Agree. Unfortunately the AFL influence would also be at play. Corrupt carnts.
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If the players were cleared, I couldnt give 2 ■■■■■ what the stupid public think.
At least the right decision would be made.
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[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Dear Senators
In 2016, I lodged a complaint with the Community Affairs committee against ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt for misleading Parliament on 16 occasions during his 3 March 2016 Senate Estimates Hearing appearance. I stand by every one of my allegations
Last week, Radio National’s Warwick Hadfield delivered the editorial below. Clearly, it proves Mr McDevitt misled Parliament, and it provides irrefutable proof that the Community Affairs committee made an incomprehensible mistake.
I have been informed that all four of you were on the committee that made the mistake. If that is correct, I think you should do the honourable thing and persuade Senator Brockman and Senator Singh to rehear the case with you. Tragically, Senator Duniam is a lost cause. It appears he doesn’t care that his reputation has been trashed and will continue to be trashed.
WARWICK HADFIELD’S RADIO NATIONAL EDITORIAL
“In the AFL, there has been another development in the Essendon doping saga.
Yes Fran, as the matter heads to the courts again, the Supreme Court in Victoria and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Brisbane, RN Breakfast can reveal ASADA’s lawyers have contradicted the evidence of the former head of ASADA, Ben McDevitt which he gave at a Senate hearing.
On March the third, 2016, Mr McDevitt told the Senate “There were over 100 text messages that unveiled a plan to source Thymosin Beta-4 for the purpose of doping the Essendon team.”
Thymosin Beta 4 was the banned substance 34 players were found guilty of being administered.
In response to a Freedom of Information request from the former sports consultant, Bruce Francis, ASADA said “No documents containing the clause ‘Thymosin Beta-4 for the purpose of doping the Essendon players exists.”
On August 15th, 2016, Mr McDevitt was cleared of misleading parliament by a Senate ethics committee headed by Senator Johnathan Duniam but interestingly, the 65-page defence document provided for that ethic committee did not contain any of the alleged text messages.
RN Breakfast contacted the offices of the Minister for Sport, who oversees ASADA, and Senator Duniam for comment but to date has had no formal response.
Mr Francis, who wrote to Mr Duniam this week pointing out the contradiction, also declined to comment because of the AAT hearing in which he is involved, along with ASADA.”
Bruce Francis.
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I think it is also a case of better you than us. Particularly, when the AFL showed their hand during the saga, only one club FREEMANTLE stood with us. All the other AFL clubs voted against us. Never forget, never forgive until J34 are liberated.
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Lets face the AFL virtually run the media outlets except for a handful of people. When it all gets down to it is also about sheer numbers for and against.
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On August 15th, 2016, Mr McDevitt was cleared of misleading parliament by a Senate ethics committee headed by Senator Johnathan Duniam but interestingly, the 65-page defence document provided for that ethic committee did not contain any of the alleged text messages.
So what was in the 65 pages that was so compelling that the Committee cleared McDevitt. It certainly was NOT evidence based. Surely if they were doing their job they would have asked to see these alleged txt messages?
Something not quite right here…is this a crack in the Dam wall?
Well done Stabby and Bruce.
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Indeed …these little inconsistencies remind me of an old saying …to be a good liar you have to have a good memory …pity you can now lie your head off say anything about anyone & have no requirement to show any proof that what you said actually happened …you don’t need a good memory any longer you just need powerful friends with media bosses in their pockets
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It’s ASADA’s go to play
Pack out a document with filler be it falsified or otherwise to make it look like ASADA was credible in its pursuit of the players / had evidence / had a defence.
Happened with interim report, the show cause notice supporting info, the info supplied to AFLADT
Obviously when it’s going back to government they very rarely want to rock the boat on anything to protect their own position / too hard basket / bad for government if public confidence in a government organisation declines.
So this defence document likely just taken as gospel … and classical nothing to see here.
Thankfully Bruce won’t have any of it
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I may be crazy but it’s one thing for ASADA to do a scapegoating job, its another for a Public Servant to mislead Parliament.
Its a scary proposition for a Senate Ethics Committee to investigate and dismiss a complaint without evidence…this just doesnt sound right to me.
I am all on for a bit of conspiracy theory but I will need to get extra thickness tin foil for my hat on this one.
It DEMANDS further investigation.
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The IOC can huff and puff for all it likes, but it has seemingly elected to not take a case in CAS against Russian State or instutionalised doping. Hence, the CAS arbitrators correctly limited their mandate to appeals by individual athletes. Politically the IOC and WADA are casting the blame on CAS for their own inaction over several years.
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McDevitt - Downhill skier
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Blitz first:
Bruce Francis has written another email.
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
Dear Senators
It is my understanding that if fresh evidence comes to light exonerating convicted/gaoled citizens, the new evidence will be heard and the wrongly convicted are released. Similarly, new evidence is used to prosecute those who wrongly escaped conviction.
