Passport Scandal
The old saying is true, you do have to watch the quiet ones. Derided by his former leader Mark Latham as a “rooster”, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith showed this week that he is a particularly lethal fighting rooster as he methodically dismantled his shadow, Julie Bishop, over the forged passport scandal.
The expulsion of the Israeli diplomat and the subsequent argument over whether Canberra had gone too far has been discussed at some length on The Punch and elsewhere.
All I will say about it here is that it was not an issue (and would probably never have become an issue) which was the subject of animated discussion in shopping centre food courts around Australia.
Continue reading "Libs carved up by a lethal fighting rooster" »
Australia-Israeli relations have not come under this much pressure since the bungling spook and lothario Amir Laty was thrown out of Canberra in 2003.
Faking Australian passports is arguably a more serious offence than trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to seduce female officials and cultivating the daughter of then Attorney General Philip Ruddock. That is what Laty did before he got his marching orders.
In Canberra’s leafy diplomatic neighbourhood of Yarralumla yesterday a senior Israeli diplomat, who is almost certainly a spy, was told to pack his or her bags for Tel Aviv.
Continue reading "Oz-Israel relations hit new low as Canberra expels spy" »
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Roger says:
You know, if you were a cynic. Or if you were an enterprising intelligence agency concerned about the possible anger directed towards your allies, you would “slip up”, get caught stealing passports, and divert all incoming flak onto yourself instead of letting Australian, NZ, Canadian, etc, passports become an excuse… Read more »
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Macon Paine says:
@ persephone “As a country, it is important we ensure our citizens are safe and that our passport system is secure.” No argument about that from me. “It’s also important that we ensure the resources we own are used in the best way possible for the good of all our… Read more »
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