Whilst this appears to have been a futile excercise, in that very few replies have been forthcoming, some of the letters have raised fundamental issues of state. The following three examples, which were sent to over one hundred MPs and Senators, illustrate this.
Regrettably, the Australian government itself has refused to even acknowledge them.
POLITICAL CORRUPTION & ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS Mr Rudd, Mr McClelland, Mr O'Connor, I am extremely concerned that there has been no-public response, and no reply to any enquiry, from any government office, with respect to the serious and disturbing matters being revealed by The Expendable Project. I am informed that you are aware of this initiative. You will therefore be aware of the many cases of abuse of office, malpractice, and even illegal acts, undertaken by members of the John Howard administration whilst in office, with respect to the Schapelle Corby case. I am sure that you will agree that these are extremely grave matters, yet the government has not even acknowledged them. Ironically, the causes of the present, self-incriminating, media silence on these issues, are currently being published by the project. To introduce a small degree of transparency, at least with respect to this letter, I have copied it to a number of your parliamentary colleagues. I have also included a number of prominent lawyers, police officers, commissioners, overseas journalists, and independent agencies. Please also note that numerous documented efforts by associates of the project team, to provide the project information confidentially, were rejected by your offices last year. THE EXPENDABLE PROJECT The Expendable Project has been publishing government cables, letters, and other materials, for the past six weeks. These have been professionally documented in a series of reports. Please allow me to recap what we have already seen:
I am sure that you recognize the serious and fundamental nature of these issues, with respect to the integrity of government and state, including the position on human rights. This correspondence is intended to establish what measures you have taken, or are about to take, to address all the issues identified, in an open, public, and transparent way. Could you please provide this information, as a matter of urgency? I look forward to your personal response, and appreciate your time. Finally, could I urge and request that you secure the release of the innocent victim, this being the immediate priority? Her grave condition is of the utmost concern. I look forward to hearing from you. Name Withheld Queensland Australia |
I HAVE 30 QUESTIONS FOR YOU 1. Why were Schapelle's bags 5kg overweight on the Qantas system, when she checked in without excess charge ($175)? [Transit Report] 2. Why was Schapelle or her lawyers never TOLD that her bags were 5kg overweight on the Qantas system? [Supplementary Report] 3. Why did Keelty tell the media that there was no evidence of airport drug syndication two weeks before the verdict, when this was clearly and utterly false? [Transit Report] 4. Why did Ellison withhold the vital information, that ONLY the boogie-board bag was not scanned, when Schapelle’s lawyer asked, TWICE? [Transit Report] 5. Why was this hidden from Parliament, when direct questions were asked? [Transit Report] 6. Why did John Howard, and his friend, Head of SACL Max Moore-Wilton, keep quiet about it, when they both knew? [Transit Report] 7. Why did the AFP never investigate the reason for this missing screening data? [Transit Report] 8. Why did he and the AFP withhold all the other vital information, including information from the Kessing Reports? [Transit Report] 9. Why did the AFP and DFAT evade the forensic tests Schapelle was begging for? [Mutual Evasion Report] 10. Why did DFAT not invoke the MACM treaty to obtain the sample of the marijuana Schapelle begged them for, when they could have? [Mutual Evasion Report] 11. Why did Ellison tell a false story about marijuana testing to a constituent? [Mutual Evasion Report] 12. Why did the AFP and Qantas give totally contradictory stories about the missing CCTV footage Schapelle pleaded for? [Transit Report] 13. Why did the AFP tell Parliament that they couldn't perform marijuana pollen tests, when they could, and had originally offered to perform them? [Mutual Evasion Report] 14. Why did the AFP refuse the services of a forensics expert who was able to perform them? [Mutual Evasion Report] 15. Why did Downer and Howard endorse the original Bali trial, when they were well ware of the multitude of legal and human rights abuses throughout? [Show Trial Report] 16. Why did Ellison endorse the burning of the evidence, when Schapelle pleaded for it to stop? [Mutual Evasion Report] 17. Why have DFAT endorsed and hidden the ongoing human rights abuses of a mentally ill Australian citizen for seven years? [Health Report] 18. Why were ACLEI, when forced to examine the AFP's role, complicit with the AFP in producing a report which was an utter embarrassment to all [Whitewash Report] 19. Why was a functionary at the heart of the Howard regime when the above abuses occurred, allowed to rubber stamp ACLEI's rubber stamp? [Whitewash Report] 20. Why was there a totally unique delay pattern when Schapelle passed through Sydney airport, and whilst her bag was on the same baggage area as the Mocha cocaine? [Transit Report] 21. Why did the government force an Australian QC on to Schapelle Corby, and then hide when he decimated her appeal by attacking her defence team to the media? [Insider Report] 22. What was the precise role of Justice & Customs Minister Ellison, the QC’s long term friend in this appalling situation? [Insider Report] 23. Why was there no comment when the QC admitted that he was working for the government, and not for Schapelle Corby, all along? [Insider Report] 24. Why did Downer and Howard publicly call a standard flour hoax a 'biological agent' and a 'murderous attack', when there was no evidence at all to suggest it wasn’t flour? [PowderGate Report] 25. Why did neither of them say that the note didn't mention Schapelle