DIAMOND VALLEY 'LEADER' ARTICLES ON DAWN ROWAN

The Diamond Valley Leader - the local newspaper in Dawn's region of Melbourne - has published four articles about Dawn. The earliest
(or http://tinyurl.com/5h3b4w)

Another... (or http://tinyurl.com/6m57yn)

Another... (or http://tinyurl.com/6zk6z4)

And the latest (or http://tinyurl.com/3l4vdx)

You can contact these good people to thank them here...

DO THE 'RIGHT THING' JUDITH ROBERTS 'AO'!!

From Dawn Rowan:

Some of you might have read (on the frontpage of the Melbourne Herald Sun May 6 2008) that high profile lawyer-businessman-TV funnyman Steve Vizard has has this week handed back his ORDER OF AUSTRALIA award.

He said 'This is partially out of respect for the ORDER, to protect it,' and 'because it is the right thing to do.'

Steve Vizard collected his ORDER OF AUSTRALIA medal for services to the community, in 1997.

Vizard also said his decision to hand back the ORDER OF AUSTRALIA was brought on by his civil conviction concerning his financial dealings described by the judge as 'dishonest and a gross breach of trust'.

The Herald Sun article also says 'Previously an award could be revoked for a criminal conviction. Last September that was extended to include Civil penalties.'

Comment: Although this change to the Australian Awards rules is not retrospective, Steve Vizard, having received his award in 1997, in the light of these changes (ie. to include a ban on persons with CIVIL CONVICTIONS) has decided to 'do the right thing'.

Judith Roberts has a CIVIL CONVICTION in the Rowan Vs. Cornwall and Others case for 'gross defamation' in the judgment of June 2002. Justice Debelle was scathing in his condemnation of her behaviour as Chair of the 'Independent' Review into the management of Women's Shelters in South Australia, conducted in 1987.

See Justice Debelle's judgment (especially para. 79).

Just before the Full Bench Appeal in this case was about to start, Judith Roberts, at the time guilty of MALICIOUS Defamation, was curiously awarded an AO for 'services to the community'. How does the award process evaluate the decency and credibility of its recipients?

Given Steve Vizard's act of decency and respect for the Australian Awards system, I call upon Judith Roberts to also do the decent thing and hand back her AO, since she remains guilty of the civil charge of Defamation.

Or will she hang on with the shallow technical defense that these changes are not retrospective?

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Here's the latest article in Dawn's local paper, the Diamond Valley Leader...

MAY 4TH - THE LATEST

A statement released a few days ago by Dawn's lawyer, in response to a Leader journalist's question. (More details will be posted here if anything unfolds):

'It may be that Minister Macklin has misunderstood what Dawn requested
of the Government. Dawn has not asked for the Secretary of the
Department to not pursue her for the legal costs that she owes - that
would have been pointless as the Department has already pursued her to
the limits of the law. Dawn was, after all, recently made bankrupt at
the request of the Commonwealth Government.

Rather, what Dawn asks is that the Minister intervenes and uses the
powers that the government has under S.34 of the Financial Management
and Accountability Act to now waive that debt. Dawn's supporters have
been advised by the Govt that the Finance Minister would only act on a
recommendation from the relevant Minister, i.e. Jenny Macklin.

This is a source of enormous frustration for Dawn, because both the
former and current governments have not even acknowledged that they do
in fact have the power in their hands to assist her.'

HOW ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS BRIEFING MINISTERS OF THE CROWN ABOUT DAWN ROWAN?

Here is a letter written by former minister Mal Brough in response to a Liberal colleague's enquiry about the Dawn Rowan case. Presumably the same bureaucratic advice will be given to current Ministers who have to decide on this matter. (If the link above doesn't work, try this one in the Dawn Rowan Documents Blog: http://tinyurl.com/3pbtsw ).

Dawn Rowan, April 12, 2008.

