Australian Politics Forum

Quote:

Judges are meant to behave in a certain way.

Michael Lawler is the equivalent of a federal court judge, a judicial officer, in his capacity as a $400K per annum Vice-President of Fair Work Australia.

The Health Services Union is a registered organisation administered by and frequently subject to the rulings of FWA.

Lawler’s lover is Kathy Jackson, who runs the national office of the HSU and is the $270K per annum Executive President of the infamous HSUeast branch.

That arrangement – per se – is an awkward one.

But certainly not unmanageable if Lawler acted with appropriate judicial reserve, discretion and distance.

Far from that, VEXNEWS and other outlets, have explored and exposed an incredible extent of active meddling by His Honour Michael Lawler into the internal workings of the HSU.

These include, but are not limited to:

■ Drafting Kathy Jackson’s personal correspondence in relation to HSU matters;

■ Writing, or substantially editing, an ironically titled website “CleanupHSUeast”;

■ As revealed on ABC’s 730, making bogus complaints to NSW Police about his lover’s rivals at the HSU;

■ Telephoning and threatening individual HSU officers who failed to comply with his lover’s desires; and

■ Attending and speaking at an off-the-record briefing of industrial relations journalists last year where he made a drunken series of attacks on rivals of his lover and other union officials at the gathering at the Hotel Spencer.

And there is even more to come.

If Lawler was still a Sydney barrister, there’d be nothing wrong with him helping out his lover (although false reports to Police are serious and unlawful).

But as a judicial officer, whose activities necessarily reflect on Fair Work Australia and all of his colleagues, this is highly inappropriate and warrants his removal.

Consider that in Victoria, a magistrate’s neighbourhood dispute and scuffle about dog poo prompted his resignation.

Consider that those appointed to FWA as commissioners are told in initial briefings that they are to no longer associate with their friends from employer organisations or trade unions. No long lunches with the comrades are allowed because of the optics, because it would give the impression that the impartial sworn judicial officers of FWA were compromised. A tough requirement, but it makes sense for the public faith in FWA to be maintained.

Michael Lawler’s involvement in the HSU has clearly reached an intolerable and scandalous level that brings nothing but disgrace on FWA.

The minister said he would seek advice on what to do about the claims on ABC’s 730.

We believe only a judicial inquiry can establish what Lawler did, with witnesses summoned and required to give answers on oath, and when he did what we did.

The new President of Fair Work Australia has acknowledged he has a problem and has even sought a re-branding to deal with the damage down to the standing of FWA by the HSU investigation farce and the conflict of interest scandal that Lawler has involved himself in.

But a rebranding won’t be enough.

There must be a cultural change there and there must be real accountability for a judicial official found to have improperly interfered with the internal affairs of a registered organisation.

The Coalition have understandably embraced the enemy of their enemy. The politics of that makes sense up to a point. Many in the Coalition are well aware of the true nature of the Jacksons at the HSU. They are not so much whistle-blowers as mob-style super-grasses, hoping to gain power at the expense of rivals, while continuing to run the same profitable and evil scam.

We think Eric Abetz, the wily Shadow Minister, is fully aware of this although we wonder whether his Leader has got the memo. Some of Abbott’s rhetoric on Jackson seems remarkably naive and ill-informed.

The Coalition will want to take a good look at FWA (or whatever it’s called) after the next election. They’d do well to rid themselves of this hopelessly compromised, Koolade swilling judge before celebratory Craig Thomson cigars end up exploding in their face.

http://www.vexnews.com/2012/05/judge-hanging-what-an-inquiry-into-michael-lawler-will-reveal/

Funny how the conservative supporters pretend to be full of morality but do not see a problem with this rubbish.

Dnarever wrote on Oct 21^st, 2012 at 9:28pm:

Funny how the conservative supporters pretend to be full of morality but do not see a problem with this rubbish.

He's not a woman. You can cut him some slack.

And all they call for is "The Coalition will want to take a good look at FWA (or whatever it’s called) after the next election."

Labor are in power. What are labor going to do?

