The following is a powerful and thought-provoking message Senate Evidence File No 12 contains a chilling account of the events that transpired when Alan Smith, the author of this website, was threatened twice by the Chair of the Australian Senate. These threats were made on 16 August 2001 and 6 December 2004, which warned me that I would be charged with contempt of the Senate if he disclosed the 6 and 9 July 1998 In-Camera Hansard. It is unbelievable that the Senate would go to great lengths to hide crucial information that could have won sixteen arbitration and mediation appeals in 1998.
This injustice clearly violates democracy and freedom of speech. Despite being wholly owned by the government, Telstra's gross misconduct during several arbitrations and mediation procedures was ignored. The findings of misconduct should have been a matter of public interest, yet they were kept under parliamentary privilege. It is unacceptable that this information continues to harm the victims of this injustice.
I have created the website absentjustice.com to balance the scales of justice. It's time to demand that the government take action and correct this wrong. An Injustice to the remaining 16 Australian citizens
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This website boldly exposes the rampant corruption that took place within the government bureaucracy during the COT arbitrations, leaving no stone unturned. It also fearlessly uncovers the identities of the culprits responsible for these despicable crimes and their current positions within the government. The arbitration and mediation processes endorsed by the Australian government were marred by misconduct in public office, revealing a deeply ingrained culture of systemic corruption. Despite this, the government chose to turn a blind eye, shielding its government-funded agencies, who were complicit in committing numerous crimes against the Casualties of Telstra.
Until the late 1990s, the Australian government wholly owned Australia’s telephone network and the communications carrier, Telecom (today privatised and called Telstra). Telecom held the monopoly on communications and let the network deteriorate into disrepair. When four small business owners had severe communication problems, they went into arbitration with Telstra. The arbitrations were a sham: the appointed arbitrator not only allowed Telstra to minimise the casualties of Telstra (COT) members’ claims and losses but also bowed down to Telstra and let the carrier run the arbitrations. Telstra committed serious crimes during the arbitrations, yet the Australian government and the Australian Federal Police have not held Telstra, or the other entities involved in this deceit, accountable.
Government Corruption. Corruption in the public service, where misleading and deceptive conduct has spuriously over more than two decades perverted the course of justice.
The criminal delinquency of those involved in the COT Cases corrupted arbitrations continued to practive their evil and crooked style of justice on other citizens who, like the Casualties of Telstra have had their lives ruined.
This type of skulduggery is treachery, a Judas kiss with dirty dealing and betrayal. This is dirty pool and crookedness and dishonest. This conduct fester’s corruption. It is as bad, if not worse than double-dealing and cheating those who trust the ground you walk on. Sheer Evil.<
Corruption in government, including non-government self-regulators, undermines the credibility of that government. It erodes the trust of its citizens.
“…the very large number of persons that had been forced into an arbitration process and have been obliged to settle as a result of the sheer weight that Telstra has brought to bear on them as a consequence where they have faced financial ruin if they did not settle…”
Senator Carr
Telstra made and carried out threats, and the arbitrator closed his eyes.
Page 180 ERC&A, from the official Australian Senate Hansard, dated November 29 1994, reports Senator Ron Boswell asking Telstra's legal directorate why were my FOI documents being withheld from me during my arbitration:
“Why did Telecom advise the Commonwealth Ombudsman that Telecom withheld FOI documents from Alan Smith because Alan Smith provided Telecom FOI documents to the Australian Federal Police during their investigation?”
After receiving a hollow response from Telstra, which the senator, the AFP and I all knew was utterly false, the senator states:
“…Why would Telecom withhold vital documents from the AFP? Also, why would Telecom penalise COT members for providing documents to the AFP which substantiate that Telecom had conducted unauthorised interceptions of COT members’ communications and subsequently dealt in the intercepted information by providing that information to Telecom’s external legal advisers and others?” (See Senate Evidence File No 31)
As I have reiterated throughout this website, the threats against me during the arbitration proceedings came to fruition, and the withholding of pertinent documents is deeply concerning. Regrettably, neither the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) nor the government has investigated the detrimental impact of this malpractice on my overall submission to the arbitrator. Despite my assistance to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in their investigation into the illicit interception of phone conversations and arbitration-related faxes, I was at a severe disadvantage during the civil arbitration.