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Fitzgibbon affair points to bureaucrats out of control
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There are a number of issues in play in the revelation that Defence has been spying on its own minister. All bear teasing out. The most minor is that an old Canberra saw bears repeating — don’t bag your own department, no matter how gratuitously it drops you in it. Fitzgibbon was right to be furious at Defence’s stuff-up of the SAS pay issue, but giving public vent to his fury — in Parliament, and to journalists — was unwise. Bureaucrats can always find ways to embarrass Ministers they’re unhappy with, and in Defence there are many more ways than anywhere else. Second is that this is only the most glaring example of conflict between defence ministers and their department. In 1999, John Moore successfully demanded his Secretary, Paul Barrett, installed by the Howard Government, be sacked. Barrett’s replacement, Allan Hawke, also fell out of favour and his three-year contract wasn’t renewed, with Hawke sent to Wellington as a pre-retirement gig (Barrett had also been offered the Wellington post). However, the surveillance of Fitzgibbon — including the highly-secretive and virtually unaccountable Defence Signals Directorate hacking into his computer and stealing confidential information — started well before the SAS pay debacle, and points to bureaucrats out of control. This isn’t the first time Ministers have been investigated by their own portfolio agencies. In an unrelated incident last year, the Australian Crime Commission had to scramble to apologise to Bob Debus when it was revealed staff had been keeping highly personal notes on their contact with him. It smacks of the sort of antics Australian security services got up to in the 1960s when they provided the Coalition Government with a steady stream of gossip — much of it untrue — to be used against Labor in Parliament. Intentional or not, it suggests a reluctance on the part of some intelligence and law enforcement officials to accept the legitimacy of an ALP Government. And if the rationale for DSD investigating its own minister was his friendship with a Chinese-born businesswoman, there’s a double standard at work. On that basis, Defence intelligence officials should have investigated the relationship between the then-Government — including Defence Minister Brendan Nelson — and Andrew Peacock, Australian representative of Boeing. The Howard Government decided to spend $16b on the Joint Strike Fighter project without any of the normal defence procurement processes, astonishing many defence analysts and the Defence Department itself. A foreign company and a personal relationship with direct implications for Australia’s national security and the safety of our ADF personnel — surely that was worth investigating if Fitzgibbon’s relationship with Helen Liu is? Perhaps Defence and the DSD did investigate it. But if they did, they never leaked it. There’s also an assumption that if a businessperson has links with China, or has a Chinese background (Liu has both), that immediately raises questions about their propensity to influence politicians. This time last year, Crikey pushed hard on the relationship between Kevin Rudd, Wayne Swan and other ALP figures, and Chinese businessman Ian Tang and Beijing Austchina. Rudd had developed a close relationship with the company as it paid for much of his travel to China as Opposition foreign affairs spokesman. The issue then was what Tang and Beijing Austchina expected from Rudd and Swan in return, and what they got, which included direct access to the Prime Minister and Treasurer after the election. There were also questions about Beijing Austchina’s business practices and its links with the Chinese Government. There do not appear to be any comparable issues raised by Fitzgibbon’s relationship with Liu. However, Liu isn’t the only connection between Fitzgibbon and Chinese business interests. According to the Parliamentary Register of Pecuniary Interests, his wife Dianne Fitzgibbon has held shares in Golden Tiger Mining, an Australian company with extensive mineral and oil exploration interests in China, and Industrea, a Queensland mining services company with significant clients in China. There is no information to suggest Ms Liu has any relationship with these companies. Commercial links between Australian investors and companies and China are to be encouraged. China is one of our largest trading partners and the last great hope for Australia to avoid a deep recession. But this is the first time that Australia’s key strategic threat has also been one of our closest economic partners. Apart from the occasional dodgy Russian tractor and wheat sales, our Cold War economic relationship with the Soviet Union was derisory. But judging by what has happened to Fitzgibbon, it appears our intelligence services are having some difficulty processing that dilemma, which is exacerbated by the fact that, for whatever reason, the ALP has been far better at cultivating a relationship with Chinese business interests than the Liberals, and benefited from donations accordingly. And then there’s Fitzgibbon’s future. George Brandis — speaking outside his portfolio responsibilities — today called for Fitzgibbon to be sacked, not on the basis of any wrongdoing, but because his relationship with the Defence Department had clearly broken down. Brandis wasn’t in Parliament in 1999, but presumably he would have made a similar call for his fellow Queenslander John Moore to also be sacked in similar circumstances. Punishing Fitzgibbon would be to reward out-of-control elements within Defence and demonstrate that a minister can in effect be driven from his own portfolio if elements within it decide to do so. It would send an appalling signal about civilian and political control of a key portfolio and major industry. Elements within Defence who persist in the view that they are not answerable to politicians need to be removed, simple as that. Whether it’s a Liberal, Labor or any other kind of politician, and no matter how ill-suited they may seem to be for the job, ministerial authority and respect for it is critical and must be maintained. Nevertheless, Brandis has a point. Fitzgibbon’s relationship with Defence is unlikely to recover, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time after he has lost a very able deputy in Greg Combet, and now has to handle procurement himself. Not to mention the minor issue of the White Paper. Even so, who has authority, record of achievement and aggression to tackle the biggest portfolio? Julia Gillard doesn’t have much to do these days… |
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37 Comments
Why is George Brandis all of a sudden so sensitive about the relationship between a minister and his portfolio much outside Mr. Brandys’ usual field of interest?. Any particular reason? Or just trying to get a role in a new “Yes, Minister’ series, Aussie style?
