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INQUIRY CONTINUES
Remember the wheat-for-oil scandal? It was big news before Liberal party operative Mark Latham ingeniously provided a distraction. Anyway, here’s the latest:
Senior managers in AWB urged their managing director to meet the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, to get his approval for a falsely inflated wheat contract with Saddam Hussein’s regime that was designed to circumvent United Nations sanctions on Iraq.
Details of the scheme were revealed yesterday at the inquiry into the oil-for-food scandal in a memo written by a senior AWB executive who described the deal as “a sensitive issue”. The memo was written in February, 2003, shortly before Australia joined the US in invading Iraq.
“As we get closer to the loading of the first vessel, we will need to advise so you can OK the payment mechanism with DFAT [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade], i.e. Minister Downer”, the memo said. “My guess is that DFAT and the UN will have major problems with this, and if they say ‘no’ then we will have to address another way to get the moneys to Iraq.”
Looks like managing director Lindberg may not have bothered clearing the “payment mechanism”. It also looks as though the troublesome “payment mechanism” was only conceived very late in negotiations between Iraq and the AWB.
If it turns out that Howard is whiter than white on this one, will the radical left (and Fairfax) accept that?
Or will they insist it’s all a cover-up and demand that John Howard and David Hicks should trade places.
It’s interesting (though unsurprising) that this issue has attracted more attention than the oil-for-food scandal which was politically opposite.
Kevin Rudd wants all the Libs to retire because he wants the throne!And he is going to nag,nag,nag until he gets it.He is going to drive everyone batty until they all run screaming away and leave the lot to him. Then he will sit and talk to the emptiness because that is all he does.
Anyway according to those in the know, that is the only way the MI people will do business.There is no choice.I doubt Downer would have had the mental facilties to understand… silver spoons usually let others do the thinking for them ha ha ha !
Posted by Barry Bones on 2006 01 20 at 01:08 AM • permalinkApologies for being slightly OM but I had a moment of poetic inspiration;
“Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them.
Leave them alone and they’ll come home,
Dragging their fly-struck, maggot-eaten unmuseled tails behind them.Little Bo Peep doesn’t really care
That her sheep are going bonkers.
She finds that she is quite fulfilled
Showing off her honkers.”Posted by Susan Norton on 2006 01 20 at 01:31 AM • permalinkEqually OT but in the same vein:
Mary had a little lamb
whose fleece was white as snow.
Everywhere that the Mary went
the lamb was sure to go.It went with her to school one day
she didn’t mind of course.
She sat outside at lunch time
And ate it with mint sauce.—Nora
Posted by The Thin Man Returns on 2006 01 20 at 01:41 AM • permalinkIt’s Rudd’s job to politicise the AWB wheat cheats scandal. But he clearly misses the most substantial point.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is full of Arab dictator loving apologists. It has been this way under both Labor and Liberal governments.
I personally doubt (and hope) no government Minister knew about AWB paying off the world’s worst tyrant but in many respects it’s not the issue.
There is an entire government department which represents Australia overseas with seemingly only occasional interference from elected persons. It seems to have known or certainly ought to have known about AWB and other Australian companies corrupt dealings in the Middle East and Indonesia. DFAT needs radical surgery and a much tougher Minister. Hopefully the imminent reshuffle will bring these on.
Posted by Andrew Landeryou on 2006 01 20 at 02:08 AM • permalinkFor 24 years, Bruce Haigh worked as a senior Australian Government official in Asia and Africa, and was involved in negotiations to sell wheat.
He says paying commissions to Government bodies is part of doing business in the Third World and not something that AWB should be attacked over.
“There’s nothing, nothing, new in any of this and nothing which would surprise any businessman who has to deal in Asia, or Africa, or any other Third World country,” he said.
“The trouble is with this sort of business, is that you can’t make these things public.”
Andrew (Post 8): “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is full of Arab dictator loving apologists.” By DFAT you really mean “The Department of the Third Alternative” as it’s known around here.
The story. A former DFAT employee went to a new job in Defence. The denizens of his new work area had a little test for new arrivals. They sat him down, and opened a door on the back of which was a huge colour picture of some bloke’s hairy arse.
He sat and looked at for a second, and said:
“I get it. If I kiss it, I am management material. If I kick it, I am a worker bee like you.”
