Hands off Saint Phil
Wednesday December 05th 2007, 4:24 pm

Phil Koperberg, MP for the Blue MountainsWhile I’m generally annoyed with the NSW Labor right faction, resurgent shadowy accusations of my local MP, Phil Koperberg of being a violent man are way over the line. Blind Freddy could see the lame attempt at a political smear… in the dark… while wearing welding goggles.

I’m an editor and site administrator for the anti-racism group FightDemBack! As such, I’m a frequent target for political smears and defamations from the neo-nazis, racists and other bigots profiled by FDB. A popular smear, often distributed by leaflet in FDB members’ neighbourhoods, is that I or other FDB people are homosexuals, paedophiles, homosexual paedophiles, agents of Israel or perhaps Mossad. Begs the question that if FDB actually are Mossad agents, wouldn’t you think twice about messing with us? My mailbox has been smashed and our cars have been vandalised a few times. Not terribly creative. Since moving to the Blue Mountains in 2006, the AEC has registered me to vote as a silent elector to help stop vandalism of my house and harassment of the people living here. It’s worked so far, aside from an amusing anonymous tip to Centrelink that I was purportedly in the paid employ of a “NSW Police Multicultural Advisory Board” in violation of the terms of my pensioner status. Pity there is no such organisation within NSW Police- but I gather they’d like to know more about one from my last chat with them about it.

Mind you, none of that is a big deal compared to when Crikey’s Christian Kerr came out of left field at Mach III last March, brazenly and baselessly accusing FDB of being involved in violent anti-racism activism. FDB is simply an information clearinghouse, recording incidents of racism and conducting said information to ethnic community groups, law enforcement, government and media as required. Absent any evidence FDB had ever been involved in anything violent, aside from parroting smears he found on the internet about us (as published by some of our friendly local neo-nazis), Kerr was handed his arse on a silver platter by a number of people. Mind you, neither I nor FDB ever got an apology from Kerr or Crikey management.

As such, I can certainly empathise with what Koperberg must be feeling at the moment. How on earth do you prove a negative?

People who cannot win an argument tend to try to get a seat at the table by ‘preaching the controversy.’ It’s an entirely obvious ploy- and nasty when it backfires, as Karen Chijoff and Jackie Kelly will certainly agree.

NSW Labor under Iemma are only slightly left of Mussolini- and given the recently and obviously demonstrated mood of the electorate for a little social justice with the ouster of Howard, the NSW Labor right faction are flirting with disaster. When Barry O’Farrell starts sounding sensible (and he has been lately), things are going to hell in a handbasket.

NSW has been slipping down the path of conservative autocracy since Carr, but Iemma’s crossing lines even Howard dared not. Labor is seriously risking loss of NSW government at the worst possible time, with Labor just now in the door at the federal level.

This latest firestorm over Phil Koperberg shall pass… and when it does, I sincerely hope the conspirators are sacked- and publicly hung out for the ratbags they are. Perhaps Koperberg should use some fireys’ skills in really soaking down the embers this time to stop more flareups. Phil- don’t let them ‘swiftboat‘ you.

It may be time to bring back the stocks and pillory. Put the smear campaigners in them for a few days, with buckets of rotten tomatoes conveniently placed nearby. When slime artists are held responsible in the cold light of day for their cowardly whispers in the dark, perhaps we’ll hear less of them.

-weez

PS– thanks again for saving our house, Phil.


6 Comments so far
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Weez, why would any one bother wasting their time smearing and defaming you, you poor misguided unfortunate, I feel sorry for you and I most certainly will pray for you, but to a much higher authority than saint Phil. Fact is, time has finally caught up with our illustrious Mr. Koperberg and the truth will win out and hopefully we will all see an end to his public reign. He has a following, sure, just more misguided unfortunates who truly believed he made a difference when in fact his purported acts of greatness were simply myth placing him conveniently at the top.
The difference between you and I Weez, I lost my home and all my worldly possessions to a bush fire back in 2000 but I don’t thank Mr. Koperberg for the loss, I just smoke!
Cough.

