rosetta moon

Victoria’s Department of Justice has warned the Premiers office about the latest secret plan to arm the Office of Police Integrity (OPI). In this ironic twist in the ongoing corruption saga in the secret state, the judiciary is seeking protection for its own soiled turf while stating some basic truths to the Brumby government, which continues to resist self-scrutiny through the mechanism of an independent Royal Commission into corruption.

The imminent departure of George Brouwer will be a key turning point in maintaining the cover up. Brouwer has worked tirelessly and effectively and can be congratulated for removing two thorns from Victorian democracy: Mobster Police Union Secretary Paul Mullet and disgraced assistant police commissioner Noel Ashby. From the Premiers perspective an ideal time to set up another secret counter force to counter further damaging leaks which on a daily basis dog honest government and policing in Victoria.

The latest report in The Age (Feb 27) ‘armed – and above the law’ reveals the ongoing tension between the judiciary and the executive arm as one rat after another jumps off the sinking ship of chaos and corruption which has plagued Victoria for decades.

A SECRET plan by the Brumby Government to give the Office of Police Integrity more powers would in effect create Victoria’s untouchables, with OPI operatives to be armed, above judicial scrutiny and broadly immune from prosecution.

A cabinet briefing note seen by The Age expresses alarm at plans to give OPI operatives access to guns without police approval, to restrict court access to OPI documents and to give unprecedented protection to its agents against being sued.

The briefing note, prepared by the Department of Justice, also warns that a draft bill to boost OPI powers could create a “significant risk” of OPI officers themselves engaging in improper and corrupt conduct. The draft bill for the changes has been prepared by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

The ongoing theme in this saga is the abuse of basic democratic principles: Privacy, Freedom of Information and the separation of powers. The background to political corruption in Victoria while not covered in depth by the media can be gleaned other places, including Heretic Press, which has been filling the gaps in the incomplete media story:

The current deficient structure of the OPI is the responsibility of Victorian Premiers Bracks and Brumby. The director of the Office of Police Integrity, OPI Mr Brouwer has had to wear two hats he is also the ombudsman, an admirable man of the highest integrity trying to cope with two jobs. He and his brave OPI crew continue to do a great job working against a very difficult and obstructive police culture which vilifies police internal affairs investigators as “rats”. A good police force culture should welcome Mr Brouwer and his crew, but George has never received the full support of or been properly resourced by the state government. George Brouwer said “some police had acted as judge and jury, determining guilt and meting out punishment.” “OPI investigators found repeated instances of force used to extract confessions and of officers lying on oath to get convictions”. If you want to experience extreme peer group pressure including intimidation from bullies and criminals with guns who call themselves police, try working with George in the OPI!

Victorians should all admire the psychological courage and fortitude of OPI police! Simon Illingworth’s accounts are chilling reading. A small minority of individuals can stand up to this level of peer group pressure, more is the pity that such men are not supported in their efforts to clean up Victoria police by a state government whose former leader made secret deals with bullies in the police union behind everyone’s back. Secret deals with a bully calling for the OPI to be disbanded, deals that involved promises of unlimited legal funds to protect police from prosecution by the OPI, even if police are convicted of a crime well outside their official duties, they pay no legal fees, guilty police pay no legal fees. That must have been very disheartening for the OPI. Everyone is with good reason scared to give evidence against dishonest criminal police, they can kill you and claim it was self defense (hidden guns found in station roofs), they are experienced in court procedures and presenting evidence and they have unlimited legal funds. It is a testament to some fine “policemen” that OPI have had some success in some cases.

Correct. What we are reading about and witnessing is simply a corrupted culture. Where and how this entered Victorian politics warrants another chapter. What is worth noting is the progressive removal of the safeguards to democracy, less accountability enabling corrupt elements within all layers of society to be afforded protection. The results are most evident in the corrupted police members and hierarchy but it does not stop there. Police are merely the pawns at the bottom of the pyramid but their continued exposure reflects systemic corruption within the judiciary and the legislative branches of Victorian government. As the current strategy to contain the effects of corruption evades even the most secretative premier, the need and reality for independent scrutiny grows stronger. As the saying goes for only so long, ‘you can run but you can’t hide’.

Further information:

Herald Sun report on OPI findings

Victorian say get the corrupt politicians

Police Association legal manager Sen-Sgt Greg Davies said the results showed strong backing for a broad-based anti-corruption body. He said:

“When you throw in calls from Kevin Rudd, Morris Iemma and Peter Beattie, all telling John Brumby that if he thinks the OPI is the answer to his problems then he’s dreaming, and he still ignores them, you have to ask ‘Why?’

