awu scandal re-visited

This 7.30 interview with former Slater & Gordon partner, Nick Styant-Brown is worth re-visiting.



Styant-Brown shows conclusively that Ms Gillard claimed in the September 1995 exit interview that she became aware only a few weeks earlier that the purchase of the Kerr St property was secured by a mortgage in favour of S&G using $150,000 borrowed from S&G [without knowledge of any other partners] when in fact the conveyancing files shows clearly she was personally involved in arranging that mortgage in 1993 from her own firm, unbeknowns to her partners.

On 10 March 1993 S&G issued a mortgage offer to Ralph Blewitt:

On exactly the same day, 10 March 1993, Julia Gillard issued this memo to the conveyancing clerk, Olive Brosnan:

Ms Brosnan responded to Ms Gillard on 12 March:

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The Facts:

Yet, when the issue came to light 2 years later, Gillard said during an interrogation conducted by S&G partners on 11 September 1995 that:

"Peter Gordon: “Were you aware at any time that the balance of the funds to make up the capital was to be provided by contributory mortgage of which Jonathan Rothfield (a Slater & Gordon partner) was trustee?”

Julia Gillard: “I don’t, I don’t think I knew that at the time, where the source of funds was. It’s subsequently been raised with me that that was done through the Slater & Gordon mortgage register but I didn’t have any recollection of that.”

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....and more facts from The Age on 22 November 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/bank-letter-links-pm-to-house-mortgage-20121122-29ssd.html#ixzz2CwCqLVbB

"A Commonwealth Bank letter sent to Ms Gillard on March 22, 1993, shows she was involved in the property's insurance, a prerequisite for the mortgage.
Addressed "Attention: Julia Gillard" and headed "Certificate of Currency", the letter from the bank's insurance department confirms the Kerr Street unit had been insured in the name of Ralph E. Blewitt.
"In accordance with your request, we advise the building/s are insured for $200,000 with the Commonwealth Bank Insurance Scheme and the policy is renewed until 18th March 1994," it says.
On the same day the letter was sent, a handwritten note in the file headed "Bruce Wilson" refers to the certificate of currency from the Commonwealth Bank and adds: "Ralph spoke to Julia Gillard".
The 400-page conveyancing file also shows that Ms Gillard waived professional fees on the conveyancing and loan work, sought and received a detailed briefing on penalty interest provisions for the mortgage and forwarded a cheque from Mr Blewitt for costs associated with the purchase."

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....and from former partner Nick Styant-Browne, who has no reason not to be truthful:

He cited a letter from Commonwealth Bank – which was previously released as part of Slater & Gordon’s file on the property deal – as proof that Ms Gillard knew the law firm had provided the mortgage...

“What this entry on the file shows is that Mr Blewitt was personally attending to dealing with the Commonwealth Bank about the certificate of currency.”

http://www.afr.com/p/national/former_colleague_challenges_gillard_mcwQNEoAaRgaAN5r4ESTDI

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"Every touch leaves its trace"