Corby, and was written in Bahasa, when they promptly blamed it on her supporters? [PowderGate Report] 26. When the AFP email was sent at 6:35pm, why didn’t Ellison immediately alert all parties, to prevent the false (but support-wrecking) story from circulating around the world? [PowderGate Report] 27. Why did the government seize Schapelle Corby's book royalties when she was still in legal appeal in Indonesia, when they knew what signal this would send to Jakarta? [Political Seizure Report] 28. Why did they bring the judiciary into disrepute, by extending Australian jurisdiction outside Australia, and holding secret trials, at which Schapelle Corby was not even represented? [Political Seizure Report] 29. Why did they deny her the funds for another appeal, and for medicine, even when they knew about the nature of the Bali trial, and about the vital primary evidence they had withheld? [Political Seizure Report] 30. Why has been the ABC engaged a clear campaign of hostility against Schapelle Corby and her family, which has included a number of known tools of propaganda, and which has even required an apology for presenting malicious allegations as fact? [Opinion Management Report] Name Withheld |
THE CHALLENGES OF EXPOSING CORRUPTION The question of how to expose corruption or abuse of office within a government has never been a trivial one to answer. This is particularly the case when the tentacles of the government in question extend so deeply into that nation’s media. The Expendable Project was created to address this with respect to Australia, and to disclose appalling misconduct in the case of Schapelle Corby, a now mentally ill woman enduring her seventh year of twenty in an Indonesian prison, for a crime she patently did not commit. The emails and cables between government ministers, the Australian Federal Police, and a multitude of other parties, tell their own tale. They reveal the withholding of critical primary evidence, wilful lies, cover up, and a host of other disturbing acts which typically materialize when a government takes the wrong path. The volume of material is substantial, and it is authentic. The chosen strategy of the project was to release it at 48-72 hour intervals, to enable better public and media consideration of its magnitude. This process commenced from the project website, www.expendable.tv, on 15th September 2011. CANBERRA’S REACTION The interest from Canberra, and from those commercial entities involved in the case itself, was immediate. As disclosed from the website logs on 21st September, every major government department was visiting the website multiple times each day. They are well aware of the significance of the information, of its national importance, and of its fundamental relevance to the concept of public accountability. They are also well aware of how close to home the disclosed abuse actually is. Australian MP's and civil servants alike, can see acts of calculated malpractice, by the former administration, unfolding before their eyes. They can see political priorities being set; priorities which starkly placed the life of a citizen below that of reputation, vested commercial interests, and international relations. They can see, for example, serious security issues at Sydney International Airport, involving wide scale criminality, being hidden, at the expense of a citizen, who just happened to pass through the quagmire on the wrong day and at the wrong time. They can see the story being narrated by the Howard administration's own hands, through the memo's, correspondence and government records. They cannot dispute it, but they can ignore it, and they can seek to suppress it. SUPPRESSION & INTRUSIVE MONITORING Regrettably, this appears to be the route they have chosen to take. They are demonstrably aware of the revelations, and their horror is documented within the Expendable website visitor logs. But they have thus far failed to acknowledge the gravity of the revelations, or even their existence. They are not alone. The Australian media, who are also aware of the disclosures, have maintained a wall of silence. Apparently, newly disclosed government emails and cables, exposing the most disturbing of conduct, doesn't warrant a single column inch in any mainstream Australian publication. On 22nd September, however, the story took another sinister twist. The Australian Federal Police were caught deploying ripper software against the Expendable.TV website, taking unauthorized copies, intruding behind the public presentation, and simultaneously scanning for security vulnerabilities. The project immediately published the log entries, and informed the FBI in the United States, where the website is hosted. The Australian government have also refused to respond to this latest disturbing matter, and again, it remains entirely unreported in the Australian media. PUBLIC INTEREST The project team intends to continue publishing the information on schedule. With respect to the current Australian government, however, the question becomes: at what point does refusal to acknowledge corruption or misconduct in a previous regime, become complicity. Refusing to confront wilful acts of malpractice, and political wrongdoing, when the victim is still suffering its consequences, cannot reasonably be viewed as acceptable national governance in a democratic state. A media which purposely fails to report serious misconduct in its government cannot be regarded as a free press. This is a script being written by Australia itself. Even sharper focus is provided by the woeful state of the victim. Just a few weeks ago, Schapelle Corby overdosed on 9 days supply of her psychotic medication. Those psychiatrists, who were approached by the project, considered this to be a serious suicide attempt. Public interest is clear, and it is being betrayed. Australia is facing its own version of Watergate, which has been dubbed SchapelleGate on the internet. Unlike the United States, however, Australia is failing the test. Name & Address Withheld |
The following lists are provided for those who wish to approach their own elected representatives.
