ALP activist Mohammed Abbouche has changed affiliation from Right to Left. The Victorian Socialist Left worked for months to win back to the fold their former member and finally succeeded today.
In a well-attended ceremony, Abbouche formally surrendered the keys to the Conroy Citadel earlier today.
Totally coincidentally, a Senator from the Socialist Left - Gavin Marshall had a vacancy in his office and Mo found himself the successful applicant for the position. He started in the good Senator's office today also. A busy day.
Regular readers will recall various spectacular (and false) accusations made against Mo by a number of Socialist Left operatives, including Steve 'Cock' Roach, an official with the CFMEU. SL member Roach even brought formal charges pushing for his expulsion, which were laughed out of the Disputes Tribunal.
So the person denounced by the Socialist Left a couple of months ago as the focus of evil in the modern world, has suddenly become appointed to a prized full-time political adviser's position within the Socialist Left hierarchy.
Some would call this bare-faced cheek, because it's coming from Senator Kim Carr, it's more hairy faced cheek but you get the idea.
The next person denounced falsely for fundraising corruption and branch-stacking by Kim Carr should indeed be optimistic about life. It is code for "I'm about to offer you a sweet safe seat, comrade. As long as you change sides."
A left-wing source familiar with the deal told the OC that Kim Carr had personally conducted the negotiations and personally directed fellow Senator Gavin Marshall to hire Councillor Abbouche. Marshall's survival depends on the survival of Maria Vamvakinou, Senator Carr apparently unsubtlely reminded his colleague. "If Maria loses Calwell, we're moving her to the Senate and you'll be out on your arse. No pension. No nothing," he is believed to have told him. After that, the first term Senator made some very quick personnel changes.
Marshall has previously been aligned with the ETU's Dean Mighell but has grown closer with Carr since being in Canberra.
Kim Carr's involvement in these dealings does rather illustrate the reality of factional dealings, where positions are traded, even taxpayer funded jobs all to maximise factional outcomes.
YUROKE
Mo has been understandably tempted back to the Left fold with a generous offer of a seat in Parliament, the sweet safe Labor seat of Westmeadows based Yuroke has been mentioned. It apparently was a better deal than he'd been offered with the Right.
Its incumbent member, Socialist Left MP Liz Beattie, will be bumped upstairs to the Legislative Council where she will retire disgracefully in order to accomodate Mo's move. She's not happy about apparently but wasn't given much choice by Senator Kim Carr who ordered his lackey to do his bidding. The Left had previously offered the upper house position to Mo and others but his preference was the lower house and it turned out to be a sellers' market.
Councillor Abbouche is regarded as a highly strategic gain for the Socialist Left because he has a strong influence on around 100 votes in Calwell, who are his friends and mentors. His votes are the difference between winning and losing in Calwell. He will now deliver these votes in favour of the Socialist Left's Maria Vamvakinou, an oxygen thief of so little merit that even the Left are more than a little ashamed of her. Maria lives miles outside of her working class electorate, in the leafy suburb of Alphington where she is on the board of Alphington Grammar School. She is as representative of Broadmeadows as Donald Trump, possibly less so. Her property close to the Yarra River is worth in excess of a million dollars according to a source familiar with the matter.
In addition, Mo is a member of the Public Office Selection Committee of one hundred which determines 50% of preselection outcomes. Mo's vote won't make a huge difference to the Left but better to have it than not, one Left source told the OC.
While some in the Right may be critical of Mo, the OC won't be. Good luck to him, he got a better offer. Whatever faction he's in, he'll be a good MP and that's the most important thing.
LEFTIST HYPOCRISY: What Ever Will The Age Say?
But it does rather put into perspective the mad and wild allegations from the Socialist Left that the Right are evil branchstackers and the Left are pure as the driven snow. A man they one day denounce as a rorter and branch-stacker (quite falsely) and bring formal charges for his expulsion from the ALP, they soon after recruit with a promise of safe Labor seat.
Any future claims of branch-stacking by the Socialist Left must now be seen for what they are. A tactic. A cheap attempt to gain leverage by causing bad publicity. Like Steve Roach's bullet in the letterbox the day of the Disputes Tribunal hearing into Mo Abbouche. They are into more stunts than Evil Knievel.
The Left have gained Mo Abbouche's support but their credibility in making accusations against other ALP members is forever destroyed. We now know they don't mean it. Or don't care about it. They just make it up as they go, for political purposes. Joe McCarthy's of the new century.
The Left Are Guilty of First Class Rolled Gold 24 Karat Hypocrisy.
It's not Mo that should be criticised for making a sensible decision in his own best interests, but the hypocritical dogs like Senator Kim Carr, Brian Daley, Alan Griffin et al who personally met with Mo several times to hammer out the arrangement (in writing mind you) have much explaining to do. How will they explain all of this to the running dogs at The Age Socialist Left house journal?
