Pavlov’s Cat reports that the Family Council of Queensland, the “charity” to which Santo Santoro donated the profits from his undeclared shareholding in a biotechnology firm, is not a charity but an anti-feminist religious Right front. Further news on the FCQ can be found here.
According to the FCQ’s web site:
Its members include the Australian Family Association (a front for the National Civic Council – PN), the Salvation Army, the Catholic Church, Endeavour Forum (run by long-time NCC activist Babette Francis – PN), Drug-ARM, the Festival of Light and the Australian Council for Adoption.
The FCQ liaises and co-operates with similar state-based Family Councils in Victoria , South Australia and Western Australia.
The “similar” Family Council of Victoria includes amongst its affiliates the AFA, Endeavour Forum and FOL, as well as:
* the Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile’s mob);
* the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons, although some would suggest that they be renamed to reflect the fact that their “gospel” was purportedly narrated to Joseph Smith by Mormon’s son Moroni);
* the Knights of the Southern Cross (“an Order of Catholic men (my emphasis – PN) committed to promoting the Christian way of life throughout Australia“);
* the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (an offshoot of the notorious Unification Church – the Moonies);
* the Memucan Institute of Mens Studies (which maintains that feminism has rendered men “second rate citizens” and also says: “MIOMS exists to promote the virtues of traditional roles for men and women, and to demonstrate their value to society. We expose the deficiencies of equal opportunities, and of the threat this poses to the stability of family life and by extension society as a whole… Feminism is a regressive, counter culture movement whose self-centred ideologies not only undermine civil and personal liberties, but also destroys the foundation of stable family life.”);
* Parents Without Rights (quite a nasty outfit);
* Pro-Life Victoria Inc. and Victims of Abortion (needs little elaboration);
* Saltshakers (a particularly potty Christian Right outfit which is into conspicuous homophobia, greenhouse denialism, Islamophobia, and the full kit and caboodle of anti-feminist and anti-choice grievances, and is also very concerned about the dangers of witchcraft and paganism).
The President of the Family Council of Victoria is Joe Santamaria, younger brother of the late B. A. Santamaria, founder of the National Civic Council.
Santo Santoro’s donation of his share profits to a “charity” of this kind should also be considered in the light of the current Federal Government’s attempts to change the tax status of non-government charitable organisations so that those which engage in “advocacy” as a significant aspect of their activities will no longer be eligible for tax-exempt charity status.
(Me)yo, Paul, I am a cat, not a car — though the more I think about the implications, the more sense it makes. Pavlov rings bell, car eats petrol. Don’t change it, I like it.
Aussie Bob at Surfdom has dug up some ever-more-icky stuff on this one.
There’s a long, arduous story somewhere of the blur between “charity” and “lobby group”.
That’s the sweet spot in this tale, the moment where Santoro sought redemption with the “I’ve donated the profits to charity” line.
Is it a lie? Is it a misrepresentation of the truth? I was on the verge of agreeing with Jack S on the adjacent thread, but then wondered, why in the hell does “the nature of a lie” take up so much time in Oz chatterati these days?
If the Salt Shakers are concerned about both homosexuality and paganism at the same time, they ought to take note of my experience last year in New York – which was unintentionally attending a pagan-themed homosexual dance party!
See here: [unclosed HTML tag removed - moderator]
I’d never been educated enough to know what paganism was until I saw this movie trailer reinforce the theme of last year’s Black Party, which I really hadn’t taken much notice of at the party itself.
Certainly, my intentions were far more innocent when I purchased the party ticket. I only ever attended so I could dance all night and hopefully pick up some cute bloke. I never imagined I would sink deeper into an abyss of nonmainstream behaviour
So maybe this admission of mine will reinforce the Family Council of Victoria’s claim that the causes of homosexuality are dysfunctional.
Their list of dysfunctions include rejection, self centeredness, sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse, rape, sex with minors, lack of affection, etc.
Although I suspect their effort to list these dysfunctional causes, while leaving us guessing about what the “etc.” means, results in their effort being “all tip and no iceberg”, to quote a former Prime Minister of Australia
While the greater part of the bulk of dysfunctions – the “etc.” dysfunctions – remain under the water and out of sight from the Salt Shakers.
For example, I firmly believe the dysfunctional cause of my homosexuality is the object of my affection – big cuddly men always above the 90kg mark (what some of us in the homosexual community call “bears”).
