Queensland was supposed to be an electoral bastion for Howard. Allegedly, conservative Quincelanders just love a cold coconut cocktail. But Howard’s karma is coming back at him in a big way – not just through the big blowback from judgementgate, but also for good measure a replay of the ill wind called the Joh for PM campaign that blew his electoral chances away in 87. Queensland is again his nemesis.
After a term’s worth of Barnaby Joyce, Howard has now had to face the so far extremely successful leadership of Rudd, and in the meantime, the dysfunctional and faction ridden rabble that is the Queensland Liberal Party is imploding in his face. Not only does Santo apparently “forget” that he’s got shares in 72 companies (many of which are in industries pertinent to his ex-portfolio) but there’s Andrew Laming’s alleged printing allowance issues.
But the Queensland Liberals are now being audited by the party’s Federal office. Such is the level of hatred between the Liberal factions that anything dodgy is bound to be leaked. Indeed, some are asking the question as to whether or not the emergence of the two scandals in the press might have been a byproduct of factional warfare. It’s an open secret that there were attempts to force Laming out of Parliament last week to make way for former party president Michael Catalbiano. Catalbiano, a former Brisbane City Councillor, was elected to state parliament in 2004, was said to have orchestrated the leadership coup that installed hopeless state leader Bruce Flegg, then undermined Flegg during the campaign, after which he promptly lost his own seat.
There’s been stuff in the past like the $140000 paid to a defeated preselection candidate against Flegg for legal bills after he dropped a court action, which it’s been alleged came from the party (the cheque was supposed to have been authorised by Catalbiano), though the party denies this (but no one denies the candidate received that sum). And there’s talk of money raised from fundraisers being held in candidates’ and members’ personal bank accounts rather than being passed on to the party, so that they can be channelled just to factional allies. And don’t forget this hopeless mob won 3 seats in State Parliament in 2001, 7 in 2004 and 8 last year, and still only hold 2 out of the 35 Brisbane state seats. If a spotlight is shone on the Queensland branch, who knows what will be revealed? And this in the state where the Coalition desparately needs to hold seats.
Funny editorial a couple of days ago in the Courious Snail imploring Howard to come and visit Queensland more often.
His last visit to Queensland this month resulted in the rejection of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade and instead money was thrown at the first stage of a western bypass that is likely to gain him fewer votes than he musters now.
Send him more often as he is so out of touch that he is displaying the opposite of the Midas touch. We could set up a mudbath for him to play in at one of the almost dry dams so he can go back to Canberra and sling mud like a hardened professional.
I read somewhere that Santoro was kicked out of state parliament for incompetence. I would have thought that it was impossible to be too incompetent to be a Queensland state Lib, remembering that they’re the slow cousins to a National Party that produced ministerial nincompoops like Vince Lester. If true, the story raises obvious issues about Howard’s judgement in appointing Santo to anything, let alone a ministry.
Bob Quinn, Joan Sheldon and David Watson will all be cheering. In political circles, regardless of party affiliation, Santo has been on the nose for years.
BTW, he hasn’t won an election for yonks.
“Paul Kelly: Howard being undermined
Paul Kelly, Editor at large
March 17, 2007
THIS is a scandal that makes John Howard look foolish, discredits the standards of his Government and ruins the campaign against Kevin Rudd’s character.”
That was PK’s first sentence. A triple treat of Ratsak.
Paul’s poison is usually another brand.
I really think the Rodent’s losing his grip. For any long-standing government to initiate a mud-slinging campaign against the opposition is just asking for trouble, because long-standing governments are likely to have accumulated buried scandals that will end up being unburied once the mud-digging starts. He should have learned from John Major’s experience.
Concerning the Ipswich motorway, this motorway should be called something else because it doesn’t even connect to Ipswich’s main road. Ipswich people will have to go through the suburbs to connect onto other highways and then it connects to the proposed highway.
Cameron Thompson is the Lib for my electorate, sent a flyer out yesterday. It was pretty with nice bold colours, but had a one paragraph blurb on the back. This is probably the second flyer I have had from Thompson in 4yrs.
Bernie Ripole has been in the news more times, advocating and putting pressure on the govt. over the Ipswich motorway, than Cameron Thompson.
At the end of the day, Ipswichians, just want a better highways, that won’t lead to near death experiences or costly delays, but we also see that having a 6 lane highway, that does connect to Ipswich to be the most obvious solution. This has bi-partisan support from State Libs and Mayor Neuman.
As for the coconut cocktail, mine is smelling off and has maggots in them.
The Australian reports on the factional wars in Queensland, and their federal spillover:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21394564-601,00.html
Trackback.
It’s only just occurred to me that I wrote my post without even suggesting that Santoro’s deposal must have been an inside job by the Queensland Libs, because I thought it was just so obvious.
(I do think the Oz describing him as `Sicilian-born’ was a bit grubby. Yep, all wogs are members of the Mafia, don’t you know! Surely we’re beyond that.)
It is incredible that none of the mediums had looked into Santa Clause’s sharetrading activity. This is par for the course, sadly. Conrad Black was allowed to rampage all over bourses in Canada, Australia, London, New York and Chicago for years and only in the latter did he get pulled up and ultimately brought to book.
