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The best defence is not always an attack, especially when you’re a dodgy politician caught neck-deep in a corruption scandal of staggering proportions. As recently reported, an inquiry into the big unions running Victoria’s ‘Big Build’ infrastructure projects has found billions of taxpayer’s money is being paid to criminals. No, not politicians, but criminals even worse than them: mostly bikie gangs.
And you read that right: billions. Not mere millions. Billions.
At least $15 billion. At least.
So, what does the crooked politician who’s been responsible for the ‘Big Build’ for its entire existence do?
Attack the messenger, of course.
Premier Jacinta Allan has added her voice to her ministers’ attack on corruption investigator Geoffrey Watson, SC, as she denied that comments calling him a “headline chaser” and questioning his professional integrity were inappropriate.
No, they’re not ‘inappropriate’: they’re absolutely, criminally disgusting. But ‘criminally disgusting’ is Victorian Labor’s mission statement.
The premier also continued to stonewall growing calls for a royal commission, despite the Greens and the crossbench backing a coalition motion on Wednesday night calling for an inquiry, and rising anxiety within Labor ranks over the scandal’s political toll.
Victorian Labor ministers on Wednesday launched a personal attack on Watson, accusing the barrister and corruption expert of chasing headlines and describing his evidence that the government turned a blind eye to CFMEU corruption as “florid ramblings”.
Like the Temu Mafia they are, the criminals in Spring St are determined to gun down anyone standing up to them.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines would not back down from comments made on Wednesday, where he called Watson a headline chaser and said his evidence was “florid ramblings”.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny on Wednesday doubled down on those comments, saying it was reckless for anyone to make unfounded claims of a $15 billion cost to taxpayers from corruption in the Big Build. She went on to say lawyers had a professional responsibility to rely on evidence.
All that self-righteous huffing and finger-pointing brings to mind a couple of wise sayings: ‘the lady doth protest too much’ and ‘a guilty conscience needs no accusing’.
Three Labor MPs, speaking anonymously to avoid repercussions, said they worried about the impact the scandal was having on the government, and said there was broader opinion that the government needed to act to neutralise the issue.
If they think screeching like banshees at anyone who asks questions is going to ‘neutralise’ the issue, they’ve got another think coming.
Because, right now, Jacinta Allan is carrying on exactly as you’d expect a guilty-as-sin politician would.
Jacinta Allan has threatened to stop a press conference during a tense stand-off with a reporter as pressure continues to mount over her handling of the CFMEU funding scandal in Victoria.
A reporter on Thursday told Ms Allan she looked “disinterested” as she asked the premier a question about the reporting of alleged CFMEU misconduct.
In response to Ms Allan’s suggestion that alleged victims should go to Victoria Police, the reporter had said the victims she had spoken to were scared to go to the authorities […]
A stalemate ensued as Ms Allan refused to continue the press conference unless the reporter “retract” the comment that the Premier looked “disinterested”.
I’m reminded of the disastrous Jeff Kennett radio interview on the eve of the 1999 state election. Miffed at questions, Kennett simply refused to talk at all. After half a minute’s excruciating dead air, the station cut away. The incident was a disaster for Kennett, who went on to lose 15 seats and the election.
At this point, it’s a no-brainer for the Liberals to dust off their devastating ‘Guilty Party’ election ads from 1992.
