Defence Minister Fitzgibbon’s gone
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The Rudd Government has suffered its first casualty with Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon resigning at 1.00pm today after discussions this morning with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and Special Minister of State John Faulkner. Fitzgibbon stated in a letter to the Prime Minister (Fitzgibbon’s resignation here (PDF)) that he had learnt of breaches of undertakings he had made in the wake of the Helen Liu affair about the use of his office by brother Mark Fitzgibbon, the CEO of health insurer NIB. Opposition probing via Estimates had revealed that further meetings had occurred involving Mark Fitzgibbon and his brother’s staff, and in his office.
Rudd said that a replacement would be announced shortly but appeared to rule out a reshuffle. Former Defence Procurement Parliamentary Secretary Greg Combet, currently assisting Penny Wong in the Climate Change portfolio, is tipped to return to Defence and is likely to be welcomed by Defence insiders and industry given his strong performance there on procurement issues. Rudd suggested that his Chief of Staff Alister Jordan and Senator Faulkner had encouraged Fitzgibbon to resign after discussing the Estimates evidence, but declared Fitzgibbon had been a “first class minister” and that he might return to the frontbench in the future. The resignation is a victory for still-unidentified elements within Defence who exposed Fitzgibbon’s relationship with Liu and the use of his office by his brother earlier this year. Today Defence Secretary Nick Warner continued to insist at Estimates hearings that an inquiry clearing Defence had been accurate and effective. Read the back story to the Fitzgibbon story here. |
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16 Comments
It may seem perverse but I hope the resignation was provoked by some new heinous thing, because it would be appalling for Australian governance if the most recent utterly trivial oversight was the cause. What message is Rudd and the political class in general, sending when Alexander Downer, Phil Ruddock or Kevin (whatsisname…….Andrews) get away scotfree for their truly awful, and arguably illegal, actions and inactions that have infinitely more import than this. And to compare it with the shambles in the UK would be more than ridiculous.
I did not agree with BK’s call for resignation/sacking and so far nothing changes my mind. I wonder if BK could account for every dollar of Crikey’s expense account money he uses (and gawd helpus if Rundle had to!).
Didn’t Rudd say something about “a NEW open and transparent Government”?
Such a shame - he was a great Defence Minister and obviously was doing a good job or the powers that be within the Defence Dept wouldnt have tried so hard to get rid of him. Maybe Joel would have found out a few things going back to the Howard years that they didnt want to come out. As Michael James said - these oversights are nothing compared to the disgraceful performances of Downer, Ruddick, Andrews and co over AWB, children overboard and Hannif. Liberals are such hypocrites. Seems its ok to give Saddam Gussein $300m.
One would hope standards of ministerial conduct in the present administration will be higher than those of the previous government, but it’s sad that the white-anters have had a win.
Even later breaking news-
Marion Scrymgeour is believed to have resigned from the NT Labour Party and will continue as an Independent MLA….. segue…..
We in Yuendumu (one of the few remaining- until last year- places whose school ran an Aboriginal language bilingual program) were very angry and dissapointed when Marion Scrymgeour, the then Minister for Education introduced the “4-hour English only Policy”.
Pleading and arguing that this policy was wrong with the present Education Minister (Chief Minister Paul Henderson) has got us nowhere. Paul Henderson has stonewalled us by using the “….policy introduced by the former Minister…. I’m standing by her decision…” as an excuse not to consider reversing or even discussing the policy.
Marion Scrymgeour has been reported as having expressed regret about her language policy decisions.
Marion Scrymgeour turned out to be one of those (unfortunately rare) politicians that is willing to admit having been wrong as well as to have the fortitude to act on principle rather than political expediency. Good on her!
As for Paul Henderson, if he continues to push the assimilationist Remote Aboriginal education policies and agenda, he will no longer be able to palm off the responsibility for such to his former Minister.
PS- Evermore I’m hearing unprompted complaints from Warlpiri people “… We voted for them and look what they are doing to us now…” For too long have Labour Governments taken the remote Aboriginal vote for granted.
I agree with Michael James. There are far more serious abuses of power in the world of politics than not disclosing a free $400 hotel stay.
Dotting every I and crossing every T is all well and good- but then these are government politicians working harder than anyone imagines under Kevin Rudd (longer hours at any rate).
This state of affairs goes back a long time.
Can you remember when Peter Reith was complicit in the destruction of Union strength on Australian warves? There they were: the Alsatians and balaclavas and the recruiting of mercenaries to train in Dubai and the lies and distortions and spin.
So what did they try and crucify him for?… He’d lent his mobile to his son that lent it to his girlfriend!
yep they “got away with murder” - thats why they are such hypocrites.
