Comments on: You’d have to be a lead poisoned crackhead to believe this.

By: Utegate raises no end of questions for the media too » Scott Bridges

Utegate raises no end of questions for the media too » Scott Bridges — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:48:18 +0000

...] of Kevin Rudd’s dodgy dealings. Reading his statements in the context of the last few days (great post by Possum) makes this clearer than it was at the time. Turnbull says that he had not seen the email [...

By: JaneOakWeb

JaneOakWeb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:57:06 +0000

This morning on ABC Radio, Turnbull is trying to convince listeners that he didn’t ask about the faked email until after Grech gave his evidence in Senate Estimates last Friday.

That is not true!

In parliament back on June 4, Turnball said “I ask the Treasurer: were there any discussions or communications regarding Mr John Grant’s interest in seeking finance from OzCar between himself and the Prime Minister or between their respective offices?” source: http://blogotariat.com/node/174445

Why is nobody else commenting on the time-line of this story?

By: Christine Johnson

Christine Johnson — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:26:45 +0000

Sunrise – clear inference from Hockey and Turnbull that perhaps Hockey has had recent contact with Grech. A phone call to ask Grech if he was OK?

By: Spike

Spike — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:50:12 +0000

Just saw Hockey on Sunrise. When asked “when did you first hear of this (the fake) e-mail?” he started babbling in a very uncharacteristic manner. I have never seen him so discomfited before.

By: David Sunbury

David Sunbury — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:03:49 +0000

This is amazing stuff, isn’t it? I just posted this on Milne’s piece in the Oz, in the style of the great Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Pink Panther):

Inspector Turnbull: What is your name?
Rudd: I am Kevin, the Prime Minster.
Inspector Turnbull: And what is it you do?
Rudd: I’m the Prime Minister
Inspector Turnbull: Why didn’t you say that in the first place?
Rudd: I did
Inspector Turnbull: Don’t be funny with me, monsieur. This is a very serious matter…and everyone in this room is under the suspicions. And there is a very good chance that someone in this room…knows more about the email than he is telling.
Rudd: Email?
Inspector Turnbull: What was that you said?
Rudd: I said Email.
Inspector Turnbull: What email?
Rudd: Well, I don’t know. You said email.
Inspector Turnbull: I said email? You said email!
Rudd: No, I said email because you said email!
Inspector Turnbull: I said email?
Rudd: You said someone in this room…knows more about the email than he’s telling.
Inspector Turnbull: Now listen…What was your name?
Rudd: Kevin.
Inspector Turnbull: The Treasurer.
Rudd: Prime Minister.
Inspector Turnbull: Ah, now we are getting somewhere!

My favourite scene in the movie:

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:37:11 +0000

David1 the mud I am referring to is not the kind that kids play in but the kind that politicians, with able assistance from media, fling around. Rudd has (I think quite rightly) had an image of a bit boring but basically decent bloke whose bookish, even nerdish, tendencies were offset by occasional flashes of being a normal bloke (e.g. strip club visit). The last 6 months though has seen a few really trivial stories of varying authenticity being beaten up e.g. the yelling at the Air Force member over the meal, the hair-dryer crap, the ‘butler’ and other pointless bits of trivia that are designed to change the man’s image. Even the supposed intention of going for an early election is being added to the image of someone concerned for no-one but himself . I actually believe Rudd cares about some things outside him own desires and worked my bum off to get the government elected (as opposed to Rudd himself). I have thus been have been increasingly frustrated by conversations with friends and colleagues over the last six months that suggest that the mud, dirt, tarnish or whatever you want to call it that is being laid around him is actually impacting significantly on their image of him. And I have specifically queried whether it is actually transference of concern over the GFC to the personality but it is not. So whether my use of the term mud meets your standards for its use or not I genuinely worry that regardless of the outcome of this mess is it will add to the continued diminution of Rudd and hence the Government’s image.

By: nickws

nickws — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:23:38 +0000

“If there is a conspiracy”.

So far I’ve tried not to speculate about anything more than we know. I’ve tried to use Occam’s razor.

And what I’ve come up with is this—Swan may look a bit dodgy (nice deal on the Hilux, bro), but he has a normal case to defend himself with; Rudd has nothing to answer for; but the Coalition only has a case if a conspiracy and a cover-up (involving fraud and the destruction of government communications) has taken place.

Use Occam’s, people. Why the fuck would Commonwealth ministers of the crown have put themselves in this place in the first place RE a small businessman?! What is this man, Grant? Is he the man behind the curtain for the entire Australian Labor Party? If he is he actually hasn’t done very well for himself.

Poor bugger can’t even manipulate the PM & treasurer into successfully getting Ozcar and Ford Credit special deals.

By: David1

David1 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:01:40 +0000

“Mud piling up around the Prime Minister”, perhaps Cat you may wish to stop trying to be a clone of Milne and say what you mean. Such a rediculous statement is hardly worthy of a mature person contributing on an adult site. Playschool perhaps.

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:56:47 +0000

If there is a conspiracy, which is still a big if, I doubt Godwin Grech is anything more than a pawn in the game. Unfortunately even if it is proved to be a set up the mud will just add to the pile aggregating slowly around Rudd. The government might wish Gillard was there to help this afternoon but I doubt she shares the regret. Mind you someone else in the delegation is probably wishing he had postponed one of his last junkets to enjoy the spectacle.

By: David1

David1 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:49:39 +0000

Once again Milne makes a bloody fool of himself and News Ltd. once again he uses information from sources, unnamed. How pathetic from a pathetic washed up idiot. i never seen a contributor (he is no journalist) use the hide behind unnamed ghosts, who provide him with information to excite his warped fantasies. let us be well aware. Malcolm Turnbull supplied all the information to form the basis of Milnes article, as advised by the PM in the house today. it is of no great matter that Milne continues to churn out this nonsense as journalism. What is the most glaring problem here is that the leader of the Opposition has gone to a selected member of the press gallery (Milne) and used that gullible individual to attempt to change the entire basis and thread of his conversation with Mr Charlseworth. Time has caught up with Turnbull today. His denial of facts, his attempts to change his story, his refusal to admit he and some of his parliamentary party knew of this now forged fake document, long before it was published in the Daily Telegraph. it was announced this morning the Oppositions computers hard drives will be checked. That should be of great concern to someone.