http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/utegate/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/i-was-wrong/ The Punch has now closed a piece it published during the Utegate affair involving Paul Lindwall, a former senior member of Malcom Turnbull’s team. I also want to apologise to Mr Lindwall for any embarrassment or distress the piece caused him. The background is as follows: on the Monday after Treasury official Godwin Grech gave what is now acknowledged as confected testimony to the Senate hearing on the Utegate affair, there was much speculation as to what the subsequent AFP investigation would unearth. I was told by several sources that the AFP wanted to establish who in Mr Turnbull’s office had been talking to Godwin Grech, and Mr Lindwall was named as that person. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/i-was-wrong/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/i-was-wrong/#item1676 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/museum-says-rudds-ute-out-of-the-history-question/ One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/museum-says-rudds-ute-out-of-the-history-question/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/museum-says-rudds-ute-out-of-the-history-question/#item1207 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word-the-art-of-the-apology/ Politics rarely gets as bizarre as when Eric Abetz gets it right – even if it is in admitting he stuffed it up. Like the Fonz choking on the word ‘wrong,’ most of our leaders just can’t spit out the magic word even when it’s so obviously in their best interest to ‘fess up and apologise. Abetz’s effort in apologising to the PM met a majority of the requirements in the Definitive Punch Guide to Saying Sorry After Publicly Disgracing Yourself, which I outline below. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word-the-art-of-the-apology/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word-the-art-of-the-apology/#item940 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/senator-abetz-and-the-star-chamber/ Last night the Senate voted in favour of referring Senator Eric Abetz to a special committee over his role in the Utegate affair and things are about to get a bit awkward for all parties involved. For starters a fellow Liberal Senator George Brandis will be in charge of the inquiry, which is bound to make people wonder whether this is going to be a fair dinkum examination of Abetz’s role in the fake email/Utegate/OzCar affair. On the other side, Labor Senators on the privileges committee that will be questioning Abetz’s role in the shonky Godwin Grech testimony (specifically his handling of the email and whether it was a manipulation of the Senate committee) will have to be pretty careful about who and what they start demanding from the Liberal Senator - especially if it comes to calling public servants and journalists in front of the committee. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/senator-abetz-and-the-star-chamber/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/senator-abetz-and-the-star-chamber/#item902 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-not-the-answer-its-time-to-play-hockey/ As this fight looks almost inevitable within the Liberal Party anyway it seems logical to have it now: Joe Hockey should be the next Liberal leader over Tony Abbott. The Punch editor David Penberthy makes the case for Tony Abbott taking the leadership below, pointing to his right wing conviction politics as being more of a strength than they are a weakness. But it ignores the fact that it is possible to have a leader who is comfortable walking the grounds of conservative Australia and still able to sell a strong moderate message - enter Joe Hockey. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-not-the-answer-its-time-to-play-hockey/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-not-the-answer-its-time-to-play-hockey/#item818 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sounds-crazy-but-it-just-might-work-tony-abbott-turnbull-liberal-leadership/ Malcolm Turnbull has just meandered his way through a press conference about the Utegate debacle. You can read about it here. It came amid renewed speculation in Liberal ranks over the leadership question, which The Punch adds to with this piece. WHETHER you’re a rabid left-winger, a moderate liberal or an arch neo-con who thinks Camp X-Ray should not be shut down but turned into a franchise, you would have to concede the fact that the greatest period of unpopularity in the Liberal Party’s modern history has coincided with having two leaders who are anything but traditional conservatives. The incessant speculation over Malcolm Turnbull – fuelled by the polls, and given a powerful new shot in the arm by the latest Utegate developments – invites serious talk about whether the Libs might now return to a conviction politician. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sounds-crazy-but-it-just-might-work-tony-abbott-turnbull-liberal-leadership/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sounds-crazy-but-it-just-might-work-tony-abbott-turnbull-liberal-leadership/#item813 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-godwin-grech-interview-that-could-sink-turnbull/ On the eve of the Auditor-General’s report into the Utegate affair, the senior Treasury official at the centre of the scandal has revealed why he fabricated the email. The exclusive interview with Treasury’s OzCar scheme director Godwin Grech in today’s Australian has the potential to inflict new damage on the fragile leadership of Malcolm Turnbull, as it shows Grech believes he was used by the Liberals for political gain. With today’s A-G’s report set to clear Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan of any wrongdoing over their association with Ipswich car dealer John Grant, the Grech interview will compound Turnbull’s headaches because it goes to suggestions of pressure and manipulation, which Paul Colgan canvasses in the post below over the Opposition Leader’s Australian Story appearance last night. Speaking from a hospital in Canberra where he is under psychiatric care, Grech tells The Australian he only co-operated with the Opposition over the email because he believed they were set to oppose the OzCar finance bill resulting in 2000 job losses. It’s a claim the Liberals deny, saying they were always going to support the bill, and that it was Grech who pestered them for meetings, not the other way around. But their denials will struggle to be heard above quotes from Grech such as these: feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-godwin-grech-interview-that-could-sink-turnbull/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-godwin-grech-interview-that-could-sink-turnbull/#item807 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/live-blog-heat-on-turnbull-over-ozcar-affair/ Australian Story is customarily sympathetic to its subjects. This is natural; they’re its stars. Not with the latest episode on Malcolm Turnbull. The only problem for Turnbull out of this show is that it doesn’t change anything but underlines, with the mother of all magic markers, the existing public perception that his ruthless drive and ambition will lead him to tread over others in pursuit of his goals. Bad timing for Malcolm, because tomorrow the Auditor-General will publish a report on whether Kevin Rudd’s office made representations on behalf of Brisbane car dealer John Grant - a friend of Rudd’s - to Treasury and, if so, whether the contact was appropriate. It’s unlikely to contain anything damaging for the Government, and ministers have signalled they intend to try lighting a fire around Turnbull, arguing he has no credibility after calling for the Prime Minister to resign over the matter. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/live-blog-heat-on-turnbull-over-ozcar-affair/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/live-blog-heat-on-turnbull-over-ozcar-affair/#item805 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fair-suck-of-the-water-bottle/ First the good burgers of Bundanoon at the Canberra end of the Southern Highlands seem to have caught the Canberra bug. No further north please. This bug could be more dangerous than swine flu – it attacks freedom of choice, eats into logic and destroys jobs. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fair-suck-of-the-water-bottle/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fair-suck-of-the-water-bottle/#item613 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-check-out-the-truck-our-political-summernats/ While Italian politics is unable to go a week without some 18-year-old girl claiming to have had a sixsome with the Prime Minister, Australian politics has more of an unusual fetish for utility vehicles. Barely a week after things settled down with the utegate scandal we are now confronted by “Truckasaurus 09” or “The battle of competing political propaganda trucks” (I prefer the former). This is a new model of what was an old Coalition campaign introduced to draw attention to the Keating Government’s foreign debt in 1996. It was also the same year that the Coalition took control of Government from Labor after ten years in trucking wilderness.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Tory Shepherd) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-check-out-the-truck-our-political-summernats/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-check-out-the-truck-our-political-summernats/#item565 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:45:28 +0000 One would think that Brisbane car dealer John Grant would have enough of the bloody ute that he lent Kevin Rudd - apparently not, because he’s trying to hock it off to the National Museum. The Punch can reveal that Grant has been in discussions with the National Museum of Australia to hand the infamous 1996 Mazda ute to the national institution’s permanent collection. But it seems that the museum is not as keen on the ute being on display as John Grant because the directors don’t really think it should be there.