Whilst on the subject of Carmen Lawrence, let me remind you of what was the most sordid - yes, even criminal, act of the Keating Government - an action which the members of that Government and cabinet, now on the front bench of the Opposition, either tacitly condoned or actively participated in/ It concerns the conduct of the previous Government's attempts to close down the Royal Commission inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tabling of the Easton petition in the W.A. Parliament which led to the tragic suicide of Penny Easton, and Carmen Lawrence's role in the affair.
Paul Keating was, some six months after the event, finally forced to admit that the then Leader of the Opposition (in Western Australia), Jim McGinty, had informed him that not one member of the Lawrence Cabinet would or could support Lawrence's story if called to give evidence under oath.
Yet, Keating continued to rage against the Commissioner, the Court (state West Australian Liberal) Government and anyone who dared to oppose his decision to commit taxpayer funds in an abortive attempt to close down the inquiry. Even after the Royal Commission refused to believe Lawrence, Keating continued to smear all associated with its verdict. The trial of Lawrence on charge of giving false evidence is pending.
Now the seriousness of this is in the implication of these facts as they reflect on the integrity and credibility of the leading figures of the Parliamentary Labor Party today. Time has not diminished the seriousness of this matter.
Think carefully on this point - Keating could have only drawn one conclusion from McGinty's statement and that had to be, that neither McGinty or any of his colleagues were prepared to commit perjury to save Lawrence's political hide. We must therefore ask: Did Keating confide the knowledge that Lawrence was lying to his Cabinet? If he did not, he acted with a corrupt, dishonest intent to mislead them and the Australian community and to defraud the Commonwealth for the reprehensible and inexcusable of political purposes.
If he did reveal this important information to Cabinet, then we are left with only one possible conclusion, i.e. that the entire Cabinet conspired together to pervert the course of justice and to defraud the public purse in the process.
They cannot claim they were innocent victims of Keating's dishonesty, because when Keating was finally forced to admit that discussion with McGinty, they MUST have realised that their position was untenable; yet, they continued to support Keating's every dishonest attempt to blacken the Royal Commissioner and to proclaim their belief in Lawrence's truthfulness.
Today, they have no credibility - they can only claim the defence of stupidity if they want to deny complicity in this sordid episode. They must never again be trusted.
It is sad to also note that, despite these facts being drawn to the attention of the Coalition parties and the Democrats, they have failed to pursue these serious charges. So much for political integrity!
So much for Keating's pledge to keep the bastards honest.