That elusive Monaco donor to Coalition coffers may not be all that mysterious after all

The Canberra Times 2 June 2014:

A short limousine ride from the famous Monte Carlo casino, the Les Caravelles building enjoys a dress circle position overlooking Port Hercules - a popular place for the world's mega-rich to park their super yachts when visiting the Cote d'Azur.

According to documents filed with the Australian Electoral Commission, it is also the mailing address for Akira Investments Ltd, a generous donor to the Free Enterprise Foundation, a mysterious entity closely linked to the Liberal and National parties.

Given the foundation has no phone number and no website, just how a company domiciled in Monaco came to donate $200,000 last financial year - an extraordinarily large donation by Australian standards - is intriguing enough.

But just who is behind Akira Investments is also shrouded in mystery. Regulatory authorities in Monaco say there is no record of its existence. Nor does it appear in Australian company records.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, Akira Investments has failed to lodge a political donation disclosure form, as required by law.

But an AEC spokesman said the commission is powerless to chase the company as the act governing its operations does not have ''international jurisdiction''.

Liberal Party federal director Brian Loughnane did not respond to a request to discuss the donation to the foundation, which is classified as an ''associated entity'' of the Liberal and National parties for election funding purposes.

The foundation's long-serving trustee, Canberra accountant Tony Bandle, did not return Fairfax Media's call or an email.

Mr Bandle was recently grilled at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption about whether the foundation was used to channel funds from banned donors back to the NSW Liberals….

Sounds all very mysterious doesn’t it? Until one lets one’s fingers do the walking across a PC keyboard.

Then a possible prime suspect immediately comes to light.

Akira Investments Ltd of London, Monaco, New York and Miami – an international super yacht brokerage company originally registered in London U.K. in 1975.

Its Monaco CEO Jonathan Beckett regularly visits Australia:

Snapshot from Ocean_Jonathan_Beckett.pdf at www.burgessyachts.com

Ocean Magazine 26 November 2013:

While Jonathan Beckett, Chief Executive of Burgess, was recently in Australia and New Zealand for a whirlwind tour, he spoke to Ocean about the purpose of such visits and the significance of the region to Burgess.

Q: How many times a year do you travel to this region and how important are these visits?
I travel to Australia and New Zealand between one and four times a year. This has been a very good and interesting niche market for us and one that I have personally worked hard at securing relationships and deals. I don’t think we could have succeeded in this market if we did not travel here regularly to meet with our customers. These visits are therefore fundamental to our success in the region.

Perhaps the mainstream media might like to contact this company and inquire about any political donations it may have made in the past.

UPDATE

Boilermaker Bill points out that very wealthy Sutton Forest NSW sometime resident, Reg Grundy, may have a connection with Akira Investments Ltd as the address given for this company, by the associated entity Free Enterprise Foundation on its political donation disclosure form, matches that of one of Grundy's own companies:

Grundy has a further connection with Akira Investments according to Bill in that he appears to have either leased or sold his super yacht Boadicea through this yacht brokerage company.

FURTHER UPDATE

ABC News 2 June 2014 approx 6.40pm:

Television pioneer Reg Grundy has confirmed he made a $200,000 donation to the Free Enterprise Foundation, a Liberal Party-linked entity that has been scrutinised by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, via a family-owned business.

Until now the source of the donation, one of the largest to be channelled to the Liberal Party through the Foundation, has remained a mystery.

The ABC can also reveal that federal Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane directed the Mr Grundy and his wife Joy to make the donation to the Free Enterprise Foundation, rather than directly to the party, to maintain their privacy.

The payment was made via Akira Investments Ltd, which is owned by the Grundys.

In a statement, Akira director Jo Cullen-Cronshaw said: "I made enquiries of Mr Brian Loughnane and was advised by him that the best way to maintain their privacy would be to make the donation through the Free Enterprise Foundation".

"As they are extremely private individuals they always prefer that any donation they make, political or philanthropic, remains anonymous."

Mr Loughnane declined to confirm making those instructions to the Grundys, but said all Liberal Party fundraising complied with the law and met all disclosure requirements.

The 2013 BRW Rich list estimated Grundy's fortune at $760 million.

The $200,000 donation from Akira Investments was listed by the Foundation among its donor disclosure filings to the Australian Electoral Commission for the year 2012-13.