I’ll point out to ‘steve martin’ that I never put forward any theory but I did flag the Chinese - Labor relations as an issue. Presumably Greg Sheridan that notorious wingnut and conspiracy theorist is up to the same tricks:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25242327-7583,00.html.
Pity you haven’t the intellectual nor the curiosity traits of your more famous American name sake rather than the usual moonbat routine of ill-informed slime and innuendo.
moonbats indeed!
This is the same bunch of commentators who literally had kittens when those “great friends” of ours the Chinese squashed into a bloody pulp a few hundred peaceful students with combat tanks some little while ago. Just goes to show what a highly selective memory the left has.
And I love the catch-cry of the left “I’m rational” you’re not. Why not? “because you don’t agree with me”
Actually that is one thing the Chinese and Labor do have in common, a hatred of democracy.
If the Minister has nothing to hide then we can all breath a sigh of relief.
And of course hound the ADF into mass resignations.
The problem you outline is, as you say, not new or surprising. Defence is the only area in which governments are never criticised for spending too much, and an area in which the strategic and tactical assumptions underlying purchase decisions must of necessity be secret. The result, however, is half a century of purchases designed to assure victory in a replay of WW2, with submarines to intercept an invading fleet and tanks to thunder across the desert and repel the invaders if the submarines have let them through. Meanwhile, the vital but less sexy jobs like coastal surveillance have been virtually ignored or privatised, so that alien ships and aircraft can reach Australia without anyone noticing their approach.
Sadly, the present government shows no evidence of any radical reassessment of our defence needs. If the Department’s beef with Fitzgibbon was that he was questioning the assumptions underlying their procurement plans, one might have more sympathy for him. So perhaps Julia Gillard is the answer.
Defence is not the only department with out-of-control bureaucrats. 7/11 Kevin made a big mistake in not clearing out some of the Howard era spiffs - Farmer, Warner, Boxall, and of course dear children overboard Jane. The word in Canberra is that dear Jane has made it clear she wants a new portfolio - preferably one of the big ones. She made much of the fact she had something on the Howard government that they could never move her. Now with her contract renewed, to the surprise of many in government, she thinks she can push for either PM&C, Treasury or Finance. But now it looks like the government may have the perfect solution - Jane and Defence. Bring it on Kev, bring it on.
To finish up.
Hi cath, “inch-perfect” as they say in Soccer-world.
And I love the “this is for…” joke on the front page… At last a real sense of humour!
Not only defence out of control - what an outrage against our democratic values - but also the AFP! What about Keelty? A fiasco on Sunday at about the same time as he was suggesting we had to prepare for community dissent, presumably over the GFC or whatever it is called these days. The AFP is about to prepare themselves to protect us against dissent! Keerist where will this end?
Now we find bikies can also extend the attack on our civil liberties. Citizens it is time to arise, throw off the chains that bind you and make these bastards accountable to … wait for it … us!!!!!
What a revolution that will be!
How can we obtain some sort of sensible accountability from these ‘public servants’?
@Steve: “What we got here is… failure to communicate”.
Logically “your non sequitor” accusation means that I have made an illogical conclusion from a preceding statement. Quote me that conclusion.
And with respect, Bernard Keane’s article is not about the “alleged bugging of the minister computer by Defence Signals Directorate” and it is categorically not “whether this is justified or not”.
You are wriggling on a hook of your own making. You are dissembling and furthermore I have no doubt that it will not surprise you to learn that I was perfectly alive to the sarcasm inherent in your accusation.
