Our article this morning on Thiess/Leighton millions for their political mates has elicited this thoughtful comment:

From the desk of StephenJ

OK, so the supposedly independent Police Commissioners and DPP’s can be lent on.

Tough and Turnley can be bought off. McAlpine can be stopped in his tracks.

The right judges and prosecutors can be appointed.

The administration of the RC can be nobbled by the right managers.

But it is stretching it to think that this can be done over such a lengthy time and so many investigations merely because Theiss donates a fair bit to both parties.

There was much more to protect than a few senior managers at Theiss and some AWU officials.

Initially I think it was the deals associated with Wannunup and associated payoffs.

Some important people made a lot of money.

That eventually progressed into a need to protect the “system”.

What Shorten said about Cambridge is the crux of it.

It’s a cosy arrangement where the unions get what they want; the construction companies/developers are, for practical purposes, forced to roll over; and the end consumer ends up paying.

There would be very few senior people involved in the Construction industry who have not paid/accepted bribes in one form or another.

That can be the only reason why everyone has tried so hard to ignore the bleeding obvious with the AWU ie that it involved secret commissions.

It would open a massive can of worms.

Prosecution of Gillard, Wilson et al

A prosecutor would have Wilsons admissions to Smith and Murphy’s notes on which to base a charge on Wilson.

Blewitt has publically admitted it as well.

It would be a lay down misere.

The contradictions Theiss were involved in would sink them as well.

Once it is accepted that the WRA was basically created to provide Theiss with a defence Gillards fairy story about an election fund is shown for what it is.

Her involvement in the appeal shows she knew about its proposed use at Dawesville.

End of story I would have thought if a conspiracy charge was laid against Albrecht, Jukes, Trio, her, Wilson and Blewitt.