公款召妓，聲淚俱下

Opposition, media unleashed a lynch mob - Thomson

May 21, 2012 - 4:26PM

Federal MP Craig Thomson has accused the opposition benches and the media of unleashing a lynch mob on his family and staff.
He admitted he had no explanation "to definitively explain what happened" regarding the allegations that he misused union funds. "But that shouldn't be unusual," he said.

Mr Thomson began his much-anticipated parliamentary address by revealing some of the threats he and his family had received.

Pointing at the opposition and media benches, he said: "You have unleashed the lynch mob. And you have fanned it. And for that, you all, ultimately, are responsible."
Mr Thomson said that the Australian public should be concerned the Coalition had done away with the presumption of innocence.

Craig Thomson breaks down during his address to Parliament. Photo: Andrew Meares

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had claimed that "I am not entitled to the presumption of innocence because I am clearly guilty", Mr Thomson said.
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Mr Thomson - who is alleged to have spent more than $6500 on escort and prostitution services - said he had been set up by his union and political foes.

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Mr Thomson said there were several "scenarios" that could explain away the fact his telephone records showed phone calls were made from his mobile to escort services and brothels.
"I don't have an explanation ... to definitively explain what happened," he said. "But that shouldn't be unusual."
Mr Thomson said of the seven occasions alleging the use of prostitutes, "three of them could not be me".
On two occasions he was with other people.
On one occasion he was in Perth, "not being in Sydney for the month around the alleged incident".
Mr Thomson urged authorities to get video footage, which is normally archived by brothels, to prove once and for all who had been there.
"I raised this issue two years ago with Fair Work Australia," he said. "Get the footage, see who was there on those days."
He said it was incorrect that a copy of his driver's licence was given to the brothels and that his driver's licence number was written on payment slips.
His driver's licence was commonly available within the union for purposes such as right of entry permits, he said.
The speech was initially scheduled for 15 minutes but Mr Thomson was on his feet for almost an hour.
Leader of the House Anthony Albanese called for the Thomson matter to be now left alone.
"In Parliament we've seen Craig Thomson make a very comprehensive statement," Mr Albanese said.
"It is now not up to Parliament to make judgements."
A Fair Work Australia investigation report found Mr Thomson - the former national secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU) from 2002 until his election as a Labor MP in 2007 - misused almost $500,000 in members' funds on escort services, cash withdrawals and electioneering.
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Mr Thomson claimed that Labor had instructed him to withdraw his defamation case against Fairfax, owner of the National Times, and that "it had been a mistake" as it had given the impression he thought he could not win the case.
 (Excerpt from Sydney Morning Herald)

對上一篇寫Thomson是一個月前，名為議員虧空公款召妓反獲賠償 ，這場政治醜聞還繼續演下去。工黨政府既是弱勢政府，也是少數派政府，對Thomson恨之入骨，但投鼠忌器。把醜聞的影響減低，唯有叫他脫離工黨，成為獨立議員，揭開面具，其實還是影子工黨議員，他那一票對工黨舉足輕重。醜陋的政治交易，使人噎不下這腥羶之氣。癩皮的Thomson，一味抵賴，7次使用工會信用咭為召妓結賬的紀錄，解釋不了就輕輕帶過，以"That shouldn't be unusual"作解釋。他還可以厚顏無恥到指責反對黨及傳媒是「執行私刑的暴民」(lynch mob)。要調查這件案的真相，輕而易舉。向妓院稍施壓力，交出招呼這恩客的妓女出來，開個聽證會，便可水落石出。沒有這樣做，箇中的包庇及政治交易，骯髒污穢，難以言表。

時常聽政客講 "presumption of innocence"， "give him the benefit of doubt"等廢話，講刑事法當然要具備這些概念，如果講議員的操守及公信力，根本無需用刑事法的舉證標準，濫用這些字眼，變成遮醜的幌子，愚民的掩眼法。英雄有淚不輕彈，詞窮理屈的人，擠幾滴淚，擾亂視聽，裝扮成傷心至已無語凝噎，簡直使人嘔吐。

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/opposition-media-unleashed-a-lynch-mob--thomson-20120521-1z025.html#ixzz1vU4gYL2Z