ICAC and the bagman who tipped a bucket
The ICAC testimony of Chris Hartcher's ailing former
staffer and alleged bagman, Ray Carter, could be the evidence that
brings the Abbott Government to its knees, writes Sydney bureau chief Ross Jones.
A MAN, advanced in years − a gay man, dyslexic, diabetic, partially
deaf; a liar, petty nicker maybe, but, ultimately honest and brave − could bring the Abbott Government to its liturgical knees.
Paternoster, baby.
Or, as Mr Fudd might have it:
"Say your pwayers, wabbit."
When I was very little, my parents, for reasons unknown, held some
kind of fete that involved the display of a carefully-constructed
ziggurat of honey jars atop a portable table. Naturally I wanted to
taste some and, hampered by my height and limited understanding of
physics, grabbed the closest jar — that is, the one at the bottom of the
structure.
Bugger.
I learnt a lesson that day. Take a bottom jar away and all hell can break loose.
Ray Carter could well be that jar.
Bagman and 40-year trusted ally of the cross-bench Member for Terrigal (Monsieur Hartcher, as Geoff Watson SC dubbed him) ate jelly-beans to stave off sugar shortfalls and had dizzy spells in the witness chair, but he did his duty.
Carter put himself in the line of fire.
Ray Carter sings like a canary: Whistle blown on illegal Liberal party donations
He ducked a few times (who wouldn’t?) but, given the bizarre and
intricate web of alliances and favours he has prowled, ever on the alert
for trapped donors, it’s hats off for the following in an exchange with
Watson:
Without going all Kate McClymonty and explaining everything (again and again), Paul Nicolaou heads the Federal Liberals main fundraising arm — the spookily-titled Millennium Forum.
John Howard’s lovechild with himself, the Forum has enjoyed a cascade
of cash from big swinging dicks since its inception in 1999.
Watson again:
Now, Carter’s evidence might well prove to be wrong — or not.
If not, it reads that Nicolaou was a party to washing dirty money into NSW for the 2011 landslide Liberal victory.
Nicolaou was the chief fundraiser for the Federal party.
Wixxy has discussed Mr Caputo, Abbott’s fundraiser.
That’s the main money men — for the PM and the Government.
Then there’s Joe.
Ray is at the bottom, just another jar.
War of words intensifies at ICAC
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