More Media Lies

During the run up to a state election in Queensland, Australia, the Queensland newspaper The Sunday Mail and Sydney's Sunday Telegraph published photographs of a woman posing semi-naked on a hotel bed 30 years ago and claimed that they were photos of anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson.


It was alleged that the photos were taken by a former boyfriend, Jack Johnson, that the pair had met at a Brisbane supermarket before the saucy photo shoot at a Coffs Harbour hotel, the Pelican Bay Resort, in 1975.

Ms Hanson, who was standing as an independent candidate for the seat of Beaudesert at the following weekend's Queensland election, stated that the photographs were fakes.

The Telegraph's editor Neil Breen stated that the photos were authentic, even though he admitted there were holes in the story given by the man News Ltd paid $15,000 to for the pictures. Mr Breen said he knew his job was at stake if the photos were found to be fake.

Today, after the election has taken place, Editors from News Limited (part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire) admitted that they had been conned and that the images were not of Ms Hanson.

Bit late for an apology now, the damage has been done. Ms Hanson failed to gain a seat at the election.

Of course the cynical amongst us may think that that was the newspaper's plan all along.

Rev. West conducts Morning service in Leicestershire

After the Church of England's General Synod voted to ban BNP members from from belonging to the clergy, the BNP's number 1 list candidate in the East Midlands, Rev Robert West, has been preaching in a Baptist chapel.

Nice to see that the Baptists aren't full of self righteous prejudice, unlike the CoE!

Taken from the Leicestershire Community Voice blog:

This morning, worshippers from many parts of Leicestershire gathered at the Baptist Chapel, Barton in the Beans to take part in a Service conducted by Rev. Robert West of Lincolnshire.


The congregation, larger than is usual, joined in with the hymns and prayers and listened intently to Rev. West's readings from the Old Testament - Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:1-8, and from the New Testament: St. Mark's Gospel,1:1-11, and his inspiring sermon which followed. He opened by explaining that this was a Gospel Church. That many of the Church clerics have lost the Gospel, and that he believes in going methodically through Scripture: you have to read it, whether you like what it says or not.


Rev. Robert West is a popular preacher who always draws a crowd wherever he goes, because his Services are traditional, and what he has to say comes straight from simple Christian teaching, untainted by the desire to pander to political correctness.
He was Ordained nearly 30 years ago by the Episcopic Church, also being Ordained as an Elder. After some disagreement with the direction the Church was heading he is now Free and Independant. He has preached to Church of England congregations too, and this morning expressed his pleasure at once more preaching in a Chapel setting.

Robert is also a member of the British National Party and has just recently been chosen to stand as one of the BNP's candidates for the East Midland's Euro Elections in June. He is upset that the General Synod has voted to ban members of the BNP from taking office, and maintains that the Church should not cast out people on the grounds of their political affiliations.
When asked today about the BNP, Rev. West replied:

" The BNP is Britain's finest and most decent Party, and it is my view that they are being unjustly picked on for simply telling the truth and standing up for the native peoples in their own country."

We agree, and wish Rev. Robert West every success in his bid to become an MEP.

Footnote: By preaching at Barton in the Beans, Rev. West follows in the footsteps of the notable Leicestershire clockmaker and Baptist pastor, Samuel Deacon (1746-1816). The Chapel itself is a Victorian gem, maintained in superb style by a dedicated handful of local people. The pews are original, there is seating for 800 worshippers on 2 levels, a beautiful carved pulpit, and still retains a church organ, which it is hoped will one day be heard again. Do visit,or attend a Sunday Service and, if you are part of Barton's community, treasure this lovely old building in your midst.