In which the pond develops a deep anxiety about Lloydie of the Amazon, but is reassured by being able to do a deal with our Henry ...

 

 

 

A prisoner in Nigeria? 

If the pond has one complaint with the reptiles, they lack imagination and never go far enough. Surely the loss of freedom should have reminded Judy of her time in a Nazi death camp, or the time she was forced to wear a yellow star?

Here the pond always looks to the United States for loonery nonpareil. Take this effort reported by the Daily Beast involving the efforts of a state legislator by name Ken Weyler...

...Sununu’s statement referring to “absurd emails” from the chair of the finance committee—which recently voted to table $27 million in federal vaccine aid for the state—come after Weyler blasted colleagues’ inboxes with materials on Monday rife with COVID conspiracy theories, including a document entitled “The Vaccine Death Report” that claimed vaccine injections were “murdering millions of people.”
The email from the legislator contained a 52-page “report” with disinformation on COVID-19, including claims that “unknown, octopus-like creatures are being injected into millions of children worldwide.”
The report also made claims that 5G technology had somehow been inserted into the vaccine to control people’s thoughts and called the pope and others “at the top” of the Roman Catholic Church “satanists” and “luciferans” for backing public health measures. The report additionally made the wild suggestion that the babies of vaccinated parents in Mexico were “transhuman”—born with “pitch-black eyes” and undergoing accelerated aging.
“It’s all one huge puppet theatre, where the majority of the people—even most of those who are complicit —haven’t got the slightest clue what is going on, and how everyone is being played,” the report states.
When asked about the report and calls for his removal, Weyler responded to The Daily Beast in an email: “No comment.”

There you go Judy, instead of invoking Nigeria, you might have scribbled about octopus-like creatures, 5G, satanists and transhumans ... or perhaps settled for a tidy "no comment". You're welcome, have a nice day, don't come back for a little while  yet, ya hear?

And so to another reptile offering this day, which featured a certain Geoff Chambers ...

 

 

 

 

To say the pond was surprised, was startled, was the least of it. The reptiles star Chambers doing climate change? A question immediately sprang to the pond's lips?

 

Where's Lloydie of the Amazon?

 

Oh sure the star Chambers knew how to gild the lily, and frame the issues the right way ...

 

 

"Resources sector"? Okay, that's passing fair, and Lloydie of he Amazon would have been proud at that way of dressing up a deep and abiding love of coal..

It's good, it's cunning window dressing, and it steps around the question of where's coal-loving, IPA-backing "resources sector" Gina? 

There's an easy answer to that one for anyone with a google machine ...

 

 

But where's Lloydie? The pond simply had to put its mind at rest, and and went in search of the lad, fearing he might have headed off to do more Amazon saving. The pond discovered that Lloydie must be taking a break because these were his last two emissions ...

 

 

 

 

Sorry reptiles, you might think sending a star Chambers out on the job is the answer, but is the lad up to the task? Who else but Lloydie could discover the upside to bushfires? And your star Chambers last gobbet verges on the pitiful ...

Forget about Farmers for climate action, talk to AgForce ...

 

Oh yes technology, long-term projections, a pathway to zero emissions, yadda yadda, all good stuff, pressure on Labor etc etc, no doubt Lloydie would be pleased and think it passing fair, but for expert weaving of climate science denialism into a story, while puffing up the coalition of coal lovers, we desperately need Lloydie of the Amazon to return ...

Meanwhile, speaking of a coming to Jesus moment, the pond always knew the road to Goulburn was the best place to have it ... as celebrated by Rowe, with more celebrations here ...

Speaking of amusing distractions, the pond loved this little note in Crikey ...

 That tweet is here, but you'll need to go to Crikey for the hot links ...

And speaking of star Chambers, the pond had to pay attention to our Henry, regurgitating a standard bout of reptile nonsense, because dammit, he doesn't want the hole in the bucket fixed, or even checked on. What's wrong with helping out your boyfriend when it comes to the odd grant or other deal?

