Examples of corruption in Australia

[Bruce Tuncks]

I like to think that here we are less corrupt than many places, but there is a list which shows we are nowhere near the least corrupt place. So I thought it would be a good idea to set up a list....  heres a start.

 

1. If you honestly tendered lower than the firm that won the govt tender, to whom can you complain?

 

2. How can you get elected without financial help? How can this possibly be without strings attached?

 

3.Why are not drug sellers routinely shopped by "customers" who are just out to get them, plus a reward?

 

[facthunter]

Hidden kick backs need scrutiny, as well as "cushy" jobs apres Parliament.  Nev

[rgmwa]

Answer to question 1 is probably nobody that's going to make any difference to the outcome. We tender for Government engineering contracts and they always have the `lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted' clause, and tenders are assessed on a number of qualitative criteria plus overall `value for money', not just lowest cost, so there is not much recourse if you are the lowest tenderer but don't get the job.

[facthunter]

A lot of ridiculously low tendered jobs don't get completed by the original successful tenderer. It's jobs for your mate we are trying to avoid but the process is not as simple as it may seem. Nev

[onetrack]

The worst part about jobs tendering is the number of crooked public servants who are easily swayed with offers. The examples below are typical. Fortunately, here in W.A., we have the C.C.C. and it has real teeth to find corruption.

However, recently there's been a case where "consultants" in the public service were determined to be corrupt, and as a result, the C.C.C. had no power to charge them. The corruption processes utilised are very subtle.

 

https://www.ccc.wa.gov.au/media/news-archives/ccc-proactively-investigates-procurement-practices-western-power

 

https://www.themandarin.com.au/200592-wa-corruption-body-calls-for-new-powers-to-investigate-contractors-who-fall-outside-public-officer-scope/

 

 

Edited September 22, 2022 by onetrack

[Yenn]

The reason there is corruption in Australia is because governments have become corrupt. It has happened very quietly over many years. Joe in Qld honestly thought he was not corrupt, but Alan Bond was convicted of bribing him. Joe was never convicted of accepting a bribe, because the trial fell apart when they got a corrupt juror on it.

The last government, led by Morrison was into all sorts of slimy business. Only today the news is about a committee of which

Morrison was Chairman and sole member having many meetings. Who did he meet and where did he find the time while he was the hidden boss of five ministries.

Corruption will always rear its ugly head if we let it and that is why so many people say discussions on religion and politics are banned at gatherings.

[facthunter]

Joe was as corrupt as they come. Don't you remember a fellow  called Fitzgerald who exposed the lot. Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

One of my gigs last time working in Aus was with a Vic statutory authority. I was the stream lead for procurement of a large integrated software system, which was going top replace a disparate gaggle of legacy software that was creaking at the seams and "in need of urgent replacement". I can't recall if it was an open tender or a tender by invitation only. We spent months putting together a detailed specification that the tenderers had to submit against, and would be evaluated against. We then issued the tender and spent time in supplier Q&A sessions.

 

Although I can't remember if it was an open or by invitation only tender. We were asked by the Chief Tech Officer (I think he was at the time) if we had received a submission from a specific software supplier. I knew that supplier well as I worked for competing software vendors, but I didn't know worked in this specific sector. My memory is hazy, but we were instructed to basically stop the process until we received the tender. I ignored the requiest and continued as I figurted may as well have everyone else evaluated.. as did my colleagues.

 

When this software company sent in their tender, it was the most expensice, and surprise, surprise, they would be building the software modules to support us from the ground up. In othe words, they didn't have anything off the shelf. They scored last and by a long way. When we submitted our collective evaluations, the CTO demanded to know why they were ranked last. It wasn't too hard to justify - highest risk of non-completion, highest cost, no industry experience, and the list went on. Our contracts were not renewed (which I wouldn't have, anyway), and not long after, that necessary project was terminated as the cost/benefit analysis no longer added up. Although there is nothing I can (or could have done) to prove corruption, it certainly smelled like it. And, I think, because it was a statutory authority, I think they were outside the remit of the auditor general (again, memory is hazy and could be confusing it with the UK).

 

It's not just the elected pollies that are corrupt.. Where there is opacity, a lack of accountability, and a culture of covering up, there is always going to be corruption.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I was amazed to read that China has the most anti-corruption activity. They have a special police force and often the corrupt officials wind up dead.

But I reckon you did ok Jerry. What do you recommend we do?

[Yenn]

I was involved with writing specs for tenders and evaluating them last century. Some firms always won the tendering for one big local industry, usually by $100.

One tenderer was so pissed off by this that he left the cost of formwork out of his quote and it was a substantial proportion of the job. As usual he was underquoted by $100 and Benny got the job as usual. A short while later Graham, the tenderer who left out the formwork costs got a phone call from Benny. "How did you get such a low tender price? " was the question. I don't know how it was done because the tenders were sealed right up to opening time, but someone read them early and passed the info on.

Tendering for military materials always looks decidedly dodgy and I reckon there must be kick backs for some of them to succeed, or maybe just incompetence.

Thinking back to submarines I reckon incompetence must be No 1 choice. How could we specify diesel subs, when 18 months later they were a No No.

[facthunter]

Because we had a government then that put appearances before function. More SHOW than GO. Nev

[willedoo]

18 hours ago, facthunter said:

Joe was as corrupt as they come. Don't you remember a fellow  called Fitzgerald who exposed the lot. Nev

He  wasn't just any old Joe, he was Joh.

[Jerry_Atrick]

J-Oh (dear!)

8 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

What do you recommend we do?