Then he paused and said: “But you forget I have come here from DFAT, and there is a third alternative...”Dan Lewis (Post 2): Who is this David Hicks? The only prisoner I know of who used to have that name changed it years ago to Mohammed Daoud.
MarkL
CanberraMary had a little lamb
Her father shot it dead
Then it went to school with her
Between two chunks of bread.Incidentally Tim its not THE AWB which is a swot womble trick to make out its part of the governement its just AWB.
For example we dont say the Fairfax or the BHP Billiton we just say fairfax or BHP.Posted by Astonished on 2006 01 20 at 04:30 AM • permalinkThis does remind me of a conversation I had in Dubai with a very senior Immigration man. he explained to me how bakheesh (spelling?) works where, small favours and gifts are considered appropiate at all levels of dealings.
How he had been given a lot of what were supposed to be nice pens to give to a group he was dealing with. The pens supplied by the Oz government were crap and of obviously poor quality. this bloke went out and spent a substantial sum on new ones, otherwise hed get nowhere in his dealings with these blokes again.Not entirely on topic but it does show that a certain amount of pragmatism is needed in particular countries. Its not good, its not right, and it corrupts.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 20 at 05:04 AM • permalinkAlexander Downer will come up smelling roses.
Benon Sevan had his AUNT thrown down an elevator shaft and got away with it…Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2006 01 20 at 05:32 AM • permalinkI just realisesd that teh PETA ad is someone pretending to be Bo-Peep (Sound of large penny dropping). Until now I thought she was dressed up as a barmaid at Oktoberfest. You are all nothing more than a bunch of illusion shatterers.
Anyway, objectively, it is still a bit ambigous. So far it looks like Lindberg never said anything about it to Downer, but you can never be sure (which is, of course, what the combat pixie possum is counting on if he can’t cleanly claim Downer’s scalp).
#13 Astonished. While you are technically correct, the AWB is regarded as an institution, and is commonly refered to as ‘The AWB’, as in ‘The Australian Wheat Board’, which is its old statutory name. Old habits die hard.
#11
Changing a few words to make it applicable to Australia
“He says paying commissions to Native Title bodies is part of doing business in Australia and not something that any mining company should be attacked over.
“There’s nothing, nothing, new in any of this and nothing which would surprise any businessman who has to deal in Asia, or Africa, or any other Third World country,” he said.
“The trouble is with this sort of business, is that you can’t make these things public.”
I would be careful about Haigh. He is a nutter (ex DFAT SE Asian diplomat for a start - considering some of his compatriots. He also is not friend of the Government, and campaigned in Gwydir against the then leader of the National Party, John Anderson, who was the best thing the nats had going for them.
Even more to the point, Alan Ramsay thinks Haigh’s a good bloke. Kiss of death, enough said.
About the AWB transactions, I believe it is ethically wrong what happened (allegedly), but it is a way of doing business in certain countries practically. I think the AWB wouldn’t have had a chance of getting their contracts without what they did. I’m sure they thought it was unethical but went ahead with it to get the contract. In Australia, you can use the law to discover and redress such wrong contractual behaviour, I’m not too sure what legal mechanisms the AWB had internationally. Nothing in Australia I bet. I don’t have confidence in the UN administration to police such business behaviour. Hmmm … one to think about …
Yes, if true, unethical business behaviour.
Mary had a little lamb
And it was always gruntin’
She tied it to a five-bar gate
And kicked it’s little _____ in.The Monty Python Bok.
Posted by walterplinge on 2006 01 20 at 07:05 AM • permalinkMary had a little lamb
its arse was black as charcol
Every time it jumped the fence
Sparks flew out its arsehole.Am I infantile or oafish? Just want to be sure..
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 20 at 07:49 AM • permalink10 Anagallis
Is it actually against the law to bribe someone in another country, where bribery is legal? Is it morally or legally wrong?
Under U.S. law it’s illegal. Talking about competing with one arm tied behind yer back, WHAT a stupid law!
Is it morally wrong? Only in the sense that it’s morally wrong to fail to single-handedly change the entire national culture of whatever nation you’re trying to do business with, or in.Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 01 20 at 11:42 AM • permalink12 MarkL
Who is this David Hicks? The only prisoner I know of who used to have that name changed it years ago to Mohammed Daoud.
