The Federal Court of Australia on Chief Justice Patrick Keane’s instructions has lied to the Victorian Police and said they cannot find the missing court file relevant to the Julia Gillard /AWU fraud and now the Victorian Police are threatening to obtain a search warrant to find the file NSD2082/96.
It must be remembered that the Victorian Police were given the same type of obstruction by Fair Work Australia in their investigation into Craig Thomson. But more on that in a minute.
How do I know it has happened on Patrick Keane’s instructions? Well the file has been missing for six months now and Keane has not rung the police to investigate to protect the courts reputation. As Chief Justice that is exactly what he should have done. He’s the boss as shown in the court structure. (Click here to see the court structure) I also had personal dealings with Keane’s predecessor, Chief Justice Black, and I know how he ruled with an iron fist.
It is very obvious the missing file is no accident given that there is also missing documents from a file in a Western Australian government department relevant to the AWU fraud, Slater and Gordon also claim they have lost files and then there is the missing court judgement by Justice Rodney Madgwick which I wrote about previously. (Click here to read the post) Too much to be a coincidence.
On Wednesday 20/2/13 The Australian reported that the court had written to the Victorian Police and told them they could not find the file.
“FEDERAL Court officials have been told by Victorian detectives investigating the AWU “slush fund” scandal that they intend to execute a search warrant at the court’s registry to retrieve a legal file concerning Julia Gillard’s allegedly corrupt former boyfriend, union official Bruce Wilson.” (Click here to read more)
The missing Federal Court file and it’s similarity to the FWA/Craig Thomson investigation
Corruption in the Federal Court registry is no different from what the whole country has seen at Fair Work Australia and their deliberate go slow routine in the Craig Thomson investigation since 2009 and we know the three main players in that. First there was the General Manager of FWA, Tim Lee, who was promoted to the role of commissioner in September 2011 for his good deeds and then the new General Manager Bernadette O’Neill who did her best to protect Craig Thomson and refused to hand over evidence to the police for a long time.
Victoria Police acting assistant commissioner, crime, Doug Fryer wrote to Ms Bernadette O’Neill when they were investigating Craig Thomson prior to charging him and said to Ms O’Neill in relation to the evidence that FWA had “you have declined to voluntarily provide Victoria Police investigators with access to the information being sought. Your continued refusal . . . unnecessarily hinders our investigation and delays its conclusion.” (Click here to read more) Sounds very much like what Chief Justice Patrick Keane and the Federal Court are doing with the missing AWU file.
Also there was the patsy at FWA, investigator Terry Nassios, who took four years to investigate Craig Thomson. The go slow routine was clearly on the instructions of Lee and O’Neill given they already had a comprehensive report by Slater and Gordon lawyers and accounting firm BDO back in 2009. Mr Nassious resigned as on the 1st February as the shame obviously got to him. He should spill the beans on what really happened at FWA.
Chief Justice Keane’s history as a Labor Party boy
Keane is a Labor boy through and through and a friend of Kevin Rudd’s. They worked in the Queensland Government together for three years.
Kevin Rudd worked for Wayne Goss when Mr Goss was opposition leader and then when he became premier in 1989 until 1995. From 1989 until 1992 Rudd was Mr Goss’s Chief of Staff and then from 1992 until 1995 Mr Rudd was appointed as Director-General of the Office of Cabinet. It has been well written that Rudd was extremely powerful in the Queensland government at the time. (Click here to read more)
Patrick Keane was appointed Solicitor-General for the State of Queensland in 1992 and it is almost guaranteed that Rudd had his fingerprints on Keane’s appointment in some manner if not the ultimate decision maker. But putting Keane’s appointment aside, Rudd and Keane would have worked closely for three years and were known to be friends until recent years at least and maybe still are.
In 2005 the Queensland Labor government appointed Patrick Keane as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Then in February 2010 while Kevin Rudd was still Prime Minister, Keane was appointed Chief Justice of the Federal Court. I know for a fact that the Prime Minister of day often interferes with judicial appointments and appoint their friends. It has happened before and will happen again. For example Julia Gillard appointed her former boss at Slater and Gordon, Bernard Murphy, to the position of Federal Court judge in 2011. (Click here to read more)
Keane will start as a High Court Judge in March. I wrote a post last year titled “Gillard appoints Patrick Keane, who has responsibility for the missing files in the AWU scandal, as High Court judge”. (Click here to read the post)
The Australian also wrote an article on Keane’s High Court appointment and said “Justice Keane, a Queenslander who is known to have been close to former prime minister Kevin Rudd, was described yesterday by a Brisbane barrister as “a Labor man.” and “He experienced a meteoric rise through the judiciary. In less than three years he moved from the Queensland Court of Appeal to Chief Justice of the Federal Court and now to the High Court.” (Click here to read more)
Keane obviously knows the right people given his quick rise up the judicial ladder and of course one would expect those people want favours back and are getting them based on the above.
