Clearnet test

Repost from Q Research UK #34

>>13103749 (pb)

This seems to help with the posting issues ..

start menu -type in cmd -> right click run as administrator

notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

paste in

193.178.169.117 8kun.top

193.178.169.117 sys.8kun.top

193.178.169.117 media.8kun.top

193.178.169.117 softserve.8kun.top

Save the file. Posting now works

Lawyers for Brittany Higgins serve defamation letters to Linda Reynolds after ‘lying cow’ comment

Pip Christmass - 4 March 2021

Lawyers for Brittany Higgins have confirmed they’ve served letters threatening to sue Linda Reynolds for defamation after the Defence Minister called Higgins a “lying cow.”

Reynolds reportedly made the slur against Higgins on February 15 after her former staffer alleged that she was sexually assaulted in the minister’s office in March 2019.

In a letter obtained by 7NEWS, Higgins’ lawyers intend to sue Reynolds for “hurt and distress” caused by “malicious remarks” unless the minister makes a full public apology.

Lawyers for Higgins accuse the Senator of making a “demeaning and belittling” statement that was “highly defamatory”.

“The cavalier manner in which those words were spoken make it plain that they were not spoken privately or in confidence,” the letter states.

“You are also aware that this distasteful character assassination of our client has been republished widely, causing her immense hurt and distress.

“Our client is appalled that an apology has not been extended to her.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier on Thursday said Reynolds “deeply regretted” making the remarks.

He said she made the comment in her private office to staff members after “a stressful week”.

“That doesn’t excuse it, not for a second,” he said.

“And she made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that.”

Morrison said the comment was made following reports that Higgins didn’t feel supported by the government following her alleged rape.

“She was not making those comments, as she said to me this morning, in relation to the allegation of sexual assault,” he said.

“Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support.

“Clearly, over a period of time, there was a very different view about that.”

Reynolds is facing calls to resign.

Senator Jacqui Lambie said on Thursday that Reynolds’ career was “done.”

“She will have to come out and she’ll either have to defend herself or say whether or not she made those comments,” Lambie told Sky News.

“If she did, she’ll have to resign at the same time.

“I think Reynolds is gone.

“If she’s not coming out and denying that and now she’s trying to smooth it over … her career is done.”

Senior Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said it was “clearly not an acceptable comment,” while independent MP Zali Steggall said Reynolds’ position was now “untenable.”

PM responds

However, Morrison said on Thursday that he did not expect Reynolds’ resignation over the comment.

“She has deeply regretted them. She made them in a private office. She immediately apologised,” he said.

Reynolds is currently on health leave after being admitted to hospital for a pre-existing condition.

She was discharged from hospital on Friday.

Higgins’ lawyers are requesting “an immediate and unequivocal public withdrawal of your comments and apology to our client for the hurt and distress caused.”

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

https://7news.com.au/politics/federal-politics/lawyers-for-brittany-higgins-serve-defamation-letters-to-linda-reynolds-after-lying-cow-comment-c-2286422.amp

>>13107252

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds ‘deeply sorry’ for calling Brittany Higgins a ‘lying cow’

Linda Reynolds is in talks with Brittany Higgins’ legal team after she issued an apology for calling her a “lying cow”.

Jessica McSweeney, Katy Hall and Merryn Johns - March 5, 2021

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Linda Reynolds has said she is “deeply sorry” to Brittany Higgins for her “lying cow” comment and has confirmed her office has received a letter from Ms Higgins’ legal team.

The Minister for Defence, who is on medical leave, made the comments in her office on the same day Ms Higgins went public with her allegation of rape, The Australian reported.

Senator Reynolds was yesterday afternoon sent a letter from Ms Higgins’ lawyers demanding an apology for the comments.

“A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins,” Senator Reynolds said.

“I have never questioned Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter,” she said.

“In response to a letter from Ms Higgins’ lawyers yesterday afternoon, discussions are now underway through our legal representatives in an effort to resolve this matter as soon as possible, with any resolution to include an apology.

“However, in the meantime, I want to express how deeply sorry I am for these remarks and for any hurt and distress they have caused.”

Minister for Women Marise Payne has said she is distressed and disturbed by the accusations of assault and harassment in parliament.

Speaking at the UN Women Australia event in Sydney, Senator Payne said she believes parliament has the capacity to work together to improve the workplace culture.

“The events of recent weeks have been disturbing, distressing and horrifying to me and to so many Australians,” she said.

“But my concern, my distress is irrelevant and nothing compared to the concern, the distress and the deep, deep damage done to those who have been assaulted or harassed at a workplace.”

