Right Pulse

More damning details have been released which further compromise former Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon – due to his relationship with an agent of Chinese government and business interests, Ms. Liu, including secret payments made to Fitzgibbon designed to win his favour in Cabinet:

The documents show Ms Liu recorded her payment of 850,000 yuan – about $150,000 - to Joel Fitzgibbon under the heading ”money paid including expenses and gifts”.

The same document shows Ms Liu recorded the establishment of a joint commercial venture with the Fitzgibbon family, including a reference to ”Eric [Fitzgibbon] as agent. Regular visits to China. $3 million for start up”.

In a letter to a senior Bank of China executive, Ms Liu said that Joel Fitzgibbon would become a cabinet minister when Labor won power, adding: ”The money we pay him is worthwhile”.

Worthwhile for what? Fitzgibbon should be forced to reveal. The fact that he is still in Parliament, even without this latest allegation, is disgraceful. He clearly was being cultivated to represent foreign interests. And the fact that at the time he never disclosed the gifts, cash, travel and hospitality he received from China indicates that he knew what he was doing was wrong – otherwise why try to hide it? For goodness sake, he was renting an apartment from Ms. Liu and he never thought that the Defence Department and Parliament might want to know this detail, given Ms. Liu’s links to the Chinese military? If a Defence official with a high security clearance had tried to cover up and hide a relationship with a person like Ms. Liu, they would be sacked.

UPDATE

Joel Fitzgibbon is denying the allegations and is going to sue the Fairfax Press. A bit of civil war at play