The Board of Directors or CEO of any organisation are ultimately responsible for the conduct of their staff and the reputation of that organisation. As Chief Justice, Patrick Keane is equivalent to Executive Chairman and he has full responsibility for the operation of the Federal Court. His failure to call the police in relation to the missing file is what is really telling. For him to leave it to the Victorian Police to get a search warrant is a disgrace and does untold damage to the courts reputation.
Keane thinks he can slip over to the High Court next month as a Judge and his hands are clean on the missing file matter. That is wrong at least as far as this site is concerned as this site will hold him accountable as he should be given his position as Chief Justice.
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Categories: Chief Justice Patrick Keane, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd
I would think that the GG should be in a position to protect Australians from this type of exploitation and corruption … oops I forgot she is in it up to her neck Heiner Affair etc..
A Royal Commission into all these appointments should be a priority when new Government is elected.
I am sure the Vic Pol will not let us down in their endevour to investigate the AWU….HSU affair
Well Done keep this investigation going
Shane, thanks again, of course we knew some stench is surrounding ‘the missing files’, but now you have given us the background it becomes clear.
It is a disgusting and shocking situation, but as you say at present we cannot do more than keep our eye on all of this. I think a lot of ‘unbecoming’ things may happen during the next few months!
Every thing you have said just reinforces my belief that our system is archaic in appointing Judges for terms only ending with retirement age. The old furphy that this ensures impartiality in their judgments is just that. baseless. They should have a set term of appointment, say five years, much along the lines of the US system which very clearly allows for political appointees to be held accountable.
Additionally, appointments to the High Court should only be made with a two thirds majority free vote in parliament. That way the people have a little influence on this matter and it does not stay in the hands of the prime minister of the day. After all, we have seen how quickly PMs can be changed!
Any argument that this would not attract the right talent to the courts is another furphy – show me one lawyer who is not ready to jump at the chance to be referred to as Your Honour (despite the hollowness of the term today!)
Unfortunately “disappearing” documents seams the “order of the day” and it’s not just Judicial Officers that engage in these stunts, I have not yet heard from the federal senate about the truth of the disappearance of 32 pages of my complaints about corruption within courts in Queensland. Two of the “judges” are friends of Kerry Shine, and one is also a close friend of John Hogg the President of the senate, he has ignored my inquiry about this matter.
Where the hell is the media in all this ?NO WHERE TO BE SEEN THEY HAVE BEEN SILENCED!
Perhaps these ‘missing documents’ have been destroyed..in which case they’ll never be found.
Should we all email the Chief Justice or the GG or the Victorian AG and demand that a search be carried out and an investigation started into the ‘loss’ of the file? I am prepared to stick my neck out if it will mean positive action. BTW Hospitals lose notes to protect them from lawsuits.
I think the Victorian police are onto it and will not take the same garbage they got at Fair Work Australia from the Federal Court. Lets waite and see what happens.
Thanks Shane.
Hi Shane, It looks as if after all this time the matter has been forgotten. Surely a case of if nothing is done the public will forget about it in time.
Surprise surprise!!! Not likely! Been happening for years, especially if surrounded by Labor Party crooks. Any judges, police, pollies etc can be ‘paid off’..nothing like the ‘under the table handshake’, bag ladies, corruption, etc. Judges put in a position of trust be damned! Some Barristers I personally know, and have become judges, are so distrusted, cocaine freaks, play up on wives, lie, cheat and more, are sitting in judegement of others, how can this be a surprise to anyone! They dont appear to be Human, however, when the opportunity arises, woofka! They too are in for the sling. As for the beautiful GG, she is all smiles and fashion, but has she got enough umph to sort the corrupt blokes out?? Nah! The Queens rep, is ‘eyes wide shut’ re such events. The ‘girl power’ re Julia Gillard and GG is strong. The ACC too busy watching/inventing footy bets, (as if) and GG getting next freebie from China. Hollingsworth was a rotten liar, now Australia is shamefully being seen as idiots on world stage via Gillard. Judge and ye shall be judged Hon (cant really honor him) Patty Keane, on watch I’d say. Oh well, $$$ talks, b.s. walks!! Boots were made for walking!! Bye bye Julia and Patrick.
Has it ever been reported in the Australian media before that an investigation was thwarted because because court files were missing?
I find it quite astonishing that they would offer up such a weak excuse as losing a file.. The way Court records are kept, the chances of losing one is a near impossibility. If a file is actually missing, it is more likely that it was criminally removed. Someone is accountable for the security of legal records and it should be quite easy to investigate any loss if the obstructionists would not interfer.
Blatant dishonesty.
Flin, exactly, another question, has it ever been reported by the Australian media that a ‘prestigious’ lawfirm i.e..Slater and Gordon cannot find this same file? And did a certain prime minister (small letters on purpose) was a partner at that same law-firm?
i wish they lost my speeding file before i went to court.this stinks to high heaven as bill said earlier they should do 5 years then reapply for their jobs as to clear the air of this labor appointed stench.
