Virus views prompt LNP to scrap how to votes

In a contest "full of extremes" a Sunshine Coast MP listed a Sydney author who wants 5G banned and disagrees with the COVID-19 shutdown second on his how to vote card.

The Liberal National Party claimed it wasn't aware of controversial independent candidate Riccardo Bosi's views on the health pandemic, prior to the printing of campaign material for Nicklin MP Marty Hunt.

"The materials are being updated," an opposition spokesman said.

They said they "fundamentally disagreed" with Mr Bosi's views on COVID-19.

Mr Bosi, a former Australian Army lieutenant, believes the government overreacted to the health pandemic and that masks don't stop the spread of the virus.

He is trying to form a new political party, Australia One, and wants 5G banned until it is "deemed safe", an end to involuntary vaccinations and for section 18C of the racial discrimination act repealed.

Mr Hunt, who is vying for a second term in government, said he did not agree with Mr Bosi's views.

"As I understood he was from Sydney, he doesn't have a registered party," Mr Hunt said.

"I had ideas about the Greens' views, One Nation, Labor and the medical options party.

"To me, they're all offensive.

"It's very difficult to work out a number 2 when there's such extreme views."

Mr Hunt's new how to vote cards will have Pauline Hanson One Nation candidate Michael Cardinal second, the Greens' Sue Etheridge third, Labor's Robert Skelton fourth, Mr Bosi fifth and Informed Medical Options Party's Allona Lahn last.

Mr Hunt said he did not agree with Queensland's compulsory preferential voting system.

It became mandatory in 2017, meaning voters have to put a number next to every candidate for a vote to be valid.

"LNP doesn't believe anyone should have to put a number two," Mr Hunt said.

"I'd encourage people to vote 1 LNP and do your research, decide your own preferences.

"People shouldn't have to put a number 2 beside someone they don't want to vote for and that's something we will change."

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/regional/virus-views-prompt-lnp-to-scrap-how-to-votes/news-story/b927b0b627d793540b2dc5a34c1b1763

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Marty Hunt MP Facebook Post

Pre-polls are open in Currie Street. Would love your support to keep fighting for our community. Vote 1 Marty Hunt…here is where I appear on the ballot paper…any questions just email my office nicklin@parliament.qld.gov.au as we are not monitoring comments or questions on this post.

https://www.facebook.com/martyhuntmp/photos/a.1431517520255888/4479405368800406/

Alexander Downer Tweets

I’ve noticed the popularity of tweets saying women leaders have handled the Covid crisis better than men. Sounds very sexist. Suggests women have skills men lack! If you think that, do men excel at anything or a women better at everything?! Just nonsense

https://twitter.com/AlexanderDowner/status/1317918260625657856

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The Buried LedeR @KneeCow

Replying to @AlexanderDowner

Aussies excel at aiding their counterparts in the U.S. at doing their part in attempting to overthrow a duly elected President of The United States.

https://twitter.com/KneeCow/status/1317925339985686528

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Replying to @KneeCow

No no! You’ve got the nutty story wrong! He wasn’t even the nominated Republican candidate when we conspired against him ! Crazy stuff!!

https://twitter.com/AlexanderDowner/status/1318252996006903809

>>11063310

Ghislaine Maxwell loses bid to stop paperwork from sex abuse defamation case being made public

Jeffery Epstein's former girlfriend and alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, has lost a court battle to keep a 2016 deposition sealed.

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied the effort of Ms Maxwell's attorneys to reverse the decision of a lower court that ordered the transcript to be made public.

"(T)he District Court correctly held that the deposition materials are judicial documents to which the presumption of public access attaches and did not abuse its discretion in rejecting Maxwell's meritless arguments that her interests superseded the presumption of access," the appellate court panel wrote.

Ms Maxwell, 58, was charged by federal prosecutors in early July for allegedly helping recruit, groom and ultimately sexually abuse minors as young as 14 as part of a years-long criminal enterprise with Jeffrey Epstein.

She pleaded not guilty and was ordered jailed pending trial.

She also is charged with two counts of perjury.

The deposition Ms Maxwell's legal team is fighting to keep sealed is connected to a 2015 defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claimed Epstein sexually abused her while she was a minor and that Maxwell aided in the abuse.

The civil case was settled in 2017.

Ms Maxwell denied knowing if Epstein had a scheme to recruit underage girls for sex in the deposition.

In a ruling in July, US District Judge Loretta Preska said that the public's right to have access to the information carried heavier weight than the "annoyance or embarrassment" to Ms Maxwell.

"In the context of this case, especially its allegations of sex trafficking of young girls, the court finds any minor embarrassment or annoyance resulting from Ms Maxwell's mostly non-testimony… is far outweighed by the presumption of public access," she said.

However, in that ruling Preska did say that some information will remain sealed.

Several medical records included in the court filings will remain sealed, and the multiple anonymous women - "Jane Does" who accused Epstein of abuse but have not publicly spoken out - will continue to have their identities redacted in the documents, she said.