Speaking ahead of headline speaker Grace Tame, Senator Payne said she welcomed the announcement of an independent review into the workplace culture.

“The National Parliament is clearly not immune from the sorts of issues that are impacting workplaces around our country … it has to change, it must change, and the only way it will change is if we as parliamentarians own the problems and failings, and make the necessary changes,” Senator Payne said.

Yesterday Ms Higgins said the comments were “incredibly hurtful” and said the Senator’s language was “inexcusable”.

“It’s just further evidence of the toxic workplace culture”.

That was Ms Higgins’ response to Ms Reynolds.

Staff reported hearing Ms Reynolds making the comments in her office, where Ms Higgins was formerly employed and claims she was sexually assaulted by a colleague in 2019.

“The comments made by Minister Reynolds are incredibly hurtful,’’ Ms Higgins told news.com.au.

“I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the Defence Minister as “offensive” and said her behaviour was “inappropriate and wrong”.

He told The Australian he had spoken to Ms Reynolds, saying, “she knows those comments to have been inappropriate and wrong … And I share her view, obviously, about that.”

But he defended his minister, and said Ms Reynolds had made the comments “in her private office in a stressful week. They weren’t made in a public place and nor were they intended for that. That doesn’t excuse it, not for a second. She made the appropriate apologies to her staff and rectified that.”

Mr Morrison also stressed that Ms Reynolds had not made the comments in relation to Ms Higgins’ claims of sexual assault.

“She was not saying that about that, at all,” Mr Morrison said.

“Her comments, she said to me, related to the further commentary about levels of support provided and her frustrations about how she felt that they were doing everything they believed in their power to provide support. Clearly, over a period of time there was a very different view about that. And we’ve acknowledged that, and that’s why we’re addressing the issues the way that we are.”

Following the revelation, Ms Reynolds has apologised to staff, however her future within the Cabinet now appears uncertain as more a growing number of key government figures condemn the comments.

(continued)

>>13107256

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Ms Higgins told The Guardian Australia on Thursday the remark by her former boss was “incredibly hurtful”.

“I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable,” she said. “It’s just further evidence of the toxic workplace culture that exists behind closed doors in parliament house”.

Ms Higgins has retained lawyer Rebekah Giles, who contacted Ms Reynolds on Thursday demanding an apology.

In a letter sent to the defence minister seen by The Guardian, Ms Giles said: “We are instructed to demand that you issue an immediate and unequivocal public withdrawal of your comments and apology to our client for the hurt and distress caused.”

The letter says that the “derogatory statement, in which you refer to our client as a member of the animal kingdom, and declare her to be untruthful, is highly defamatory of our client’s good character and unblemished reputation. It is particularly malicious in view of the assault on our client that took place in your office”.

The Australian first reported that staff expressed concerns to superiors that Ms Reynolds’ comments were inappropriate.

The Defence Minister has apologised to staff for the remarks which she said had been made during “a stressful time”.

Ms Reynolds released a statement on Wednesday saying she had not cast doubt on Ms Higgins’ allegations which were “very serious”.

“I have never questioned Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter.

“I did however comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented.

“I have consistently respected Ms Higgins’ agency and privacy and said this is her story to tell and no one else’s.

“Ms Higgins’ allegations are very serious and that is how they must be treated to ensure her legal rights are protected. I welcome her decision to progress this matter with the Australian Federal Police,” she said.

Ms Reynolds faces criticism over her handling of Ms Higgins’ rape allegation as well as her failure to inform Mr Morrison of the incident for nearly two years.

Ms Higgins said the alleged offence occurred on March 23, 2019, after a night of drinking with colleagues.

Ms Reynolds’ former acting chief of staff Fiona Brown initially handled the response to the allegations which saw the alleged perpetrator, a former colleague of Ms Higgins who also worked for Ms Reynolds, sacked for a “security breach” before the rape allegation had been made.

Ms Reynolds, at the time a defence industry minister, said she was aware of Ms Higgins’ story “over a period of days”.

She said she and Ms Brown offered the former media adviser police access if needed for an official complaint.

“We at all times followed the advice of ministerial and parliamentary services and the Department of Finance, as was appropriate,” Ms Reynolds said to parliament last month.

“I have full confidence that my then chief of staff and I at all times acted in what we believed were the best interests of Brittany.”

According to The Australian Ms Reynolds formally transferred her authority as Defence Minister to Foreign Minister Marise Payne, now also Acting Defence Minister.

That authority expires on March 8, along with her medical leave.

Ms Reynolds has sought hospital treatment on the advice of her cardiologist.

