Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop’s brother, Douglas Bishop, is one of biggest beneficiaries from protecting corrupt financial institutions like the Commonwealth Bank. We have learnt over the last few days from the Banking Royal Commission his law firm Clayton Utz are even bigger beneficiaries to the tune of 10’s of $millions.
It also raises the question: Given the federal government has made many decisions over the last couple of years regarding financial institutions including delaying a Banking Royal Commission for the banks benefit. Has Julie Bishop ever declared in cabinet or to the public the perceived bias given her brother makes $millions from financial institutions like the Commonwealth Bank?
Yes, there’s more. Senator Mathias Cormann is the Minister for Finance and his wife Hayley Cormann works at Clayton Utz as well as a Senior Associate in their Perth office. Hayley Cormann also happens to be the WA Law Society president.
That’s at least 2 federal ministers whose families have a direct financial interest in Clayton Utz as employees of the company who would also receive bonuses for the work they bring to the company. It would be a huge selling tool for lawyers at Clayton Utz to be able to tell customers like the AMP and Commonwealth Bank etc that they can directly influence cabinet decisions and the banks would pay well for that.
Julie Bishop is fast gathering a reputation for rorting the government expense account, so I would not expect her brother to be greatly different and from my investigations he isn’t.
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Clayton Utz and their snouts in the federal trough
The New Daily reports:
The leading Australian law firm embroiled in AMP’s “fees for no service” scandal – the banking royal commission’s biggest bombshell so far – has already won nearly $11million in government contracts since January.
Amid calls for Clayton Utz to be suspended from all government work, analysis by The New Daily shows the law firm is well on the way to taking in tens of millions of dollars from the taxpayer this year.
Since the start of the year, based on contracts made public, Clayton Utz won 95 tenders worth a total of $10.96 million to provide legal services to various departments and agencies.
AMP Independent Report Scandal
The royal commission heard evidence last week that Clayton Utz rewrote a report on AMP’s “fees for no service” scandal 24 times at the financial services company’s request.
The report was given to corporate regulator ASIC and described as “external and independent”. (Click here to read more)
And the SMH reported:
The senior AMP legal executive accused of interfering with a supposedly independent report into breaches by its financial planning division has been stood down from a disciplinary panel run by the corporate regulator amid growing concerns about the close links between the financial services giant and ASIC.
AMP general counsel Brian Salter took leave from his corporate position on Friday – the same day chief executive Craig Meller was sacked – after the Hayne Royal Commission heard evidence that the Sydney-based company had lied to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on at least 20 occasions and altered a so-called “independent” report prepared by law firm Clayton Utz. (Click here to read more)
Former NSW Premier Mike Baird
Banks and other companies employ people from politics or with political connections on huge wages and the banks expect results. For example, another person from politics is former NSW Premier Mike Baird who now works for the NAB as Chief Customer Officer – Corporate and Institutional Banking on a rumoured salary of over $2million a year and there are many others.
Douglas Bishop
Douglas Bishop
Media questions for Douglas Bishop
I emailed Douglas Bishop some questions as per below but at the time of writing I have not had a response although he did read the email as per the below read receipt.
From: SHANE DOWLING
Sent: 24 April 2018 16:38
To: dbishop@claytonutz.com
Subject: Media request
Dear Mr Bishop
I am writing an article that I plan on publishing tonight. Can you please answer the following questions:
- Can you please advise which financial institutions you work for?
- Do you still do work for the Commonwealth Bank?
- Were you directly involved in the AMP / Clayton Utz “independent report” scandal uncovered by the Banking Royal Commission? Do you expect to personally face criminal charges?
- How much do you earn yearly from advising financial institutions on how to lie to ASIC?
- Did you ever discuss the need for a Banking Royal Commission with your sister Julie Bishop before it was set up?
- Have you ever discussed the Banking Royal Commission with your sister Julie Bishop since it started?
Please respond by 7pm tonight 24/4/18.
Regards
Shane Dowling
**************************************************************
From: Bishop, Doug <DBishop@claytonutz.com>
Sent: 24 April 2018 16:42
To: SHANE DOWLING
Subject: Read: Media request
Your message
To: Bishop, Doug
Subject: Media request
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 4:38:27 PM (UTC+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
was read on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 4:41:22 PM (UTC+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney.