Responses by ASADA’s lawyers to FOI requests (see below Radio National’s Warwick Hadfield editorial) prove that ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt misled Parliament at his 3 March 2016 Senate Estimates hearing. Despite the irrefutable proof provided by his own staff lawyers that Mr McDevitt was guilty, the Community Affairs Committee chaired by Senator Duniam, to its shame, inexplicably ruled in Mr McDevitt’s favour.
The ‘not guilty’ decision is a stain on the reputation and intelligence of those of you who were involved in the decision. Given Hadfield’s editorial, if you do not reopen the case, you will be seen to be condoning misleading Parliament. A sin, which should prevent you from remaining in Parliament.
Yours faithfully
Bruce Francis
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FYI: I have had the pleasure of meeting Bruce. He is a very honourable and intelligent man; he is not a crank.
IMO, we should, once again, support Bruces efforts for the past 5 years and put some pressure on these Senators.
My suggestion is to email these Senators, express your frustration of ASADA, the whole dodgy process run by the AFL, the AFL ADT saying the players were not guilty, the money the Australian Government spent in funding an overseas body to dubiously prosecute fellow Australian athletes, send them the petition, here a link to J34 videos, pick one vidoe and write something about that, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNG5xJW_SG0IhW86BoX0xVg
…even revise and send your old email complaints to these Senators, anything will help.
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Uh Oh, The CAS Panel didn’t even reach the ‘Balance of probabilities’ benchmark in the Essendon 34 case.
Fact Checking The Court for Arbitration of Sport (The CAS) #3
As Justice for the 34 will show, none of the sporting or governing bodies involved in the investigation, interim reports, and prosecution of these players have given the appearance of objectivity in the selection of evidence.
None of the sporting or governing bodies involved in the investigation, interim reports, and prosecution of players, perhaps with the exception of the AFL Tribunal, have given any regard to whether evidence could be regarded as expert or scientific. In fact, some supporting evidence needed to be discounted on the grounds of relevance.
The sporting and governing bodies involved in the investigation, interim reports, and prosecution of the players ran their own agenda in order to achieve a preconceived outcome. As a result, the outcome that was reached contains numerous factual errors and is based on suppositions which in many cases are unsupported.
For example, in this case, The CAS stated “the standard of proof is comfortable satisfaction…this standard of proof in all cases is greater than a mere balance of probabilities but less proof than beyond reasonable doubt”.
Expert opinion indicates The CAS Panel not only failed to meet this standard, they fell well short. If Dr Sawyer is right, The CAS Panel didn’t even reach the ‘balance of probabilities’ benchmark. How could The CAS Panel make this statement, say the players were guilty based on evidence from unreliable third party sources, and then keep a straight face?
Justice for the 34 believe the prosecution of the case was built on inexact proofs, indefinite testimony, and indirect inferences that do not reach the standard of ‘comfortable satisfaction’ and therefore has no place in Australian sport.
Innocent or guilty, we just want the players to receive a fair go. That’s the Australian way.
Therefore, Justice for the 34 requests an Independent Inquiry in order to:
Investigate and consider all the relevant facts so they are publically available. To date, the evidence against the players has been based on taking ‘bits out that might compromise what we need’.
Investigate the role, motives and ethics of each sporting, government body and the media during the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Identify if any person or organization has breached an Australia law during the investigation and prosecution of the case; make sure everyone is held accountable for their actions; and if warranted, prosecute the offenders.
Investigate a mechanism for a review of this matter in Australia to ensure the players are given the opportunity to clear their names if they so wish.
Review and amend legislation and rules so any identified injustices can never happen to Australian sports people again.
Thank you for your support.
Please sign our petition and like this video.
For further information, contact Justice of the 34 via their Facebook page.
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Warwick Hadfield briefly referred to this matter again this morning when talking to Fran Kelly on Radio National.
He was commenting on CAS/IOC/Russian Winter Olympics issue and said something along the lines of “and here in Australia we have the contradictions coming from ASADA that the Minister for Sport is still hiding from to avoid answering”.
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I have always supported Bruce in his efforts and I will write to the Senators again.
One day Cotchin and that carnt Mitchell are going to have to hand back those medals, and it will be a great day indeed.
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Surely this line of response will be invoking some uneasiness amongst the senators.
If they don’t do something which involves putting McDevitt back under scrutiny then their own positions as senators in the government at risk.
Who holds them accountable though?
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Voters
In addition to emailing said Senators today, when I got home there was a “biggest survey” from my local member Mr Dutton in the letterbox:
Q, if there was one issue you could raise in the federal parliament what would it be?
A, the need for a senate inquiry into ASADAs involvement in the EFC doping saga
Thanks Pete, nice of you to ask
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