Time for the Minister to really take a broom to the disloyal military members who think they are independent of government. They aren’t! Who knows the circumstances involved in the SAS pay problem. The fact that this was resolved after action by the minister is reprehensible and could quite easily been part of a plan against the Minister.
As for George Brandis. He is an agitator, going off half-cocked most of the time and definitely commenting on matters he knows little about. He competes for the title of the most negative person in the Parliament and is seldom constructive in anything he does or says.
Now is the time for some action. If DSD acted alone then the culprits should be turfed out immediately. But the chances are that this initiative came from someone well up the tree and he needs to be found and discharged. Our country is run by an elected government, rightly or wrongly. When the military consider they are above such management controls even allowing in a past episode an SAS soldier to raise matters such as pay disputes rather than user the normal chain of command procedures, then the military needs some disciplinary action to point out how things MUST be done. This is Australia where elected civilians run the country, including the Department of Defence.
A final word on Brandis. Anything he says on any subject you can safely dismiss as having little value.
For gods sake will someone put the loud mouth james bloody k down, he is an insufferable bore.
Plus ca change - Defence has always had an element, or more, that thinks it knows better than the elected government and can serve the country best by opposing them. The real question is how many other people’s personal and bank records does DSD delve into when it feels the urge?
“Show trials all round I say-about time the real culprits were in the dock.”
So… that’ld be Rudd taking the Chinese to the International Crimes Tribunal (is that correct?) for that “little” incident about a decade ago when they squashed all those democracy-loving students to death would it?
Or have we just decided to forget about that? Sort of like the “Sorry day” except in reverse?
I would assume that every politician is vetted by our security services, but we probably shouldn’t be reading about it. I also assume the lack of WMDs was well known before the Iraq war but that the politicised bureaucracy made sure this inconvenient information was kept from the Prime Minister.
I know I am wasting my time in replying to the anonymous JamesK, but for what it’s worth here goes: JamesK I would have thought that you would be able to understand that I was being sarcastic when I made my remark about conspiracy theories when replying to your non sequitor about Labor and China. The point of the article we have been discussing relates to the alleged bugging of the minister computer by Defence Signals Directorate, and whether this is justified or not; and the subordinate role of Defence personnel to the civilian authority of the Australian Parliament.
If it’s not too difficult stick to the point at issue.
JamesK -anyone who points to a feature written by Greg “George Bush-Greatest US president Ever”Sheridan has been hanging out with moonbats themselves.
Go back to your indignation about that idiotic Pope who condemns the population of Africa for the temerity of not only having sex but daring to use condoms as well.
I have many Chinese neighbours and often share cabs to the shopping centre with them I demand to be investigated.
JamesK: You really know how to ride circles around your combatants. Hehehe
Those of you wondering what a Moonbat is, it is an unthinking and rather mad leftie.
“For gods sake will someone put the loud mouth james bloody k down, he is an insufferable bore”
See that’s the problem with the left. They can’t, will not, and will never stand for analysis…
PS You’ve got yourself a yellow card for playing the person not the idea there Helen. Still you wouldn’t be left if you didn’t so top marks there hey? You’ll be able to mention your devastating repartee at coffee tomorrow.
Joel B1: I daresay I could be described as a leftie, but unlike Marilyn, I have a sense of humour.
There is a vast difference between you and JamesK. James is rather right-wing, but he is witty and articulate. Whereas you Joel B1, come across as very juvenile, picayune and slightly bitchy.
Cheers
V
Regardless of the usual self rightous, my poo poo doesn’t smell comment by the serial know it all jamesk, there is a good deal of common sense and logic in the other contributions by those readers who prefer to address the topic at hand, in a rational way. Of course the Opposition have rushed in demanding the Minister be sacked regardless of the outcome of the investigation, no surprise there. Perhaps all would be better served to wait, this one will not go away and it is certain the PM is none too pleased. What a brave act to release the information when he is out of the country, I wouldn’t want to be the perpetrator(s) when the true facts are known. Mr Rudd could well be a formidable enemy.
What a shower of indignantly self-righteous barking moonbat commentators.
That there is a pathological relationship between the Department and its Minister which has been evident for some time is surely not in dispute?
That there is an influential relationship between China and the Labor Party which calls into question the integrity of the Federal Government as well as the State Governments in Queensland and NSW is also surely at the very least ‘an issue’?
Communist media invited to The Lodge at the same time that the Australian Fourth Estate are not only uninvited but unaware of who our PM was having one-to-one meetings with and why on the eve of a trip to the US?
