Photo: Alastair Bett ( f8photography.com.au ) organicgardener, here
Just to clarify things.
I’ve no idea who ‘Ben’ ( Ben’s comment on: Jim Bacon: The Emperor has no clothes, here ) is but I’m a bit astonished that he’s allowed to keep his own identity a secret while publically naming me and calling me a liar. Most decent people instinctively despise those cowards who seem so ashamed of the views they express they have to conceal their names so no-one knows who they are.
That’s why they lack credibility.
This is how my conversation with Jim Bacon went …
It was during a news-break while I was taking part in the usual Saturday morning gardening program. A technician came into the ABC’s Launceston studio where I was sitting to tell me there was someone on the phone who wished to speak to me directly – saying he had no idea who it was. Immediately afterwards I made fairly detailed notes about this conversation.
I picked up the phone and the conversation – which lasted a few minutes went like this;
“Hello, this is Peter Cundall”
“It’s Jim Bacon Pete’ His voice was weak, almost strangled. I didn’t realise it then, but this was only a few days before he died.
“How are you Jim?”
“Oh! battling mate – just battling. I’m just sitting here enjoying the garden that Honey made for me, just looking around at all the lovely plants. I’m realising what I’ve been missing out on Pete and it’s a bit late now I know, but I’ve spent too long dashing around doing too much and not seeing what’s in front of my eyes”.
“Yes Jim, it’s a great place to relax. I know how sick you’ve been and I hope this rest will help you recover”
“We’ll see Pete, we’ll see mate. Look, the reason I’m calling is to say this. Just keep fighting against what’s happening, especially to the Tasmanian environment and against pollution. You’ve got to fight these bastards mate. Just want to warn you – keep up the fight for the forests and especially the environment. You’ve no idea how powerful these bastards are, you’ve got to keep fighting them mate”.
“Hang on Jim. You were the premier. You’ve been part of it. You had enormous power and could have done something”.
“Look mate, I was premier of Tasmania, but these bastards are far more powerful than I ever was. I could do absolutely nothing”.
“Best of luck Jim, take it easy, eat plenty of good organic tucker and get well”.
At that stage the technician was signalling that the broadcast was about to restart, so I quickly said goodbye and ended the call.
That, according to the notes I made was almost precisely what was said. Later, when discussing this conversation with others who spoke directly to Jim Bacon during his final days, I found he had expressed similar views, especially about his sense of ‘powerlessness’ during his period as premier.
Shortly afterwards, I also spoke about this unusual conversation to a very prominent ALP Federal Member and recently retired Cabinet minister – who I won’t name – but knew Jim Bacon well. I asked him who these ‘powerful’ forces were. He didn’t hesitate.
“It was key members of his own cabinet Peter. He was constantly voted down on certain matters. He was premier but couldn’t move. It was killing him”.
I’m simply reporting what happened. Draw your own conclusions.
• This comment first published as comment on this item, Jim Bacon: The Emperor has no clothes, here
• Peter Cundall, in Comments: Re 6. Clearly I misunderstood you Ben when you commented (quote) ‘There was no deathbed confession to Peter Cundall, reportedly or allegedly. It didn’t happen and it was never reported that way’…. As for those ‘powerful forces’ he tried to warn us about, it never occurred to me at the time that Jim Bacon may have been referring to members of his own cabinet. However this is still the most powerful group in Tasmania – provided they remain united and willing to exercise this power on behalf of the majority. The problems arise when too many individual cabinet members become willing creatures of those greed-driven corporations, developers and others who donate heavily towards their election campaigns.
