The federal member for Dobell, Craig Thompson, allegedly behaved very badly towards a female member of the Salvation Army at a rally on the Central Coast on Saturday night. The rally, organized to express displeasure with poker machine reform, was moderated by Louise Duff.
Apparently Thompson, also known as “Credit Card Craig” for reasons I’ll go into in a minute, became excessively exercised when he felt that the moderator did not give him an equal opportunity to address a question. He confronted Ms Duff, threatened to finish her career, threatened to name her in the Parliament, and told her she was a “disgrace.”
So closely did he insert himself into her personal space, and so violently did he shout at her that her cheeks were covered in his spittle, and she had to wipe them clean with her handkerchief.
There were many witnesses. Thompson later rang Ms Duff and apologised.
It’s safe to assume that anyone who gets right in your face, threatens you, and covers you in spittle, is spinning out of control and should be carefully watched.
Thompson’s seat is very marginal. Should a by-election result in him losing the seat, the government will collapse and we’ll have a general election.
Prior to entering Parliament, Thompson was the head of the Health Services Union. In 2005 he allegedly authorized payment for prostitutes’ services with his union credit card. These services were not for him, but his “mates.” Thompson incurred heavy legal bills when he attempted to sue the Sydney Morning Herald for defamation after they published this story. When he dropped his defamation action, the ALP bailed him out to the tune of some $90,000, saving him from bankruptcy, presumably because MP’s can’t be bankrupts as well. Financially, that is. There’s no law says they can’t be morally bankrupt and keep their seats.
Thompson has since claimed that the signature on the credit card authorization is not his, but a forgery. This claim has been discredited by a forensic expert who says the signature is almost certainly Thompson’s. People are also asking why, if his signature has been forged, hasn’t Thompson complained to the fraud squad?
Craig Thompson is probably the biggest threat the Gillard government has to contend with at the moment. He’s the one factor that could bring them undone faster than you can say by-election. If I were the PM I’d be getting him to a psychologist pronto and paying the bills. A bit of cognitive behavioural therapy, intense anger management training, meditation, heck, even drugs. Send him on leave with depression. Have him diagnosed with a bi polar disorder. Anything to render him ineffectual and harmless, because a man who’s walking round covering the face of a Salvation Army moderator in spit, is a full-blown here and now menace.
Credit Card Craig is a bigger problem for the government than the Malaysian solution and the carbon tax rolled into one.
Senator George Brandis, senior opposition attack dog, asked serious questions in the Senate this afternoon, flagging big trouble in the immediate future for the government because the opposition is going at this full-bore, and why wouldn’t they?
Related articles
- Credit card Craig a problem Gillard doesn’t need (thepunch.com.au)
- MP accused of making charity worker cry (news.theage.com.au)
No Place For Sheep 
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