NSW Police have launched an investigation into Energy Minister Angus Taylor over the origins of potentially doctored documents he used to attack Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
But comments from deputy Labor leader Richard Marles have left many wondering whether there is more to the name chosen for the operation, Strike Force Garrad.
Marles told Parliament yesterday that “the Urban Dictionary has a very interesting definition of ‘Garrad’. You ought to go and have a look at it”.
So we did:
NSW Police told Crikey that no offence was meant by the name.
“The names for an investigation (or strike force) are computer-generated using a large database, which are commonly names, places, or related events in history. Officers are urged to review the generated word and ensure it will not cause offence,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
“In this case, we don’t believe 20 likes on Urban Dictionary is considered a commonly known definition of a word.”
“The most common use is as a name — both first and surname.”
Names of previous NSW Police operations have, indeed, appeared random.
Examples include Strike Force Emblems, which responded to accusations of improperly obtained warrants; Strike Force Raptor, which targeted motorcycle gang activity; and Strike Force Parrabell, which investigated deaths that were either suspected or confirmed to involve gay-hate crimes.
Beautiful stuff from Crikey and Marles….biggest smile I have had for quite a while.
Everyone else is so why wouldn’t they?
P.S. Would some of crikeys more literate posters check that headline for me, it reads a bit iffy, not the bad language but the grammar.
If you’re referring to the verb’s singular form ‘is’ it’s correct as ‘police’ is a collective noun.
Garrad seems apt for Taylor – but competition is rife on the front bench with several other heavy contenders for the title. Where to start….
I suppose “if the shoe fits” and all that, yes shows some serious good ol’ plain speaking by the police, which is well done in my view, he seems to have the entitled attitude down pat..
I like many are probably waiting with baited breath for the next chapter in how much public idiocy/problematic incidences that the police can dig up on Angus, he doesn’t seem like the type to just stick to one isolated incident that he can get found out on, whether it be just plain criminal or just criminal stupidity ..
In most cases a ”spade is usually just that,” but in this case he seems to be using his too disadvantage himself, ie too shovel s@#t, well he’s one of those people that will keep digging, like a wise man once said stop digging.
NSW Police may be the first but won’t be the last. I can see the heading for his obituary : Angus (Garrad) Taylor.
Time to click on the ‘likes’ in Urban Dictionary!
Seems to be an appropriate nickname for a number of our past “Rhodes Scholars”. I will leave it to others to be more specific.
This is totally unfair. He’s not the dumbest by a long stretch.
OK, so maybe not the dumbest Garrad in the whole parliament and certainly not the dumbest Garrad who has ever polished the leather in the house.
BUT, has anyone had a bit of a think about an Economist and a Rhodes Scholar managing to read a document, of a budget for the City of Sydney and not wondered why the travel budget was a bit high?
As far as I can see the City of Sydney has an operating budget of under$1,000,000.
Really, an Economist passed this on and wrote a serious letter to the Lord Mayor of Sydney, based upon this document, and, cleverly had it published at the Tele, before she had even received it.
And, of course, coming soon will be a complaint to the relevant authority about the editorial staff at the Telegraph failing to do a google search on the City of Sydney’s website.
That will be very interesting ratty where that’ll ends up, hmm yes there’s going to be a lot of discovery & submissions around the illegalities of this, along with serious questions around the fact that nobody checked the story before publishing it in the DT, if it’s in the public interest you’d expect them to have checked the information beforehand…
If things are in the public interest the information needs to be correct, you would think…
But he ain’t the brightest either.