Epstein, 66, was in a lone cell in the special housing unit of the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York when he was found dead in August 2019.

Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges accusing him of operating a sex trafficking ring from 2002 to 2005 at his Manhattan mansion and his Palm Beach estate.

As part of the ring, he allegedly paid girls as young as 14 for sex. He'd pleaded not guilty to the charges.

https://www.9news.com.au/world/ghislaine-maxwell-court-deposition-transcript-jeffrey-epstein-virginia-roberts-giuffre-sexual-abuse/6976eebf-80fd-4d5d-a164-7dc7a9a1ef1d

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355835/giuffre-v-maxwell/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.447706/gov.uscourts.nysd.447706.1126.0.pdf

JEFFREY EPSTEIN SEX SLAVE VIRGINIA ROBERTS WAS TOLD TO DRINK BLOOD DURING ASSAULT

Shocking new details inside one S&M encounter with late pedophile Epstein.

Jeffrey Epstein asked one of his underage victims to suck the blood of another victim while he was assaulting the pair. It is one of the many previously unreported incidents involving Epstein and his young victims that is recounted in Barry Levine‘s new book The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, set to be released Tuesday, October 20.

Virginia Roberts was first recruited at the age of 14 or 15 by Ghislaine Maxwell while working at Mar-a-Lago. She gave Epstein massages that turned into predatory assaults and eventually found herself being raped and forced into S&M threesomes with the late pedophile, who died in his jail cell at age 66. Her rapist liked to see her wears boots and wear leather collars while being choked by another victim or woman.

Then, things went too far.

“In an interview with journalist Sharon Churcher, Roberts recalled one instance — previously unpublished — in which a girl’s thigh became bloody during an S&M encounter,” writes The Spider author Levine. “When the girl asked Roberts to drink her blood, Roberts was disgusted. ‘I said, ‘Jeffrey, it’s getting too weird.’ He drew the line after that and he got rid of [the other girl].”

Roberts has claimed in court docs that she was forced to have threesomes and orgies with Maxwell and Epstein while underage. In 2015, she even sued Maxwell for denying that claim in a lawsuit that Maxwell ultimately settled out of court. That settlement came after mountains of evidence were filed in the case detailing Epstein’s alleged abuse of dozens of underage girls. A portion of this evidence was unsealed in August of last year.

Maxwell is now trying to paint herself as one of those victims, as she seeks money from Epstein’s estate. In a complaint filed in the Virgin Islands months before her July arrest, Maxwell demanded that his estate cover her legal bills and security costs. She made this demand shortly after purchasing a $1 million hideaway in New Hampshire.

“Maxwell receives regular threats to her life and safety, which have required her to hire personal security services and find safe accommodation,” writes Maxwell’s attorney in the complaint. It later states: “In approximately 2004, Maxwell received a typewritten letter from Epstein with a handwritten note asking Maxwell to remain in Epstein’s employ and promising that no matter what Maxwell chose to do, Epstein would always support Maxwell financially.”

Maxwell is also currently in litigation with at least three Epstein accusers — Annie Farmer, Jennifer Araoz and a Jane Doe. She says nothing of her alleged role in recruiting or sexually assaulting these girls in her lawsuit, which instead states: “Maxwell has incurred and will continue to incur significant legal fees, personal security costs, and other costs in connection with legal suits, proceedings and investigations relating to Epstein, his affiliated businesses, and his alleged victims.”

Roberts and the other victims are starting to see money from the estate. OK! has learned that at least eight women who filed notices against the estate have agreed to payouts as part of a compensation fund. The names of those women have not been released, and there are still over 30 women who have yet to reach an agreement with the estate.

https://okmagazine.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-sex-slave-virginia-roberts-told-drink-blood-assault-rape/

Police given 'information' about claims of Vatican wire transfer during Pell trial

London: Australia's financial crimes watchdog has handed information to police over claims more than a million dollars was transferred from the Vatican to Australia to help influence the trial of Cardinal George Pell.

The development, revealed late on Tuesday night, risks inflaming tensions inside the Holy See, where Pell has returned after his conviction for child-sex abuse was overturned by the High Court in April.

An apparent turf war between forces loyal to Pell and his rival, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, has caused a major split between the most senior figures surrounding Pope Francis.

Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera earlier this month claimed Becciu was suspected of arranging for €700,000 ($1.1 million) to be wired to people in Australia to help seal his initial conviction.

The papers did not provide any evidence to support the claims, which have been circulating privately among Pell's supporters for several years.

Becciu's lawyer has said his client strongly denies any interference with Pell's trial. The allegations have also been denied by people who gave evidence against Pell during legal proceedings in Melbourne.

AUSTRAC chief executive Nicole Rose on Tuesday night revealed the anti-money laundering regulator had examined the media reports and had provided information to the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.

"Yes I can confirm AUSTRAC has looked into the matter and we've provided information to the AFP and to Victoria Police," she told a Senate estimates committee at Parliament House in Canberra.

She did not say what the nature of the information was, or why it was passed on to police at the state and federal level.

Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells had asked Rose about the allegations.

She also asked Department of Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzulo whether the agency had examined the reports. Pezzulo said he did not believe it had.

Comment has been sought from the AFP and Victoria Police.

Pope Francis recently forced Becciu to relinquish his role as a cardinal and the head of the office responsible for appointing saints following allegations the 72-year-old misused church funds to invest in a luxury London property development.

Becciu denied any wrongdoing immediately after the September 24 firing.

"Up until yesterday … I felt I was a friend of the Pope, the faithful executor of the Pope," he said at the time.

"Then the Pope told me that he no longer had faith in me because he got a report from magistrates that I committed an act of misappropriation."

Becciu was considered an opponent of Pell's plans to reform the Vatican's finances when he served as the Holy See's treasurer before returning to Australia to face child sex charges.

Asked about Becciu's sacking, Pell responded: "I hope the cleaning of the stables continues in both the Vatican and Victoria."

Viv Waller, a lawyer who represented the man who in 2018 accused Pell of sexually assaulting him in the 1990s, rejected any suggestion her client was connected to the allegations.

"My client denies any knowledge or receipt of any payments," she said.

"He won't be commenting further in response to these allegations."

Italian media reports also suggested – without evidence – that the second former choirboy Pell was charged with sexually assaulting received money to accuse the Cardinal. However this boy never accused Pell of sexual assault, did not provide a statement to police and died three years before Pell was charged.

That boy's father, who testified against Pell at the committal proceeding, said the family had "certainly not received any money to give evidence against George Pell and any suggestion that the surviving complainant has is just ludicrous".

Pell, 79, was jailed in early 2019 but was released from prison and had his convictions quashed in April this year after a successful appeal to the High Court.

Pell's barrister, Robert Richter QC, has previously called for an investigation into reports about transfers from the Vatican.

"I am treating these reports as requiring a proper investigation by all fiscal authorities to track the money coming to Australia," he said earlier this month.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/police-given-information-about-vatican-wire-transfer-claims-during-pell-trial-20201021-p566zf.html

'Vector of influence': Labor grills officials about QAnon family friend of Scott Morrison

Katharine Murphy - 21 Oct 2020

Officials from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet have not briefed Scott Morrison on the QAnon conspiracy theory following the FBI’s decision to identify the group as a potential domestic terror threat, and say they are unaware that Twitter has suspended the account of a family friend of the prime minister.

Labor asked a series of questions in Senate estimates on Tuesday after Twitter confirmed it permanently suspended a QAnon account belonging to a family friend of the prime minister’s for “engaging in coordinated harmful activity”.

Before the suspension, the owner of the account, Tim Stewart, shared content associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory to his tens of thousands of followers. Stewart’s wife works at Kirribilli House.

Labor’s Senate leader, Penny Wong, said she wanted to pursue a line of questioning because it was in the public interest to ensure there was no “vector of influence” with Morrison given the “dangerous” suppositions of the “fringe conspiracy movement”, and the FBI’s concerns.

“It’s about transparency,” Wong said.

The department’s deputy secretary, Stephanie Foster, told the hearing the only association the department had with the issue Wong was prosecuting was to “assist with the employment of a staff member for Kirribilli House”.

Foster said all appropriate checks were undertaken to ensure the appointment was suitable, “including the relevant police checks”.

“That was our responsibility, and we felt we had executed that responsibility appropriately,” she said. “I’m not sure there is a broader role the department can take with this issue.”

Another departmental official said all three staff employed at the prime minister’s Sydney residence had security clearances.

Wong asked Foster whether the department was aware that the Twitter account had been suspended. “I was not aware of that senator,” Foster replied.

Labor’s Senate leader observed this was curious, given the ban had been reported by both Guardian Australia and News Corp, and “you do a fair bit of media monitoring”.

“I do find that surprising,” Wong said.

Foster responded: “Were it not for the fact that, um, the gentleman’s spouse was employed at Kirribilli, I’m not sure that we would have any, um, association with this issue at all.”

She said officials had “tried to restrict our activities” to the employee.

The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, expressed concern about Wong’s line of questioning.

He said he was unaware of Morrison’s personal relationships, but told Wong it was unreasonable to reflect on the employee “because of what may or may not be the views of her husband”.

“The only thing I’m aware of is the woman has been employed,” Cormann said. He said the evidence from the departmental officials was she complied with all the appropriate tests.

Wong said the friendship with the prime minister was on the public record, and had not been refuted.

Lachlan Colquhoun, the first assistant secretary in PMC’s national security division, said it was possible that Asio had briefed Morrison after the FBI’s negative assessment, but the department had not. “We have not briefed the prime minister,” he said.

Wong asked Colquhoun whether he was aware that QAnon’s theories extended to the belief that there was a “cabal of Satan worshipping paedophiles whose activities extend to trafficking children through a secret labyrinth of tunnels under Melbourne and Sydney”.

The official nodded in response.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/21/vector-of-influence-labor-grills-officials-about-qanon-family-friend-of-scott-morrison