 

Yes, never you mind about corrupt politicians - it's been the 'roach way of life since the Rum Rebellion - though as this is a day for distractions, the pond did love this other Crikey aside ...

 

As before, you'll have to go to Crikey to get the hot links, while the pond gets cracking with abolitionist Henry, and a standard history lesson a little distant from his usual ancient Greek turf, but not so far from blather about Nigeria ...

 

Why does the pond find all this immensely funny and charmingly irrelevant? Well anyone paying attention to the real world outside the lizard Oz la la land would have noted recent developments in another Star Chamber matter, as featured in the Graudian...

 

Yes, if we wanted to speak of star chambers, there's a goodly yarn going down about Xian Porter's unseemly behaviour ... cue the Graudian ...

Witness K’s actions helped expose a 2004 Australian bugging operation against an impoverished ally, Timor-Leste, which was designed to give Canberra the upper hand during sensitive negotiations to split oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea. A collection of oil and gas companies, led by Australian corporate Woodside, was hoping to exploit the natural resources in the Timor Sea.
The operation diverted intelligence resources during a period of heightened terror threat after the Bali bombings.
Collaery and Witness K had their homes raided by Australia’s domestic spy agency in 2013 as they were preparing to help Timor-Leste lodge a case in the international courts, alleging Australia’s spy operation meant it had negotiated in bad faith.
Witness K’s passport was taken and he was prevented from leaving to give evidence.
The proceedings at The Hague were never finalised but eventually a new deal over the Timor Sea resources was struck, giving a far better outcome to Timor-Leste.
The Australian government then signed off on prosecution of Collaery and Witness K. The former attorney general Christian Porter subsequently invoked the NSI Act to keep significant parts of Collaery’s trial secret.
Labor’s shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said on Wednesday that the court of appeal’s judgment was a “humiliating rebuff to the Morrison government”.
“Labor strongly supports the principle of open justice and believes Mr Collaery, like any other Australian, has a fundamental right to a fair trial,” he said.
“For reasons that still remain unclear, the former attorney general Christian Porter personally authorised the prosecution of Mr Collaery. After today’s decision the current attorney general must now provide a detailed explanation as to why this prosecution remains in the public interest.”
Human Rights Law Centre senior lawyer Kieran Pender said the case represented a rare win for an accused against the use of the NSI Act, which typically weigh in favour of secrecy.
“Because the NSI Act tilts the scales towards secrecy, defendants have typically failed to overcome the high bar in making the case for open justice,” he said. “But before the court, Collaery has done just that.”
Pender joined Labor in calling for a reconsideration of the prosecution, and separate cases against former military lawyer David McBride and tax office employee Richard Boyle, both of whom blew the whistle.
“There is no public interest in prosecuting whistleblowers – the CDPP can and should drop these cases,” he said.

And that's why the pond is profoundly pleased whenever Xian Porter cops another blow.

Now back to our Henry, wailing and moaning and offering a flurry of historical parallels that are sublimely meaningless ... but as for the dubious deeds of Lord Downer and his mob? No comment ...

 

 

It takes singular skill to bury the nose deep in the past, wallowing in ancient times when there's something going down in the present that our hole in the bucket man completely ignores, such is his desire to preserve politicians from scrutiny ...

