ACTION
REPORT comments: Joseph Gutnick is a
multi-millionaire Orthodox Jewish
businessman, close to the disgraced former
Israeli prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. It is common knowledge in
Australia’s Liberal Party that Gutnick
“donations” eased the way for the
government ban on David Irving
paying a further visit to Australia. These
tax deductible “donations” were made to
both the Liberal and Labour parties.
It
now turns out that Gutnick also tried to
buy influence over the Konrad
Kalejs affair. His problems began when
a journalist lodged a “freedom of
information” enquiry while researching the
story and the facts leaked out. Gutnick is
now busy trying to sell himself as a
persecuted victim.
Melbourne, August 10, 2000
http://www.theage.com.au/news/20000810/A59856-2000Aug9.html
Angered
Gutnick may sue Howard
MELBOURNE Football Club president and prominent Jewish business leader Joseph
Gutnick may sue John Howard
after the Prime Minister said government policy could not be dictated by the level of political donations.
[kalejs]Mr
Gutnick has been privately lobbying Mr
Howard to change Australia’s citizenship laws to revoke the citizenship of alleged
Nazi war criminal Konrad Kalejs
(right) and deport him to his homeland of
Latvia.
Mr Howard has refused, saying he would not overturn the rule of law that citizens were entitled to the presumption of innocence.
ABC radio
yesterday reported that Mr Gutnick had
threatened to withhold financial
support for the Liberals over the issue
and when asked on ABC radio if he could
“do without Mr Gutnick’s money”, Mr
Howard said he did not have the
“faintest idea” whether Mr Gutnick
contributed.
“I don’t change policy according to the level of financial contributions from anybody, whether it’s Mr Gutnick or whoever,” Mr Howard said.
“In the end you do what is right irrespective of the level of financial support that your political party receives.”
Mr Gutnick said he was angered by Mr
Howard’s comments, he believed Mr Howard knew that donations had never been mentioned in his letters lobbying Mr
Howard on the issue and he was seeking legal advice.
“I haven’t brought up the issue of money. I don’t support the Liberal Party,
I have no intention of supporting the
Liberal Party and this has absolutely nothing to do with giving money,” Mr
Gutnick told The
Age.
“I will be speaking to my lawyers. I think this is defamatory and libelous. I’m quite angered at it and it’s sidetracking the issue. I expect him to apologise for those comments. I expect a retraction.”
A spokesman for Mr Howard said the
Prime Minister was stating a general principle that government policy was not influenced by donations. The spokesman said Mr Gutnick had last night contacted
Mr Howard’s office about the matter.
Mr Gutnick said he switched his political donations from the Liberals to
Labor before the 1998 federal election because of his disappointment at Mr
Howard’s response to Pauline
Hanson’s One Nation party.
Mr Gutnick said Mr Howard’s decision last week to change the Sex Discrimination
Act to give the states power to deny IVF treatment to lesbians, showed he could also change the citizenship laws.
Mr Kalejs, 87, who is believed to be in
Melbourne, has denied being involved in the murder of civilians during World War
II.
Related items on this website:
Kalejs:
“Show me the Proof, says
Ruddock”
Australia’s
ban on David Irving (Index)