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

quite so

Michael Lawler is the equivalent of a federal court judge, a judicial officer, in his capacity as a $400K per annum Vice-President of Fair Work Australia.

is Michael Lawler under investigation???????????

just a thought..if so then can we assume it would also be appropriate

for Ian Cambridge to also be investigated.??

in 1996 he called for a Royal Commission into AWU and the Wilson case..

soon after in 97 he became the Commissioner to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

in 2009 he was appointed by gillard to the FWA...

this is a man who knows a lot about a lot of things..

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:03am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

perhaps you can fill me in oh wiseone. :)

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:19am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:03am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

perhaps you can fill me in oh wiseone. :)

do you think it's okay for Lawler to be helping out his lover like this? You condone this type of corruption?

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:36am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:19am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:03am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

perhaps you can fill me in oh wiseone. :)

do you think it's okay for Lawler to be helping out his lover like this? You condone this type of corruption?

so another question instead of an answer...mmmm ok..

if its corrupt??? I am sure it will come out when she is charged..

in the mean time.. Ian Cambridge is very much involved in the gillard wilson..AWU case.. he in fact wrote to the then Labor govt calling for a Royal Commission into the goings on with AWU and Wilson.... he was then appointed commission of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.. from there he was appointed by gillard to the FWA...

who btw appointed Lawler to the FWA???

lets not forget the guy that was working on the THOMO case for the FWA who was suddenly promoted on to another job out of the blue..

so many little things have gone on.. if I wasnt a fair minded person I would think its a massive cover up..ummmmmmm..

as it is.. I am all for corruption being exposed...

but I think if you care to be honest about this.. its not only Lawler that needs looking in to????????????????

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:51am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:36am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:19am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:03am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

perhaps you can fill me in oh wiseone. :)

do you think it's okay for Lawler to be helping out his lover like this? You condone this type of corruption?

So you at least get the point that Lawler needs to looking into. Remind your fellow Coalition who are very quiet on the jackson/lawler affair, choosing to conveniently forget about it.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 10:10am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:51am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:36am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:19am:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 9:03am:

cods wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 8:21am:

salad in wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2012 at 7:48am:

After the harlequinade of Kirby sitting on the bench of the high court we're now worried about judges. It's a bit late.

wow, it's amazing how much you have completely and utterly missed.

perhaps you can fill me in oh wiseone. :)

do you think it's okay for Lawler to be helping out his lover like this? You condone this type of corruption?

So you at least get the point that Lawler needs to looking into. Remind your fellow Coalition who are very quiet on the jackson/lawler affair, choosing to conveniently forget about it.

well.. are you not being very quiet on the people who were very much involved when gillard was working at the legal firm in charge of the AWU account????...when she was young and naive of course..I havent seen anyone calling for shorten or Blewitt or Cambridge or Wilson..to be looked into??????????????????????..

shorten if you c are to take a look signed the letter calling for Cambridge to be silenced..when he was c alling for a Royal COmm... thaty as we all know went no where....too bad about all the money missing from union members accounts...

you are looking at this from one side only..if you read your fellow lefty... he wants anything to do with the THOMO affair to be dead and buried...he even said if it wasnt for those mean miserable righties it would have all gone away...

I am most surprised to be honest with you....

as I am all for exposing corruption... I hate it..

and when it come to union members money I am so surprised that those from the left on here.. seems very anxious for it all to turn out to be a storm in a teacup..and to point the finger at someone else..

can you tell me where I have said or any righty for that matter that we dont believe Lawler has done a thing wrong.. and should be left alone.??? can you do that?

bring it on I say but bring it on all round.. not just the chosen ones..Jackson looks very much like she has done something wrong and so she should and will face the consequences....

but they all should.. not just her... which is the impression I get from what I read from the left...doing their level best to paint her the baddie..and the only baddie..

ps ave.. I dont have any sway over my fellow righties....we dont gang up so to speak...I only speak for myself.

Australian Politics Forum
http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl General Discussion >> Federal Politics >> A Friend of Abbotts http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1350818058 Message started by the wise one on Oct 21^st, 2012 at 9:14pm