In contradiction to the above list of dysfunctions, “my problem” isn’t a lack of affection, it’s an abundance of affection
I therefore have reason to question such negative thesis about gays, even if I can’t entirely prove such claims to be an example of “the politics of hysteria”:
link
I did want to fix my dysfunction at 16 years of age, but I certainly have no intention of “fixing it” at 31 years of age. I now just accept that I’m different, but not in every way.
Being gay isn’t a package deal which then leads to multiple dysfunctions – such as chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea, hepatitis, crabs, scabies, genital warts, anal warts, gay bowel syndrome, incontinence, AIDS, anal dermatitis, anal cancer, throat cancer, etc. (there’s that “etc.” again. Please explain, Family Council of Victoria.)
Although it might lead to very occasional paganism
While some dysfunctions, such as mine, become quite functional once one learns to build a bridge and get over it. When you begin to feel that you’re fine just the way you are.
…From Justin
Rotten html stuff-ups. I’ll leave for the moderator to fix
An attempt at fixing has been made. Is that roughly what you intended, BearCave?
Yeah, that’s G-rated version. That’ll do
Was this a slightly odd introductory exchange on Sydney radio the other day.
Prime Minister Howard – ( to radio host Alan Jones) Dear, DEAR Alan, after Abe, I’m afraid your not getting a rim job today.
Alan Jones – Oh! I was rather hoping to give you one.
( Distinct slurping noises were then heard and the PM sighing and moaning)
Hypocrisy they name is Howard
And I’m sure the lobbyist for Santoro just loved this explanation of why Hardgraves hasn’t broken the dreaded Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Gee, I’m so glad you managed to keep on topic with this important story by avoiding insulting and irrelevant cheap shots that would be worthy of Little Green Footballs if they were pointing in the opposite direction.
Santoro’s offending investment was in the company CBio.
Perhaps the following information detailing Federal government subsidisation of CBioalso escaped Howard’s and Santoro’s attention:
This oversight on Howard’s part would be quite mysterious, because Howard penned the foreword to this extraordinarily generous piece of good news for CBio.
When did Santoro purchase these shares in CBio?
When he sold the shares who bought them? Not the Lobbyist who advised on the sale, sold them and then profited from the sale I hope?
David, I don’t want to stray into extended metablogging, but I’m not sure what you think is appropriate treatment for a religious movement whose purported “gospel of Jesus Christ” is in large measure a fictitious and unambiguously racist account of the origins of Native Americans.
It would be interesting to know if Santoro’s mate heading the Family Council of Queensland has accepted the Santoro ‘donation’ of pharmaceutical share sales as a bona-fide freebie, or something else. Such a windfall would pay for an aweful lot of postage stamps, or whatever else this umbrella lobby/charity spends its money on. Is it an incorporated body that must lodge an annual statement to the Queensland Treasury? Laundering money may have a much wider catchment than we currently appreciate.
Katz:
Attempted unpicking of timeline and possibly salient cbio corporate announcemnts/ industry backgrounder at
http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2007/03/15/the-pm-the-porn-mogul/#comment-106637 , comment 14.
Too long and probably off-topic to post here, it’s just that as ex-molecular biologist resaercher, financial shenanigans make me furious.
Cheers, Fred
And now for the news:
Santoro resigns from ministry
Phillip Coorey
March 16, 2007 – 3:10PM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/santoro-set-to-resign/2007/03/16/1173722720321.html
Santo quits. ‘50 or 60′ unreported share holdings are mentioned. That’s a terrible oversight. Obviously the responsibilities of being a Minister of the Crown take up a lot of one’s time and attention; it’s no wonder that a few thousand shares might slip the mind.
In addition to the double-checking of references, I imagine that many MPs are now carefully scrutinising their share portfolios. For those on the Government benches it might be their most diligent check in a while. Spouses and children and family trusts can expect to find themselves enriched by various gifts over the coming weeks.
Bye, Santo. Say ‘hi’ to Ian. And don’t worry – you won’t be last in the queue for long.
Result!
They’re falling like flies….
Refresh my memory, someone form Quiceland – didnt Santoro lose the Libs a blue ribbon state seat – like Clayfield or soemthing – in the Beattie landlside, the election before last?
Yep, Clayfield in the 2001 Beattie landslide.
A spring clean-out of the cabinet – but all achieved by Peter Costello!
Here was me thinking Howard ran the party.
Moralsgate is picking up a nice momentum. Starting at the bottom, will it works its way any higher? Democracy at work is tremendously entertaining in ‘07.