Last week Ms Higgins made a formal statement to the Australian Federal Police about an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the minister’s office, resulting in a police investigation. Ms Higgins said she did not pursue police involvement in 2019 for fear of employment repercussions.

She resigned from her job as Employment Minister Michaelia Cash’s media adviser last month after telling Senator Cash of the alleged rape.

Mr Morrison has chastised Ms Reynolds for not informing him about the rape allegation sooner, telling parliament he only found out about the rape allegation on the morning of February 15 when the story was posted on news.com.au.

The Prime Minister told parliament it was unacceptable he had not been informed immediately.

Ms Reynolds has said she is “deeply sorry” about the way she handled the situation.

It is understood Ms Reynolds and Ms Brown conducted a meeting with Ms Higgins on April 1, 2019, in the same office where the alleged rape occurred.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/defence-minister-linda-reynolds-called-brittany-higgins-a-lying-cow/news-story/0e7d3c573569859f8310582566845818

>>12775348

EU, Italy stop AstraZeneca vaccine exports to Australia

RAF CASERT - March 4, 2021

BRUSSELS (AP) - A shipment of more than a quarter million AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia has been blocked from leaving the European Union, in the first use of an export control system instituted by the bloc to make sure big pharma companies would respect their contracts.

The move, affecting only a small number of vaccines, underscores a growing frustration within the 27-nation bloc about the slow rollout of its vaccine drive and the shortfall of promised vaccine deliveries, especially by Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca.

The ban came at the behest of Italy, and the EU did not raise objections to the tougher line Rome has adopted in dealing with vaccine shortages in the bloc since a new government led by Mario Draghi came into power Feb 13.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Friday it had anticipated veto problems could arise in shipments from Europe, adding that Australia‘s inoculation schedule would continue as planned.

“They are in an unbridled crisis situation. That is not the situation in Australia,” Morrison said. “But, nevertheless, we have been able to secure our supplies, and additional supplies for importation, both with Pfizer and AstraZeneca, which means we can continue the rollout of our program.”

He said most significantly, Australia was also producing vaccines domestically, giving it sovereignty over its vaccination program.

Italy’s objections centered both on the general shortage of supplies in the EU and on “the delays in the supply of vaccines by AstraZeneca to the EU and Italy,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

It said it also intervened because of the size of the shipment, more than 250,700 doses, that would go to Australia, which it did not consider a vulnerable nation.

Italy said it had informed the company on Tuesday. AstraZeneca refused to comment. The Financial Times first reported on the issue late Thursday.

Faced with shortages of doses during the early stages of the vaccine campaign that started in late December, the EU issued an export control system for COVID-19 vaccines in late January, forcing companies to respect their contractual obligations to the bloc before commercial exports can be approved.

The EU has been specifically angry with AstraZeneca because it is delivering far fewer doses to the bloc than it had promised. Of the initial order for 80 million doses to the EU in the first quarter, the company will be struggling to deliver just half that quantity.

There were rumors that the company was siphoning off from EU production plants to other nations, but CEO Pascal Soriot insisted that any shortfall was to be blamed on technical production issues only.

The EU has vaccinated only 8% percent of its population compared to over 30%, for example, in the United Kingdom. Australia is still very much at the start of its vaccination drive.

With such an action, the EU is caught in a bind. On the one hand, it is under intense pressure to ramp up the production of vaccines in the bloc while on the other hand it wants to remain an attractive hub for pharmaceutical giants and a fair trading partner to third countries.

The EU thought it had made perfect preparations for the rollout of vaccinations, heavily funding research and production capacity over the past year. With its 450 million people, the EU has signed deals for six different vaccines. In total, it has ordered up to 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and sealed agreements with other companies for more than 2 billion shots.

It says that despite the current difficulties it is still convinced it can vaccinate 70% of the adult population by the end of summer.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/mar/4/eu-official-astrazeneca-vaccine-exports-to-austral/

>>12867040

>>13029097

Crown Perth's suitability to hold casino licence to be examined in WA royal commission

Rebecca Turner and Benjamin Gubana - 5 March 2021

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The WA government has announced a royal commission will examine Crown's suitability to run its casino at Burswood.

The move is in response to the bombshell Bergin inquiry into Crown Resorts, which found that international criminal organisations were likely to have been laundering money at Crown Perth.

The royal commission will be run by three commissioners — former WA Supreme Court judges Lindy Jenkins and Neville Owen, and former WA auditor-general Colin Murphy.

Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said it could cost about $5 million and would be chaired by Justice Owen, who oversaw the royal commission into the collapse of insurance giant HIH Insurance.