Akira has failed to lodge a political disclosure donation form to the Commission as required by law. However the AEC is powerless to chase it for disclosures, as it has no international jurisdiction.

The Australian Tax Office would not confirm if it would investigate Akira Investments Ltd.

In a statement, the ATO indicated that any investigation into donations to political parties would be limited to reviewing any claims for tax deductions.

The $200,000 donation stands among the largest single amounts gifted to the Free Enterprise Foundation, described  as "a tool for the Liberal Party" by Geoffrey Watson SC, Counsel Assisting ICAC, during his opening address on April 28....

Australian Prime Minister Abbott's tin ear is on display once more

Oh, dear. Everything is just Tony, Tony, Tony and his political plans to stay on as Prime Minister……

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Hlm9z9frjiYJ:www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-06-01/message-prime-minister-70th-anniversary-d-day-landings+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au:

Home » Media » A message from the Prime Minister - 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER - 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE D-DAY LANDINGS

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Prime Minister

This week the world will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The D-day landings changed the course of human history.

As part of the commemoration, I will join seven Australians who were there 70 years ago.

Over 3,000 Australians were involved – including 2,500 air force personnel who provided air support for the Allied landings.

Following the D-day commemorations, I will be travelling to Canada and the United States – and will be joined by Australian business leaders.

My message to overseas investors is that Australia is open for business.

The Government’s Economic Action Strategy to lower tax, cut red tape and encourage trade will improve the competitiveness of businesses – so that we can build a stronger Australia.

We welcome investment and we are making investment more attractive by scrapping the carbon tax and the mining tax, cutting 50,000 pages of red tape and ending the “analysis paralysis” on major projects.

Our international partners can see that our Budget is again under control, we are tackling debt and deficits and we are serious about building a strong and prosperous economy.

This year Australia hosts the G20 summit to encourage growth around the world and I will be advancing that cause during this trip.

The United States, Canada and France are long standing friends.  We stood together at D-Day, we trade every day and we have always shared a commitment to democracy, to enterprise and to people’s right to be free.

1 June 2014

Authorised transcript of YouTube video by Tony Abbott:

Published on May 31, 2014

This week the world will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The D-day landings changed the course of human history.

As part of the commemoration, I will join seven Australians who were there 70 years ago.

Over 3,000 Australians were involved -- including 2,500 air force personnel who provided air support for the Allied landings.

Following the D-day commemorations, I will be travelling to Canada and the United States -- and will be joined by Australian business leaders.

My message to overseas investors is that Australia is open for business.

The Government's Economic Action Strategy to lower tax, cut red tape and encourage trade will improve the competitiveness of businesses -- so that we can build a stronger Australia.

We welcome investment and we are making investment more attractive by scrapping the carbon tax and the mining tax, cutting 50,000 pages of red tape and ending the "analysis paralysis" on major projects.

Our international partners can see that our Budget is again under control, we are tackling debt and deficits and we are serious about building a strong and prosperous economy.  

This year Australia hosts the G20 summit to encourage growth around the world and I will be advancing that cause during this trip.

The United States, Canada and France are long standing friends.  We stood together at D-Day, we trade every day and we have always shared a commitment to democracy, to enterprise and to people's right to be free.

Unfortunately for Tony Abbott online media such as New Matilda noticed his crass attempt to assert his own political agenda into a media release about D-Day commemorations (just as they noticed the clumsy attempt to remove the media release link from the Internet which was thwarted by Google Cache):

It’s not simply the case of an unfortunate media release linking two issues together by accident, because by the end, Abbott returns to D-Day.

“The United States, Canada and France are long standing friends. We stood together at D-Day, we trade every day and we have always shared a commitment to democracy, to enterprise and to people’s right to be free.”

By late Sunday evening, the issue was trending heavily on Twitter, via the auspol hashtag.

New Matilda is awaiting comment from the Prime Minister’s office. At the risk of putting words into the spinner’s mouths, the response is likely to be something along the lines of ‘… we never removed the story, the link just broke... by itself… oh, look over there, a unicorn!’

Whatever the truth, expect to wake in the morning to more outrage from the public about a Prime Minister who can’t even manage to milk Aussie sentiment around war heroes without stuffing things up.

The last word must go to Twitter:

There's the "we" again from one of that co-joined pair in the House of Representatives

The Federal Liberal Minister for Education and Leader of the House Christopher Pyne has now taken to answering on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop, and apparently including her in his use of the term “we”.

