The smears flung by the Queensland LNP dirt unit over Billy Gordon have spread even wider, writes Matthew N. Donovan.
The Billy Gordon saga has been highly distressing for many parties.
Not only that, it’s been a cause of severe instability within the Queensland Government. Which is something that damages the State and impacts business and consumer confidence.
The news site – cairnsnow.com.au – founded by former Cairns LNP MP Gavin King after his exit from State politics earlier this year – has made its name through airing controversial allegations about Billy Gordon. And on the back of that, it has made many offensive and defamatory allegations and insinuations about my own comments about this sorry affair.
It portrays itself as a regular news website and Gavin King, before becoming an MP in the Newman Government, was a "journalist" — with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation – but nowhere on the site does it say that it was founded by a political opponent of Billy Gordon, or that it is effectively an LNP website.
The allegations that have been made against Billy Gordon deserve to be properly investigated by Queensland Police.
Not the media. Not the LNP. Not Gavin King. Not David Kempton. Not Warren Entsch. But rather the Queensland Police. Indeed, I have concerns about the allegations being raised with members of the LNP before they were reported to Queensland Police.
It is curious why Gavin King would be consulted about Domestic Violence @terra155 @apgf2009 @StBlitzen @FlatEarthGang http://t.co/ycAmhrvrC1
— Ross Bowler (@BowlerBarrister) April 24, 2015
Former LNP Cairns MP Gavin King and former LNP Cook MP David Kempton, having just been defeated and still licking their wounds, met with the aggrieved multiple times over the course of three weeks prior to the allegations coming to light.
Questions need to be asked about why Mr King and Mr Kempton thought it was appropriate to conduct themselves in this manner, given their self interest in using these revelations to cause their Queensland Labor opponents and the Palaszczuk Government significant damage.
Mr Kempton particularly has questions to answer given the potential benefit to him in the event of a Cook by-election. Why did these men not recuse themselves given their conflict of interest and advise the aggrieved to report all matters to the Queensland Police immediately?
More to the point, what was discussed during these meetings and did lawyer David Kempton provide her any legal advice? Some have suggested David Kempton may be representing her. I’m not aware whether this is true or not but I’ve not heard him deny it.
These men know this is a very tight parliament and a long shot LNP win in a Cook by-election or a general election could tip the LNP – and maybe themselves, personally – back into government. This was never about her best interests. This was about these former LNP MPs exacting revenge and using these personal allegations as a weapon.
I’ve got no doubt the aggrieved is under severe stress — as is the accused. But when she made the choice to make this a political calculation by going to the LNP, rather than a legal calculation by going to Queensland Police, she did – in my view – make the wrong choice.
The LNP and their Billy Gordon dirt file https://t.co/0c1lPUp7xW @IndependentAus
— Dame Justice Warrior (@suthernx) April 24, 2015
It is unfortunate she wasn’t advised that extended trial by media would have significant destabilising ramifications on her and her family as well as the Palaszczuk Government and Queensland Parliament. When she makes comments publicly, like she did on Channel Nine's A Current Affair, she just further prejudices a potential trial and keeps the circus going.
Billy Gordon has said he’ll make no public statements while the Queensland Police investigation is ongoing. That is the right approach in my view.
The media don’t care about her well being. They are purely trying to sell newspapers and get high ratings.
In the meantime, every time she makes public comments, it rattles through the entire Queensland political system. I do think she has been used by the LNP and Gavin King’s attempt at a media operation for their own selfish benefit.
King used this deeply personal and potentially personally beneficial story as fodder to launch his “news” site. Let me be clear. This site is designed to be nothing other than a dirt unit against the Labor Party.
Recently, a wrongly addressed email intended for Gavin King was accidentally sent to Labor Cairns MP Rob Pyne instead. It shone some light on their desire to smear and attack by acquiring tip offs I can only assume have been actively sought by cairnsnow.com.au.
They have been rattled by their loss of government and their seats. They were looking to bring down this government with smear, defamation, scandal and innuendo.
The allegations are best aired in interviews with Queensland Police and potentially in the court of law. Not in interviews with Gavin King, the Murdoch media or A Current Affair. I have made it quite clear to Gavin King and cairnsnow.com.au I know what is going on and I’m keeping my eye on their conduct.
@gavking @QLDLabor @evanmoorhead At least he wasn't fantasising about sticking a fork in a female's eye. pic.twitter.com/kqOp1HitcB
— Dave Donovan (@davrosz) April 24, 2015
The publication of this article about me is an attempt to mislead, smear and intimidate me from speaking out about their involvement in and conduct around the Billy Gordon saga.
I won’t be bullied into silence and the truth will come out.
The aggrieved is more than entitled to get her side of the story out there after any Queensland Police and legal proceedings. The point I was making is I was angry it was becoming a political football for those seeking to use it for their own political benefit. The A Current Affair interview only ratcheted that up and potentially prejudiced the Police investigation and or any court proceedings that spring from it. It gives her side of the story further air time while Billy Gordon remains silent pending the Police investigation.
I would also point out that I have very personal experience with domestic violence. It is to be condemned everywhere it exists. I utterly reject any insinuation I would want domestic violence allegations swept under the rug.
What I want to see is a fair and just Police and legal process and the ability of the Palaszczuk Government to achieve stability in order to allow it to govern the state for the good of all Queenslanders.
Queenslanders should be outraged at how these former MPs have conducted themselves. I know I am.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
@FlatEarthGang @CoPStewart @GalacticWomanAu @Qldaah @SallyRMelb concern commissioner thinks @gavking helping here pic.twitter.com/Gx0NV9Ul2Q
— kerry klimm (@flashblak) April 24, 2015
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Gavin King @gavking LNP member for Cairns thinks that a women being drunk means it's OK to rape her #qldvotes #qldpol pic.twitter.com/OI1QoYrZGD
— Cycling Foodie (@cyclingfoodie) January 20, 2015
