15th Ocrober2021
We have learned that the Andrews Government has appointed Mr. Graham Ashton to inquire into reported failings of the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority – the 000 call takers. Surprising that they did not ask Ms Coate, who did such an outstanding job of finding out who was responsible for setting up the deadly Hotel Quarantine shambles last year.
Which reminds us of Mr. Ashton’s stellar performance record – the only qualification he brings to his new task:
He presided over the decision to NOT prosecute anybody arising out of the Red Shirts Rort. This was the infamous saga in which the Ombudsman, Ms. Deborah Glass found “Labor had created an artifice by paying casual electorate officers to work as part-time campaigners instead of carrying out electorate duties”. But under Mr. Ashton’s supervision and control Victoria Police said “no charges will be laid against any person” – a “very sad day for democracy in Victoria, (and) …a very sad day for the justice system”. (The Age, 15/10/2019);
He was in charge when the Victoria Police dismembered an honest police investigation into the “I Cook Foods” plot. Honest coppers have reported that before they were “re-assigned” under protest, they had found and reported upon clear evidence that several public officials had grossly misused their positions;
We remember also the awful, deadly, implementation of Hotel Quarantine “oversight” by untrained, unqualified and unsupervised so-called Security Guards – a decision that most fifth year constables would have recognised as doomed to failure from the outset and which constituted greatest single policy failure in the State’s history. According to The Guardian (9/10/20) then Chief Commissioner Ashton texted a message saying this was “a deal set up by the Department of Premier and Cabinet” but he reportedly could not remember, and he did not keep a diary – right?
Oh, and perhaps we should also recall the Lawyer X affair – this was not commenced while Mr. Ashton was Chief Commissioner, but certainly the disgraced Office of Police Integrity was closely involved in it – the OPI where Mr. Ashton was Director of Operations. Nothing wrong with the regulator being involved in the operations they were supposedly auditing is there? No conflict there? That affair has been officially labelled, by Vicpol, “a profound failure of policing” and Mr. Ashton fought for years to have it covered up while he WAS Chief Commissioner. That is to say, he was in charge of the multi-million-dollar effort to prevent the disclosure of “reprehensible conduct… and …. “atrocious breaches of the sworn duties imposed on every police officer” (High Court of Australia AB v CD; EF v CD)
We are confident Mr. Andrews will find Mr. Ashton’s ultimate report satisfactory.
This in house labour government just keeps pushing the corrupt boundaries. When will the pimple burst. Think French Revolution.
This is the same person that found there was nothing unusual about the 2 officers that forgot to breath test Andrews and wife when they knocked down the kid in Blairgowrie . nothing to see here
Seems to me w e are living in a lawless state & living under a dictatorship . Headed by non other the supreme leader , COLONIAL DAN ANDREWS .
what else can you expect from Andrews? Get all your mates that are onside to do the inquiries. I give up
Stacked deck again with no doubt an agreed outcome already agreed with the Government. Save the tax payers money and go straight to the crocked decision.
Good lord! The Vic deep state runs deep and wide. We need great people and lots of them to turn this around. Thank you for your work
The sad reality is we are so accustomed to corruption that it is the new normal in the Andrews government. The pandemic was a gift to this evil enterprise, and has diverted attention away from it’s despicable dealings amongst it’s cronies.
Whilst ever The Fourth Estate is is in full shut-down mode, the Victorian public will be in abysmal ignorance of their government’s many atrocious failings.
Professional journalists need to reflect on their behaviour.
More crap from you know who !!!
Graham Ashton as an investigator is laughable. His tenure as deputy and chief commissioner is a stain on the Victoria police
The smell doesn’t travel far from the shit.
Nothing surprises me any more. Instead of burying his head in shame this teflon ex-CCP re-emerges again as an obedient servant of this socialist government. I cannot wait for the elections to come! Not in my wildest dreams would I believe that I will witness what we are going through in the state of Victoria. Shame on Andrews and his obedient lackeys!!!
The “Jobs for the boys” appointment by Andrews of his political captive, Ashton, to inquire into reported failings of ESTA must be seen as corruption. It is fraudulent, and has already debased the required function of the Inquiry. Victorian citizens will ultimately again pay the price – until Andrews does.
Isn’t he still awaiting a formal conclusion to the lawyerX commission. Being appointed to head an enquiry is a bit premature isn’t it? Or am I being naive as he and his accomplices involved in that disgraceful saga already know they will slide under the radar of the rule of law.