“It would appear they have something to hide.”… “Why else do you stop the only anti-corruption body in the state at the politicians’ front door?”

(The truth is Brumby is looking complicit with so many unresolved complaints and suggestions all round for a royal commission, what is the premier so afraid of ? And, congratulations to the Herald Sun for keeping up the pressure when the Age has again dropped the ball..no prizes for guessing why! )

Further Information:

Interview – George Brouwe ABC Four Corners 2005

Government bungle jeopardises OPI cases- The Age Feb 1, 2009 – fascinating that a Royal Commission has still not been called and the Brumby government is still reluctant to delve into the real layers of corruption poisoning the Victorian judiciary.

My fascination and curiosity for 3D has been re-kindled after viewing the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in digital time series, stereoscopically projected on a silver screen. The Arkaroola resort became a picturesque model of miniature people, cars, buildings, and quivering trees. Suddenly the world became a childs playground again and I wanted to explore more. The Creature From the Black Lagoon the last memorable journey, and then random trips round the globe through the lens of the family Viewmaster. In the seventies I remember exploring Niagra falls and getting drenched by the rain, people apparently doing this for decades:

The New York Sterescopic Society unravels the history of the Viewmaster phenomena:

…which was developed in 1938 by two men, William Gruber and Harold Graves, who bumped into each other and brainstormed the idea at the Oregon Caves National Monument on the south coast before returning to develop the concept in Portland. Although we think of the View-Master as a child’s toy, the 3D Center points out that the familiar circular reels possibly constitute the largest collection of 3D photographs ever compiled, and in 1942, the US military commissioned 5.6 million custom training reels on subjects such as ship identification.

Until the late 1970s, when the company switched to reels made primarily of photographs and paintings, the View-Master stories were told with handmade sculptures, which were then photographed in 3D.

These constitute the “golden age” of the View-Master, and were principally sculpted by Portland resident Joe Liptak. The highlight of the 3D Center’s show is an assembly of Liptak’s original sculptures from his own private collection: Fred Flintstone, Huckleberry Hound, dinosaurs, and assorted creatures are all on view, with their corresponding, eye-popping View-Masters. Aside from being a sweet nostalgic treat, The Magic of View-Master is an engaging refresher course in stereoscopic vision, an informative history lesson about a ubiquitous childhood toy, and yet another thing you can casually brag on Portland for when your friends come in from Des Moines. Portland Mercury

Tim Baier: explores the Flinders Ranges in 3D

Tim Baier: South Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing

Viewmaster history

Viewmaster Ultimate Reel List

Illustrated 3D Movie List

Melbourne Age headline 21/02/08 Dire new warning on climate, ‘Act Now’ the online visual message to the reader.

Letter sent to the editor 21/02/08

Professor Garnaut made some lofty climate change statements yesterday in Adelaide, but what exactly is he saying and to who? (Dire warning on climate, The Age, Feb 21). As a leading captain of industry he makes some interesting statements of cause and effect. He talks up the expanding the world economy as a cause of climate change, without declaring his stake in it. Banking, economics and mining are his bread and butter but neither the ‘The Age’ nor the professor makes mention of this obvious truth.

Neither does the professor come clean with regard his global dirty work. We are advised: ‘Australia should take a leadership role in the region by working on targets with near neighbours including Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.’ But again, we are not informed of Garnaut’s role in such projects as Lihir Gold, making a mockery of his credentials to pontificate and make dire warnings about climate change. To suggest Australians should feel guilt and remorse and the need to ‘Act Now’ is treacherous in light of the ecological vandalism left in the professor’s wake. The proverbial pot calling the kettle black the problem raising questions as to why this government would has made such an appointment and why the media is a willing accomplice to such a scare campaign?

And yet there is no reason to be too surprised as conflict of interest has become common in government in Australian government as corporations have moved in to become the behind the scenes decision makers. An uproar when John Howard appointed Robin Batterham Chief Scientist, when he was simultaneously answering to the Rio Tinto Board. The resignation of Guy Pearse, speech writer to environment Minister Hill amidst evidence of a Greenhouse Mafia laying down policy to the federal cabinet. The elaborate PR stunt which was the Australian Greenhouse Office, promising the earth and delivering nothing. Once again the media and government (or govern-media) is pointing an illusory smoking gun toward the people of Australia.