Former Witness K lawyer Bernard Collaery says a ruling that lifts secrecy over significant parts of his trial is a “victory for justice” and a testament to the legal profession, which has banded together to support him through his prosecution.
The ACT court of appeal on Wednesday overturned a ruling that would have hidden evidence during Collaery’s trial from the public, saying there was a “very real risk of damage to public confidence” if it could not be publicly disclosed.
In handing down its ruling, the court cited the importance of open justice in preventing “political prosecutions”, allowing scrutiny of prosecutors, and giving the public the ability to assess an accused’s conduct.
Some evidence will still be kept secret and the matter has been remitted back to the ACT supreme court to consider further arguments from the federal attorney general, Michaelia Cash, whose government has used the National Security Information Act (NSI Act) in a bid to keep parts of the case from public view.
Independent senator Rex Patrick at a rally in support of Witness K and Bernard Collaery
Rex Patrick launches bid to make government reveal long-secret cabinet documents on Timor-Leste
Read more
Collaery told the Guardian the court of appeal ruling was a “victory overall for justice” and paid tribute to his lawyers, Gilbert and Tobin, and the rest of Australia’s legal fraternity for supporting him.
“For the commonwealth to spend millions on this pursuit, you can imagine the sacrifice the lawyers supporting me have made, not just in money they could have earned, because they’re pro-bono, but in time away from their families,” he said.

By way of contrast, here's a handy timeline, to be found here (paywall affected):

OCTOBER 16, 2020: Maguire tells the ICAC he regularly refrained from telling Berejiklian “too much detail” when they were in the relationship and agreed with her in a 2017 phone call when she said, “I don’t need to know that bit.”
OCTOBER 21, 2020: Senior advisers from the Premier’s office are called before a parliamentary inquiry to explain why the NSW Premier handed out $250 million in council grants without signed paperwork.
OCTOBER 23, 2020: Berejiklian gives Maguire’s Wagga Wagga electorate six grants totalling $40,000 from her discretionary fund - the inquiry heard that one of her advisers shredded the documents showing the Premier’s approval of projects under another scheme.
NOVEMBER 12, 2020: The NSW upper house votes to refer Berejiklian to the corruption watchdog for failing to report her relationship with Maguire.
DECEMBER 3, 2020: It is reported that Berejiklian oversaw a fund that set aside $5.5 million for a project championed by Maguire and that he allegedly later tried to profit from.
DECEMBER 28, 2020: Maguire referred to the ICAC by One Nation leader Mark Latham for not getting approval to travel from Berejiklian while he was in a secret relationship with her.
MARCH 2, 2021: The ICAC releases a statement confirming Operation Keppel, which is investigating Maguire, is ongoing.
MARCH 4, 2021: The Premier denies any wrongdoing over a meeting she held with her then lover Maguire about a highway that was more than 100 kilometres from his electorate but ran alongside an investment property he had just purchased.
MARCH 22, 2021: The ICAC refers Maguire to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions for possible charges following final report on an inquiry into the conduct of councillors and staff at a council in Sydney’s west between 2014 and 2016.
JUNE 19, 2021: Berejiklian is dating high-profile barrister Arthur Moses, SC, the lawyer who represented her at a corruption hearing into Maguire.
OCTOBER 1, 2021: The ICAC announces an inquiry into the relationship, triggering the resignation of Berejiklian as Premier and an MP.
 

And there you have it, complete ignorance regarding persecution of whistleblowers and an idle defence of the indefensible, and they say that our hole in the bucket man has lost 'is touch! Never! Why he's an Arffer man, through and through ...

 

 

Indeed, indeed, but meanwhile the pond has an interesting little property speculation going, dear Henry. dear Henry, and the ear of a few state politicians. 

 Would you like to get in on the game? They've abolished ICAC, and we've not got much to fear from the plods! How about it? After all, dollops of sanctimonious righteous bullshit must mean you're ready to do an Arffer style deal about a nice little used unit, with barely a hundred clicks on the wound back clock ...

Thank the long absent lord there's no need to hold politicians to account (no, the pond won't go into that sordid business whereby a donation to a certain NSW political party helped get a street reservation changed, to the immense benefit of the people living on the street under the cloud of an impending freeway. The pond knows nothing about corruption, it just has a sweet deal going, suitable for Arffers and Henrys everywhere).

And so to end it all for the day with an infallible Pope, who just happens to be aware, in his infallible way, of that other matter touched on by the pond ...