I think being spanked with a feather by losing a ministerial spot is simply not good enough. If it was okay to hound Lionel Murphy to death in newspapers over looking after his little mate, or the Geoff Shaw blood pursuit over a drink drive charge and a spot of panel bending, Marcus Einfeld over speeding and alleged perjury, then insider trading on basis of privileged information obtained as a government minister should at least lead to some hard questions, not just “ministerial propriety” or indeed some bullshit code of conduct that’s dusted off now and again like some family silverware brought out for special occasions. Let’s remember that the late Rene Rivkin ended up in the pokey over a single trade of a very trivial amount.
So, can we have a bit of low spark from the high heeled boys (and girls) at the Fin now? Colleen Ryan, over to you.
Remarkable isn’t it how Senator Santo could document so precisely and at great length, the perceived lack of balance on the ABC recently, yet fail to disclose not one, or a couple, or twenty, or fifty, but SEVENTY-TWO (latest count) share transactions while a minister of the crown.
Wouldn’t Brian Toohey in a National Times frame of mind savour going forensic on this “absentminded” Howard apparatchik?
There is no joy in Ratville tonight.
Colleen is in Shanghai, I forgot. Take 2. Elisabeth Sexton, where are you?
Way to go Sir H.
Now there’s a bit of blood in the water, mebbie the the Fourth Estate will start doing its job, instead of cheering the prats on and licking their boots.
Wouldn’t bet on it though.
Yes Evan, they have stirred themselves as of this morning [LINK...] It’s an “investigation” by Glenn Milne and Lincoln Wright.
I am sure there is a lot more to this and I predic t it will be a running sore for the Howardistas.
Thanks for the link Sir H.
Geez, looks like someone at the Telly has actually gotten-off his arse.
I love this bit:
“A spokesman for Mr Howard said yesterday the Prime Minister had made his statements (denying that Santoro’s share trading involved companies on which his Ministerial portfolio would have had any direct impact) on the basis of Senator Santoro’s word.
The Prime Minister accepted those assurances, the spokesman said.”
Shades of the AWB.
I seem to recall Downer & Co “investigating” US and UN allegations involving the AWB”s payment of bribes to Saddam in similar fashion: Ring ‘em-up, ask the question and accept their “assurances” that nothing of the sort was going on.
That didn’t work out so well, as I recall.
“Senator Santoro, however, has admitted to owning shares in two other companies – Nomad Buildings Solutions and Senetas Corporation. Both are involved in the retirement and health sectors, and were purchased after he was appointed a minister. ”
What is â??insider tradingâ??? Below is a handy definition from the US SEC:
“Illegal insider trading refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. Insider trading violations may also include â??tippingâ?? such information, securities trading by the person â??tipped,â?? and securities trading by those who misappropriate such information.
Examples of insider trading cases that have been brought by the SEC are cases against:
Corporate officers, directors, and employees who traded the corporationâ??s securities after learning of significant, confidential corporate developments;
Friends, business associates, family members, and other â??tippeesâ?? of such officers, directors, and employees, who traded the securities after receiving such information;
Employees of law, banking, brokerage and printing firms who were given such information to provide services to the corporation whose securities they traded;
Government employees who learned of such information because of their employment by the government … ”
I note that Andrew Bolt, the egregious warrior for the Far Right, as well as booster and unofficial PR hack for the Coalition, this morning on Insiders TV program, put the boot into (1) Santo (2) the PM and his Santo clause (3) Peter Debnam and the NSW Liberals, (4) the dismal performance of Coalitions at state level, and also reckons that John Howard’s startegy of fighting the next election on Iraq is a doomed strategy.
Has the Bolter been given riding instructions from New York to drop the Rodent?
The reason for this is simple. Newspaper proprietors like to be on a winner. If they consistently back a loser then it is evidence that not only that they are out of touch with the mood of their customers, it also blows the gaffe about their alleged power. They don’t want to encourage notions that punters are ignorning their editorial stance because then governments may start to take less notice of them, especially when it comes to making laws regulating the media.
Sir Henry,
You suggest that Citizen Rupert has decided his favourite little downunder furry critter, once so tame, has now turned feral, and will need to be rendered vermin by proxy. Be made a political offer he can’t refuse, as it were.
Almays had a fine nose for a useful Rodent,Rupe, and when cornered, a formerly useful Rodent can sure smell real bad. Not the sort of thing a man of Rupe’s style would want to be associated with. Be interesting to note how many Oz claquers go all Pixies-R-Us this week.
This whole rotten business must be awfully distressing for Gerard Henderson too. Poor thing.
EC, you were missed at dinner last night!
He’s like that La Bovina, cut and run
that damned elusive pimpernel!
Thanks, sc. Our daughter was sick and home alone on the Coast. Next time we chow down after drinks, no worries.
The Director of the Qld Libs seemed to be hinting in the Sunday Mail today that there could be nore problems with other Libs over the Printing fiasco and on the ABC radio news tonight Flegg sunk the boot into Santoro who is in a different faction to Flegg.
It will be interesting to see when Federal Parliament resumes on Tuesday what the feds know about how the different Quueensland Members have spent their Printing allowances and which state pollies benefited.
Oh Dear! Just reread the article and it does appear that there is more trouble brewing in paradise.
Read the last couple of paragraphs, it is amazing stuff.