ELECTED FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES IN AUSTRALIA: MPs
Australian Capital Territory
Brodtmann, Ms Gai, Member for Canberra
Leigh, Dr Andrew, Member for Fraser
Northern Territory
Griggs, Mrs Natasha, Member for Solomon
Snowdon, The Hon Warren, Member for Lingiari
New South Wales
Abbott, The Hon Tony, Member for Warringah
Albanese, The Hon Anthony, Member for Grayndler
Alexander, Mr John, Member for Bennelong
Baldwin, The Hon Bob, Member for Paterson
Bird, Ms Sharon, Member for Cunningham
Bishop, The Hon Bronwyn, Member for Mackellar
Bowen, The Hon Chris, Member for McMahon
Bradbury, The Hon David, Member for Lindsay
Burke, The Hon Tony, Member for Watson
Clare, The Hon Jason, Member for Blaxland
Cobb, The Hon John, Member for Calare
Combet, The Hon Greg, Member for Charlton
Coulton, Mr Mark, Member for Parkes
Elliot, The Hon Justine, Member for Richmond
Ferguson, Mr Laurie, Member for Werriwa
Fitzgibbon, The Hon Joel, Member for Hunter
Fletcher, Mr Paul, Member for Bradfield
Garrett, The Hon Peter, Member for Kingsford Smith
Gash, Mrs Joanna, Member for Gilmore
Grierson, Ms Sharon, Member for Newcastle
Hall, Ms Jill, Member for Shortland
Hartsuyker, Mr Luke, Member for Cowper
Hawke, Mr Alex, Member for Mitchell
Hayes, Mr Chris, Member for Fowler
Hockey, The Hon Joe, Member for North Sydney
Husic, Mr Ed, Member for Chifley
Jones, Mr Stephen, Member for Throsby
Kelly, Mr Craig, Member for Hughes
Kelly, The Hon Dr Mike, Member for Eden-Monaro
Ley, The Hon Sussan, Member for Farrer
Markus, Mrs Louise, Member for Macquarie
Matheson, Mr Russell, Member for Macarthur
McClelland, The Hon Robert, Member for Barton
McCormack, Mr Michael, Member for Riverina
Melham, Mr Daryl, Member for Banks
Morrison, Mr Scott, Member for Cook
Murphy, The Hon John, Member for Reid
Oakeshott, Mr Robert, Member for Lyne
O'Neill, Ms Deb, Member for Robertson
Owens, Ms Julie, Member for Parramatta
Plibersek, The Hon Tanya, Member for Sydney
Rowland, Ms Michelle, Member for Greenway
Ruddock, The Hon Philip, Member for Berowra
Saffin, Ms Janelle, Member for Page
Schultz, Mr Alby, Member for Hume
Thomson, Mr Craig, Member for Dobell
Turnbull, The Hon Malcolm, Member for Wentworth
Windsor, Mr Tony, Member for New England
Queensland
Andrews, Mrs Karen, Member for McPherson
Buchholz, Mr Scott, Member for Wright
Christensen, Mr George, Member for Dawson
Ciobo, Mr Steven, Member for Moncrieff
D'Ath, Mrs Yvette, Member for Petrie
Dutton, The Hon Peter, Member for Dickson
Emerson, The Hon Dr Craig, Member for Rankin
Entsch, The Hon Warren, Member for Leichhardt
Gambaro, The Hon Teresa, Member for Brisbane
Jones, Mr Ewen, Member for Herbert
Katter, The Hon Bob, Member for Kennedy
Laming, Mr Andrew, Member for Bowman
Livermore, Ms Kirsten, Member for Capricornia
Macfarlane, The Hon Ian, Member for Groom
Neumann, Mr Shayne, Member for Blair
Neville, Mr Paul, Member for Hinkler
O'Dowd, Mr Ken, Member for Flynn
Perrett, Mr Graham, Member for Moreton
Prentice, Mrs Jane, Member for Ryan
Ripoll, Mr Bernie, Member for Oxley
Robert, Mr Stuart, Member for Fadden
Roy, Mr Wyatt, Member for Longman
Rudd, The Hon Kevin, Member for Griffith
Scott, The Hon Bruce, Member for Maranoa
Slipper, The Hon Peter, Member for Fisher
