The ACT Government isn’t so much corrupt as it is immoral – Senior ACT Public Servant
I had lunch in Canberra yesterday with Paul, a former colleague from my public service days, who had naively made the transition from the Australian Public Service (APS) to the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) a few years ago. Over the course of an extended and convivial lunch we happened upon the topic of the politicisation of the APS and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), both favourite topics of Blak and Black, as most of my former colleagues know only too well.
While Paul, who volunteers his spare time as a ‘responsible adult’ to sit in on interviews by the AFP in Canberra when unrepresented minors are involved, argues vehemently that all the AFP officers he has come into contact with have been “decent people”, he doesn’t hold the same high regard for the ACTPS and the ACT Government, which to my amazement he describes as immoral rather than corrupt. To my mind this is hair splitting because the immorality Paul was describing amounts without question to corruption, but then again I guess most of us want to think well of our employers, even if that employer is the inheritor of the principles espoused by Der Fuhrer in Mein Kampf. Yes I know, that he was just plain old Adolf Hitler when he penned that tome of hate, but we can’t let too many ‘split hairs’ get in the way of a good story.
What is interesting about Paul in terms of the issues that are of concern to Blak and Black is that he witnessed many of the underhand dealings perpetrated by the ACT Government in order to derail the former Commissioner for ACT Revenue’s application to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (“HREOC”), alleging that the ACTPS had engaged in conduct contrary to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation. In fact, a few months prior to the assault committed by the identified ACT Department of Treasury employee at the Waldorf Café against Australia’s most senior Aboriginal Bank Executive, the same identified ACT Department of Treasury employee had verbally assaulted Paul twice during work hours on ACTPS property. In the first of these incidents Paul’s assailant said, “we’re going to get your boong mate Marky”. Paul’s “boong mate” is the former Commissioner for ACT Revenue and the “we’re going to get” is a clear reference to the fit-up the former Commissioner alleges was perpetrated against him by the ACTPS and the AFP.
Perhaps more interesting are the facts that the identified ACT Department of Treasury employee involved in the assaults on Paul and the assault at the Waldorf is the same person who wrote the letter to the Chief Executive of ACT Treasury, which the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office described as being “offensive and blatantly discriminatory”, who wrote to Ernst and Young (EY) and obtained by fraud access to the former Commissioner’s EY personnel file, and who was the subject of the former Commissioners complaint to HEROC which the ACTPS went to great lengths to derail. These are some of the actions undertaken by the ACTPS and ACT Government which has caused Paul to form the view the ACTPS is immoral.
ACTPS double standards – all is black and white
The other topic of discussion over lunch was to do with a clear example of double standards amounting to racism perpetrated by the ACTPS. The former Commissioner, prior to his dismissal from the ACTPS, was the subject of a grievance lodged by the aforementioned identified ACT Department of Treasury employee alleging bullying, albeit spelt “bulling” (which I believe has something to do with castrating bulls) in the documents. Interesting that the allegation of bullying arose almost simultaneously with the Deputy Chief Executive of ACT Treasury signing a Terms of Reference (ToR) for an investigation into the aforementioned identified ACT Department of Treasury employee for fraud; the ToR was discussed at some length in the ACT Magistrates Court under cross-examination by Barrister Sean Grant in March 2006.
The double standards and racism are to do with more recent allegations of bullying against another ACTPS Director, Mr. David Butt. Before I go on to discuss the difference in treatment between the two cases, I would like to state publically that I don’t believe that Mr. Butt has ever had a case to answer regarding these allegations, nor do I believe that he has done anything wrong.
To begin with, Mr. Butt is a white Australian of European extraction. The former Commissioner is an Indigenous Australian of Wiradjuri extraction. At the time the allegations were made against both men they were each Directors within the ACTPS. When the allegations were first made against the Commissioner they were immediately referred to the Public Service Commission for investigation. This was despite the fact the ACTPS were advised on numerous occasions that the aforementioned identified ACT Department of Treasury employee was not entitled to lodge a grievance because he had contracted out of the grievance provisions of the Public Service Act under the terms of his Australian Workplace Agreement (“AWA”). This fact was ignored by the ACTPS until almost the very end. The Wiradjuri man was subject to twelve months of harassment by the ACTPS and the Public Service Commission on the basis of material they did not have the power to investigate. In responding to this ultra vires investigation, he incurred over $30,000.00 in legal and associated costs, was forced to seek treatment from a registered psychologist because of the racism and harassment he was being subjected to and was dismissed from the ACTPS on the basis of a fit-up when he eventually decided to escalate the matters to HREOC.