****************************************************************
Douglas Bishop and the whistleblower stitch-up for the Commonwealth Bank
This isn’t the first time I have written about Douglas Bishop and in fact he was one of the stars of the article I published in January 2015 titled “Commonwealth Bank now using legal threats and the courts to intimidate whistleblowers” which started off:
Commonwealth Bank CEO Ian Narev is now using legal threats and the courts in an attempt to shut-up whistleblowers regarding the massive fraud and theft at the bank. Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop’s younger brother Douglas Bishop is the lawyer representing Commonwealth Bank executive Brendan French in defamation proceedings against whistleblower Michael Fraser. This raises many questions by itself.
I have seen some dumb moves and this one by the Commonwealth Bank is right up there with the dumbest as it will continue to put the spotlight on the bank’s corrupt practices. It will also potentially expose the government given Mr Bishop’s involvement and the government’s refusal to have a Royal Commission into the CBA. (Click here to read more)
Brendan French eventually won the defamation case in December 2015 thanks to the then CEO Ian Narev using Commonwealth Bank shareholder’s funds for his legal team.
The judge hearing the matter was none other than NSW Supreme Court defamation list judge Justice Lucy McCallum who is well known to be in the hip pocket of the big end of town. I wrote not long after the judgment was published:
Justice Lucy McCallum and the defamation judgment – French v Fraser (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 1807 (4 December 2015) (Click here to read)
In the judgement at paragraph 6 it says “There is not the smallest suggestion of any actual wrong-doing on Dr French’s part. For the bank to back Dr French’s attempts to stem the personal harm to him caused by Mr Fraser was entirely appropriate.”
Well there is a truck load of evidence of Dr Brendan French’s wrongdoing before the Australian senate.
And at paragraph 88 it says “The evidence also establishes beyond doubt that Dr French has suffered an immense amount of emotional pain and hurt as a result of the publications”. What about the hurt and suffering caused to the CBA customers who were ripped off by CBA staff and then the CBA refused to give them compensation?
The below video is Merilyn Swan giving evidence about trying to get the money back that was stolen from her parents by the CBA and the get lost message she received from Brendan French. If Ms Swan and others had of given evidence at the defamation hearing I suspect the result would have been the opposite.
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I notice Justice Lucy McCallum makes no mention of the widespread crimes of the bank and its staff which has been all over the media for the last few years. I would have thought that very relevant given the CBA were funding the matter and the case obviously impacted on the CBA’s reputation. Looks like Justice McCallum handed down the best judgment money can buy. It’s the same Justice McCallum who was caught having as a secret hearing to help Kerry Stokes. (Click here to read the transcript)
While Michael Fraser certainly did say and do things that he shouldn’t have they are trivial at best compared to the widespread destruction caused by the corrupt conduct of the CBA senior management which includes Brendan French. But the CBA jumped on the trivial stuff, blew it out of proportion and tried to get the CBA whistleblower names which was their main objective. When they couldn’t get the whistleblowers names they then used the CBA’s financial muscle to win a defamation case for their dodgy employee Brendan French. (Click here to read more)
And where was Douglas Bishop in the French v Fraser battle? He had his snout in the trough and would have made close to a $1million if not more from that matter alone helping the Commonwealth Bank hide their crimes of fraud and theft from customers.
The Bank Royal Commission is only a few weeks old and while I was very sceptical to start with it does seem like it might achieve a lot. But to achieve what it needs to achieve it needs to be broadened and to go a lot longer than the scheduled finish this year with a final report to the government by the 1st February 2019. An extension to about 2022 is what’s needed.
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Categories: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Julie Bishop, Justice Lucy McCallum
With all these rorts being uncovered will these perpetrators just get a slap on the wrist and quietly leave the bank. In other words does this commission have any teeth other than referring these misdemonours onto ASIC and the police!
This is the most fact-filled article that in my opinion, you have published on your website. Clearly revealed is the Liberal party connection to the underbelly of the Commonwealth Bank’s term of operations under its former Chairman and its former CEO.
