In Australia, the police are supposed to be independent, and charge ANYONE who has committed crimes, fraud, theft or any other criminal activity, irrespective of what position in society they hold.
In actual fact, what they (the police) are supposed to do, and what they actually do are two different things.
In Australia, the criminal elite are involved in politics, defrauding the masses of literally hundreds of millions of dollars annually in each state, without the intervention of police.
The police are totally 'owned' by politicians, and the banks.
It's not a 'conspiracy theory' but rather a fact.
The headline article from The Age publication illustrates that the bureaucrats will decide whether to lay charges against Bronwyn Bishop, and NOT the corporation commonly referred to as the 'police'.
Wouldn't it be that easy if that was the case with ALL you (unlawful) speeding fines.
Australia's politicians are literally the criminal elite, untouchable by law.
From The Age on 18 Jul 2015:
Bronwyn Bishop expense scandal investigation in the hands of Finance Department
Labor asks AFP to investigate Bronwyn Bishop
The Speaker's alleged misuse of
taxpayer funds during a helicopter ride to Geelong may come under the
scrutiny of the Australian Federal Police.
Finance Department bureaucrats will decide whether a police investigation into Bronwyn Bishop's expenses scandal goes ahead.
Labor
on Friday asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate whether
the federal Speaker misused her taxpayer-funded entitlements when she
chartered a $5227 chopper to travel the short distance from Melbourne to
Geelong to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser.
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop.
Photo: Andrew Meares
The Australian Federal Police says it has also received a number of referrals from members of the public concerning the scandal.
But it says the ball is in the Finance Department's court.
"There
is a protocol – the Minchin Protocol – which was established in 1998 to
handle complaints regarding the use of entitlements by federal
parliamentarians," and AFP spokesman said.
Bronwyn Bishop arrives by helicopter at a golf course for a Liberal fundraiser.
Photo: Twitter @neilremeeus
"This is the agreed protocol for dealing with matters of this nature."
Under
the protocol – named after former finance minister Nick Minchin – the
department will conduct an internal audit to determine whether the
allegations are credible. If it decides there has been serious and
deliberate wrongdoing it can refer the case back to the police.
But it's understood Labor is not happy with the AFP's response and will write to it again on Saturday asking for clarification.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to make a statement on Bronwyn Bishop on Saturday.
Photo: James Brickwood
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to make his first
public comments about the scandal later on Saturday. But Fairfax Media
understands he is standing by his Speaker.
At a closed
door event on Friday Mr Abbott reportedly dismissed the scandal as
"village gossip". However the Prime Minister's office says that was not
an accurate reflection of what he said.
Coalition
ministers and MPs are quietly furious that the scandal has derailed
their attacks on Labor over union corruption, and some have described
her position as increasingly untenable.
But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says he strongly disagrees with that assessment.
"From
where I sit Bronwyn Bishop is doing a very good job as Speaker," he
told Sky News on Saturday. "The key here is the Speaker has reimbursed
the claim."
Mrs Bishop caved to political and public pressure
and paid back the money, along with a $1300 fine, but has admitted no
wrongdoing.
Labor believes the case hinges on whether Mrs
Bishop signed a Presiding Officer's Charter Certification form. The
form requires the Speaker to confirm that a charter is for her "office
holder duties" and states that knowingly giving false or misleading
information is a serious criminal offence.
Senator Cormann said he would have no oversight or involvement with his department's investigation.
Independent
senator Nick Xenophon hopes the "choppergate" scandal will be a
catalyst for broader changes to entitlements. He wants greater
transparency and an independent umpire to deal with complaints. He also
wants tougher penalties when mistakes are made.
Labor wrote to the AFP shortly after
Fairfax
Media exclusively revealed that the political lobbyist who was paid to
arrange the chopper was the best friend of Mrs Bishop's most senior
adviser, chief of staff and spokesman Damien Jones.
Late on Friday Mr Jones said Mrs Bishop would not comment on the referral until the AFP decided whether to investigate.
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