Rattie invokes the Santo clause, Debnam concedes, Conrad Black is now only “reasonably sure” he may still keep out of the slammer, Dick Cheney riddled with life-threatening thrombi … surely this can’t last.
Watch now as Howard issues an “I understand his position” non-retraction dog-whistle regarding anti-feminist sympathies in the “mainstream” of Australian society and if this doesn’t blow over as quickly as he’d like a “family values” outburst…. Feminists are robbing women of their “God-given” right to stay at home dependent upon some poor bastard who has to work 80 hours a week to support the family, mortgage, car loans etc. etc. etc. But somehow stripping single mothers of every vestige of financial support will correct that.
As I said earlier here, I think Santoro should have resigned because he clearly breached the code of conduct. And he was a little disingenuous describing the ultimate benficiary as a charity, because strictly speaking it’s non-deductable.
But it’s not-for-profit, so he wasn’t far off. However, it just happens to support causes that aren’t popular with all/most who in contribute here – so of course it seems to be fair game for abuse. However, revealing (shock, horror) that Santo Santoro supports Right To Life etc is hardly news – he’s pretty public about his views and where his sympathies lie.
Paul, what’s the purpose of the bold “men” when talking about the Knights? Is it to demonstrate how patriarchal they are, or something? The Knights are about as boringly worthy a bunch of nobodies as the good Lord every breathed life into – I don’t think they are about to firebomb yer local Feminist Studies tutorial.
Well, instead of calling them ‘morons’ in a sideways manner, you could have said:
which would have been a legitimate point.
Lefty E, as Kim confirmed, Santo lost Clayfield in the 2001 Beattie landslide. BTW, now reclaimed by the Libs due to a number of factors including ‘Winegate’.
The biggest cheer when the Santo loss was announced came from members of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. To a man (and woman ‘Sheldon’) they hated Santo with a passion. And I mean hate.
I have had some dealings with Santo and I must admit he was a good ‘politician’ in that he always returned phone calls and gave due recognition for efforts made. Yet most (all) state pollies, regardless of party affiliation, hated Santo.
BTW, from watching TV, I see that his ‘presser’ is/was Malcolm Cole who worked for the Courier-Mail in various capacities. During the State election campaign, Cole was co opted to advise Flegg after some early disasters. I wonder where he will end up. Is he a Liberal mate? His sister ran for the Libs in a State election.
Anyone care to speculate who will replace Santo? Surely a Queenslander?
Depends whether it has to be another Senator, I guess. Or maybe Brandis can be the only Qld Senate Minister.
Graham Young’s take:
http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/001954.html
Here’s an idea. Santoro resigns, Catalbiano tries to enter the Senate.
After all, this was payback for the attempt to lever Laming out of his seat last week and put Catalbiano in.
It’s not going to make a scrap of difference anyway. He may as well put the names of all (minus Santoro) the Queensland Liberal senators in a hat and draw one out. With the Qld Libs it’s a case of the same rubbish tip but different flies.
What is going to count is when the economic debate fires up and backfires on the coalition. The inflation figures are still beyond the Reserve bank’s preferred range and the Reserve are talking seriously of another interest rate rise based on figures that have come out in the past couple of weeks.
Now the High moral ground has evaporated from the coalition’s control due to the mudslinging campaign, next to be dispelled is the myth of the coalition as ‘Good Economic Managers’. This hot air has been peddalled for 11 years but will not stand up to scrutiny and another interest rate rise will restrict the options to pork barrel their way out of trouble in the next budget.
When pressed, Santoro blathered on about how he didn’t sit at his computer and trade like a day trader.
Why was he so insistent about this point?
If his trading wasn’t via computer, how did Santoro trade?
By his own admission, Santoro traded at the rate of more than once a week for the last year or so. Who among us would forget every trade of this nature?
It beggars belief that Santoro should remember none of these trades.
So, how were these trades made?
Were these trades made through a broker? If so, who?
Were these trades made through an intermediary? If so, who?
Santoro’s political career is now a smoking ruin. He can’t be killed deader than he is already. But, unless the nature and timing of these transactions are cleared up, the stink of influence peddling, insider trading, and abuse of ministerial power hangs about this whole murky affair.
Howard owes it to the Australian people, and to his own political career to make a full and frank disclosure to allay any suspicion of sleaze.
The last thing that Howard can afford now is Sleazegate.
