This fiasco may turn out to be quite interesting.
Labor when it was in power took forever covering up, and stalling the "Craig Thompson saga."
Now isn't it strange that Labor is behind an inquiry, in an attempt to sway the voter in Qld prior to the next state election.
Now if I remember, Conroy was in doubt to preselected for his seat for the next Federal Election.
But he has been successful.
"Senator Stephen Conroy uses iPad and Skype to ask delegates to choose him for ALP preselection
Samantha Maiden National Political Editor
The Sunday Telegraph
September 28, 2014 12:00AM"
Note the date. So is Conroy flexing his muscles, or is he just being his "mad chaotic self" ?
That is the question.!!
"A professor of constitutional law at the University of Sydney, Anne Twomey told ABC's AM program that the inquiry raises two areas of legal doubt.
"The first is a subject matter area, and they've been careful in making sure that there's a link to Commonwealth legislative power," Professor Twomey said.
"But the second area of doubt is about whether they can compel evidence from state politicians, from state public servants and can compel the production of documents."
Professor Twomey said the only previous inquiry of its kind, a 1996 select committee into the Victorian Casino was effectively abandoned when senators decided they could not make findings without compelling witnesses to appear, and the Queensland Government inquiry may face the same problem.
"It may be that there's enough evidence material around for them to inquire into this and to come to conclusions, but if they want to discover evidence that they can't otherwise get by attempting to compel evidence then that would certainly lead to a court challenge," Professor Twomey said.
She said that could have unintended consequences for the whole Senate committee system.
"From a Senate point of view, they may not want to test that in a court because not only may they find out that they've got no powers to do those sorts of things, they may discover that they have even fewer powers in other areas as well," she said.
"It's a little Pandora's box that as a general principle the Senate tries not to open.""
Overall IMO, Conroy is again in the system and is trying to impress the Caucus for a shot at the crown or second in command.
The only crown I believe he is credentialed to wear is those "red underpants". But Conroy has not yet come to grips with his ego being rated far higher than his capabilities!!!
