The Rudd Government has suffered its first casualty with Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon resigning at 1.00pm today after discussions this morning with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and Special Minister of State John Faulkner.
Fitzgibbon stated in a letter to the Prime Minister (Fitzgibbon’s resignation here (PDF)) that he had learnt of breaches of undertakings he had made in the wake of the Helen Liu affair about the use of his office by brother Mark Fitzgibbon, the CEO of health insurer NIB. Opposition probing via Estimates had revealed that further meetings had occurred involving Mark Fitzgibbon and his brother’s staff, and in his office.
Rudd said that a replacement would be announced shortly but appeared to rule out a reshuffle. Former Defence Procurement Parliamentary Secretary Greg Combet, currently assisting Penny Wong in the Climate Change portfolio, is tipped to return to Defence and is likely to be welcomed by Defence insiders and industry given his strong performance there on procurement issues.
Rudd suggested that his Chief of Staff Alister Jordan and Senator Faulkner had encouraged Fitzgibbon to resign after discussing the Estimates evidence, but declared Fitzgibbon had been a “first class minister” and that he might return to the frontbench in the future.
The resignation is a victory for still-unidentified elements within Defence who exposed Fitzgibbon’s relationship with Liu and the use of his office by his brother earlier this year. Today Defence Secretary Nick Warner continued to insist at Estimates hearings that an inquiry clearing Defence had been accurate and effective.
Read the back story to the Fitzgibbon story here.
It may seem perverse but I hope the resignation was provoked by some new heinous thing, because it would be appalling for Australian governance if the most recent utterly trivial oversight was the cause. What message is Rudd and the political class in general, sending when Alexander Downer, Phil Ruddock or Kevin (whatsisname…….Andrews) get away scotfree for their truly awful, and arguably illegal, actions and inactions that have infinitely more import than this. And to compare it with the shambles in the UK would be more than ridiculous.
I did not agree with BK’s call for resignation/sacking and so far nothing changes my mind. I wonder if BK could account for every dollar of Crikey’s expense account money he uses (and gawd helpus if Rundle had to!).
Didn’t Rudd say something about “a NEW open and transparent Government”?
Such a shame – he was a great Defence Minister and obviously was doing a good job or the powers that be within the Defence Dept wouldnt have tried so hard to get rid of him. Maybe Joel would have found out a few things going back to the Howard years that they didnt want to come out. As Michael James said – these oversights are nothing compared to the disgraceful performances of Downer, Ruddick, Andrews and co over AWB, children overboard and Hannif. Liberals are such hypocrites. Seems its ok to give Saddam Gussein $300m.
One would hope standards of ministerial conduct in the present administration will be higher than those of the previous government, but it’s sad that the white-anters have had a win.
Even later breaking news-
Marion Scrymgeour is believed to have resigned from the NT Labour Party and will continue as an Independent MLA….. segue…..
We in Yuendumu (one of the few remaining- until last year- places whose school ran an Aboriginal language bilingual program) were very angry and dissapointed when Marion Scrymgeour, the then Minister for Education introduced the “4-hour English only Policy”.
Pleading and arguing that this policy was wrong with the present Education Minister (Chief Minister Paul Henderson) has got us nowhere. Paul Henderson has stonewalled us by using the “….policy introduced by the former Minister…. I’m standing by her decision…” as an excuse not to consider reversing or even discussing the policy.
Marion Scrymgeour has been reported as having expressed regret about her language policy decisions.
Marion Scrymgeour turned out to be one of those (unfortunately rare) politicians that is willing to admit having been wrong as well as to have the fortitude to act on principle rather than political expediency. Good on her!
As for Paul Henderson, if he continues to push the assimilationist Remote Aboriginal education policies and agenda, he will no longer be able to palm off the responsibility for such to his former Minister.
PS- Evermore I’m hearing unprompted complaints from Warlpiri people “… We voted for them and look what they are doing to us now…” For too long have Labour Governments taken the remote Aboriginal vote for granted.