I think that ultimately Howard has to wear a lot of the blame for Santoro’s stuff up as well. He’s spent the last 8 or so years telling the public that his ministerial code of conduct doesn’t matter. It’s no surprise that eventually his ministers would come to believe this rhetoric as well.
And here is Santo’s Letter to his Constituents.
http://media01.couriermail.com.au/multimedia/2007/03/070316-santoro/santo.pdf
Santo:
“….and, you know, so when you anatomise that, you know, it is not a … I’m not somebody who sits frenetically.”
Anatomise?
Things are always so much better after a good anatomise. Sitting frenetically is another matter entirely.
This is all hitting the fan.
Santoro has admitted that he told the PM’s office about his holdings in CBio as long ago as last October.
Yet, amazingly, Howard admitted he did not ask Santo about about any other share holdings. Why would anyone buy an obscure company like CBio as one’s first and only share transaction? For Howard to claim that this was his thinking demonstrates a lack of worldly wisdom. Howard’s probity has often been questioned, but never, until now, his grasp on reality.
It now emerges that Santoro traded in many shares directly associated with his portfolio.
It appears that Howard’s philosophy is “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell.”
Howard is drowning in sleaze.
As I opined in the sister thread , this smells like possible insider trading. The late Rene Rivkin ended up in the pokey over a single trade of a very trivial amount. This warrants a serious investigation by a switched on journo (and not a lazy has-been like Glenn Milne).
What is “insider trading”? Below is a handy definition from the US SEC, which takes such things seriously: its latest project being the egregious Conrad Black and his wife, Barbara Amiel.
ViaCollins:
You bet it will!!! For this is 2007, the year in which Australians gave up boring old federal elections and got the thrill-a-minute Sleaze Champions instead.
The Santoro kerfuffle is only a temporary nadir; wait until the spin-doctors rocket all the good stuff to the zenith.
Hold tight to your seat as we whizz through ….. an abortionist and fornicator getting served up as a virginal “Christian”? family man [believe it folks, if you see it on TV, it must be true] ….. a National Service dodger getting a makeover as a war hero [franchised in Australia by courtesy of Mr Air-Guard-AWOL] ….. serial sole tenderer getting resold as a humble but just plain lucky Aussie mum-and-dad investor [send $99:95 for your copy of his booklet on how to become wealthy by the sweat of your brow] …… all great fun and you wouldn’t want to go back silly old political debate and voting, would you?
Cynical? Moi?
Is it merely a coincidence, a psychopathological symptom or Divine Symmetry?
Senator Santo Santoro does not seem sorry, regretful nor in any way defeated.
We know this because the Triple S has a quote from Bruce Lee in his press release, to wit: “Defeat is not defeat unless accepted as reality in your own mind”.
That is certainly very bolshy of SSS in the face of him being shown to be a prevaricating, weaseling, greedy, selfish little operator. Perhaps he has something on the Rodent by way of riding instructions re the ABC? Perhaps there, deep inside Santo’s carpetbag lies a musty old email, tape or indeed a few notes on the back of an old share certificate in Ratty’s own handwriting?
Flashback. Cut to Senator Santoro’s swashbuckling role as the avenging angel of filthy commie scum scurrying away in the lezzo-infested corridors of the ABC. Who can forget his rapier-like thrusts in the senate’s estimates committee, demanding thousands of answers from that hapless prevaricatring pinko apologist ABC boss Russel Balding. Read all about it and be amazed at the incredible minutiae hunt here: LINK
This must be proof of Intelligent design, surely! It cannot be mere coincidence: another senator, who was Santo’s predecessor in the ABC punishing business in senate’s estimates and at impromptu doorstops, one Richard Alston, also had a near-death experience with share-trading and conflicts of interest that was not declared – though to be fair, the $60,000 worth of Telstra shares were held by a “family trust” for the senator’s 90-year-old mum. I will remind readers that Senator Alson was the Coalition’s choice as Communications minister, and owning Telstra shares was an amazing coming together of two separate phenomena. Explain that, Karl Kruszelnicki.
Shortly after the completelt accidental and inadvertent share ownership by the Alston family trust became public, it was decided that Senator Alston would better serve Australia’s interests as the High Commissioner to the UK.
So, is Santo going to be the next ambassador to Italy? The Holy See? Is a Papal Knighthood in the offing?
(This will be a test of Ratty’s ticker).
Sir Heinrich CB:
Is it just me or do others feel this bunch are starting to smell like Commo party bosses in the now-defunct DDR in 1989?
