More fun for Western Australian
factional bruiser and Labor deputy Senate whip Ruth Webber. A missing
ACT driver’s licence has forced a second delay in her trial on charges
of misleading police.

The plod pushed charges against Webber
for driving while suspended and wilfully misleading police after she
was pulled over for speeding in the Perth burbs on election day last
year.

Joondalup Magistrates’ Court fined her $200 in March for
driving while suspended, but the boys in blue allege she falsely
informed them that she held a valid ACT driver’s licence.

The
trial on that matter was adjourned yesterday because Webber says the
ACT licence went missing while being couriered to her Perth lawyer. The
police prosecutor told the court all he’d seen was a poor copy of the
licence, saying it would be unfair to proceed “before further checking
with the AFP and ACT licensing to ascertain if there is an actual
licence… There are a couple of variations of names on our systems…
so we will put further enquiries to Canberra.”

The beak had
wondered out aloud why only a “poor photocopy” of the missing licence
had been found in the three months since the Senator’s last appearance
– but outside the court Webber claimed: “There seems to be some
confusion and I’m sure it will be clarified.”

The sooner Webber can become a minister and get a big white car – and driver – the better.