Comment by Cough 12.06.07 @ 2:23 pm

Weez, why would any one bother wasting their time smearing and defaming you,

Dunno, but some folks make a bit of a hobby of it.

you poor misguided unfortunate, I feel sorry for you and I most certainly will pray for you, but to a much higher authority than saint Phil. Fact is, time has finally caught up with our illustrious Mr. Koperberg and the truth will win out and hopefully we will all see an end to his public reign. He has a following, sure, just more misguided unfortunates who truly believed he made a difference when in fact his purported acts of greatness were simply myth placing him conveniently at the top.

Thanks for your deep pity for my incapacities. Means a lot to me. No, it does.

I was a ham radio operator when I was a youngun in Indiana. For about 20 years, I chased tornadoes, radioing damage information and handling emergency comms when local phone lines were down. I got to know how emergency services work. I worked with good ones and total incompetents. I’ve seen Koperberg at work as a firey- and he’s one of the very best emergency services coordinators I’ve ever seen.

I’m sorry for your bad luck- not even St Phil could have saved every house when the conditions were disastrously perfect for bushfires. Regardless, if there is anything a human can do in the face of a firestorm, I believe Phil Koperberg can do it.

A man who put in 35 years in direct service to his community deserves respect and recognition. If you call 35 years of service a ‘convenient’ way to be at the top, you don’t know what that amount of time out of a life is worth.

Comment by weez 12.06.07 @ 6:39 pm

Lisa Carty has declared the patient dead, long before anyone has actually diagnosed the illness:

Political career in complete tatters

Lisa Carty
December 9, 2007

COMMENT

FORMER fire chief Phil Koperberg must rue the day he decided to go into politics. Even before his life became engulfed – again – in murky and terrible allegations of domestic violence, he was having second thoughts about life as an MP, even one immediately elevated to the ministry.

As commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, he was respected and admired. It was reasonably easy to get things done. As a minister he found it much harder to get results. It’s an inherently frustrating job, full of competing demands, and politicians command far less respect than fire chiefs in stylish uniforms with epaulets. He went from hero to villain, by virtue of his job.

Whatever the result of a police inquiry into allegations that Koperberg assaulted his then-wife and step-daughter in 1987, his political career is dead.

He is just too tarnished to keep in the ministry. He is a massive political liability, and everything he says and does will be seen through the prism of domestic abuse.

Premier Morris Iemma cannot have Koperberg back on the front bench because his presence will ensure that an already bitter Paul Gibson becomes even more dangerous. […]

Ms Carty, no evidence has been released from the presently running investigation into Koperberg’s dealings with his ex. You’re making an incredible leap. The only tarnish I see so far has been applied by the media, including yourself.

And since when does Paul Gibson order the Premier around? Who gives a rat’s about how ‘dangerous’ he may or may not be?

Comment by weez 12.09.07 @ 9:35 am

I or other FDB people are homosexuals, paedophiles, homosexual paedophiles, agents of Israel or perhaps Mossad. Begs the question that if FDB actually are Mossad agents, wouldn’t you think twice about messing with us? My mailbox has been smashed and our cars have been vandalised a few times.

And there was me thinking I had it hard receiving some vicious emails, defamatory posts on the internet and a handful of gutless phonecalls, in which they promptly put the phone down. Luckily I am only dealing with Religious Extremists who think whipping kids is justified.

What happened to innocent until proven guilty in the case of Phil Koperberg. I can only presume that Cough is a member of the CFS, or is he one of those who expects others to put their lives on the line for him and his house. Let me know Cough, I may owe you an apology.

You have my bloody sympathy Weez.

Comment by Kate Gibbons 12.16.07 @ 3:26 pm

Kate, no sympathy required. The fun with nazis around here came to an abrupt halt a year ago, when I moved house. Not real clever, this mob. I’m harder to find than I once was but I definitely don’t live in hiding.

Mind, even if the attacks had not stopped, to be victimised for being an anti-racist is a badge of honour I will take to the grave and beyond.

Comment by weez 12.17.07 @ 9:05 am

some ugly troll wrote:

Fact is, time has finally caught up with our illustrious Mr. Koperberg and the truth will win out

Your facts and those of the remainder of the world seem to differ.


Koperberg in clear over ‘wife bashing’

Glad you took the time to pity me. Don’t buy any lottery tickets, k?

Comment by weez 01.17.08 @ 2:18 pm



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