House of Representatives Hansard 26 May 2014:

The SPEAKER: What is the point of order?

Mr Albanese: the Leader of the House is about to breach privilege against a member. I do not know how he has that letter. The letter is not the same letter. That is correspondence between a member of parliament and a minister. That is quite clearly subject to privilege.

Mr Pyne: Rubbish!

Mr Albanese: That is quite clearly subject to privilege, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The member will resume his seat. The Leader of the House has the call.

Mr Albanese: Madam Speaker, on what basis?

Mr Pyne: Madam Speaker, I think we know the point of order that is being made by the member for Grayndler.

The SPEAKER: The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Mr Albanese: On what basis?

Mr Pyne: Because we understand the point you are making.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House has the call.

[my red bolding]

* Photographs found at Google Images

How Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is selling his 2014-15 federal budget

While many Abbott Government backbenches appear to be unhappy with the dismantling of social justice, equity and access outlined in their government’s first federal budget – Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is behind these budget measures all the way.

Kevin Hogan’s support for the federal budget in his own words, as itemised by Google’s  search engine since 14 May 2014:

* Budget invests in the future of Page - Kevin Hogan

* Federal budget delivers for Page students - Kevin Hogan

* Coalition's first budget delivers for Agriculture - Kevin Hogan

* Government success stopping illegal boats to save $2.5 billion

* Budget delivers on commitments for people with disability and carers

* Page students, schools and community to benefit from record funding for schools

* New Work for the Dole arrangements for young job seekers

* Strengthening higher education for students in Page | Kevin Hogan

Local media are not necessarily responding as Mr. Hogan may have hoped.

The Coffs Coast Advocate 14 May 2014:

THE people on the North Coast aren't fools so why do our Federal politicians continue to treat us like we are.

There's nothing wrong with toeing the National Party line but surely it isn't too much to expect some independent thought from Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker and his Page counterpart Kevin Hogan.

Within 12 hours of Treasurer Joe Hockey finishing his Budget speech, the offices of both Mr Hartsuyker and Mr Hogan issued media releases with their reaction to the Budget.

Incredibly both men said EXACTLY the same thing.

That's not just the media releases saying the same thing, but both men were quoted as saying exactly the same words….

EXAMPLE No.1
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion schedule of Pacific Highway works. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."
HOGAN QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion work schedule of the Pacific Highway. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."

EXAMPLE No.2
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."
HOGAN QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."

EXAMPLE No.3
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."
HOGAN QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."

Surely both men didn't say exactly the same thing. Surely these university educated men have some insightful thoughts of their own….

Echo NetDaily 21 May 2014:

Federal Page MP Kevin Hogan (Nationals) is refusing to answer questions from The Echo on how his government’s budget will affect his constituents.

The electorate of Page covers Lismore, Ballina, Iluka, Casino and Grafton.

Mr Hogan’s media representative Peter Weekes said, ‘Kevin is happy to answer any questions from media covering the Page electorate, but as your readers are not in Page, it would be best if you direct these questions to Mr Hockey’s office, or Matthew Fraser who stood as the Nationals’ candidate in Richmond’.

We pointed out that Echonetdaily covers four shires, including his electorate.

Echo NetDaily 24 May 2014:

‘Our message on this budget has been atrocious. The clarity of the message very messy,’ he [Hogan] told Echonetdaily.

 

The Abbott Family spreads out

When current Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was Opposition Leader he, his wife and two of his three daughters lived in the family home at Forestville on Sydney's north shore, with the eldest daughter living and working overseas.

Less than a year after his party won government the eldest daughter Louise still lives and works overseas, however Tony spends most of his time in Canberra sans wife and family (in bachelor digs at the Australian Federal Police College) and the remainder of his time at Kirribilli House, although officially at her husband's side rumour has it that Margie primarily resides at the family home, Frances lives in Melbourne and Bridget lives at the prime minister's official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House.

There has been no explanation as to why daughter Bridget is living in almost solo splendour on the taxpayer's dollar, while the explanation given as to why the Prime Minister expensively rejected a taxpayer-funded temporarily leased family home in Canberra was always decidedly thin.