Somebody with have some of the files somewhere to cover their backs. Finding who they are might be another matter. Let’s hope they spill if/when questioned.
This cannot be true:
“Kevin Rudd worked for Wayne Goss when Mr Goss was opposition leader and then when he became premier in 1989 until 2005. From 1989 until 2002 Rudd was Mr Goss’s Chief of Staff and then from 2002 until 2005 Mr Rudd was appointed as Director-General of the Office of Cabinet.”
Goss ceased to be premier in 1996.
Your right. I had too many dates running through my head. Corrected.
Missing files from courts is like a missing key stone out of a archway! The whole thing just has lost all its integrity. If this keeps up Australia won’t be a Banana Republic….it will be Easter Island….
We are grateful for the information you have supplied on your blog Shane. I have to say however, that I believe this whole coverup goes so deep that I’m sure any search warrant obtained will be of little use. I say this because any file that once existed, in all probability, no longer exists. What bothers me is that nothing appears to be beyond the reach of this corrupt cabal.
What really is disconcerting to the general populace is, that with more than one file involved, it becomes apparent just how many people are involved in propping these criminals up. We only have to look at the AWU conference which was held last week on the Gold Coast, where you have the National Secretary of The Australian Workers’ Union, standing up and proudly declaring to the Prime Minister “we’ve got your back”.
Can you imagine where you are running a business, and there is more than substantial suspicion and prima face case, that your business has been robbed of many hundreds of thousands of dollars with the names of the suspects clearly before the police and the press, But rather than trying to work with the police, you go out of your way not to be of any help to those investigators involved in the case. It sure make one think, not only is this Howes minding Gillards back, but is instrumental in having her installed as Prime Minister. (Where is the sense in that).
HOW FAR, HOW DEEP, HOW WIDE, is this corruption spread???.
As for Judge and lost documents..nah!! In this day and age, information in archives, drafts, back up, etc etc etc, too easy to say lost documents, and expect us to believe …comon!!
I will bet Pennies to a Pound there is a copy put away in a draw for safe keeping of someone, who is only on the side lines. Always happens that those who are ignored when they share out the lollies, drops the clanger.
From my long experience,if a diligent search was carried out (please no laughing) then there will definitely be a “paper trail” of the reference numbers to lead you to the last crook err politician who handle it.
Yes I am inclined to agree, that a back track should reveal the last one accessing this file prior to it’s dissapearance, otherwise the entire file system would fall into absolute caos. go for it VIC police, the entire country and population is being abused and our intelligence grossly undermined, save what’s left of this once wonderful country before it’s all too little too late
No suprises here Im afraid, the levels of power and corruption between the political and judicial systems goes way back, we’ve been having the wool pulled over our eyes for years, but the cracks of an over indulgient corruption pot are starting to show.
When you have it so good for so long you become complaisant, someone is bound to create a debarcle (Slipper), or go beyond the realms of whats believable (Thompson). I feel certain someone would of made a copy of the file(s), to feather their own nest in the future (protect their rear, more the point), and when it all comes apart at the seams in a crescendo of “Ive done nothing wrong” political/judicial rhetoric, we will all hold our breathe and hope the copy gets leaked to the media by some “faceless political/judicial power junkie”.
I just hope the next group of POLITICALY ELECTED replacements in September arent on the same CORRUPT level, but I feel thats asking to much “same garbage, different day” thats how it goes, “doesn’t it”?.
“Investigate the lot of them” I say, but isn’t this a pointless waste of taxpayer funds, as the Australian Federal Police are just as corrupt, which could be said in regards to most GOVERNMENT departments, as far as Im concerned.
“You can fool some of the people most of the time, but not all of the people all the time”
Thanks Shane, for enlightening us once again, which you do so well, please dont stop.
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL…
re: “the cracks of an over indulgent corruption pot are starting to show”
i did write in a post some time back that julia gillard has been useful for something. i believe it is her and her mob who have really exposed the level of corruption that exists in our system. i believe that this may well mark the turning point where people became aware of it and started to put on the pressure and demand change. at least she did one thing right to benefit this country.
Very interesting read
Hans
I can verify that “courts” lose documents whenever it suits, if it is more convenient they just fabricate documents, they know that NOTHING will be done about their criminal behavior, I put my findings under the noses of various attorney’s general and some of the most senior judges in Australia – for my troubles I have been “deemed a person of ill repute” (I have never been charged or suspected of any offence) 32 pages of my documents “disappeared” while in the care of the federal senate (submission 28) interestingly one of the corrupt judges I named is a close of JOHN HOGG the president of the senate, ROXON was supposed to be investigating the matter but nothing happened, and now she has “done a runner” any reference will have also “disappeared”.
“Justice Patrick Keane has been sworn in as Australia’s 50th High Court Judge.”
I think this is disgusting. If this happened in any other western country it would trigger a bloody revolution. We sure are a bunch of apathetic no-hopers.