Next steps in escalating the Senator Cash quote "As a former PM, Gillard won't be charged"
Wednesday, 06 June 2018
It's now 5 weeks since we first asked Senator Michaelia Cash to explain this statement:
"Julia Gillard is a former prime minister and because of that she won't be charged".
On 2 May we ran a story on corruption involving the parent company of Thiess Contractors which paid over $400,000 into the Gillard/Wilson 1990s slush fund. At the time Ralph Blewitt was the only person facing charges over the crimes and we brought you the news:
On 25 May 2018 Ralph Blewitt will make his first appearance in the Perth District Court........ (In his trial he will) call Bruce WILSON, Julia GILLARD, Bernard MURPHY, Nick JUKES, Joe TRIO and others to the witness box - along with documents created or authorised by them.
We also wrote about my private prosecution alleging GILLARD knowingly gave false evidence to the Trade Union Royal Commission.
In that context it was worrying to hear that Minister for Jobs Senator Cash was reported to have said that Gillard wouldn't face charges because she's a former PM.
I wrote at the time:
If that is so it makes for a marked departure from our traditions of equal justice before the law.
I will today ask Minister Cash to confirm whether or not that's the government's position.
Many of our readers wrote to the Senator and asked her to confirm the quote.
On 16 May 2018 we published a follow up Senator Michaelia Cash and protecting Ms GILLARD
By this stage dozens of readers were writing to Senator Cash.
It's now 5 weeks down the track and Senator Cash hasn't answered a single query from our readers.
Here are two Senators who might take Senator Cash to task in the Senate.
It's a simple question,
"Senator Cash, did you say, 'Julia Gillard is a former prime minister and because of that she won't be charged (with offences arising from The AWU Scandal)?'"
Let me know how you get on!
UPDATE
Reader "I" was quick off the mark having emailed both Senators just now: