WACKO JACKO SIGHTINGS IN DARWIN

There are numerous reports that Michael Jackson is alive and living in Darwin !!!
Police have confirmed that a man answering his description was seen moon walking outside the Discovery nightclub in Mitchell Street last Saturday night . At the same time another Wacko Jacko look alike was entertaining a crowd of revellers with a cross between a moon walk and an Irish jig outside Shenannigans .

Then another weirdo who looked like Jackson , wearing one white glove and claiming to be a visiting Greek gynaecologist , was evicted from Royal Darwin Hospital

The largest number of Jackson sightings came from the Moscow Circus when it was in town performing for peanuts , thanks to Darwin City Council largesse. At least 100 people vow they saw Michael Jackson moon walking with a chimp in the big ring. The chimp was wearing Michael’s missing glove and sucking on a bottle of cheap Russian vodka.

Another sighting was reported at Mindil Beach where Jackson moon walked along the sand with a drunken monkey , later identified as Bubbles .Unfortunately , a skyrocket set off by one of Darwin’s many cracker maniacs landed on Jackson’s head and set fire to the singer’s hair.

Brave Darwin firefighters , highly experienced in dealing with visiting Hollywood hobboes , rushed to the beach and doused Jackson and the jibbering monk with flat Pepsi . Back at the station, the quick thinking fire crew were congratulated by a senior officer who did a Michael Jackson moon walk , grabbed his groin like Wacko does and put his pocket fire extinguisher on the line for the cheering firies.

After the nasty experience at Mindil Beach , Michael Jackson and Bubbles were next seen at Crocodylus Park . Jackson foolishly tempted fate by moon walking around the edges of the breeding ponds at feeding time. The poor chimp, obviously still drunk on vodka, fell in and was quickly gobbled up by a huge female croc which is regularly seen seductively posing in a bikini on page 3 of the NT News.

Another large crocodile bit Jackson on the nose and he was rushed to the Neverland Hospital wing in the new- look Darwin Private Hospital carpark and clip-joint .There he underwent plastic surgery and the painful removal of a grotty, ingrown glove from the lining of his black hat, which left a nasty hole looking like a crater on the dark side of the moon. .

FIREFIGHTER REBUKED FOR UNIFORM

A firefighter who attended the recent large Palmerston meeting where members of the public voiced their deep concerns about the breakdown of law and order in the area has been asked to explain why he wore his uniform to the gathering.

This pettifogging request, which seems symptomatic of a bureaucratic malaise in emergency services that delights in such mind -boggling trivia , should be stomped on from on high .

Freedom of speech in the Territory has come to a sorry state if a person can, in effect, be reprimanded for wearing a uniform at a public forum. In a recent Quarterly Essay,writer David Marr described how public debate under PM John Howard had been corrupted by a decade of suppression and the strange willingness of Australians to watch their liberties drift away without much fuss. What is it that they say about liberty /freedom/ democracy depending upon eternal vigilance?

The utterly nonsensical Palmerston uniform episode is a clear indication of petty minded government individuals seemingly attempting to stifle legitimate debate and the flow of information, contrary to the official line, to the public.

Little Darwin understands the firefighter, who lives in Palmerston, had approval from his watch commander to attend the meeting , called by Mayor Macleod and attended by Chief Minister Paul Henderson and senior police officers.

Having had two cars torched near his own home, the officer said he was speaking as a local resident . He pointed out that 27 vehicles had been set on fire in Palmerston since January . A police officer made the nebulous point that some of those vehicles may have been stolen from Casuarina and other places, and were not therefore all from Palmerston. The mayor retorted that it did not matter where the cars came from, they did not a want them torched in Palmerston.

The fire officer also apparently mentioned a raid on a building site where the name Palmerston Gang had been painted. The use of the word gang goes against the official government spin that the troubles in various parts of the city are due to minors who engage in random , opportunistic acts.

So what was so wrong with a fireman exercising his right in a democracy to get up and speak about matters involving his own turf? There is no beef , and rightly so, when uniformed firemen participate in various charitable organisations, including the lively annual Christmas bash for pensioners . If members of the Australia Defence Force , of which there are many in the Palmerston area, turned up in uniforms and spoke up , would they be issued with inane please explains? Taken to a ridiculous extreme, why were the police in uniform at the large public rally? A number of questions need to be asked of the Chief Minister , the Commissioner of Police and the head of the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service. First off, who was the person who initiated the irksome action against the firefighter? Why?.. and so on.

The Police Commissioner, Mr Paul White, who is CEO of the tri-service , surely must realise that this pin- pricking , petty action serves no good. Any half -smart human resources officer would advise against a please explain. It is yet another indication of the adverse reflection on the Commisioner and the government resulting from the Palmerston meeting. Commissioner White was asked by the ABC’s Stateline TV show why he had not attended the Palmerston gathering and he replied that senior officers were there. Naturally, he became annoyed when the ABC persisted and suggested he had not shown up because unnamed persons said he was “ gutless .” A terrible, uncalled for slur by Aunty .

It is not the first time that firefighters have been warned about wearing their uniforms . On one occasion, when a hot issue related to the firefighters was about to be raised in the Legislative Assembly they went along to hear the debate and were warned by management not to wear their uniforms. This instruction was , rightfully, ignored. Federal parliament has been invaded by sections of the community in various uniforms- truckies, tradesmen , builders, pastoralists in cowboy hats, pensioners on walking frames. What is responsible for this colonial schoolmaster hangover in Darwin departments ?

NEWSFLASH : According to the ABC radio this morning , little has changed at Palmerston as a result of that public meeting attended by the Chief Minister and senior police officers. It was reported that a Palmerston resident had telephoned the emergency number twice re rampaging , armed youths numbering 30. The first call went through to Katherine and the second one ,40 minutes later , did not result in the arrival of police. However, the radio item claimed "unmarked " police cars could have attended and had difficulty finding any sign of trouble.

DAVID versus GOLIATH COURT UPDATE

Further submissions are to be made to evaluate what should be paid to Territory Sheet Metal (TSM) by the ANZ Bank. In his 507 page ruling, Mr Justice Olsson found that the defendant (ANZ) breached an implied term of contract between itself and TSM arising out of a cheque for $570,00 and another for $460,000,the latter being forgery , changed by Godwin from one for only $460. The judge ruled against the four plaintiffs in respect of their individual claims , except in certain aspects of the TSM claim.

His Honour said the evidence indicated that what essentially had brought TSM “ to its knees” –in the context of its already difficult financial situation -was the impact of the public knowledge that Godwin had committed a serious fraud on the company .

This had generated a general fear by trade suppliers and potential customers that the company may not have be able to pay its debts and / or fulfil substantial orders, if placed with it. While it was true that TSM did “limp along for about three years “ after Godwin’s fraud became known, it was apparent from evidence that the company went into almost immediate financial decline. The judge went on to say it was “ truly remarkable “ that David Smith and his business partner , Edward Dean , were able to continue the business for as long as they did , probably as a consequence of them both obtaining night jobs so that they could “ survive” without drawing on TSM.

Mr Justice Olsson commented on evidence given by ANZ officers . Of Martin Bradley, an ANZ business manager , who had initial interaction with Smith , Dean and Godwin, the judge said he had only held that position for about a year at the time, with no experience handling matters of the complexity and magnitude of the TSM re-financing proposal when informed of it. It was clear he had little independent memory of the details of what occurred in l997, was unaware of what had happened to his diary for that year and had not made any contemporaneous notes. He testified that he maintained what he termed a work file , which seemed to have been little more than a collection of some miscellaneous documents that claimed had been passed to witness John Baylis, a key bank witness, when the TSM loans were formally approved. No such file, however, had been produced in court .

The judge said , in response to many questions and cross examination , the witness could not recall relevant details asked of him. Responses were no more than ex post facto rationalisation on his behalf. “In the event , I have approached his evidence with a distinct lack of confidence in its weight and have found it generally of limited assistance . I certainly could not safely rely on it as controverting any specific evidence of David Lennox Smith and or/ Edward Dean as to what took place and when .”

In respect of bank employee , Deane Barnett , His Honour said he was an intelligent and highly experienced person who held a variety of senior posts with the ANZ , including that of branch relationship manager. The judge gained the impression that his recollection of detailed events was somewhat superior to that of Bradley –although there were some facets of the narrative events of which he did not retain any, or a clear, memory. Although he regarded this witness as generally frank, objective and impressive, Mr Olsson admitted he had some difficulty in following the logic of certain of his conceptual approaches. In general, the accuracy of his factual evidence was accepted.

In the case of testimony by small business relieving manager , Darren Meers, His Honour said he had been unable to derive definitive assistance from what he had to say. Meers had professed no significant memory of the detail of any factual events pertinent to the case. He did recall going with witness Martin Bradley to the TSM premises.

Dealing with the evidence of Brian Peddler, in charge of ANZ Credit Centre for South Australia and the Territory , the judge found most of his evidence generally impressive , albeit that he came across as being slightly defensive at times. “I did not find his evidence concerning front line-banking procedures as impressive as that related to his apparent primary field of expertise.”

Chris Wellman, described as a confident, articulate and intelligent bank officer, professed no present memory of his involvement in the transactions relevant to the court hearing. However, he said perusal of certain documentation stimulated a limited degree of memory , although the judge was not convinced that it had done so. “The whole flavour of his evidence was such that it became clear that any seemingly positive evidence of what had occurred was little more than ex post facto rationalisation on his part.”

The judge said John Baylis, an employee of ANZ for 42 years and relationship manager and senior officer at the ANZ lending centre at Winnellie since l992, had presented something of an enigma. His professed memory seemingly improved as he went along and appeared to be based largely on documents that he perused . “I carefully observed him in the witness box and, at the end of the day, did not find him an impressive witness,” His Honour continued. ‘At times he professed a positive recollection of events that I do not consider that he truly had and, as I will later demonstrate , there are inconsistencies between his written statements and his oral evidence. Often, when pressed in cross examination , it was plain that he had no present detailed independent recollection of numerous events and circumstances.”

He found it odd that a statement by Godwin did not seem to have “rung any alarm bells "with Baylis.There were other problematic aspects of his evidence .”All in all , I have treated his evidence with great caution . I am not prepared to act on it , except where it is supported by other convincing evidence.”

WHITLAM THRASHED ROBERT MENZIES

Over the years there has been a constant campaign to belittle the Whitlam government of l972-75 as having been inept , accident prone and unable to handle the exchequer . Even the ALP itself, giving the impression that it would just like discussion of the Whitlam years to fade into the past, did little to explain the achievements and the global economic stresses which impacted on Australia in the l970s. Recently , the Coalition’s attack dog, " Mad Monk " Tony Abbott, barked on TV that the Rudd Government’s stimulus packages were like a Whitlam deficit.Yet again the Whitlam years were being used to cudgel the ALP, a banshee wail which will seemingly never end.


It was therefore both refreshing and a joy to see Robert Manne in the June edition of The Monthly magazine declare PM Gough Whitlam achieved more in his three year reign than PM Robert Menzies in 16. Right on . Here in one simple sentence was the message that the ALP has constantly failed to present to the nation. Manne went on to say most of Whitlam’s reforms –Medibank ; university expansion ; the creation of national cultural institutions ; the expansion of the welfare state ; the initiation of Indigenous land rights; the passage of the Racial Discrimination Act-made Australia a distinctly better place. (There were many other reforms. )

Little Darwin adds the following . In explaining the present global financial crisis there has been much reference in journals, lectures , documentaries and essays to the causes of the great Depression and the subsequent recessions . One of the global economic blows of the Western world occurred during the Whitlam government ,when the first oil hike took place. In Japan , the oil spike was billed as a “shoku” and the populace began hoarding all kinds of commodities, including toilet paper, in anticipation of massive price increases. The stock market dived, inflation was off and running , unemployment increased. The Whitlam government , though not perfect and full of reformist zeal , was hit like most other countries.

When the Coalition government came into power PM Malcolm Fraser and Treasurer John Howard faced the same difficult realities and performed badly,there being high interest rates , high unemployment. So, at this belated stage , happy birthday Gough Whitlam . To the modern day ALP , please take every opportunity to repeat what Robert Manne had to say in The Monthly to better inform the populace and annoy sanctimonious , yapping dogs.

DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH COURT CASE

An indication of the likely outcome of a David versus Goliath court case involving a claim for up to $79 million against the ANZ Bank will be given in the NT Supreme Court today (July 9) when Mr Acting Justice Trevor Olsson hands down findings of fact . The David in the case is David Lennox Smith , 48, one of four plaintiffs , who has spearheaded the struggle against the might of the bank and NT Government reluctance to help for close on 11 ½ years.

In recent years Smith has been operating out of a floating “ war bunker ”, an apartment supplied free of charge by supporters in a recently completed tower block in the Darwin CBD . As each apartment was fitted out, he moved to another incomplete one . Stacked about the apartment on bookshelves and on tables were files, court transcripts , a donated photocopier , packets of biscuits and jars of coffee which sustained frequent bouts of burning the midnight oil . Overlooking the military operation in the bunkers was a framed picture with replicas of the medals awarded to a relative , Lieutenant -Colonel Henry William Murray ,V.C., Australia’s most decorated WW1 veteran , who has inspired Smith in his battle for justice.

Smith and Ted Dean , 53, directors of Territory Sheet Metal , sued the ANZ for allegedly breaching its fudiciary duty and the Trade Practices Act by failing in l997 to make proper inquiries about conman Anthony Lionel Godwin , who joined the plaintiffs in a proposed new development project , claiming non - existent assets and using devious methods to obtain loans and documents. Appearing for the plaintiffs, Darrell Trim , QC , told court “alarm bells ” were rung by an Adelaide -based credit manager in October l997 about Godwin, but the bank did not inform Smith or Dean . Furthermore, if the bank had made a proper credit check it would have discovered that Godwin had no assets and had been bankrupted in l993.

Trim also said it was “inexcusable “ that the bank failed to tell them when further “discrepencies ” in Godwin’s information arose during the loan process , or when two substantial cheques were issued , despite the bank harbouring “significant concerns”.

As a result , in l998 , Smith and Dean were forced to sell their homes and other assets to cover a $940,000 debt to the ANZ, mainly comprised of a loan and monies drawn by Godwin . Territory Sheet Metal was forced into liquidation. Patents for roofing and other building devices here and the US sought by Smith, an inventor, had to be relinquished . The Taxation Department demanded payment of a large sum , but a stay was put on this claim until after the outcome of the court case.


In 2002 , Godwin, who at the age of 13 had been named the NT Junior Sportsman of the Year , was sentenced to 12 years’ jail with a non-parole term of six years for his actions. In 2005 , Godwin, still in prison, was also convicted on three counts of stealing a total of $312,000 from the Territory Insurance Office in 2000 , scams which involved a woman accomplice who worked in the TIO, while he was on bail pending the outcome of the previous cases . His aggregate imprisonment was increased to l5 years and the new parole period raised to seven and a half years.

Gathering evidence and information for the case against the bank has been a roller coaster ride for the plaintiffs. While attempting to obtain details about how Godwin had been able to bluff officers in various departments to obtain documents and enter false information in NT Government computers, Smith came up against a brickwall .

In desperation , he wrote a letter to the then Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Denis Burke ,in whose electorate he lived, weighed it down , and tossed it over the fence of his home. In it he wished the Chief Minister and his family all the best for Christmas , but asked him to consider the plight of the families deceived by Godwin . He asked for access to the information contained in a department for which Burke had ministerial responsibility. A legal excuse was given for not complying with that request.

When the case got underway ,Smith found he was liable for nearly $15 a page for court transcripts . With the case likely to involve thousands of pages , he was up for a fortune, which he could not afford, so he made a special application to the court to set aside the charge, which it did, pending the outcome.

In what he describes as a “ fluke”, similar to the now classic Australian film , The Castle, in which a battler fought to save his house from compulsory acquisition, getting legal advice from a person he met , they ended up with an impressive legal team. Smith was doing a building job for a person in Darwin who, on hearing of Smith’s troubles, recommended an Adelaide legal firm who had handled a case for him.

Following that advice , an Adelaide barrister was engaged , but he became ill and by chance it was handed over to Adelaide barrister Roger Sallis , of Michael Kirby Chambers , a kick boxing exponent, whose office is decorated with photographs of Thai kick boxing champions and there are kicking pads and gloves. He brought in Darrel Trim, QC, from Torrens Chambers, who in the past has defended banks . In fact, during a video link from Darwin to Adelaide, Mr Justice Olsson pointed out that Trim was sitting at the bar table in the position usually occupied by the defendant , not the plaintiff.

Waiting anxiously for the outcome, David Smith said his struggle was nothing compared to what Lieutenant Colonel William Murray , related on the paternal side, faced during the war. Born in Launceston , Tasmania , on December 1, l880, he helped run the family farm, went to Western Australia at the age of l9 and worked as a mail courier on the goldfields, riding about on a pushbike and horse with a rifle for protection Working as a timber cutter in the railways , he enlisted as a private in the AIF and landed at Gallipoli on April 25,l915 as a member of the l6th Battalion’s two machine gun crews. Wounded several times, he spent time in hospital , was promoted to lance corporal on May 13 and won the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery between May 9-13. Wounded again on July 8 , he was rapidly promoted to a sergeant and then commissioned second lieutenant and transferred to the l3th battalion. By March l916 he had reached the rank of captain .

With the 13th Battalion in France he received the Distinguished Service Order fighting at Mouquet Farm where he was twice wounded. In February of next year he led his company’s attack on Stormy Trench and in almost 24 hours constant fighting , repelled counter attacks , fought in merciless close quarter battles, all under intense shell fire , About 230 members of the Battalion were killed in the fight and Murray won the Victoria Cross. In March l918 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of the 4th Machine Gun Battalion .

David Smith has been to Townsville to see Murray’s son and learn more about his brave father who had a grazing property at Richmond , Queensland . His complete medal collection , which includes the CMG and Croix de Guerre is intact and in a bank security vault. Murray died on January 7, l966 after a car accident at Miles, Queensland.

Smith was born Canberra l960 and with his teacher father was to have moved to Darwin , but Cyclone Tracy struck in l974 and destroyed the house they were to live in, so they were diverted to Brisbane . They finally made it to Darwin in l976. Currently Smith, still in the sheet metal trade, is working on plans for a documentary about the time the rugby league team, Brothers, in which he was the lock, won the l984 Darwin premiership.

VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS PUT AT RISK

Apart from the secret Kent risk assessment report into the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service there are other matters of concern to firefighters. Little Darwin understands that earlier this year a medico warned the fire service it could find itself responsible for the death of one of its own if it did not promptly address the heat stress issue.

In a slow response, permanent firefighters were given personal resuscitators to combat smoke and toxic fumes. But these were only handed out if firefighters emailed or personally applied for them instead of being supplied en masse as a basic protective measure.

For some odd reason , probably penny pinching, these resuscitators have not been provided to volunteer firefighters. How can this situation exist? Apparently the Chief Minister and his advisors are unaware of this situation otherwise instant action would have been be taken to rectify this culpable and intolerable siuation. Are volunteer firefighters expendable? It is well known that gamba grass fires, common in and around Darwin, create temperatures much higher than native grasses . Firefighters wear heavy protective clothing which by its very nature is hot.

And scattered about the Top End are numerous wartime dumps through which dry season fires rage. Very little is known about the location and content of these dumps. During the war surplus auctions in Darwin after WW11 thousands of gas masks were sold. This raises the possibility that gas containers were stored in the Territory. There is a report that something like deadly mustard gas was found in the Top End.

The proposed large Harbourside shopping centre project at Berrimah , now on hold because of the GFC, had earlier been delayed because an investigation was to be held into the suggestion that it was on a site said to be used as a wartime dump. There has also been no public report on the outcome of that investigation which is surely of interest to the community .

INTERVENTION NEED TO SAVE CHILDREN

A COMPELLING CASE FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION TO SAVE THE CHILDREN OF THE NIGER DELTA WAS PRESENTED IN A RECENT TV DOCUMENTARY. LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN THERE ARE BEING MAIMED, STARVED , CAST OUT OF VILLAGES , KILLED BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS FANATICS WHO DECLARE THEM WIZARDS AND WITCHES.

THE VILE, BOMBASTIC WOMAN WHOSE BIZARRE DVD PROMOTING THE IDEA OF WIZARDS AND WITCHES SHOWED CHILDREN EATING HUMAN FLESH SHOULD BE CLAPPED IN IRONS AND THROWN INTO A DANK DUNGEON. THE REGION IS AWASH WITH PENTECOSTAL EXTREMISTS WHO TERRIFY THE SIMPLE COMMUNITY AND TEAR FAMILIES APART WITH THEIR PRIMITIVE , OBSCENE BELIEFS.

THE SIGHT OF AN OBVIOUS CHARLATAN IN A WHITE SURPLICE TREATING BOYS, FOR MONEY , WITH A CONCOCTION TO CAST OUT EVIL SPIRITS WAS SICKENING. THEN THERE WAS THE APPALLING CASE OF A SMALL GIRL BEING THREATENED BY A MAN WITH A MACHETE SAYING HE WOULD KILL HER IF SHE RETURNED TO A VILLAGE WITH HER MOTHER BECAUSE SHE WAS A WITCH . THE DOCUMENTARY MENTIONED THAT CATCHES BY FISHERMEN IN THE DELTA WERE POOR BECAUSE OF THE POLLUTION CAUSED BY THE OIL INDUSTRY. SO HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE THE RESOURCES OF A COUNTRY ARE BEING EXPLOITED WITH NO BENEFIT TO THE LOCALS. THIS SITUATION DEMANDS IMMEDIATE,REPEAT IMMEDIATE, ACTION BY THE UNITED NATIONS OR THE UNION OF AFRICAN UNITY . ANYONE NOTICE ANY EXPRESSIONS OF INDIGNATION ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE NIGER CHILDREN IN THE LOCAL MEDIA ,POLITICIANS ?