Bats are burning.

4 corners, the long running current affairs show, ripped Rudd a new hole last night. Hes been exposed as a shonky little operator who KNOWINGLY put lives at risk in order to shovel out money and grandstand. 

The show didnt let the installers off the hook either, with some shonky practices being exposed there as well. 

 

I have a few excerpts and links below, but for me this last exchange between the parents of a dead installer and Kevin shows just how manifestly unworthy of high office Rudd is. 

..More than six months after the death of their son, the Fullers are still searching for answers. It’s taken them to Canberra and into what they thought was a private meeting with Greg Combet. 

KEVIN FULLER, MATTHEW’S FATHER: Kevin Rudd burst into the meeting after about 15 minutes and sat right next to me and he didn’t, he didn’t remember my name, so I shook his hand and said it’s Kevin, it’s not that difficult to remember type logic. Ah same as his, you’d think he’d remember that one. 

CHRISTINE FULLER, MATTHEW’S MOTHER: I can’t even remember what he said, it was nothing important. Yeah, we we told him we held him responsible, um and that we would we and I’m sure the other families of the other young lads would like a public apology. We’ve never had a a public apology, an admission that they’ve stuffed up, you know. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to Kevin Fuller): Did he personally apologise to you in that meeting? 

KEVIN FULLER, MATTHEW’S FATHER: No. Absolutely not. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to Kevin Fuller): No expression of sorrow? 

KEVIN FULLER, MATTHEW’S FATHER: Ah there may have been, in it’s an unfortunate or um you know talking around the issue and around the program, but no looking in my eyes or Christine’s eyes and saying I’m sorry. Even sorry for your loss would’ve been good. 

Heres the full transcript, and a link to the site. The episode can be watched here. 

 

Update: My just how sincire do you think this apology is? Nothing to do with any criticism of last night 4 Corners at all eh??

Speaking in Sydney today, Mr Rudd apologised on behalf of the Government.

“Certainly, when it comes to the Fuller family, I am deeply sorry for what has occurred,” he said.

“The Government and ministers and myself are deeply sorry for the loss of life that has occurred, and that goes to the loss in the Fuller family and the other families as well.

“Nothing, no action actually brings those loved ones back.”

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said it was disgraceful, weak and hollow that Mr Rudd did not express sorrow to the Fullers.

“I have said the Prime Minister of Australia is a creep … because he was with people who had suffered a tragedy.

“That tragedy was intimately associated with a program which was designed and botched by the Government and the Prime Minister, and he couldn’t look them in the eyes,” he told ABC television.

 

Hes the worst PM weve ever had bar none.

highlights under the fold 

 

A couple of highlights from the transcript. 

WENDY CARLISLE: While this was news to Fullers, Australian government officials were well aware of the New Zealand deaths. 

Senior Bureaucrats were present at a meeting at old parliament house on the 18th of February last year when it was raised. 

They were from the two departments most central to the rollout of the scheme, Environment and Prime Minister and Cabinet, as well as the Office of the Co-ordinator General. 

Also there was Dennis D’Arcy from the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand. 

His colleague, Peter Ruz, made the report. 

DENNIS D’ARCY, INSULATION COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA & NZ: Peter said well you know if, ah, if ah, foil insulation is included in this programme, ah, you should be aware that, ah, there has been, um, some fatalities in New Zealand and this needs to be taken into account. 

WENDY CARLISLE: The minutes of the meeting clearly reveal… 

(Voiceover reading from the report) 

“Peter Ruz provided an example in New Zealand, where a similar program had to be suspended because three people electrocuted themselves.” 

(End of voiceover) 

WENDY CARLISLE: The question is why was that warning ignored? 

 

as well as. 

JAMES TINSLAY, NATIONAL ELECTRICAL & COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION: We also warned them, um, of the very real electrical and fire dangers, um, that may exist under the programme unless there was adequate training, um, by the installers of the insulation. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to James Tinslay): And what was the response from Minister Garrett? 

JAMES TINSLAY, NATIONAL ELECTRICAL & COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION: The response from the Minister ah was essentially yes we know about this, um, and we’ve put appropriate training programmes in place or we will put them in place, ah, and that we’ll put, ah, NECA on the list as a stakeholder for the programme. 

WENDY CARLISLE: But the invitation to be involved in further consultations never arrived. The concerns had been duly noted, and filed. 

   

Theres more 

WENDY CARLISLE: The letter arrived too late to save Matthew Fuller, but Four Corners can reveal there were people in the environment department trying to warn their superiors of the risks of electrocution and fires.  

Four Corners spoke to a department insider who says these warnings were made to senior bureaucrats. 

We cannot reveal the insider’s identity. 

INSIDER: In fact we were told that safety was of less importance than job creation. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to Insider): You were told that? 

INSIDER: Yes. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to Insider): Specifically? Can you tell… 

INSIDER: Job creation was the most important thing. That was mentioned on many occasions, we were told many times by senior management that the technical and safety issues were of less importance than getting this programme up and running and creating jobs. 

WENDY CARLISLE (to Insider): Did you advise your superiors that without, um, proper training for installers, um, that there could be deaths? 

INSIDER: Yes. 

 

And how does our weasel in chief deal with the questions? 

WENDY CARLISLE: Four Corners approached both Minister Garrett and Minister Combet for an interview. 

Both declined our invitation. 

WENDY CARLISLE (doorstop with Minister Garrett): Minister Wendy Carlisle, Four Corners. Why won’t you do an interview with Four Corners about the home insulation program? 

MINISTER GARRETT: We’ll be able to make some comments to you in the ordinary course of events that would be the appropriate way to do it. 

WENDY CARLISLE: The prime minister was in no mood either. 

WENDY CARLISLE (doorstop with Kevin Rudd): Prime Minister Wendy Carlisle, Four Corners. Why won’t you release those letters Peter Garrett wrote to you? 

PRIME MINISTER, KEVIN RUDD: Excuse me. 

(Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, walks away into the crowd) 

 

King Kev.

  Ecellent work by the ABC.