Sir Hank,
Thanks for your reference to SSS’s Balding interrogation.
SSS really did fancy himself as a latterday Torquemada, didn’t he?
He who lives by the strappado shall die by the strappado.
Firstly, it would be useful to discover how the procedures monitoring probity were supposed to operate.
Thereafter, I trust that the Opposition will spend several days asking detailed questions about what SSS told Howard, and when he told him.
Then, some time could be spent on discovering what Howard asked SSS about his share trading activities
Then several days could be spent discovering the details of SSS’s share transactions.
Then, questions could be asked about how Howard’s procedures for monitoring probity proved to be inadequate to discovering SSS’s activities until way too late.
Finally, questions can be asked about the relationship between the companies/share-recommending intermediaries and government policy. How much influence peddling and insider trading was there?
This one has legs.
Yes, Nicolae aned Elena Ceacescu on the balcony of the Central Committee building, the Yanks on the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon, Egon Krenz in the last days before being swept by the tide of history, Conrad Black and his wife Barbara Amiel fulminating about jealousy and envy being the reason behind his being arraigned on charges of stealing $1.5 billion from his shareholders.
For a student of history, here we have a mean and tricky government unravelling. This is the Pythonesque moment where the fat man in the restaurant takes just one more morsel, just a one more…
Gourmande Pays Courtesy Call To Canberra:
Sources close to the PM have confirmed that Mr.Creosette will be dining with Cabinet later this week.
From Crikey, Santo’s Share Register details
http://www.crikey.com.au/Media/docs/SantoroList-2206a370-f184-46e8-8975-f964d69e0b09.pdf
Ratty, under the questioning from Kezza on the 7.30 Report, was distinctly discomforted by the proposition that SSS deliberately lied to him.
Eventually Ratty conceded that it was in fact true that SSS had deliberately lied to him.
But there’s more…
Ratty twitched and grimaced almost uncontrallably at the proposition that the Qld branch of the Liberal Party may reindorse as a Senate candidate a person who deliberately lied to him.
Ratty evidently to a tardy, on-camera, understanding of the proposition that the Qld branch of the Liberal Party may not place much importance on the quality of probity and truth-telling.
It would appear that Ratty regards the Qld fallout as the most serious aspect of this entire sordid affair.
I thought the Mean & Tricky one was unusually candid on the 7.30 report, particularly his offering that polling showed a majority of Iraqis thought that the situation would be better if the coalition left.
He must really be worked up.
The Courier Mail is reporting an anonymous Liberal MP accusing Howard of “running up the white flag” in Queensland in his stripping of a ministry from the sunshine state.
But it must irk Ratty even more that all of the leading candidates to replace SS were Costello supporters.
This share register is most interesting, Frank.
SSS bought shares in Village Life Pty Ltd since he became minister for ageing. Village Life is a company concerned with “management and development of retirement village accommodation”; Alchemia Ltd is a drug development company with products helping to prevent blood clots, thrombosis having developed synthetic anti-coagulants; Ritract Ltd is a medical technology company; IBA Health Limited – now this is an interesting company: it develops electronic patient databases for hospitals, retirement villages and aged care hospices; Wotif.com is a company that has a portfolio of accomodation facilities of various kinds, including hostels, B&Bs and serviced apartments; Nomad Building Solutions… let them speak for themselves: “Nomad Modular Building Pty Ltd manufacture high calibre modular buildings that are capable of coping with the stringent demands of the resources, construction, retirement, tourism and domestic building sectors” (perfect for building granny a little box down the back yard); Senetas Corporation is a bit like IBA above; finally, the jewel in the crown of any minister for ageing, CBio, tadddaaa – again let’s hear it from the horse’s mouth: “CBio Limited is a biopharmaceutical company established to develop and commercialise treatments for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. The market for therapeutics in this field exceeded $11 billion in 2005, with a growth rate of approximately 20% since 1998. Leading indications include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, lupus and psoriasis.”
EC, as someone not unconversant with such matters, would you confirm that autoimmune disorders become common among the ageing?
Before I go, let us not forget other Ratty ministers: Dr Herron Pharmaceutical and that other Good Doctor, Dr Wooldridge… For those into nostalgia here is a wonderful interview with Barry Cassidy LINK.
Ah, just one litty bitty morsel, just one more…
According to the Brisbane Times there is going to be an investigation into the dealings of Santo Santoro conducted by…the Minister who replaced him. Not quite a Royal Commission it seems.