Return of the Stinger
The National Corruption Concealment Commission flubbed the investigation into the six Robodebt referrals sent to it by the Royal Commission led by Catherine Holmes.
Major General Paul Brereton, the Grand Poo-Bah at the Concealment Commission, was directly involved in sinking the Robodebt investigation because of his close association with Major General Kathryn Campbell, the heartless Mandarin at the Department of Inhuman Services who misled the Cabinet and covered up the unlawfulness of the scheme.
Gail Furness, the Inspector of the Commission, reported that Brereton was involved up to his armpits in sweeping the referrals under the carpet and making a misleading statement to the media.
How he is still in the job is an ongoing mystery.
Former High Court justice Geoffrey (Stinging) Nettle was called in to reconsider the botched decision and he recommended that due to Brereton’s conflicts and misconduct an investigation into the Robodebt referrals should be conducted thoroughly and independently.
It turns out that Nettle himself has landed that job. The Austender website reveals that Geoffrey Arthur Nettle of Melbourne will be paid $648,000 to investigate the six referrals – the task that the Concealment Commission should have done in the first place.
His contract runs from April 7 to December 31, 2025. There’s nothing like writing a report that lands you ongoing work with a healthy stipend.
Further, barrister Gary Hevey SC from Vic’s Bar ‘n’ Grill, has been signed as counsel assisting for a tidy $360,000 – also for nine months.
Previously, Hevey was chief counsel assisting Stinging Nettle in the Office of the Special Investigator dealing with bringing cases against parties involved in the “Lawyer X” (Gobbo) police informants’ racket.
That fell apart amid acrimony with the then Victorian DPP, Kerri Judd, who refused to lay charges in instances where Nettle had carefully built a case.
Lawyers picnic termination
Someone called Vexatious Litigant posting on Twitter/X has calculated that the original prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for rape has spawned at least 20 court cases, inquiries, reviews, and appeals. And it still goes on.
An AusLaw Reddit user has devised legislation to put an end to the picnic – along the lines of Western Australian legislation preventing Clive Palmer suing the State.
It is called the Prohibition of Lehrmann Proceedings Proliferation Act 2025, and it provides penalties for breaches with a mandatory minimum 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $10 million. Imprisonment also applies for breaches by directors and office holders of entities who are not natural persons.
Liberal saviour for Grayndler
David Smallbone, BA, LLB, FCIArb, FACICA, from Sydney’s Frederick Jordan Chambers has been at the bar since 1990 yet remains repeatedly overlooked for silk – possibly because on two occasions he has sued the NSW Bar Association.
Having despaired of the bar’s intransigance he is taking on a fresh, but no less daunting, challenge – tipping Anthony Albanese out of his electorate.
Albo has been elected as Grayndler’s man in Canberra on nine occasions and at the last federal election in 2022 he secuted 53.6% of the primary vote. Still, if Smallbone can create even a tiny swing to the Nasty Party he’s destined for bigger things and maybe a more fruitful electorate next time around.
Unfortunately, according to our Field Agent in Stanmore, his posters have come in for some commentary. One was daubed “Fucking Lib”, while there was witty scribble on another asking, “Why is he selling himself so short?”