I advise that I had undertaken my own research into this Bank since the occasion of the 2013 AGM, that this former Chairman had purposefully provided a false response to a shareholder question relating to the long-term improprieties of its Financial Advisory Division.
Thank you for delivering the facts
It’s a rat’s nest of self interest and dodgy deals. No wonder they tried so hard to avoid a Royal Commission. The Commonwealth Bank sounds like it is the corporate arm of the ABC. Incompetent, corrupt, nepotistic and dysfunctional.
Yep, the crooks are running the joint (Country)….. what’s new?
Bring it on its time to shut the crooks down for good AT ANY COSTS this has got to go world wide .what about turnbull is he up to his neck in this for not bring on a national inquiry i would like to see them ALL BROUGHT TO THEIR KNEES and dont for shorton he is as crooked as the rest keep up the great work cheers len
The biggest elephant in the room at the Banking Royal Commission is ‘Just how much money do Banks really make ?’ How does ‘fractional reserve banking’ work? Mr Google knows. A blunt exposure of how the ‘fractional reserve banking process’ is used by the banks to create money out of thin air by re-lending the same funds over and over would show the public what a rort the whole banking system is. The smaller community banks and credit unions are not allowed the same advantages as the bigger banks. The smaller banks are thereby limited in how effectively they can compete in the financial sector. Selling the Commonwealth Bank was like giving away the goose that laid the platinum eggs, by the thousands.
All this stuff…Capilano(SD/LegalSystem)/TURC/FSRC/Politics=(Bishop/ClaytonUtz)(Cormann/ClaytonUtz)(Gillard/S&G), but a few that we know of, is REALLY starting to get up my nose.
As a previous correspondent mentioned “ALL BROUGHT TO THEIR KNEES” is looking extremely appropriate and sooner rather than later.
My god the MSM has a lot to answer to.
The Commonwealth Bank. the People’s bank …. and grubby, Bleating Keating changed the goal posts and stuffed the whole ‘game.
When Keating privatised the Commonwealth Bank – Customers received 2 and 3/4 % interest on their money. And the shares were sold at $2.36 per share. Keating was also responsible for the “Fire” sale of Government owned assets, which was embraced by every Government since, including John Howard, what wanted to sell off all our Water, including the Snow Mountains Hydro facility. Free Trade has made Billions for Foreign Multi-Nationals – no so much for Australians – who will never be able to “BUY BACK THE FARM”
Thank you for showing the connection between the Lawyers, the government also their useless regulators, and the Banks. I would suggest that it does not matter which political party we are dealing with the same will apply. Corrupt Lawyers, manipulating government regulators, through their connections to favour the status quo at the expense of Australian Families and our communities. I would suggest that their workings are similar to a Medi- evil castle. Those who live in the castle work the system to exploit those who live outside, particularly when one follows the English system. The Europeans are bit more careful as they have been exposed to revolutions which involve such items as Guillotines.
Allen’s in Queensland covering up Westpac’s criminal conduct are just as bad. Lawyers who sell their soul for a buck…. the true bacteria of the human race.
“SOLICITORS” Trained to lie and paid to lie in court!
This is mind blowing Who Who’s related to who Who No wonder the average Aussie is pussihing S@##%$it uphill with a pointed stick thinking they will get justice from the Courts.. We are all living in Fantasy Land if we think the R/C will change anything.
Politicians & their kith & kin who are rogues– what’s new? The disgraceful thing is that these people get away with this– travesty of justice.
Clean up the banking industry , fine Them till the dogs come home, so future bankers a afraid.
Finance sector too, the witnesses representing Industry Superannuation Funds owned by the union movement will provide interesting questions and answers too.
These people are despicable.I wonder if trips with boyfriends..making staff rip off first owner folk…taking too much money from the public purse…is worth it Liberals..Your swimming pools..fancy cars will not protect you when the Royal Commission gets stuck into you dodgy dealings.Plus 80 percent of Australia hates you.
Both sides share responsibility but please also consider the timeline history of events commencing from 1985 when banking and finance was deregulated.