Somlyay, The Hon Alexander, Member for Fairfax
Swan, The Hon Wayne, Member for Lilley
Truss, The Hon Warren, Member for Wide Bay
Van Manen, Mr Bert, Member for Forde
Vasta, Mr Ross, Member for Bonner
Tasmania
Adams, The Hon Dick, Member for Lyons
Collins, The Hon Julie, Member for Franklin
Lyons, Mr Geoff, Member for Bass
Sidebottom, Hon Sid, Member for Braddon
Wilkie, Mr Andrew, Member for Denison
South Australia
Briggs, Mr Jamie, Member for Mayo
Butler, The Hon Mark, Member for Port Adelaide
Champion, Mr Nick, Member for Wakefield
Ellis, The Hon Kate, Member for Adelaide
Georganas, Mr Steve, Member for Hindmarsh
Pyne, The Hon Christopher, Member for Sturt
Ramsey, Mr Rowan, Member for Grey
Rishworth, Ms Amanda, Member for Kingston
Secker, Mr Patrick, Member for Barker
Southcott, Dr Andrew, Member for Boothby
Zappia, Mr Tony, Member for Makin
Victoria
Andrews, The Hon Kevin, Member for Menzies
Bandt, Mr Adam, Member for Melbourne
Billson, The Hon Bruce, Member for Dunkley
Broadbent, Mr Russell, Member for McMillan
Burke, Ms Anna, Member for Chisholm
Byrne, The Hon Anthony, Member for Holt
Cheeseman, Mr Darren, Member for Corangamite
Chester, Mr Darren, Member for Gippsland
Crean, The Hon Simon, Member for Hotham
Danby, Mr Michael, Member for Melbourne Ports
Dreyfus, The Hon Mark, Member for Isaacs
Ferguson, The Hon Martin, Member for Batman
Forrest, Mr John, Member for Mallee
Frydenberg, Mr Josh, Member for Kooyong
Gibbons, Mr Steve, Member for Bendigo
Gillard, The Hon Julia, Member for Lalor
Griffin, The Hon Alan, Member for Bruce
Hunt, The Hon Greg, Member for Flinders
Jenkins, Mr Harry, Member for Scullin
King, The Hon Catherine, Member for Ballarat
Macklin, The Hon Jenny, Member for Jagajaga
Marles, The Hon Richard, Member for Corio
Mirabella, Mrs Sophie, Member for Indi
Mitchell, Mr Rob, Member for McEwen
O'Connor, The Hon Brendan, Member for Gorton
O'Dwyer, Ms Kelly, Member for Higgins
Robb, The Hon Andrew, Member for Goldstein
Roxon, The Hon Nicola, Member for Gellibrand
Shorten, The Hon Bill, Member for Maribyrnong
Smith, The Hon Tony, Member for Casey
Smyth, Ms Laura, Member for La Trobe
Stone, The Hon Dr Sharman, Member for Murray
Symon, Mr Mike, Member for Deakin
Tehan, Mr Dan, Member for Wannon
Thomson, Mr Kelvin, Member for Wills
Tudge, Mr Alan, Member for Aston
Vamvakinou, Ms Maria, Member for Calwell
Western Australia
Bishop, The Hon Julie, Member for Curtin
Crook, Mr Tony, Member for O'Connor
Gray, The Hon Gary, Member for Brand
Haase, Mr Barry, Member for Durack
Irons, Mr Steve, Member for Swan
Jensen, Dr Dennis, Member for Tangney
Keenan, Mr Michael, Member for Stirling
Marino, Ms Nola, Member for Forrest
Moylan, The Hon Judi, Member for Pearce
Parke, Ms Melissa, Member for Fremantle
Randall, Mr Don, Member for Canning
Simpkins, Mr Luke, Member for Cowan
Smith, The Hon Stephen, Member for Perth
Washer, Dr Mal, Member for Moore
Wyatt, Mr Ken, Member for Hasluck
ELECTED FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES IN AUSTRALIA: SENATORS
Abetz, the Hon Eric - Senator for Tasmania
Adams, Judith - Senator for Western Australia
Arbib, the Hon Mark - Senator for New South Wales
Back, Chris - Senator for Western Australia
Bernardi, Cory - Senator for South Australia