The government expects the royal commission will deliver an interim report by June, followed by a final report by November.

WA's Gaming and Wagering Commission (GWC) last month recommended the government establish an independent inquiry into Crown's suitability to hold the state's only casino licence.

Crown to keep licence during inquiry

Attorney-General John Quigley said he was provided with advice that the inquiry should be constituted as a royal commission, rather than an inquiry, because of legislative constraints.

"Although the inquiry would have the powers of a royal commission, the commissioner would not have the immunities and protections afforded by the Royal Commissions Act," he said.

Mr Papalia said because of actions already taken by the GWC, there was no need to suspend Crown's licence in the interim.

"There's no immediate threat of money laundering through cash deposit accounts or inappropriate behaviour via junket operations," he said.

"There are however many thousands of Western Australians who derive their income and their livelihoods from being employed by Crown Perth."

Watchdog to also be examined

The inquiry will also examine the performance of the GWC — WA's casino watchdog — and deliver its findings in the interim report.

"This commission will investigate the suitability of our regulatory environment, the operations of our regulator and whether or not there were any conflicts which might have impacted behaviour and the operation of our regulator through the Bergin inquiry," Mr Papalia said.

As a result of the Bergin inquiry, which handed down its report last month, Crown Resorts has been told that it is unsuitable to hold a licence for its new Sydney Casino.

Crown Resorts' suitability to run Melbourne's casino is also due to be tested by a royal commission in Victoria.

But Mr Papalia said the WA royal commission would be more "expansive" than Victoria's because it was also examining the role of its casino watchdog.

The GWC is chaired by senior public servant Duncan Ord, who reports to several ministers, including Mr Papalia, in his role as the director general of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

The WA government is in caretaker mode ahead of the March 13 election and consulted with Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup about the establishment of the royal commission.

Mr Kirkup said he supported the move but said the role of the Racing and Gaming Minister needed to also be examined.

"I think the royal commission should look at the involvement of the minister in exercising his responsibilities to make sure he was performing adequately as well," he said.

"Whether he's ever been briefed on any issues at Crown, any decisions he took… or didn't take in relation to that, and ultimately if there can be a strengthening of the minister's powers in relation to his function."

(continued)

>>13107371

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'A strong argument for suspending Crown's licence'

Monash University gambling researcher Charles Livingstone said the royal commission announcement showed the problems with Crown were "quite pervasive" and that WA Government wanted to "get to the bottom of things".

Associate Professor Livingstone said there was a strong argument for suspending Crown's licence while investigations were underway.

"My strong view would be if protection of jobs is a paramount consideration, then a manager could certainly do the job and could operate the casino at a distance from Crown whilst this investigation occurs."

He also welcomed the examination of the GWC, saying both the WA and Victorian regulators had lacked the powers and resources to investigate some issues raised in the Bergin inquiry.

He said it was important that governments backed their regulators in making difficult decisions around big organisations like Crown, even if they played an important role in employing many people.

"The reality is it's much more important to have a system of government and regulation which obeys the law.

"Now politicians on all sides of politics haven't backed regulators to enforce the law properly, they haven't given them the resources.

"And it seems to me, that particularly in relation to Crown, that they have made it clear to the regulators that they need to be left alone."

It's been almost two decades since a WA government launched a royal commission.

The most recent was the Kennedy royal commission into police corruption, which led to the establishment of the Corruption and Crime Commission.

Inquiry will shine light on reforms, says Crown chief

In a statement to the ASX, Crown Resorts executive chairman Helen Coonan said that the company would fully cooperate with the royal commission.

"The WA Royal Commission will provide an opportunity for Crown to detail the reforms and changes to our business to deliver the highest standards of governance and compliance, and an organisational culture that meets community expectations," she said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-05/wa-royal-commission-called-into-crown-perth-casino-licence/13219620

>>12941464

Kate Jenkins to lead independent inquiry into Parliament House culture following Brittany Higgins allegations

abc.net.au - 5 March 2021

Sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins will lead an independent inquiry into the culture of Parliament House, the result of shocking allegations of rape in a ministerial office.

The inquiry has been established in response to an allegation by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who said a colleague raped her in the then-defence industry minister's office in 2019.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised to her for how the matter was handled.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham, who worked with the Opposition and crossbench to set up the inquiry, said it was long overdue for Parliament House's treatment of women to change.

"The fact is that the Parliament of Australia should set the standard for the nation," he said.

"The Parliament of Australia should set the example for others to follow.