Commonwealth Bank sold, lending out of control by all banks, economy overheating, worst recession in sixty years circa 1990, Superannuation Guarantee Levy introduced on employers for the benefit of employees, union movement owned Industry Superannuation Funds established, joining funds investing member’s monies into public companies’ shares buying access to boards, union trained executives joining boards, banks investing into superannuation fund manager companies, often controlling more than one.
Moving forward: State governments sell off publicly owned electricity assets, Renewable Energy Target and taxpayer funded subsidies introduced, and much more of a tangled web of investments and deceptions.
What is the going price for Teflon Coating that is guaranteed Royal Commission bullet-proof?
What is the criterion required to become a member of the exclusive elite society?
Why is corruption in the highest echelon’s of power acceptable and yet judged by the same strata of society to be criminal at the lower levels where the troglodytes cannot engage the fastest golden mouth in town?
Entrenched corruption appears to be the order of the day. The question is can Australia survive the onslaught and once again prosper ?
Royal commission recommends AMP for criminal charges
The royal commission into banking misconduct has recommended AMP should face criminal prosecution for misleading the corporate regulator.
Senior counsel assisting the commission Rowena Orr, QC, said AMP had breached criminal provisions for misleading the Australian Securities and Investments Commission by charging clients fees for no service.
In handing down her preliminary findings, Ms Orr told the royal commission that AMP made a business decision in 2013, or earlier, to deliberately charge customers for service that Ms Orr said “it knew it could not and would not provide”.
Ms Orr said AMP executive Jack Regan admitted it “was both unlawful and ethically and morally wrong”.
Read more: https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/royal-commission-recommends-amp-for-criminal-charges-20180427-p4zc0y.html
It is vital that the volume of engagements in dishonest dealings (as admitted by the persons representing their corporation at this Royal Commission of Inquiry) even the intent itself is ascertainable from the responses given to Ms Rowena Orr QC and or Mr Michael Hodge QC that issued from the Executive boardroom level.
Given the number of regulatory breaches, that heads must roll.
This also refers to the Regulatory Authority itself ASIC, who have been shown to be complicit in this multiple breaching wherein they had ignored their own various legislated disciplines.
The Australian Corporation Law Act 2001 lists all of the “must not do’s” that have simply been booted under the carpet by the various Financial Services Sector business entities, this cannot go unpunished.
If ever the time is arose o send these charlatan corporate directors to prison, that time is now.
It is hoped that the Liberal Federal government ministers keep themselves distant from the necessary legal proceedings, to do otherwise has the Liberal government culpable should the Liberals seek to mitigate on the side of the corporate crooksters.
My memory tells me that former Attorney General George Brandis QC set in place a mandate that no Regulatory Authority (could, irrespective of their current powers of authority) could issue any punishments or legal proceedings under their own imprimaturs.
(ASIC-APRA) all such matters had to cross the desk of the former Attorney General as of 1st July 2016.
This in itself is cause for concern as it predicates all corporate penalties are scrutinized by a Liberal government cabinet member.
One must wonder what sort of bunkum will now issue from Senator Mathis Cormann, given it was this very Senator that had torpedoed (the former Special Senate Inquiry recommendation circa early 2014) that halted the Senate Inquiry report and as good as nullified all the many other recommendations that accompanied the call for that Royal Commission.were.at recommendation to begin A Royal Commission of Inquiry.
That interference by Senator Cormann gives the readers some idea of how unscrupulous is this Liberal Government.
THATS why they call them the :
CEO MAFFIA!
THE MAJORITY ARE CROOKS IN BUSINESS SUITS! RIPPING OFF THE SYSTEM!
THEY MUST BE TREATED THE SAME AS WELFARE/ CENTRELINK CHEATS!
Every one should withdraw their money from the Banks. Without our money they are dead. We could also stop paying tax and kill off our useless politicians.
Phill.
if we stop paying tax how will the politicians fund their lifestyle and support the bankers with the interest Payments?
Do the crime do the time so sick of the high profile people thinking they are above the law about time they get exposed for who they truly are. There should also be a royal commission into the corrupt family courts taking children from good mothers just like the stolen generation there’s now a second stolen generation.