Alex Williamson ‘leaves’ PM’s office
Alex Williamson, the daughter of disgraced former Health Services Union chief Michael Williamson, has left her role as a media adviser in Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s office.
Gillard communications director John McTernan confirmed this afternoon that Williamson’s last day was today but said it had nothing to do with her dad’s questionable union activities.
“She’s leaving under her own steam … I’ve been reorganising my office to get it into shape for the general election. She goes with our blessing and best wishes for the future. It’s a time a year out from an election when people choose to stick or move.”
McTernan said Williamson would now “decompress for a bit” — a common move for departing PMO staffers crushed by relentless 16-hour days.
Details have emerged of a renegade Facebook post in which Williamson is alleged to have criticised “the media” for hounding her family over the HSU saga. But McTernan said that was unrelated to Williamson’s decision.
When the full Temby report into the HSUEast branch was released this week, Michael Williamson’s wife Julieanne’s company Canme Services was revealed to have received $400,000 in payments from the union over four years between 2005 and 2009. The “a” in Canme stands for Alex.
Alex Williamson once shared a house in Canberra with former NSW general secretary turned senator Mark Arbib. She has been working in the PMO for 5 years.
“This is probably the best move for all concerned,” one senior ALP source said this afternoon.
The ALP is terminally incestuous. Reminiscent of the royal houses of Europe in the 19th century…
Yes the deck of cards is collapsing. I am stunned by the Williamson Empire and how it was able to go on unchecked.
Shame
The two above would make a great couple of whiners .
Yes you would never get that behaviour in the Coalition would you?
@ Lord Bonkers
You accept any grubby Labor behaviour as the norm, and shun people who highlight it.
Suggest you come down from your castle and smell the real world
Oh my god, SB, you want to talk about ALP grubby behaviour? Ashby, Brough ring a bell.
@SB After suggesting, in another post, that Abbott will be replaced before the next election whose side are you really on?
An individual who has never earned a single, honest private sector dollar in his entire life is to become a Liberal PM?
The truth is sinister to your side of politics SUZANNE, will you be replaced as well?
No wonder Gillard refused to criticise him… he’s like the Godfather of the Labor Party.
This story has a long way to go yet I’m thinking…
It is always fascinating to observe how these topics inevitably attract the usual “unattractive characters”. How does he do it, it works without fail. Well done again!
Dear Suzanne Blake :
I know you regard Julia Gillard as a consumate “liar” because she changed her mind ( a politician’s perogative) but do you think an entire ministerial team failing to note that a giant Australian body was bribing Saddam Hussein with hundreds of millions of dollars which possibly was used to buy weapons to kill our troops could be the sort of grubby behaviour you speak of?
GEEWHIZ:
granted that unions are natural Labor supporters although as a party Labor cannot police what is essentially a private organisation…but with your reasoning the Coalition must carry the can for every corrupt businessman or company. And they far outweigh union corruption.
Bahahar …. geewiz an’ sb, defenders of the Fat, sad Gits.
Uhhh Oscar Jones…. Labor appointed Michael Williamson to the highest non-government Labor position in the land… National President of Australian Labor Party.
NATIONAL PRESIDENT of the ALP.
This guy has his tentacles all through the ALP… from the PM’s office(his daughter), he was head of a couple of trade union superannuation funds and he was honoured by the ALP with a National Presidency.
This claim he is distant from the ALP if a fantasy… this guy was the head huncho… part of the Labor Union “Old Boys Club” living the high life on members funds and being wined and dined by the Australian Labor Party.
The ALP should die in shame and embarrassment…
@ GeeWizz
Williamson is the tip of the rotten corrupt iceburg.
I notice Gillard was protecting the ALP/Union “Old Boys Club” the other day, she knows who pulls her strings.
After the Temby report release instead of saying what an absolute disgrace these rorts were which you would expect to be the reaction of the leader of the ALP which is meant to be a party of the workers, instead she went on a rant about how 99% of union leaders are great blokes.
What we need now is a thorough government investigation into all unions and their union bosses and a public release of all salaries and perks of these ALP Union Old Boys Club…. time for union workers to see where their hard earneds are going I think…
@ GeeWizz
The last thing Ly ing Gillard wants is an ALP enquiry or investigation, or you know what will re-surface.
She is out for Commitee with known outcomes, like the only that ex Defence guy Houston runnin. The one with the known useless outcome.
….. the more you sad Gits highlight Right Wing M.O., THE BETTER !
@SB and GeewWizz - why aren’t you on the other thread defending Ashby, Brough et al?
I am not aware of the facts with that, like I am with Thomson, Williamson, paed ophile Orkorpoulous or the other ALP members found guilt by ICAC
You are a pair of dills GEEWHIZ and SB but you also unfairly blame others by association and that is about a slow as it gets.
..and as low as well.
And why wouldn’t Labor want an investigation?
Like the AWB scandal where our enemy was bribed with hundreds millions $$$$, a slightly more sinister matter than some bloke supposedly shagging a hooker, and not one single person ever face a charge.
The Labor lackeys certainly gets upset when someone tries to break up the Unions Old Boy’s Club, don’t they?
I thought you Labor hacks would be thanking individuals such as Kathy Jackson so busting this Old Boys Club rorts of poor union members funds? But of course thats not how it works in the Labor Party.. it’s all about helping out your mates to other peoples money.
@ GeeWizz
Thats right
You have Bob Hawke slumming it n a Sydney waterfront complete with jetty.