Joel B1: I stand by my comments, and yes Kafka may be a little draining for you. No wonder you think this
government is as bad as the Chinese government, you are probably into conspiracy theories as well.
With the passage of time you may begin to realize that all of Australia’s governments-irrespective of their idealogy, are bent, corrupt, lying, deceitful, arrogant, and filled with Roman Catholics, who, of course, put their religion before their intelligence. However, it was the intellectual poverty and down-right crookedness of the followers of John Howard, which revealed the majestic awfulness of a right-wing government. Conservatism, I refuse to call them Liberals- a title made up by Robert Gordon Menzies- will emerge from it’s self-imposed seven years in the desert in a form quite unlike the scattered remnants of the likes of Tony Abbott. Of course, if the pious pontiff called Peter should be allowed to lead the Party. It will implode with a speed that will render you speechless, Joel.
NB my original comment still stands.
Australians need to lower their expectations of standards in political governance. Joel’s part of a political thingy where buckets of MPs like him spill into parliaments across the nation and rise to their level of incompetence. The upside is the theatre in how political scandals like this play out as the Party revs up its smog machine depending on how much dirt is in Joel’s file. The media dissolves into confected outrage over trashed standards and accountability knowing they’re dinosaurs in recent thinking and Joel says sorry for wearing Helen’s suit and forgetting to declare she paid for his trips to China. Meantime back in Defence bureaucrats are pilloried for virtual whistle-blowing on a Minister who shouldn’t be. That law and order long-departed parliamentary turf is of little concern – it’s the downside of democracy.
I am not surprised that the dirt files are arising again. The only thing that puzzles me is why the opposition took so long. Mr. Rudd will rue the day he made the decision not to sack department heads.
What a ratbag (and dimwit) JamesK is/.Every opportunity to batter a Labor Party member is used.by him. He offers no proof of the pure poppycock he writes about Fitzgibbon. The scandal here is defence dpt officials making public any claim to embarrass a Minsiter or government member. This should be viewed as what it is-vindictivness and anti-Australian. In fact, it borders on treachery and treason.
The offending public servants should be put to the sword .
There is also a chance for our timid Attorney General to make amends for his appaling response to the rogue AFP bss. Those guilty should be prosecuted to the nth degree. Ys Mr McCleland-it’s your job to defend the legal rights of all Australians, not to selectively allow those like Keelty and rogue AFP officers to escape scot free when they break the law. Show some guts man,.
As for Brandis and the unheard of backbencher trotted forward to criticise Fitzgibbon when they don’t have the full facts. They demonstrate yet again the Coaltion has become irrelevant .Why Labpr hasn’t enbarked on a bloodletting cull of Liberal Party members who transgressed the law over the past 11 years is a mystery. Alowing them to escape their sins means they will fight back with further venom.
And yes-where were these defence officials when the WDMD issue came up ?. Show trials all round I say-about time the real culprits were in the dock.
Well I have met the lady in question at a post election function in Cessnock , she was greeted by the Fitzgibbon clan like a family would greet an auntie - it was obvious the lady was a family friend of long standing - it was close to Christmas and I think she may have had presents for the Fitzgibbon kids - now I’m feeling guilty I know Joel and he knows both my wife and me - my wife is Egyptian , he assisted in getting my wifes sister ( from Egypt) a visa post 9/11 - so using the DOD link does this mean I am also a security risk? Joel Fitzgibbon is a great guy , hard working and willing to make hard decisions - back of DOD !
@Venise… so… WELL SAID…. (not sure if you understand I was commenting about Helen…)
But i can see you’re passionate. And that’s to be admired. As for Kafka, pooey!
Let’s not quibble over terms. The current Rudd Socialist Regime is to be deplored by anyone who can think. Furthermore, I believe that if ADF members were ordered to run over citizens in APCs or those super-heavy Yank tanks they’ld refuse.
Maybe that’s why they have a “little thing” about Rudd and the Chinese…
I’m enjoying the media Hype on this situation. My guess is Joel asked, and expected, top secret clearance in Defence. You don’t automatically get it and in many cases you will never get it, no matter who you are. The leakage of information was career suicide and the fall out will probably not be publicly known as you would have to have top secret clearance to find out. How do I know this. I can’t tell you. I’ve probably said too much already. Oh to be a spook.
