March 29, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
Interestingly the LNP, derided by Labor for not being transparent, require candidates to provide a driving licence certificate, a Queensland police certificate, a National police certificate, and three years of tax returns for themselves and any financial entities with which they are beneficially associated. This guy could not have gotten through their preselection process. But had no trouble getting through Labor’s.
Comment by Graham — March 29, 2015 @ 4:34 pm
Yes, you would think that a thorough checking of prospective candidates would have uncovered this and avoided the whole mess.
Nice Doyle quote there by the way.
Comment by David Pohlmann — March 30, 2015 @ 8:59 am
It is easy to see why the conservative side of politics are able to claim a superior candidate checking system. The experiences with Joe, a police chief, some brown paper bags and a few other incidents must surely have taught them something.
Comment by John Turner — March 30, 2015 @ 11:10 am
Graham, at the risk of being labelled a troll, i assume you applied the same standard to the conservatives’ handling of Hollingworth, Colston and Slipper (while he was a member of the party).
Comment by barney — March 30, 2015 @ 1:14 pm
I think there are two important issues here – how an organization in the public sphere(here a political party)handles important information in the public interest; and how the same organization selects its representatives in a thorough and transparent way.
Comment by David Pohlmann — March 30, 2015 @ 3:26 pm
Yes Graham and even if the Premier didn’t know this man’s history, the buck stops with her!
Personally, I think we need checks at least as good as those we need to obtain a pistol to nominate for any party. And anyone not able to qualify for a pistol licence (has a conviction recorded against them/is deeply disturbed etc) ought not be able to stand for parliament.
And I think here has to be a role for the anti corruption watch dog here and honesty in politics; given we’ve been here before, with a former union heavy Gordon Nuttal doing time!
For mine, they ought to be able to pass an entirely independent lie detector/integrity test, and no not the old beatable polygraph, but rather much more reliable new space age thermal imaging and equally covert CAFR! If the left one don’t gettcha, then the right one will!
Pity the media didn’t have a few and weren’t able to road test some of the pre-election promises or patent pork pies, with them and before the election!
Yes this thug was less than honest, and just to gain a seat!
But he’s not been entirely alone in that regard has he?
That said any man who resolves domestic disputes with violence has to be lower than a snake’s belly!
And given he would have had to make some sworn statements to the contrary to somebody to get nominated, there has to be a legal remedy and a way to move him on?
I mean, uttering still remains a crime on the statute books, and given his history, maybe he’d like to take his chances with the court?
Even so, and were I the Premier, I think I’d take up Rob Katter on his offer, just to be sure that she has the numbers to ensure we have a workable parliament.
And then the leader of the house could ask every day they sit, that this man be not heard!
And no, I don’t think after all the hullabaloo the Katter party made about privatization, they can hardly join the coalition; and or, invite them to take office.
This matter should be resolved by a by election, and no doubt some labor heavies will pay the Right “Honorable” Mr Cooke a “friendly” visit, and persuade him of the “healthy” merits of that course of action?
Alan B. Goulding.
Comment by Alan B. Goulding — March 30, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
Barney #5.
Colston ? That well known , late , former ALP Senator?
Slipper and Hollingworth, clutching at straws, there .
Yes ,it does sound like troll
Comment by laurie — March 30, 2015 @ 4:37 pm
Apologies and correction, Mr Cooke should be read as the member for Cooke.
Alan B. Goulding.
Comment by Alan B. Goulding — March 31, 2015 @ 8:19 am
It would be very ‘nice’ if one could trust any political party to put the interests of the electorates above that of the party. Pigs may fly? springs to mind.
I agree with earlier posts that both major parties and also the others certainly appear to turn a Nelson ‘bind eye’ to those matters that unfortunately may result in them not winning the seat.
The adage of whoever you vote for you get a politician is a sad truism that surely casts doubt on the ‘hoped-for’ ethics, morality and decency of many of those elected to be representatives of the people.
Young and old alike in Australia and in most of the world have little reason, in my opinion, to look up to politicians . . . . in line with “pigs may fly!” the commonly bandied saying, “snouts in the trough” makes a mockery of the status of the role which should be the highest role to which many people aspire to . . . for the ‘right’ reasons – to serve the people. Even our cousins, the ‘good’ ‘ol USA appears to suffer from the malaise – on one hand they still print $20 banknotes with “”In God we trust” while beefing up the massive weapons systems to give God a hand in eliminating the enemies of the US. Admired political Australian cartoonist, Michael Leunig published a cartoon with the caption “God in all His wisdom hates all the enemies of the United States.” What sacrilege?!! But hey, why do many peoples of other nations hate the United States? Perhaps the CIA could throw some light on this? . . in a ‘truthful’ discourse of course?! . . . . hmmmmmn
Comment by Zhan Pintu — April 6, 2015 @ 8:14 am