Plus we convened a huge international conclave of the World Legion of Daves (WoLoD), and blackballed his ass out of there, so technically, you can’t call him “David” any more, please and thank you. Don’t make me sic Thom Lyons’ attorneys on you.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 01 20 at 11:46 AM • permalink#16
Do not to to http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21 or you may be completely shatterered.Frank
I knew Haigh. I don’t think he’s a nutter. He is, perhaps, excessively idealistic, but he’s got decent instincts.
Just because the turd Alan Ramsay supports him isn’t QUITE enough to condemn him - though I agree it comes dangerously close.
Poor Bruce went to Christ Church Grammar School in WA - the disgusting Peter Moyes was headmaster, and a thing called Fred Eccleston was Chaplain. Can’t blame anyomne too much with that background.
Posted by Susan Norton on 2006 01 20 at 12:06 PM • permalinkMary had a little lamb
...and the doctor fainted.Yes, baksheesh, bribery, etc. are illegal under US law. That’s why a large number of US corporations use foreign subsidiaries to try to circumvent the law and actually get business deals done. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Posted by Some0Seppo on 2006 01 20 at 12:21 PM • permalinkHe says paying commissions to Government bodies is part of doing business in the Third World and not something that AWB should be attacked over.
The problem with this pathetically trite defence of the actions of the AWB is that this wasn’t just some third world country where you bribe a minor offical who makes his paltry living from petty corruption. This was a brutal totalitarian regime whom at the time most of the world believed had WMDs and were prepared to use them, and with whom we were about to go to war!!
It beggars belief that anybody would profer such a childish defence but, they are. Sheesh!
Posted by Dean McAskil on 2006 01 20 at 12:43 PM • permalinkWhen it works, unionite Democrats complain about it. When it doesn’t work, unionite Democrats complain about it. What to do, what to do?
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 01 20 at 12:45 PM • permalinkAnd I agree that this goes a bit beyond the normal under the line payments and commissions. The Oil-for Food program was put in place to restrict Hussein’s ability to use export proceeds for military purposes. Actively circumventing this was a serious matter and AWB (and the Government if found complicit) deserve everything they get.
Given Haigh’s penchant to bash the government at every opportunity i’m surprised he took the line he did.
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#31,
Using foreign subsidiaries or even contracting with independent foreign firms to get around the no baksheesh rules isn’t going to work any more.
You can now get nailed for an employee of said firm doing business according to their own nation’s rules, even if you don’t know they’re doing it, if such practices violate U.S. rules.
In practice, it means you’ve got lawyers looking over your shoulder every minute of every day if you do business with foreign firms or governments.
Something or other to do with “making us more competitive”, or something.
#38 This online survey will approximately take 15-20 minutes to complete. After collecting the data, I will draw to pick up 50 respondents among those who complete this survey and each will be given $ 10 gift card.
A chance for a $10 gift card? I am really tempted.
But sorry Danny. We neocons here are extremely busy with executing rightwing death plans concocted by our Evil Lord Karl Rove.
But I might know two people who could help you. First, Tim Dunlop. He’s a leftie and might be influenced by the fact that the survey has been “reviewed and approved by the SIUC Human Subject Committee”. It sounds like it was vetted by a very multilateral UN committee. If you also mention that George Bush personally called you with orders not to involve The Road to Surfdom, he’ll probably pay you to participate.
Second, Iowahawk. (wiggles two fingers on each hand in a wiggly wiggly motion) Yeah, drop him a request for assistance. Yes, please do.
Posted by wronwright on 2006 01 20 at 06:57 PM • permalinkIm a bit worried about Stoop. First of all its just wrong to prefer a sheep over a goat only a Furry should be worried about that.
2nd of all the orbital dissonators have some great zoom features on their sights.
http://tinyurl.com/ac6xf
I often wish it didnt.Any way goats are ok for gay little bowel puncturing moves but for a good ass stomping, femur shattering, whup ass session u need a ram.
I think Ive said too much.
Ps: Relief shift was supposed to be here 2 weeks ago, not complaining or anything but eating my own recycled waste is getting a little old.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 20 at 07:51 PM • permalinkway off topic but I was interested in Sunday Age columnist Karen Kissane today commenting on Victoria’s new governor, Professor David de Kretser, a scientist who migrated from Sri Lanka to Australia at the age of nine.