It sounds like the usual mayhem in your average ministerial office. A ham-fisted MP, some rightfully-offended bureaucrats, dozens of staffers at each others throats as political wallies and skilled public servants clash in a mangled human resource nightmare where reprisals and pay-back are inevitable. The safe, fair, balanced and productive workplaces on offer to ordinary working Australians are the dreams of ministerial and department staffers. As Peter Beattie says – politics isn’t drop the hanky!
If the spying on the minister is true it’s outrageous, this is not Fiji,here the military is under the control of Parliament. Defence may and probably does have issues with Fitzgibbon, particularly with his attempts to put some sanity into Defence’s procurement practices. Which appear to be a mixture of incompetence and a toys for boys mentality.
To put it bluntly you can’t have the asylum being run by the inmates!
A conspiracy theory indeed JamesK - The Australian Government is under the control of the Chinese communists.
By the way what was that about moonbats?
So I’m “very juvenile, picayune and slightly bitchy.”? Thanks, that’s my demographic !
I know a left beat-up when I see one. And let’s face it Crikey is like a University Dept of Sociology Staff Room. Complete with wymen and others.
Fact is, this Government is suspiciously close to the Chinese. And yet Tiananmen is conveniently forgotten, unlike Australia’s misguided effort to improve (rather than squash in a bloody mess) Indigenous Australians lot. That got a whole heap of Rudd style spin.
( I guess I won’t understand that Kafta play I’m off to see tonight…)
Fitzgibbon must be sacked now. Rudd asks for an apology and better behaviour next time. What does a minister have to do to get sacked, rape Prince Phillip on CCTV? Parliamentarians should NEVER accept personal “gifts” from anyone, declared or not. Why isn’t that the rule?
@Bob Dean: Cameron Stewart and Michael Sainsbury write for the same well-known conspiracy broadsheet: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25232846-25837,00.html
It is really not “an issue”?
At least your dishonest evasiveness is true to form by failing to acknowledge the argument you lost whilst moving along seamlessly to splatter more chaff-deceptive slime and innuendo.
At the risk of being repetitive (however you have a repeatedly needed to be brought to task both because of your dishonesty and your silliness): Show me where I have demonstrated in your words: “indignation about that idiotic Pope”
I seriously doubt that there would be many Chinese who would want to share a cab with you….. why don’t you discuss the meaning of ‘non sequitur’ with Steve?
@Helen: At the risk of being a crashing bore (as opposed to insufferable), you could always try an argument.
@Venise: Ask not what your local member can do for you — ask what you can do for Big Pete
With the information available to me at this time, I find the actions of the Defence Signals Directorate to be reprehensible, and those responsible should be turfed out! George Brandis attempts to make this a ‘make every post a winner’ opportuity is just as bad. He has a very jaundiced view of what the ‘proper’ procedures should be. Joel Fitzgibbon is the Minister, and those who are still hankering after the last government need to realize - that they were sacked by the people in 2007, and if they can’t or won’t serve under the present government, they should leave - quickly! If the military believe that they run a miltary dictatorship they need to be made aware very quickly, that this is not Zimbabwe or Burma or ? The Military don’t run the government in Australia - we do! The Military serves the people, not the other way around! Well, that’s the theory anyway!
I think this is scandalous, and those responsible should be shown the door; if not charged with the appropriate legal infringements. This sort of action could be an act of treason? Insubordination?It would be under Howard’s Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005?
George Brandis? This is not an opportunity for you to make political advantage from - If it happened during the Howard years, you’d be the number 1 screamer!
How come none of these defence chappies didn’t know that Saddam Hussein didn’t have any WMD and how come none of these spookie sorts knew about AWB?
“nuff said.
Whilst on first perusal it would seem that DSD has overstepped the mark, it is better to take a step or two back from the situation so that one can review all the facts. If we’re not going to ask the poignant question as to the two trips to China made by the Defence Minister FULLY PAID FOR by a Chinese friend, then what is defence for.
One must remember also that the Public Service is not there to do the Minister’s bidding but to make sure that the Minister argues the Public Service Agenda in Cabinet. That agenda is naturally to expand the budget of the department regularly. The Defence of the Realm is nothing more than a minor and annoying issue.
I’ll ignore all the overwhelming majority of the puerile nonsense always evident from Bob Dean evidenced in spades in his latest comment.
Bob makes the startling ‘observation’ that I offer no proof of the pure poppycock that I write about Fitzgibbon.
Bob quote the supposed “poppycock” I written about Minister Fitzgibbon.
No?
Perhaps because I have not written “about Fitzgibbon” at all.
You not the sharpest tool in the shed are you Bob?