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Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has testified at the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.
Gillard was questioned by Jeremy Stoljar SC, Counsel assisting the Royal Commission. She then took questions from Bob Galbally, the barrister acting for Ralph Blewitt. [Read more…]
The year’s final parliamentary sitting week was dominated by claims that Prime Minister Julia Gillard had something to explain about the AWU and her time at Slater and Gordon in the 1990s.
As the Opposition came under criticism for unsubstantiated claims that Gillard had committed a criminal act, Senator George Brandis, the Opposition’s shadow Attorney-General, held a press conference to recapitulate the coalition’s case. [Read more…]
Julia Gillard’s office has reacted strongly to suggestions that the Prime Minister did something wrong in her work as a solicitor at Slater & Gordon in the 1990s.
As the final day of parliamentary sittings for the year unfolded, Gillard has complained to Fairfax newspapers over “the grievous misrepresentations in your reporting” of the AWU slush fund affair.
Her office has also issued a statement calling on the opposition to give up its “discredited smear campaign”.
Text of statement from Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s spokesperson, as published in Fairfax newspapers.
Statement from a spokesperson for the Prime Minister:
It’s time for the Liberals to give up their witch hunt and start talking about things that matter.
The whole country is sick to death of Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop pursuing a discredited smear campaign against the Prime Minister, when we could be talking about jobs, health, and education.
After months of speculation about a smoking gun, the Liberals have nothing.
So, the Prime Minister wrote to the WA Commissioner? So what? She did what lawyers do. Act on instruction. Provide legal advice.
So, the Prime Minister can’t remember writing one letter from 20 years ago. So what? Lawyers write thousands of letters in their careers. [Read more…]
Ralph Blewitt, the former sidekick to Australian Workers’ Union official Bruce Wilson, was interviewed by Leigh Sales on the ABC’s 7.30 program this evening.
At her press conference today, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said this of Blewitt:
“Let me remind you who Mr Blewitt is. Mr Blewitt is a man who has publicly said he was involved in fraud. Mr Blewitt is a man who has sought immunity from prosecution. Mr Blewitt is a man who has fled Indonesia to avoid a police interview in relation to land fraud, although he denies wrongdoing in the case. Mr Blewitt says he owes money on another Asian land deal. Mr Blewitt admits to using the services of prostitutes in Asia. Mr Blewitt has published lewd and degrading comments and accompanying photographs of young women on his Facebook page. Mr Blewitt, according to people who know him, has been described as a complete imbecile, an idiot, a stooge, a sexist pig, a liar, and his sister has said he’s a crook and rotten to the core. His word against mine, make your mind up.”