'LEADER' NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

The suburban Leader newspaper in Dawn's area has published several articles about Dawn. Here's one... Or here: http://tinyurl.com/6m57yn

INTERVIEW WITH DAWN: WHAT IS SHE ASKING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

See here.

or here: http://tinyurl.com/2e5jzt

Here's a sample letter to Jenny Macklin to guide you as you email/write to her.

Thanks everyone. Let's keep this pot boiling...!

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 25, 2008

Dear friends,

Thanks to all of you for contacting so many of the new Labor parliamentarians on behalf of Dawn. They are now - slightly to very - aware of her plight. But more needs to be done: and it's still urgent! They have been told in no uncertain terms than an innocent woman is being slowly executed by ongoing abuse/injustice driven by the legal system, parliament and government bureaucracy...

[See the video at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/ for background to the story; and Dawn's Blog - http://dawnrowansaga.blogspot.com/ for up-to-date news].

The situation at the moment: the Federal Court-appointed Administrator of Dawn's Estate (yes, it's called her 'Estate' even though she is still alive!) has applied a caveat on her property in St. Andrews, outside Melbourne, Victoria. The acquisition of her home could be executed at any moment, at the pleasure of the Administrator. Can you imagine living with this sort of tension - and after 21 years of her life being on hold after the first SA government-ordered bomb landed on her, and her colleagues at the Christies Beach Womens Shelter, in Adelaide (November 1986)?

===>>> Dawn's private psychotherapy/counselling practice has collapsed; she's had almost no income since 2000; she's been critically depressed - a result of the constant cruelty and injustice; she has suffered gross character assassination; she can't pay for insurances, superannuation or financial advice; she cannot participate in any professional conferences; she lost the sponsorship of a World Vision child; she's been unable to pay for home repairs, maintenance, car servicing, dental treatment, holidays, entertainment, recreation, visitors at home, visiting others, household apliance replacements, plumbing improvements, energy and water-saving systems etc. etc.

After 40 years working with people in severe crisis, Dawn is now at 62 left with nothing. What a sad and disgraceful waste, that someone with Dawn's compassion and skill is not able to function for the good of others, particularly those suffering the long-term effects of extreme trauma, which is Dawn's area of specialist expertise.

===>>> What can we do? The Finance Minister, Lindsay Tanner, has the final call. But he is waiting for a recommendation from Jenny Macklin, Minister for Community Services (etc.), the Department responsible for the ongoing execution of the costs order against Dawn. Lindsay Tanner will, we hope, offer an 'Act of Grace/Waiver': which he knows he has the power to exercise.

So: 1. Let us continue putting pressure on any member of parliament we can contact (including your local member) but especially Hon. Jenny Macklin (contact details below). 2. Please send a copy of your letter/email to me - and especially any responses. 3. Please also send me the email addresses of any concerned friends who could be added to this list. 4. Bounce this email to your networks.

Thanks so much.

(Rev. Dr.) Rowland Croucher

*****************************

The Hon. Jennifer Macklin
Minister for Families, Housing,
Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs
149 Burgundy Street (PO Box 316), Heidelberg
Vic 3084
Tel : (03) 9459 1411, Fax : (03) 9457 5721
E-mail: JMacklin.MP@aph.gov.au
Canberra Tel: (02) 6277 7560
Canberra Fax: (02) 6273 412

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An article by Dawn Rowan: AUSTRALIA - DIRTY POLITICS, DIRTY LAW

Politicians (the government) APPOINT all judges. Party political ideology dictates WHO the appointed judges will be. That is, the Government appoints the individuals they want to perpetuate their political ideology. The higher the court, the more political the appointments.

[For example: John Howard's appointments to the Australian High Court and Federal Court; State Government appointments to the various State Courts; President Bush's highly controversial politically-motivated appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court).

Courts throughout the so-called 'Western democracies' are stacked with POLITICAL appointments for POLITICAL purposes.

Question: What therefore happens when a Government commits a crime against an innocent citizen? More....