She writes
Kissane
Melbourne has racism. You often hear it from taxi drivers. It can show itself coarsely in the oaths of cricket crowds or delicately in the poisonous patter of dinner parties. The veils of Muslim women can be torn off in the street, and they and their children can be spat upon by strangers.
Just wondering, is this veil-ripping an urban myth? Can anyone turn up any evidence that it ever happened?
Incidentally poor Stevie Bracks can never win. He appoints a dark-skinned governor and Kissane wallops into him for not appointing an indigenous single mother or some such:
Public appointments of men with ethnic backgrounds are not new. What would break the mould is a qualified woman who was also a single mother, or who had spent years away from a high-powered career to raise her children, or who even - mercy on us all - never married at all. Maybe she could be a woman who also represents multiculturalism or indigenous Australians.percypup
Why not go the whole hog and have a mixed Aboriginal/Iraqi, lesbian, blind, deaf, mute, in a wheelchair, with aids, who has been appointed director of a top 10 company, and a mental disorder?
Should be a few to choose from???
/moonbat offPosted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 20 at 08:11 PM • permalinkpercypup _ he said can be. So of course, if it’s possible, it must happen, right, because the masses are a bunch of lumpen fascist Bushoward voters…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 01 20 at 08:25 PM • permalinktotally OT, but these guys deserve kudos for being exceptionally rude about a monopoly enterprise
Snip from the Oz
“One interested observer at the back of the AWB corruption enquiry was Ian Smith(no not THAT Ian Smithk-my words not columnist’s),husband of Natasha Stott Despoya and also head of public relations firm Gavin Anderson.Smith was trying to look inconspicuous,something he says comes easily these days when he and Tash are out.He’s also an old friend of AWB chief Andrew Lindberg and when pressed confirmed that Gavin Anderson was “offering advice” to AWB in the enqiry.#43 44 lol.
Continuing the p.c. theme here’s a bit from Britain’s The Independent.Editorial.
“not only have they made British rock respectable but they have persuaded young boys of the merits of playing musical instruments.-There is still too much gender stereotyping when it comes to instruments.An Ofsted report in 2004 found that nine times as many girls as boys learn the flute and twice as many boys learn the trumpet. Sadly, the new influence of rock music is unlikely to counteract this IRRATIONAL trend on its own.Schools need to ENSURE that children of both sexes are given a proper choice of instrument.”Fucking comment spammer BANNED.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 01 20 at 11:48 PM • permalinkWhy not go the whole hog and have a mixed Aboriginal/Iraqi, lesbian, blind, deaf, mute, in a wheelchair, with aids, who has been appointed director of a top 10 company, and a mental disorder?
Former Secretary of the Interior James Watt got fired for making that joke.
Good one.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 01 21 at 12:53 AM • permalinkPW, Professors ‘work’ very limited hours here ;)
Posted by Art Vandelay on 2006 01 21 at 03:34 AM • permalink#43. Re the ripping off of muslim women’s veils.
I live in Brackistan, and while I’ve read bleating about it in the paper, I don’t recall any real details about it. No names, no mention of charges, that sort of thing. Nothing in the VCAT archives for cases under the Racial and Religious (in)Tolerance Act.
It may have happened, it may not.
As for racism, if Karren Kissane is so offended by our fair state of affairs, she can sod off to France and try waltzing through the banlieus.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 01 21 at 04:18 AM • permalinkInquiring Minds Want To Know #473:
Why does Wronwright wriggle his fingers at the mention of Iowahawk?
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 01 21 at 04:19 AM • permalinkPW, Professors ‘work’ very limited hours here ;)
Even more reason for him to be all over these new developments. Well, maybe I need to give him another 24 hours to figure out how to maintain his belief that somebody in the hoWARd junta is chiefly responsible for this.
More seriously - does anyone know if a beard like Quiggin’s helps or hinders when putting a foot in one’s mouth?
maybe I need to give him another 24 hours to figure out how to maintain his belief somebody in the hoWARd junta is chiefly responsible for this.
oh you don’t need proof anymore, I think the “HoWARd is to blame for the world’s ills” is just the law or something these days.
Posted by Art Vandelay on 2006 01 21 at 08:34 AM • permalinkIn fact, I think it’s one of those ‘international laws’ we keep hearing about.
