Australian Politics General...

[sptrawler]

One thing that has mostly escaped the media's attention is the conduct of the juror that forced the case to be aborted.

After being told multiple times not to do his (I assume it was male) own research, he did exactly what he was told not to do and bought the result into court with the high probability of being found out and having the trial aborted.

One can wonder if he had a motive to cause a mistrial, ie maybe he wanted to get Lerhman off but in any case there was no penalty exacted on him in what could be an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

So we can ask should there be a penalty for juror misconduct ? Maybe a year in jail would make people behave themselves, or maybe abandon jury trials and have it decided by judge alone.

Absolutely, but the major issue IMO, is that Higgins has been portrayed as being the victim in the media and she may well have been.

But as it stands Lehrmann didn't get the opportunity of a fair trail and he has to live with the stigma of the allegation for the rest of his life, because the allegation is made is aired on national T.V and then dropped because Higgins doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

Now we have it all about the politics and if it will affect their high paying job, meanwhile no one gives a rats ar$e about Lehrmann's position, he hardly rates a mention, yet he could have actually gone to jail.
I know people say well if he did it he should, and I agree, but if it is proven it was all about a political agenda, what about the situation Lehrmann has put in?

If the situation could have been put down to say Trump or Biden, @basilio or @DB008 would be screaming for blood, but because the narrative in Australia is "well men do rape women" Lehrmann goes under the bus and it is all shoveled under the carpet.
I just find it unbelieveable.

 

[sptrawler]

This is becoming a circus.
Why not just get one of her bikie friends to have a word with the perpetrator, I'm sure that would sort any harassment out, or maybe ask for some compensation and put in some guidelines as to behaviour.
That would be novel in Canberra. ?

As it happened: Dutton dumps David Van from Liberal Party room after Lidia Thorpe makes sexual assault allegation against senator

Lidia Thorpe withdraws comments accusing a senator of sexual assault, Ben Roberts-Smith ruled out an apology to families of victims in Afghanistan and Liberals blasted over Higgins claims.

www.theage.com.au

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has alleged she was cornered by a man in parliament in a stairwell, which was not witnessed by staff and other MPs. She did not identify the man.

“No one witnessed what happened in the stairwell as there are no cameras in stairwells,” Thorpe told the Senate in a statement.

In a tearful address, she said there were different understandings of what amounted to sexual assault, and that she had also experienced being followed, “aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched.” She did not identify any person as being responsible for that conduct.

 

[SirRumpole]

This is becoming a circus.
Why not just get one of her bikie friends to have a word with the perpetrator, I'm sure that would sort any harassment out.

As it happened: Dutton dumps David Van from Liberal Party room after Lidia Thorpe makes sexual assault allegation against senator

Lidia Thorpe withdraws comments accusing a senator of sexual assault, Ben Roberts-Smith ruled out an apology to families of victims in Afghanistan and Liberals blasted over Higgins claims.

www.theage.com.au

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has alleged she was cornered by a man in parliament in a stairwell, which was not witnessed by staff and other MPs. She did not identify the man.

“No one witnessed what happened in the stairwell as there are no cameras in stairwells,” Thorpe told the Senate in a statement.

In a tearful address, she said there were different understandings of what amounted to sexual assault, and that she had also experienced being followed, “aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched.” She did not identify any person as being responsible for that conduct.

Meanwhile , the main business of government, ie serving the people is delayed for someone's personal gripes.

There is a process now for complaining about these things, maybe she should use them.

 

[sptrawler]

Meanwhile , the main business of government, ie serving the people is delayed for someone's personal gripes.

There is a process now for complaining about these things, maybe she should use them.

But a precedent has been set, as to compensation for unproven sexually inappropriate behaviour, it would be discriminatory to treat Lydia differently, unless it's because of her race and or background. Wouldn't it?
She has made formal complaint, the last one was compensated, therefore one would expect this one to be.
Oh what a mess and these people run the country FFS. ?

 

[mullokintyre]

So Lydia gets to make accusations against Van, but then withdraws them.
next day she says that among other things, she was cornered in a stairwell, and innaporiately touched.
But does not mention any names.
but we all know who she is talking about.
But she won't go to the police.
Of course she wont.
You have to provide evidence.
How much more of this crap do we have to put up with,
Either go make your complaint to police, and if there is sufficient evidence, the purpertrators will get charged.
Unless of course you make a media circus of it all, then its no longer about justice, but all about the theatre of politics.
A pox on all of them.
Mick

 

[mullokintyre]

I might add that Lydia Thorpe less than two years ago said to a Liberal Senator "at least i keep my legs shut". (see ABC news )
If that is not sexual assault, what is it?
Imagine if a non left white bloke had said that, the world would come to an end.
Thorpe is prime hypocrite in every sense of the word.
Mick

 

[sptrawler]

The way it is going in Canberra, they are going to need a sex offenders register.