For government tenders, there should be a whistleblowing service as many that I worked with felt the same as me. This could then independently assess the pruchasing decisions made published on the criteria of the tender itself as well as government procurement standards. And where the standard fell unreasonably short or the awarded tender was unreasonably short of the reequirements (coimmercial, risk, and/or technical), both the minister responsible and the senior public servants running the procurement should be heeld to account - i.e. the whistelblowing service/review would have teeth. This obviously would choke up some larger purchases, but at the cost of careers on the line, their may be less reason to whistleblow.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Maybe not government corruption, but collusion when they were (under the LNP) spouting all sorts of BS about the wages pressures, etc.

 

(BTW, this guy is technically committing the act of incitement to theft..)

 

I haven't had time to double check and it is AFL Grand Final weekend.. so won't

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Jerry_Atrick

[onetrack]

The bloke is right on the mark - and the high profit levels are not confined to supermarkets, either. I have never seen so many businesses that are absolutely rolling in money - and these are the same businesses who always complain that they can't afford to pay higher wages to employees.

[Yenn]

Those businesses include aged care providers who are raking in a fortune, while paying a pittance in wages. Now the government is thinking about directly funding the wage increase for them. What does that do? As I see it the government is paying what the employer should be paying and the employer is stuffing his pockets. We have seen this so many times with government sponsored schemes, such as the school halls and roof insulation fiascos.

There is no real planning for anything nowadays, if you have a problem, throw money at it and the problem is solved. Don't look to see if the money was wisely spent because that costs more money.

[red750]

You waste so much money looking to find where you have been wasting so much money.

[facthunter]

Most people think Governments and Insurances Co's are fair game, so what do you expect?   How many School Halls have fallen over?. Nev

[old man emu]

On 25/09/2022 at 1:50 PM, Yenn said:

Those businesses include aged care providers who are raking in a fortune, while paying a pittance in wages.

Because where the business owners come from, a pittance wage is top rupee. 

[Bruce Tuncks]

What about drugs?   I reckon their existence on the market here shows a special kind of corruption...  While the cops ( especially the feds ) are clean in that they are not taking money to look the other way, I reckon that the reason why rewards are not routinely used is that the cops like the career prospects that their monopoly includes.

For example, in my local country town, I am told that drugs are freely available, not that I have ever been offered any. But if you got a grand for telling on your supplier, and this was known and actual, then I would hate to be a drug reseller. Gosh, we would all be out there trying to buy. Then you offer the reseller a deal to betray his supplier etc.

Sure, the thing would need to be intelligently set up so it was not easy to rort, maybe this is a problem? No smarts available?

In the meantime, the cops will tell you that it would be too dangerous for "members of the public " to attempt stuff, but this is so silly that I suspect that it is not even believed by the person saying it. After all, could it be worse than taking the drugs? AND there would be a special deal for hitmen....  they would be financially better off and safe from jail, so only the dumb but loyal ones would remain.

Think about it....   the govt has unlimited money and the power to issue new identities.... plus a force of cops who are clean ...  the drug lords shouldn't stand a chance.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Bruce Tuncks

[Jerry_Atrick]

If you wantr examples of corruption in Australia - some independent journos and sites will find a plethora of them. In no particular order:

• FriendlyJordies: youtuber and "comedian" As a millenial comedian, I find his "comedy" irritating at best. And, yes, he doesn't deny, he is a Labor supporter through and through. How he hasn't had a bullet through his head, I am not sure, as he has peeved a lot of people. The latest - Clubs NSW - not the court - have launced a prosecution against him for... contempt of court!
• Kangaroo Court of Australia. Youtuber and kangarooCourt of Australia. A bit controversial - lives in QLD and there is an arrest warrant in NSW for him for.. whistleblowing. Most western countries welcome whistleblowing. US doesn't against the government. Note, he is hyper-critical of the secret hearings for the federal ICAC (can't remember what Doofus has called it).
• Kinghts in Shining Llama - Youtuber and one of my favourites - watch his series on the Robodebt, How the Libs have torched our legal system, and how they have used a special motion (the member should not be heard). He seems neutral on any political porty, but as the libs have been in power longer, they get the lions share.
• Swollen Pickles  - Relatively new to the scene, but watch his (or her, I am not sure). Watch his 8 part series on the Barlilaro appointment.
• Michael West Media
• Independent Australia (though I think they over-hype some things)
• Beetoota Advocate (beyond the sattire)

 

I am sure there are many more. Watching a few of these - where I think all of them procide the facts behind their assertions - does make one's blood boil somewhat.

[facthunter]

I keep pondering what the word of a proven LIAR is worth. Tony Windsor was one of the straightest Pollies ever.

[spacesailor]

Corruption or not ?.

It was stated the the ' Olympic flame lighter ' was picked ! , not for her medal count. 

But

Because she was an 'aboriginal ' .

Then the three worlds best could take the back seat.

spacesailor

[facthunter]

It was stated  ( -----  )  Who by  and in what context.? If you replay the actual event it was not without personal risk as it played out..  Nev

[octave]

49 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

It was stated the the ' Olympic flame lighter ' was picked ! , not for her medal count. 

I don't think that the lighter of the Olympic cauldron is decided upon by the number of medals already won.  

 

Who lights the Olympic Cauldron?

The selection of what athlete or groups of athletes light the Olympic Cauldron is up to the host country. In some cases, they’ll select notable former athletes, stars on the rise or occasionally a non-athlete who is significant to that specific country. 

 

Who Has Lit the Cauldron at the Winter Olympics?

 

There have been several non athletes who have lit the Olympic Cauldron

 

List of torchbearers who have lit the Olympic cauldron

 

Having said that I assume you are referring to Cathy Freeman at the 2000 Olympics. How many medals had she already won?  As far as I can see the answer is 6 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze at various Commonwealth games and world championships and then went on the win gold at Sydney and Silver at Atlanta.  Seems like a good choice to me.