Snapshot from Tony Abbott's latest updates to the Register of Members' Interests 

NSW Police & coal seam gas miner Metgasco Limited's response to the Glenugie protest revisited - judgment transcript

Excerpt from Magistrate Heilpern’s October 2013 judgment in Police v Rankin; Police v Roberts [2013] NSWLC 25 which decided prosecutions were permanently stayed:

Collateral Purpose

82 The defence contend at paragraphs 15 to 21 of their submissions that the prosecution has been instituted for a collateral purpose. They submit that a question arises as to whether the prosecutions are being pursued for a political aim, given the high profile issue of CSG in the community. The defence further submit that the prosecution may be as a result of embarrassment by "Sydney" over the visiting specialist unit police and their failure to comply with LEPRA.

83 It is correct that the courts will not usually look behind the reason for a prosecutorial discretion. However, this is an exception to that situation. The applicants have 'fair and square' laid out their concerns relating to these matters in their submissions. Two solicitors have prepared lengthy affidavits replete with attachments to support this application. The response from the prosecution is to simply point out that there is no evidence beyond mere conjecture. To an extent that is true - there is no smoking gun that proves political interference or specialist squad intervention. However, nor have the police chosen to dispel these suggestions with any evidence, or any alternative scenario that does not involve collateral purpose. The informant has not filed any evidence to explain why the new charges have been laid, and had they, any cross-examination may have shed light on this issue. There is nothing in submissions which dispel the applicants' contentions. In particular, there is nothing from the informant to explain why his superiors determined to withdraw the charges, and he then instructed another prosecutor to run a different matter.

84 In my view, the burden on the applicant relating to a collateral purpose may be shown by inference. In this case I find myself asking "what could possibly be the reason for continuing on with such an 'innocuous' charge in these circumstances?" Whilst suspicion is not enough, what else is the court to conclude when the prosecution offers no other alternative to the issues raised by the applicants? Why else would the police risk a costs order against them in the original matters which were withdrawn (which could run into the many tens of thousands of dollars), drive a prosecutor up from Sydney to run the matters, arrange police witnesses to travel from Sydney all for an 'innocuous' minor traffic matter.

85 The defence is correct that the CSG issue is political, to say the least. The arrests in this case are just one set of many, and the defendants who have come before me are generally over 50 years, well educated with a fair smattering of farmers and professionals. It is in that context that the realistic suspicion of political interference arises.

86 My mind has wavered on this issue. There is suspicion, and there is a lack of any other rational purpose. However, I have formed the conclusion that I am not satisfied to the requisite degree that the prosecution in the fresh matters has been launched for a collateral purpose. Accordingly, I do not take into account the matters raised by the applicants on this issue.

Full transcript can be found here.

Federal Labor MP for Richmond congratulates Northern Rivers for its resistance to Metgasco Limited's plans to create gasfields in the region

Australian Parliament House of Representatives Hansard 26 May 2014:

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Richmond Electorate: Coal Seam Gas

Mrs ELLIOT (Richmond) (16:03): I rise to speak about a great community victory on the North Coast of New South Wales on 15 May when the gas company Metgasco had its drilling licence suspended at Bentley near Lismore. I take this opportunity to thank all of those in the community who work so hard to force the New South Wales state government to suspend this licence. We know it is only a suspension and we have to remain vigilant to ensure that all forms of unconventional gas mining do not occur in our area. We can only achieve this with the Northern Rivers being declared gas field free. We will keep this campaign going. We had such a variety of people involved in this community protest: farmers, families, grandparents, kids, locals, people from all around our region, people from right around the state, people from interstate and people from outside Australia. Everyone helped us. This is a victory for all those community workers who worked so hard; for those people who camped at Bentley; for the thousands who showed up at Bentley; for those who supported the Bentley blockade; for the people who wrote letters and signed petitions; for the people who marched in those rallies; for the people who declared their streets and communities gas field free; for all the people at Lock the Gate, including Ian Gaillard, Michael McNamara, Phil Laird; and for our local media, who highlighted the community's concerns, particularly the Byron Echo, the ABC at Lismore and the Northern Star. This victory is a community one. It is not one that the National Party have been trying to claim. They have been pushing CSG for years. People were upset when it, pathetically, tried to claim this victory as its own. The fact is, it ignored the concerns that had been brought to them by thousands of people over the years. Make no mistake: it was a community victory that brought about this outcome, because our community stood together. Many individuals—and I congratulate all of those individuals—and community groups worked so hard. This is your victory. You should own it. Congratulations for the great work that you did in protecting our beautiful north coast.