The white Australian on the other hand, when similar accusations were made against him, was sent home on full pay and benefits, without the need to respond to any formal investigation. He was recalled to work eleven months later and given another director’s position within the ACTPS, bringing the allegations of bullying against him to an end. It makes for an interesting comparison when one considers the difference in treatment afforded the white Australian versus the Aboriginal Australian by the ACTPS.
Next time people start arguing that Aborigines are nothing more than a pack of lazy wingers, it might be worth giving some thought to the difference in treatment meted out to the Aboriginal Australian versus the European Australian by the ACTPS and think – do Aborigines have a point, are they treated differently and less favourably than other Australians? This is a question I will leave to the individual to ponder.
Update on the assault at the Waldorf Café
The Aboriginal female victim of the assault at the Waldorf Café was seated next to Mr Brendan Smyth, Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, at a function last Friday. In response to his question “how are you going” the victim advised Mr Smyth that she was in the process of taking the issue of her assault at the Waldorf Cafe to the United Nations. The ACT Government can no longer sit back and claim ignorance of the issues. Oh what a tangled web, indeed!
An absolute double standard. Cuz you needed proof, I think that you have found it. There is no excuse for double standards, the ACTPS officers involved need to be referred to the relevant authorities. THIS IC CORRUPTION!!!!!
This is not good. So the white bloke gets a holiday on full pay and keeps his job and the bloke bloke gets the sack and fucked over by the AFP – yep a clear case of ‘just-su’.
Mick Madden I agree this is a clear case of ‘just-us’ but what to do about it?
Really this proves the truth of what the Commissioner has been saying all along – there are double standards in the ACTPS which give less rights to black Australians than they give to white Australians. Can’t wait until the next ACT Election, bye, bye Labor.
I have been involved in the Commissioners matter since the beginning. It really is a case of white Australian ‘just-us’ blacks need not ask for justice as it won’t be forthcomming.
Interesting reading at http://the-riotact.com/eastman-innocent/58300#comments See comment #78. Any of the team from non-English speaking backgrounds like to pass comment on the comprehension of the writer?
Very interesting reading indeed. Perhaps the Creative_canberran is so creative that he/she can’t read a dictionary. The sentence makes perfect sense to me, but hey I’m just a bloody abo.
Agreed, Bill. I also wonder if the commenter understands the historical reference. And I’m just a white westie kid!
Anne I’m more west than you. I thought every public servant would understand the reference. Perhaps the ACTPS has abolished the Yr 12 educational requirement. Yes its Yr 12 not IQ 12.
As to the issue of this post there is clearly a double standard at play. I can’t believe that the ACTPS would do this knowing that people talk especially when there is an issue that they feel strongly about in play.
Obviously the Mullins family is infamous in Canberra. Are they the same as the league Mullins family. Old Bill was a great player in his day. Anne it just goes to show how bumd the ACTPS has really become.
On the face of it the situation certainly looks like a double standard. Did David Butt work from home or was he suspended on fhll pay? Just a little difference I know, but a difference none the less.
Anne Bright I replied but the RiotACT has not approved my comment yet! Perhaps suppporters of the boong are not welcome in Canberra Corrupt. Don’t think that they have worked out the family tree yet!
Jenifer Trees and Anne the fact is that Canberra don’t want no one who ain’t white within its boarders – All’ah be praised IU live in Queanbeyan, but I keep my eyes and ears open for gossip.
Ps is a Manchu something you eat or is that a mandarin? Just kidding I love them all. Hey did anyone see Black Dynamite on Foxtel the other night, now that was racist!!!
Mahmud, you’re a cheeky lad! Jen, I’ll check on your comment on the morrow. See if it goes up.
Anne Bright not there yet. Mahmud Ahsan I have heard about your humour…hummmmmmmmmmmmm.
If it smells like rotten fish and looks like rotten fish, well what can I say…obviously there’s something rotten in Canberra, perhaps that’s why it’s called Canberra Corrupt. What do they say “a fish rots [corrupts] from the head down”.
Hey Anne obviously Canberra_Creative has been just that, creative. I followed the limks on Blak and Balck and they go to the correct document. Another bloody low IQ public servant. Maybe we should occupy Canberra, would anyone notice? Bet not!!!
Sally Glass anything that comes from Canberra is rotten LOL 🙂
Sounds like the former Commissioner was the victim of racism. As for Canberra_Creative perhaps he should go back to school his comprehension seems a little lacking and he can’t operate a computer, the link seems to go to the correct place, what drug you on Canberra_Creative my man?
