Thread by @margokingston1

1. Journos don’t need to waste space commenting, sigh cynicism, that both sides do it. Voters knew that for yonks, hence trust collapse.

Press Gallery job is to decry it & try hard to make politicians accountable when caught corrupt. That’s their democratic role!

#sportsrorts

2. I reported, analysed & commented on the long running 1993-94 Ros Kelly #sportsrorts scandal as new @canberratimes politics recruit under @michellegrattan editorship.

Ran solo mostly, ignoring well meaning advice from a senior political journo to stop wasting my time...

3. ... because Kelly was Keatings mate so she was safe.

Michelle took angry callsfrom Kelly demanding she stop me trying to ‘destroy’ here. Grattan said no.

I got to know Costello and backbencher Judi Moylan, who got into the Howard ministry on the back of her performance.

4. The point is @senbmckenzie will get off Scott free unless democratic pressure from the Opposition & the Press Gallery forces action. On behalf of the people & the health of our democracy.

Here’s the Kelly #sportsrorts (pre internet) timeline.

5. After a devastating auditor generals report on a $30 million grants program with no documentation of why grants were made (marginal seats mostly) she stonewalled in Question Time in early Dec 1993- Keating said it was because she was a woman!

6. By mid December she’d survived a censure motion and her department head did his best to cover for her without lying in evidence to a Parliamentary committee looking into it. A Labor man told me “You can’t sack her for looking after her own side’.

6. Opposition members demand Kelly give evidence. Seeking to cauterise wound, Labor chair admits scheme badly managed - FIRST GOVT ADMISSION ANYTHING AMISS - says he ask her to answer written questions. Scoop!

7. Early Feb, 1994, Opposition keeps #qt pressure, the Auditor General - brave public servant - officially disputes Kelly’s Dept head’s evidence and Kelly stonewalls In ‘answers’ to Committee written questions. .

Pressure builds for Kelly to testify

8. The Auditor General begs the Committee in a new submission to to make Kelly accountable. It refuses to call Kelly, and Grats runs my outraged column on Page 1.

She’s backing me all the way. Persisting.

9. Keating, not giving a shit, makes Kelly woman’s minister too, but she won’t give interviews on her new role ‘cause she’s scared. Keating gets on TV talking #sportsrorts BS because that’s what too many TV reporters do - style in substance irrelevant.

10. The Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot asks: “Is there anybody in this country who can ministers and PM’s to account?” She threatens to call Kelly & staffers to testify at a Senate inquiry unless she fronts the Reps committee.

11. Feb 9, Laurie Oakes reports at 6 she’s about to give evidence voluntarily, Kernot’s threat the trigger. She used “a great big whiteboard” to decide grants: Moylan remarks must have ‘very small writing’ . My colleague Jodie Brough who’s been working me, write the P1 lead.

12. The @canberratimes keeps our readers very informed, then there’s Pryor
#sportsrorts

13. Keating is implicated in Kelly’s #sportsrorts scam (bettcha my super Morrison is too) due to a leak.

Ah, everyone does it, he says. Just like some in the Press Gallery who are ignorant of their institutional democratic role do now.

#sportsrorts

14. The Opposition does not drop the ball in #qt. I wrote that unless she resigned soon she’d bring the entire Govt into disrepute. “I asked a Labor man yesterday if she’d go quietly if asked. ‘It’s noisy, isn’t it?’, he replied.”

15. Tues 22 Feb Keating tells Caucus to back Kelly & Kelly misleads Parliament again. 23 Feb Labor dominated Parliamentary Committee drafts a whitewash report saying whiteboard process no problem. Kelly doesn’t go to #qt. Opposition flags more rotten grant questions

16. Thursday Feb 24 Kernot strikes - Senate #sportsrorts inquiry certain unless she resigns or punished.

Hewson moves censure against Keating for protecting Kelly.

When Howard tells the Speaker he was unfair the public gallery applauds - the horror of the people speaking.

17. Tuesday, February 28, March Kelly resigns. #sportsrorts

18. March 1, my analysis of Ros Kelly’s #sportsrorts fall.

19. March 14 Kelly interviewed on A Current Affair after refusing any interviews during #sportsrorts

Blames Kernot & ‘a pack’ of female journalists (Jodie, Grats and me)

Me, honoured to have played a part in forcing accountibility

PG up to forcing accountibility now?

20. Broad point - Keating never admitted Kelly did anything wrong, and Dems & Greens worked hard for accountibility reform in exchange for no Senate inquiry.

By now, way past time for the @Indigocathy - now @helenhainesindi - #federalicac bill

21. PS: #sportrorts was how I met @moylan_judi, my favourite politician. Only Lib to abstain on the Tampa vote (no time given to even read it) a leading advocate for refugees. Always a great WA red on hand. Believes politics is service, and her integrity priceless.

ENDS

22. This journo’s got what it takes to pursue #sportsrorts hard, I reckon. Please back @jacksongs

https://twitter.com/jacksongs/status/1217270135569838080?s=21

https://twitter.com/jacksongs/status/1217270135569838080

24. I forgot the punchline! Ros Kelly resigned from Parliament. Voters in the seat of Canberra made their feelings about #sportsrorts and the Govts refusal to admit wrongdoing clear: Labor lost an ultra safe seat at the byelection.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Canb…

25. 25. BTW, Peter Costello coined the term #sportsrorts. Wonder if Labor can muster a prosecutor as smart as him - he was brilliant.