We are warned in dramatic terms of impending doom and dire consequences without any reference to fact or practical advice in finding a solution. The politics of fear is raising its ugly head which is a sad indictment of the Rudd government and yet another reason to watch and listen but not take seriously the Australian media or this government. Deferring change and maintaining perverse policy and playing the blame game while it supports the continuation of the same corporate ‘growth’ at any cost agenda. Surely solutions to this thing ‘climate change’ are practical steps taken ‘now’ rather than projected actions ‘later’ and media scare campaigns? Shame on the Rudd government for playing the fear card instead of addressing in reality some serious environmental questions.

The Age will not publish this response. A simple conclusion based on experience and knowledge of how ‘news’ is created, categorised and responded within the media circus. A valid and acceptable response from this fear piece would be ‘guilt shrouded in blame’. Perhaps, an attack on a politician who failed to meet a promise or make a change. ‘Applause and delight’ at positive change would also be acceptable…any response which engages with the premise and emotion of the constructed news is welcomed into the media circus, that much we know. We have been told there is a problem and it’s much bigger than we thought. Emotional response ‘thought forms’ or reactions validate the news, as we know it. What becomes acceptable as response is information displaying an emotion in keeping with the original intent of the piece.

So what is the intent and what is the point? The point is that media is the public relations arm of our corporatised and non-accountable government. In the absence of accountability public relations campaigns are employed to direct attention away from the cause of any given problem. Note that we are the cause of the problem and our emotional response of guilt and fear becomes the solution. Of note is a new media which makes questionable assumptions and uses a variety of sources which do not stack up as credible in the delivery of any case describing the problem. The assumption is that the audience now lacks discernment to judge what is and what is not news and can therefore be dished up virtually any rubbish which supports the intentions of the corporatised government. A minor level of dissent is packaged into the news to put to rest any doubts that this is news but slight analysis always reveals the true story. Is this really a story about a ‘do good’ banking and mining magnate who is fortunately friends with Kevin Rudd, enabling him to be ‘hand picked’ to deliver us from the evils of climate change? Hardly, this is standard theme news in the categories of ‘fear’, ‘blame’…and ‘look here not there’. It represents a dark hour in society when news becomes the hidden agenda of corporate government using media spin campaigns to deliver nonsense. Not only an insult to Australians but a sure sign that parliamentary democracy has rotted away from the inside.

Like the War on Terror, Drought, Inflation, Debt, Cancer, and Sport…all manner of banners pumped through the channels digitally, daily and religiously, do or die beliefs. These ‘inserts’ into our daily realities serve the purpose of suspending otherwise logical belief. If we hear it often enough from many sources it may become accepted as true and then define our reality. It’s a cheap and nasty diet of reality that people can choose to believe or accept as garbage which is not true. Its neither consistent nor intelligent, its disposable news. The last related portion of this meal spoke of creative ideas to enable us, ordinary Australians the chance to offset climate change by buying tracts of rain forest. We could do this, we were told, on eBay! Countries close to Australia (like PNG), were ideal I guess because we could keep an eye on their progress? The deal would expire in twelve months but it could be auctioned again (who knows there might be a lucrative trade in pristine untouched environments – complete with inhabitants). This rubbish quoted by ‘experts’ has somehow become part of our ‘news’. No analysis, logic or questioning just a stream of garbage is what we call news?

Similarity to the Al Gore scare campaign are of note, right down to the detail of the cheap graphics (above) employed to dramatise the message. It will be interesting to see where this banner is heading. No doubt there will be a statement from the government. The experts have spoken and the public has been warned. Unless we ‘Act Now’ there may be dire consequences, who knows, stay alert and tune in to the daily news for the next instalment of the climate change dilemma.

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In recognition of International Brain Day have a look at this and see how your grey matter is working.

And then read on for an explanation Read the rest of this entry »

Is Australian media transforming according to the requirements of the ‘national interest’?

What is the ‘national interest’ how is it transforming and who is claiming ownership of it? Community rags and radio stations were once independent and locally owned. They promoted local fare, social happenings and the occasional scandal. Was this really an age of innocence or had the seeds of change been sown well ahead? Was this no brand media an inevitable path or was it a creature of our own making? Are we satisfied with its delivery or does the news raise more questions than answers? In this info-overload digitized telephonic world how do we honestly stay informed? How do we interpret information, our experiences and make sense of the simple things? Read the rest of this entry »