 

[moXJO]

Lydia Thorpe took the heat off the Labor party pretty easily.

 

[sptrawler]

Lydia Thorpe took the heat off the Labor party pretty easily.

She certainly doesn't come across as the sort of girl who would get scared and intimidated to me, she would tear him a new one IMO.
Isn't she the one who got in police's face at the mardi gras. ?

 

[moXJO]

She certainly doesn't come across as the sort of girl who would get scared and intimidated to me, she would tear him a new one IMO.
Isn't she the one who got in police's face at the mardi gras. ?

It's a hard pick.
Which shtbag is lying? It wouldn't surprise me either way. I've seen the behaviour of both women and men politicians.
Either could be guilty.

Convenient timing though....

 

[moXJO]

It's a hard pick.
Which shtbag is lying? It wouldn't surprise me either way. I've seen the behaviour of both women and men politicians.
Either could be guilty.

Convenient timing though....

Never mind the boy is done.
Grouping another liberals ar5e. Even if he were innocent of Thorpe's claims, no way is the public going to believe it now.
Stick a fork in him.

Someone planned a master-stroke. This will take all the air out of the Liberals "Higgins" attack.

 

[Knobby22]

Never mind the boy is done.
Grouping another liberals ar5e. Even if he were innocent of Thorpe's claims, no way is the public going to believe it now.

These guys never do it just once.
The Liberal women are obviously beginning to call it these days.
Once again another reason to get more female members and get rid of the private schoolboy vibe.

 

[wayneL]

These guys never do it just once.
The Liberal women are obviously beginning to call it these days.
Once again another reason to get more female members and get rid of the private schoolboy vibe.

Vibe trumps meritocracy, more woke moronics.

This won't end well

 

[moXJO]

Never mind the boy is done.
Grouping another liberals ar5e. Even if he were innocent of Thorpe's claims, no way is the public going to believe it now.
Stick a fork in him.

Someone planned a master-stroke. This will take all the air out of the Liberals "Higgins" attack.

"Groping"

 

[Knobby22]

Vibe trumps meritocracy, more woke moronics.

This won't end well

The 70s are finished mate.
Don Burke, Rolf Harris.
Groping women isn't allowed anymore. Call it woke if you like.

 

[moXJO]

There's a lot of these sleezebags at the top.
Either get smart or get rekt. The women are not there to play.

 

[sptrawler]

The 70s are finished mate.
Don Burke, Rolf Harris.
Groping women isn't allowed anymore. Call it woke if you like.

Nailed it.
Huge own goal, but still doesnt make the Higgins case any less clear.
Just takes the wind out of the dumb ar$e Libs.

 

[wayneL]

The 70s are finished mate.
Don Burke, Rolf Harris.
Groping women isn't allowed anymore. Call it woke if you like.

Non sequitur and a foolish strawman argument. I never said groping is kosher.... It isn't. Sack those sorts of shytheads. If the Lib guy did that, get rid of him (I'm skeptical at this point however(

But vibes don't trump merit with any good outcomes.

Stick to my point.

 

[moXJO]

Nailed it.
Huge own goal, but still doesnt make the Higgins case any less clear.
Just takes the wind out of the dumb ar$e Libs.

This is it- Liberal stupidity. Labor will only capitalise on it when they should be getting grilled.

 

[sptrawler]

This is it- Liberal stupidity. Labor will only capitalise on it when they should be getting grilled.

Yes Labor always have better media tacticians and a more receptive media, unfortunately Labor end up blowing their feet off big time, then the Libs get back in.
But Labor get a lot of things moving, it is the implementation that lets them down, they try to do too much too quickly, a bit like choking in sport.

Like now we have inflation on the move, which helps balance the books.

We have the NDIS getting hammered, which it needs.

We have immigration going through the roof, which will help put a cap on wages.
We are trying to re write the constitution.
The infighting in Labor is winding up.

Next it culminates in a recession and everyone gets pizzed off and the Libs get voted in.
Wash rinse repeat.