Whitlam and Keating in a Liberal seat.
Rudd doesnt have to work again
do as I say, not as I do ALP
Look at Williamson - breathtaking
you guys focus all you want on Williamson/Jackson, doing us all a favour, exposing their right wing rip-off methods………..
Yeah love the photo of Williamson driving around in what looks to be a european convertible.
A real champion of the working classes…
@ GeeWizz
You should see Bob Hawkes house. Very impressive mansion on the harbour, with jetty out the front
Not too far from the other “working mans champion” Julia Gillard when she’s staying at Kirribili House no doubt. Wonder if he comes over for cups of tea?
@ GeeWizz
Probably
Hawke has a meeting area on his roof, complete with putt putt course.
hey, put your feet up, seein’ as how you cannot show yourselves on any other Crikey article without a box of tissues, get comfy, you serial dags……..
Yes the constant posts over at the Poll Bludger of the Coalition being on 56-58% of the TPP brings tears to my eyes… tears of joy that is
well, nobody expects the spanish inquisition, hey ….. not. even. you.
Onetel , HIH and the rodents brother just for starters . 15 ministers/secretaries lost from Howard government , most since who knows when , maybe all time . Gina bribing witnesses against Rose , thrown out of court . Mirabella facing malfeasance over dementia addled will of ex lover , 40 year age gap . Yeah those right wingnuts are all cleanskins aren,t they ? The crew who just keep on giving , taking actually but you know what I mean .
@ Oscar Jones
Gillard did not have a change in mind, she deliberately li ed. She knew the election was very close, was put on the spot and deliberately li ed. For which Australians have been judging her and her party for the past 18 months. This is one of many.
On AWB, last time they looked there were a public company. Hold the Directors to account, charge them if there has been a crime. Does not worry me.
There should be more charging of corrupt business people, Politicians, Union leaders, NFP workers etc That would send a clear message, dont you think?
All Pollies LIE, you thief of the truth, intrinsic to their lifestyle choice. Your excuse is ? No-one moved moved tens of millions of dollars offshore without( I cannot recall) Howard, (I dont recall)Costello having eyeballed the deal. the fact that said moneys were for Public Enemy Number 1, made it somewhat awkward, but Done Deal. Now check out Stephen Lewis for another dodge, Conservative style…….
Task Force Carnarvon is working away this very day on whether any charges should be laid against Williamson et al. It depends on sufficiency of evidence. Stay tuned! If charges of corruption can be sustained against Williamson on the evidence then he should be charged and tried like any other citizen, as should the execs of AWB but look what happened there!
Suzanne you are getting your knickers in a twist over the carbon tax promise. Politicians make all sorts of promises in the heat of election campaigns. I remember when John Howard said never ever to a GST under a government he led, and look what happened. Julia Gillard made that promise believing that Labor would have majority government but that is not what the Australian people voted in to office. They voted for a minority Labor Government reliant on the Greens and Independents. Surely you should be blaming the Greens if you need to blame anyone for the carbon tax.
I agree with you that many people have gone through the Labor Party and done well by our society;s standards through the connections and networks they have joined. But in a democracy like ours a social democratic party will always be needed and I am hopeful that this recently reported move by the LNP Coalition to knock out future leaders of Labor at the next election to establish one party rule by the LNP Coalition can be defeated. If a vacuum is created to the left of the Coalition like that, be careful what may fill that vacuum.
Right Wing Unions = DLP Stooges = Tony and his front bench; fakers one and all.
Have not infiltrated The Greens, yet.
This seems to be the only thread that Crikey can offer where the following issue can gain some traction.
It goes to the issue of COALition credibility, ethics and honesty and media portrayal thereof.
From an article by Phillip Coorey in the SMH today about the Ashby case we have [not in sequence]:
-“The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, insisted again yesterday that Mr Brough had always been open about his involvement in the case.”
-“Mr Brough initially denied he had had any contact with Mr Slipper’s chief accuser and former aide, James Ashby …”
-“but then admitted to at least three meetings”
-“Subsequently, court documents have suggested Mr Brough had extensive involvement and frequent contact with Mr Ashby
- and with another of Mr Slipper’s former aides, Karen Doane, as the case of alleged sexual harassment and Cabcharge rorting was formulated.”
-“Mr Brough allegedly received stolen copies of Mr Slipper’s diary extracts from Mr Ashby. As part of the process, he offered to help find Ms Doane a job, even passing on her resume´ to the mining magnate Clive Palmer”
Now there are couple of ‘alleges’ in there but there are also a couple of straight facts eg “initially denied”, ‘but then admitted’ and ‘subsequently court documents”, so it seems there is a fair bit more than the usual ‘he said/she said’ stuff going on.
There are facts and documents.
And then there is, of course, or at least there should be in a world where fair and objective reporting has context and memory, the fact that a certain Mr. Pyne changed his story about the nature and timing of his involvement witgh Mr Asby.
So where are the screaming front page headlines, the TV news lead items?
Over to you Crikey.
I’d be looking for the DLP’s well established coverup capacity (unpunished pervert priests) playing a large part in the absence of “Screaming front page headlines, the TV news lead items”.
But then I’ll admit to being paranoid about all Australian children ever getting the protection of law against said DLP priests and their politician protectors. Doing to democracy what they do to their own children.
History tells us that the DLP is a catholic political party and they don’t do fairness, ever!
and Williamson senior has resigned, via text message ……………