Canberra_Creative ya can’t read, ya can’t comprehend and ya can’t use a computer so what da fuck use are ya? Opps sorry ya probably a low life public servant from the ACTPS, guess they have to take what they can get there. Canberra_Creative if ya could read ya tosser ya would realise that there is somethin’ wrong in that cesspool you call home. I almost forgot, give me back my land you useless piece of dingo shit.
David Harrison I thought that you came from Canberra? Ya can’t call Canberra_Creative a useless piece of Dingo shit, shit Dingo shit has enviromental value while all the hot air in Canberra adds to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions. When does the clean energy bill come into effect? To the point the Commissioner was obviously a victim of racism and the likes of Canberra_Creative have their heads so far up their own arse that they can’t see the woods for the trees. I also checked the link and it seems right to me!
Ok guys Blak and Black is meant to be about discussing serious issues not for venting and ranting. I grant you that Canberra_Creative got his facts wrong, but what more can you expect from a bloke (I assume bloke from his tenor) from Canberra? Yes the link is correct and the sentence make sense, because at Blak and Black we take pride in our outrage!
What has been described in this post reeks of racism. There is clearly a double standard at work in the ACTPS. Does anyone know how many ATSI people are actually employed in the ACTPS? Part of the problem is our under representation in many work places which leaves us venerable o this type of racist attack.
The former Commissioner was my nephew; he got screwed by a white racist immigrant. We have no rights in to our own land; we have no rights in our own land, so the white fella is right when he calls this ‘just-us’ because it sure don’t include the blackfella.
Reg Glass I also know what happened, after reading how this Butt bolke was treated so very differently it makes me sick. There is no justice in a land where ‘just-us’ rules supreme.
Wow. Free publicity in the very realm you are pointing to as corrupt. Must say I’m surprised that there is more than one person who found the sentence about Manchus to be incomprehensible; the meaning is hardly oblique.
Hey bro ya man you Canberra-Creative dickhead. Man I’m a Koori and the sentence makes sense to me – perhaps yer one of them whitefellas who lives in a caravan and can’t rtead, not sure, but whatever the reason you need to return to school and leave your pillow case at home this time!
Hyppolite Jones ya I’m also a Koori, as you know, I agree this whitefella who really is not all that creative for a man who who self-styles Canberra_Creative needs to lose his pillow case and sheet and return to school and concentrate on the three important r’s, readin, riten, and rithmatic – man the r for racism just don’t cut it these days.
Phillipa Coe and Hyppolite Jones Canberra_Creative as purile as he might be is only one of the multitudes in canberra who speak before they think. They are what is going to turn the lucky country into Keatings fabled banana republic.
Bakchos you can’t yse the world purile in the same sentence as Creative_Canberran, he won’t know what it means. How about dick head, or tosser, or fuckwit – might understand those.
Men I don’t know, you all have it wrong the only way to get through to people like the self-styled Creative_Canberran is to use picture books, works wonders with people who have not had the opportunity of an education. Yes Phillipa Coe he will need to remove his pillow case to enable him to see the pictures.
Getting beck to the point being made in the article, if the information presented is correct and I have no reason to doubt that it is, then there clearly is a double standard at work in the ACTPS. How can a government claim to be providing equality of opportunity and equality before the law when the black man is treated very clearly more harshly than the white man? Corruption – yes, racism – yes, bouble standard – yes. Is the former Commissioner a victim of racism, on the basis of this post I would say yes.
On the basis of this post Paula Duval I would have to agree, the former Commissioner is a victim of ACTPS racism and double standards.
I nearly cried when I bread this post. I have read the whole blog and I have made my own enquiries. I have a cousin who works for Interpol. It would appear that the former Commissioner has not only been a victim of racism and double standards from the ACTPS but was also a victim of racism from the Australian Federal Police and the ACT DPP. Readers may be unaware that Interpol refused to co-operate with the AFP on this matter because they formed the view that the prosecution of this man was racially motivated and driven by partisan political interests. Just like there are unanswered questions about Eastman, there are unanswered questions about this case. Like Eastman, Winchester, Fagan and countless others – all of these injustices have their roots in corruption, not immorality, but corruption, within the ACTPS and the ACT Government.
Melissa Ogrady your cousin is not the only source for the Interpol comment. I know of at least one other that will confirm what you have been told.
Oi Creative_Canberran ya dickhead I only went to Year 7 and even I can see that his link is correct. Fucken bumb arse public servant. Get a pair of glasses.
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