Met Chief Sir Paul Stephenson resigns as Brooks arrest intensifies crisis: HERE and HERE
Stay up to date with the breaking news on The Guardian, HERE
Saturday on Tasmanian Times:
The Humbling of Rupert
• … While Rupe’s Mercury goes digital, HERE
• And has its own legal fight: Cop sues over Sgt Sleaze slur, HERE:
ABC Online: Cop sues over ‘Sgt Sleeze’ slur
Tasmanian politician Rene Hidding has given evidence in a defamation case brought by a former Tasmanian police officer against The Mercury newspaper.
The officer was dubbed “Sergeant Sleaze” in the paper, over a sex act in a Queenstown pub.
Andrew Scott Gunston was sacked from the police force for performing a consensual sex act with a woman in a Queenstown pub in 2002.
The Industrial Commission later ruled he be re-employed.
During that hearing, The Mercury published 34 articles, cartoons and letters which Mr Gunston alleged defamed him.
He is seeking damages from the newspaper’s owners Davies Brothers Ltd, editor Garry Bailey and four former reporters.
Liberal MP, Rene Hidding told the court Gunston had been driving a cab in late 2002 or mid 2003 when he had asked if Mr Hidding knew who he was and said “You may know me as Sergeant Sleaze”.
• And, Conroy goes after Harto’s Telegraph
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has lashed out at Sydney’s Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph newspaper, accusing it of being intent on bringing down the Government.
Senator Conroy, who has previously accused Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited papers of mounting a “regime change” campaign in Australia, said the anti-Labor policy had been adopted after a recent meeting of News Limited executives at Mr Murdoch’s US property at Carmel in California.
Speaking to Radio National this morning, he accused the Daily Telegraph of trying to force an early election.
“It is just running a campaign on regime change,” he said.
“As John Hartigan [News Limited Australia CEO] admitted in the papers on the weekend, arising from the conference they had in Carmel, they decided to do more issues-based campaigning.
“I think the Daily Telegraph is probably the worst of the examples at the moment where it is running a campaign.”
Senator Conroy said Labor voters should continue to read the Daily Telegraph – but for its football coverage, not politics.
“If you are a Labor voter out there reading the Daily Telegraph you should keep reading it for the footy coverage but you shouldn’t take seriously any of its front-page headlines,” he said.
“It’s decided it wants to have an election. Ignore the fact that we had an election nine or 10 months ago. Ignore the fact the Australian people put in place a parliament with a minority government. It has demanded that it knows best and that people should just fall into line with what the Daily Telegraph [says].
Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 Report last week, Mr Hartigan had denied there was any News Limited campaign against Labor or any campaign for regime change.
“I’ve heard that that has been said. Interestingly, no one has stood up to say ‘Hey, it’s me!’, and I would suggest that’s a whispering campaign,” he said.
“And like most whispering campaigns it has no element of truth.”
• Rupert created the worldwide culture: Listen to the insights of Watergate Reporter Carl Bernstein, Radio National HERE