Posted by Art Vandelay on 2006 01 21 at 08:36 AM • permalinkthefrolickingmole : Re #44
How about a migrant transsexual ex-Lesbian now possibly straight (don’t ask - hormones can have unexpected and frankly unwelcome effects) neocon Rocket Scientist who’s just been granted a scholarship to do research in embedded systems for her PhD?If so, I humbly volunteer.
Sorry, unlike the PC-Correct crowd, I find my situation utterly hilarious. Tragic, socially catastrophic (what do I tell my 4 year old son?) and embarressing beyond belief, but nonetheless, sidesplittingly funny.
You should see the looks on some GLBTIQ faces when I tell them that I don’t just support the coalition in Iraq, but think we should do something pronto about Iran too.
“You’re transsexual.. you can’t be Right Wing!!”
Unfortunately I get the same thing from a lot of the Religious Right. They think it’s a “lifestyle choice” too. Yeah, like having a cleft palate is a “lifestyle choice”, the only choice you have is how or when to deal with it. Most haven’t got a clue about Intersex or Transsexuality, or other common congenital developmental anomalies. Unlike the Left though, they sometimes listen, and don’t let their prejudices get in the way of the facts.
The Left never let the facts get in the way of their prejudices.
#56 Jealousy. And contempt over the two or three occasions in which I wrote an especially funny comment and Iowahawk (wriggles fingers) wrote comments immediately afterwards, taking all the attention. Obviously premeditated acts. (Remember Iowahawk’s creation of the New Media Handhand Device circa 2050? Yes? Remember my comment immediately before it? No? You’re not the only one. Took me 30 minutes to craft that gem. Waste of time. Thank you Iowahawk. Grrrrrrrrrr).
I won’t mention the very unfortunate experience during my presentation at the “Global Warming—What Are You Doing to Help Turn the Yukon into Malibu?” Conference and Iowahawk booby trapping the water pitcher.
Posted by wronwright on 2006 01 21 at 10:29 AM • permalink42 f’ing mole
Any way goats are ok for gay little bowel puncturing moves but for a good ass stomping, femur shattering, whup ass session u need a ram.
Hey Moley, can you see the minion parking lot from your office window. Check out my glossy black HumVee in the “Minion of Last Month” reserved parking spot. On the driver’s side door there, see that? I’ve got a silhouette of Mugabe’s large intestine stencilled on my door, is what I’ve got. What’ve you got, rammy boy?
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 01 21 at 06:44 PM • permalinkZoe Brain
All the qualifications needed, except for the right wing bit!!
Quite often browse accross your site, if anyone needed proof god has a sense of humour. At least you are turning your negative into a positive. (Or is that the other way round :-0)Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 21 at 06:47 PM • permalinkUm, a panoranic view of the dark side of the moon?
Its well known they only put the most trusted and valuable unter-minions in charge of a sonic dissonator. And its a fast track to promotion, would you believe no less than 17 have been promoted from here in the last callender year?
They havent said that exactly but i found a locked room with gear in it from them.
Must get a new wardrobe of clothes and everything because they left everything behind. Starting to devellop an unhealthy liking for tenticle anime vids but, thats all thats here.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 01 21 at 06:56 PM • permalink# 62 Hey Moley, can you see the minion parking lot from your office window. Check out my glossy black HumVee in the “Minion of Last Month” reserved parking spot.
Glossy black HumVee? A minion gets a HumVee? I’m driving a freaking Volkswagen Passat.
For what? Goring a tin pot dictator in a goat outfit? Big deal. I moved a lake. A subterranean lake. In Antartica! To 5000 BC Mesopotamia! And for that I get a Passat!
Are you sure you didn’t borrow (wiggles fingers) Richard McEnroe’s HumVee?
Posted by wronwright on 2006 01 21 at 11:38 PM • permalink... well, I mean, not EXACTLY ... you see, um, SOMEBODY had keyed Mr McEnroe’s HumVee, so he directed me to take it to the paint shop and fix it up. Some BAD PERSON had done this, and I could tell by the scratch marks that they had wiggly fingers, whoever it was. So anyway, there’s me, at the paint shop, and, well, the, uh, the silhouette stenciling thing was, well, that part was kind of my idea.
But he DEFINITELY didn’t say when I had to bring the Hummer back, I’m SURE I would have remembered something like that!Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 01 22 at 06:23 PM • permalink
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I’m sure Rudd will still want Downer and Howard to resign, for being unaware that they weren’t being told about this.