"The Parliament of Australia should reflect best practice in the prevention of, and response to, any instances of bullying, sexual harassment, or sexual assault."

Mr Morrison originally set up a review into standards in the Coalition, to be headed up by MP Celia Hammond.

But crossbench MPs and Labor quickly called for an independent inquiry, leading to this piece of work that will cover all parties.

Ms Higgins called for a comprehensive, independent review into the laws the govern political staffers.

Senator Birmingham said he had consulted with current and former staff, politicians and experts to establish the inquiry.

Ms Jenkins became Australia's sex discrimination commissioner in 2016, having previously held a similar role in Victoria.

"The vital cross-party support for this independent review, coupled with the opportunity for current and former staff to participate in the review, creates the foundation for long-term positive cultural reform to make our Parliament safe and respectful," she said in a statement.

The inquiry will report its findings by November this year.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-05/independent-inquiry-established-kate-jenkins-brittany-higgins/13191250

‘Don’t call predators pedophiles’ ABC tells reporters in leaked email

MATTHEW DENHOLM - MARCH 5, 2021

ABC reporters in Tasmania have been told to “avoid” referring to child sex abusers as pedophiles, to avoid marginalising people with pedophilia.

An email sent to all news staff this week advises against the use of the term “pedophile”, even to describe those who have serially abused children over many years.

The edict followed a discussion between a reporter and a local Sexual Assault Support Service last weekend, in which the service “mentioned their concerns about” use of the term in reporting.

This was prompted by reporting on alleged pedophile nurse James (Jim) Geoffrey Griffin, who killed himself in October 2019 while facing multiple charges relating to child sex abuse and producing child exploitation material.

“Sexual Assault Support Service on the weekend … mentioned their concerns about describing Griffin as a ‘paedophile’,” says the email sent by a senior producer.

“We should avoid it, unless we know he had a clinical diagnosis of paedophilia and instead use serial sexual offender / predator, or a sexual abuser of children and young people,” the next paragraph, in boldface, reads.

“SASS says another consideration is from their point of view, there are a lot of paedophiles / people with paedophilia who do not act on those impulses, ­especially if they reach out for and receive professional psychological help … describing (perhaps technically inaccurately) Griffin as a paedophile could ­discourage those people from seeking help, making it more ­likely that they go on to abuse children.”

The email has concerned and angered some ABC staff, who ­believed the views of a single support service manager were put ­before tight, accurate reporting.

As well as concern at pandering to pedophiles, some were unhappy at having to use a convoluted phrase of eight words — “a sexual abuser of children and young people” — rather than one.

However, ABC management on Friday told The Weekend Australian the email did not constitute an official change in language use.

“There’s been no change to the ABC’s usage of the term pedophile in reporting,” a spokeswoman said. “It’s still used.

“The intent of the note was to inform staff about information from the Sexual Assault Support Service, as it’s always useful to understand the views of the ­services dealing closely with survivors. It shouldn’t have conveyed any ­official change in language use.”

At least some ABC journalists believed the edict to be binding, but others either did not, or chose to ignore it, with several instances of the word “pedophile” being used after the email was sent out.

Child abuse survivors were also concerned. Beyond Abuse spokesman Steve Fisher said dropping the term “pedophile” risked confusing the public.

“If you start changing language that has been used in the media for years there is a risk that society may be confused,” Mr Fisher said.

“The media in Tasmania have done an amazing job of exposing sex offenders and helping survivors tell their stories, so to change the language they have to use is fraught with problems.

“In our experience, the public believe if it’s pedophilia, call it pedophilia. If it’s rape, call it rape. Not ‘sexual assault’, which can mean anything from touching to raping somebody.”

Mr Fisher believed substituting the use of accepted terms for others needed “much more discussion” before being adopted.

He campaigned for 20 years to have the rape and sexual abuse of children called out for what they were, rather than euphemised by terms such “maintaining a sexual relationship” with a minor.

This was, until recently, the ­offence in Tasmania with which perpetrators of sustained sexual abuse of children would be charged.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/dont-call-paedophiles-paedophiles-abc-tells-reporters-in-leaked-email/news-story/8ccdb9c003e79f9d3fa6fb9a567aa3a4

—

Q Post #1619

Jun 28 2018 11:22:02 (EST)

Why are they trying to ‘normalize’ this?

https://nypost.com/2018/03/05/facebook-survey-asks-users-if-they-condone-pedophilia/

What is coming?

Do they really believe this will EVER be swallowed?

Will the progressive LEFT defend and support these actions once those guilty are brought to LIGHT?

These people are SICK!

They do NOT love this country.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#1619