Bilyk, Catryna - Senator for Tasmania
Birmingham, Simon - Senator for South Australia
Bishop, Mark - Senator for Western Australia
Boswell, the Hon Ronald - Senator for Queensland
Boyce, Sue - Senator for Queensland
Brown, Bob - Senator for Tasmania
Brown, Carol - Senator for Tasmania
Brandis, the Hon George - Senator for Queensland
Bushby, David - Senator for Tasmania
Cameron, Doug - Senator for New South Wales
Carr, the Hon Kim - Senator for Victoria
Cash, Michaelia - Senator for Western Australia
Colbeck, the Hon Richard - Senator for Tasmania
Collins, the Hon Jacinta - Senator for Victoria
Conroy, the Hon Stephen - Senator for Victoria
Cormann, Mathias - Senator for Western Australia
Crossin, Trish - Senator for Northern Territory
Di Natale, Richard - Senator for Victoria
Edwards, Sean - Senator for South Australia
Eggleston, Alan - Senator for Western Australia
Evans, the Hon Christopher - Senator for Western Australia
Farrell, the Hon Don - Senator for South Australia
Faulkner, the Hon John - Senator for New South Wales
Fawcett, David - Senator for South Australia
Feeney, the Hon David - Senator for Victoria
Fierravanti-Wells, Concetta - Senator for New South Wales
Fifield, Mitch - Senator for Victoria
Fisher, Mary Jo - Senator for South Australia
Furner, Mark - Senator for Queensland
Gallacher, Alex - Senator for South Australia
Hanson-Young, Sarah - Senator for South Australia
Heffernan, the Hon Bill - Senator for New South Wales
Hogg, the Hon John - Senator for Queensland
Humphries, Gary - Senator for Australian Capital Territory
Johnston, the Hon David - Senator for Western Australia
Joyce, Barnaby - Senator for Queensland
Kroger, Helen - Senator for Victoria
Ludlam, Scott - Senator for Western Australia
Ludwig, the Hon Joe - Senator for Queensland
Lundy, the Hon Kate - Senator for Australian Capital Territory
Macdonald, the Hon Ian - Senator for Queensland
McEwen, Anne - Senator for South Australia
McKenzie, Bridget - Senator for Victoria
McLucas, the Hon Jan - Senator for Queensland
Madigan, John - Senator for Victoria
Marshall, Gavin - Senator for Victoria
Mason, the Hon Brett - Senator for Queensland
Moore, Claire - Senator for Queensland
Milne, Christine - Senator for Tasmania
Nash, Fiona - Senator for New South Wales
Parry, Stephen - Senator for Tasmania
Payne, Marise - Senator for New South Wales
Polley, Helen - Senator for Tasmania
Pratt, Louise - Senator for Western Australia
Rhiannon, Lee - Senator for New South Wales
Ronaldson, the Hon Michael - Senator for Victoria
Ryan, Scott - Senator for Victoria
Scullion, the Hon Nigel - Senator for Northern Territory
Sherry, the Hon Nick - Senator for Tasmania
Siewert, Rachel - Senator for Western Australia
Singh, the Hon Lisa - Senator for Tasmania
Sinodinos, Arthur - Senator for New South Wales
Sterle, Glenn - Senator for Western Australia
Stephens, the Hon Ursula - Senator for New South Wales
Thistlethwaite, Matt - Senator for New South Wales
Urquhart, Anne - Senator for Tasmania
Waters, Larissa - Senator for Queensland
Williams, John - Senator for New South Wales
Wong, the Hon Penny - Senator for South Australia
Wright, Penny - Senator for South Australia
Xenophon, Nick - Senator for South Australia
.