Kevin Macbeth: “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well
It were done quickly”
From Act 1, Scene 7 of “The Tragedy of Joel Fitzgibbon”.
Very odd:
Fitzgibbon had committed nothing more than simple oversights yet the AFP’s Mick Keelty escaped scot-free for his dreadful handling of the Dr Haneef illegal incarceration. The real problem here is the self absorbed Canberra political pundits who skim the surface of every policy and concentrate on personalities that give life to Rudd’s so-called “control freak”personality and give oxygen to the rantings of Barnaby Joyce and tales of denied hairdryers etc. As exampled by the dim-witted Ch 10 “News” reports as I write: “first scalp claimed in Rudd’s government”. If these exacting standards are maintained the government will be have an extremely hard time governing and the Opposition may rue the day. If Macolm & Co think they it’s a triumph and any of his offerings will be so squeaky clean, including himself, his future is bleak. That said-it’s a sure sign that Fitzgibbon was rattling those in the Defence who need to be rooted out and having done the ground work, they may also find his successor will be tougher to defeat which can only be good for the country.
The issue with Fitzgibbon should not be considered as a single point in time event. There is a systemic problem with politicians generally being economical with the truth. They have collectively learned the black art from their spin doctors and apply it to every conversation that they have. Some are so good at diverting probing questions that the story they spin is highly believable to the extent that they even believe it themselves. Is it any wonder that politicians have trouble recalling the actions that they took “some time ago” when they allow themselves constantly the pleasure and benefit of re-crafting the facts and rewriting modern history. In Fiztgibbon’s case he made the mistake of not being fully open when he was first caught out, and he has handled the subsequent probe in a manner befitting the public office he has been holding. It is not the size of the misdemeanour that warrants the outcome, it is the degree of credibility that must be maintained if one is to hold public office at the standard expected.
A fair comment Kerry Crompton but it borders on ‘it’s not the deed but the cover-up’ angle. There is probably a systemic problem where politicians refuse to aknowledge mistakes and if they did so early on , later problems would diminish instead of building from molehills into mountains.
But I’m not sure that’s it’s fair in Fitzgibbon’s case-the original claims were wacky ones of Chinese spies and other nonsense which when compared to say-the aforementioned Alexander Downer’s complete nonsense about failing to be alerted to the channeling of $300M to Saddam, Joel’s misdemenours are so minor as to be almost non-existent.
However the perception is that Kevin Rudd may be one of the first PMs to break the mould when it comes to a quick back-down and admission-as he did over the inflated nonsense over a spat on Defense flight and an inappropriate meal, which oddly involved the very same Defense Dept which today is probably ordering trebles all round.
Oscar, we are pushing on parallel open doors. Your point of view is equally fair. The perception that Rudd is creating of an allure of political honesty (an oxymoron) is to simply look after Rudd’s own position. It has nothing to do with improving the ethics of individuals in his cabinet or party. The effect of his own actions will be to enforce a “toe the line” behaviour by his team, but it is being done to avoid a Gordon Brown syndrome taking over Rudd’s government. Rudd is aware that the public are very unforgiving when it comes to breaches in probity and honesty, especially when such behaviour gets a beat up in the media. As a result he is quite happy to allow damage to even his own ministers if it protects his own back.
With respect to Fitzgibbon however I have the view that he should go. Besides not following a standard of behaviour required of a Minister of the Crown, he has demonstrated a lack of political awareness and maturity. The size of the offence in this case bears no relevance to the punishment, and those comparisons should not be made. Fitzgibbon was simply not honest enough, soon enough, regardless of how the stories unfolded to expose him. Nor is it relevant to compare the relative size of punishment.
As for the other politician clowns you mention, they should have donned a red nose a long time ago. Their behaviour individually has been unconscionable. Lord Downer must take the honour for duplicity and Reith the award for crass opportunism
Julie Bishop did a slimeball attack against Rudd on Lateline this evening. No evidence, no story even, just the slanderers usual refrain: “He has questions to answer”. My pet canary has questions to answer but I don’t think think I will be able to pin the sinking of the Titanic on him.
If this is the way Turnbull and company are going to play the game when they are outperformed in parliament, and the political space generally, then they thoroughly deserve the political oblivion that awaits them.
Even if Fitzgibbon was guilty of stupidity, I am unchanged in my view. Seeing Turnbull and Bishop dragging everything (unconvincingly) down to the gutter only confirms me in this — and the idiot talkback mob this morning.
Government run by spinmeisters (who may often be technically correct in the short term, but in this case are dead wrong) and spineless calculators of damage control. This is not responsible government but a version of Pop Idol.
Michael. Parliament. It’s a three ring circus full clowns. Sack the lot.