The Ashbygate conspiracy — of silence

By Margo Kingston Source: Independent Australia 18th January 2013 The media spent eight months vilifying Peter Slipper over the James Ashby accusations, but when the Federal Court ruled it was a political set-up — suddenly they weren’t interested. Margo Kingston comments on the scandal behind the conspiracy. Click on the image to see @geeksrulz‘s Storify: ‘The Daily Telegraph coverage […]

An insider tells how Vic TAFE got rolled and the damage it’s done

By Geraldine Toner 17th January 2013 MARGO: @Fluffula tweeted that if she had a blog she’d write the truth about TAFE policy, so TurnLeft and AFHP offered her a spot.I feel that citizen journalists should, like other journalists, put their name to their words, and she has had the courage to do so. So here is the […]

A Bugg in the farce of the Reith Telecard affair

By Margo Kingston Source: Webdiary SMH November 22, 2000 Every year Senators get to quiz bureaucrats and statutory officers on their performance and the success or otherwise of government policies. It’s called “Senate Estimates”, is designed to ensure that public money is well spent and is one of many reasons why the Senate is the […]

The small matter of prosecution on the Telecard Affair.

By Margo Kingston Source: Webdiary SMH October 16, 2000 To fill you in on DPP Damian Bugg to date. His brief statement of last week made no mention of whether he would charge anyone apart from Reith and son but the Prime Minister’s office advised us today that Mr Bugg had decided not to prosecute […]

More on the Reith Telecard affair

By Margo Kingston Source: Webdiary SMH Date: October 30, 2000 On Friday, October 20, the pollies perks minister Senator Chris Ellison awoke to the Herald’s publication of an explosive document which raised yet more questions about his administration during the Reith Telecard blowout. We obtained the document on Thursday, and on the same day, I […]

Tracing the Telecard affair

By Margo Kingston and Mike Seccombe Source: Webdiary SMH Date: October 22nd, 2000 DAY ONE Tuesday, October 10 The Canberra Times reveals a Federal Police investigation into Peter Reith’s $50,000 phone bill after he gave his number and PIN to son Paul for private calls. Howard says Reith revealed the fraud to him in May, […]

Why Tony Abbott should never be PM.

By Margo Kingston Source: Independent Australia January 3rd , 2013 AFTER THE PUBLICATION of my book Not Happy, John! in 2004, former Liberal Party staffer Christian Kerr, then political correspondent for Crikey, told me the ʻAustralians for Honest Politicsʼ chapter was dynamite, ʻthe most importantʼ in the book. “But it wonʼt get followed up,” I asked him, “will it?” “No,” […]

Margo Kingston: My welcome to Twitter.

By Margo Kingston Source: New Matilda December 11, 2012 I blame the ABC for my initiation to Twitter. Or rather, I thank them, because the experience has been refreshing for this disillusioned ex-journo and long-time internet refugee. I happened to be watching ABC News 24 when Tony Abbott again confronted Julia Gillard about her role in the AWU affair on the […]

Tony Abbott’s Slush Fund

By Margo Kingston Source: NewMatilda 11 December 2012 This week New Matilda is republishing journalist Margo Kingston’s investigation into Tony Abbott’s own slush fund. Here she explains why the story needs to be pursued as strongly as the AWU case against Julia Gillard I blame the ABC for my initiation to Twitter. Or rather, I thank them, […]

Abbott faces questions over Hanson slush fund

Source: The 730 Report ABC TV 26 August 2003 KERRY O’BRIEN: Welcome to the program. A political furore has erupted over revelations that one of the Howard Government’s most senior ministers, Tony Abbott, set up a slush fund to pay for legal challenges to Pauline Hanson and her party, One Nation. Despite repeated denials back […]