Will The Age's Paul Curly Austin understand that the bloke he's previously denounced and called for his head is now at the vanguard of revolutionary grass-roots activism and is not and was never guilty of Steve 'Cock' Roach's claims? Paul is regarded as quite ideologically flexible but that will require more bending and stretching than a 14 year old Romanian gymnast. Will The Age still be demanding Steve Bracks take action against the good Councillor? The OC thinks not, their silence will be deafening.
Now that Mo's changed sides, all is forgiven.
How will Senator Kim Carr go loudly denouncing branch stacking at the next ALP State Conference? Will St John's Ambulance assign extra officers to cope with those experiencing hysterical fits of laughter?
How will will they explain themselves to Comrade Diane Anderson? The frightful prospect of Diane voting with the Right in disgust is indeed disturbing.
All of that will indeed be a source of amusement as the long-suffering citizens of Broadmeadows cope with another three years of absentee landlord from Alphington Maria Vamvakinou. Oxygen thief. Bludger. Joke.
Game on.
CHECK OUT ANDREW LANDERYOU'S LATEST HITS AT VEXNEWS
Wednesday, 28 September 2005
DEFECTION: So Mo is to Go; Left Once Sledged Mo as Foe and Branchstacker Now Gives Him Safe Seat
DISGRACE: Heartless Tasteless Email Joke At Brogden's Expense
The OC has received unconfirmed reports about the identity of a political activist who originated the email from an anonymous email account titled "Brogger's Future." He should know better.
The absence of compassion evident in the email is deplorable with most of its contents not repeatable even by the OC's high standards.
The factional tensions in the Liberal Party which most activists say they want eased are unlikely to be with these sort of emails and the quiet gloating of some at John Brogden's downfall.
Shameful attacks on a person who wants to retire in the most dignified manner is no way to build an alternative government.
The NSW Liberal Leader must act to crack down on those who promote division of this kind.
GET READY: Is Affleck Set for US Senate Race? Can He Afford the $72 Million Pay Cut?
Hollywood groover Ben Affleck is rumoured to be putting up his hand for the United States Senate for the Democratic party.
The Washington Post reports that he is considering a bid in Virginia where he lives in Charlottesville.
Although his spokesman denies it, it's in the left-wing Washington Post so must be true.
The Democrats connection with Hollywood is remarkable, with very few actors, directors et al associated with the Republicans. President Reagan and future President Arnie are notable exceptions. Reagan was a highly successful movie actor who was President of his union, the Screen Actors Guild where he outed several communists and successfully campaigned for the first minimum wage in the industry.
If Affleck is persuaded to run by Virginia Democrats, he will be going head to head with well regarded Republican Senator George Allen who will no doubt kick his sorry butt harder than J-Lo did.
Game on.
UH OH: Teri Hatcher Nails mX on Passion Wagon Allegations
From Melbourne's normally excellent giveaway journal mX on page 3, Friday 16 September, courtesy of an OC snout:
Teri Hatcher
On August 3, mX published a story claiming Desperate Houswives star Teri Hatcher used a "passionwagon" in her driveway to have sex romps with men.
Ms Hatcher has now confirmed this was not true. mX apologises to Ms Hatcher for any damage or distress the article may have caused her.
It is clear that many publications invent stories about celebrities. mX is just one of them, but by any standard this was extremely ugly.
Notice the inference in the apology that Ms Hatcher has only now confirmed the story not to be true. So they'll publish any old muck until someone expressly denies it so they can then write a story about how she denied using a "passionwagon." Presumably, Lachlan Murdoch has never confirmed or denied stories that he hates his step-mom, had the hots for NRL star Ian Roberts or knew much more about One-Tel than he ever fessed up to Daddy about.
Lachlan should encourage those within the News Limited empire, now he's back in town, to remember that journalism is about truth and the truth can only be arrived at through verification.
mX is actually very well done but there is no excuse for Passionwagon style invented stories, no matter how relaxed and gossipy it aspires to be.
Game on.
DODGY: Dean McVeigh's Liquidator Mate "Severely Reprimanded"
Corrupt MUSU Liquidator Dean McVeigh's Adelaide mate and sometime fishing buddy Hugh Martin is the new treasurer of the Liberal Party in South Australia and earlier in the year was severely reprimanded for failing in his professional duties as a liquidator.
The Companies, Auditors and Liquidators Disciplinary Board investigated McVeigh's friend and mentor Hugh Martin after a request from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. The board held that McVeigh's little mate Hugh Martin had failed to adequately investigate Southscape Civil Pty Ltd and had previously charged the company for services prior to his appointment.
Some dissident members of the SA Liberal executive are concerned that his appointment might distract the Party as it enters an election year.
One Liberal spindoctor, Mr Moriaty claimed the findings were "relatively minor" and "quite minor." Liquidator Martin was ordered to have future administrations peer reviewed and that he must complete 20 hours of professional education and must pay ASIC's costs.
Nice company Dean keeps.
Game on.
since failed candidate 
