FOI request
UPDATE: Scan of article on page 3 of today’s Australian is here.
Following the freedom of information request story which made page 1 of The Australian yesterday, Christian Kerr and Lanai Vasek write a further story today, confirming that the Australian National University made no complaint to the police, despite alleging a vicious campaign of hatred against climate scientists.
As I said in my original post on this back in June 2011:
Last time I checked, which was about thirty seconds ago, making threats to kill in the ACT was a criminal offence, thanks to section 30 of the Crimes Act (ACT) 1900, and punishable by a maximum of ten years imprisonment. A similar provision for threats to kill via a postal service or carriage service appears in the Schedule to the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995, with a similar punishment.
So one has to ask why no action was taken by the university, given these were allegedly such serious crimes?
Police not told of ‘threats’ to ANU climate scientists
AUSTRALIAN National University authorities did not ask police to investigate alleged death threats against climate scientists, despite decrying a “totally outrageous” campaign against their staff.
The Australian yesterday revealed Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim had debunked claims of death threats in 11 emails sent to university staff.
The Australian Federal Police division responsible for law enforcement in Canberra, ACT Policing, said it was not contacted by the university over the matter. “As no complaint has been received, no investigation has taken place,” a spokesman said.
Fairfax Media and the ABC reported last June that ANU climate researchers had been subjected to a vicious and unrelenting campaign that included death threats.
At the time of the reports, vice-chancellor Ian Young denounced what he called intolerable threats against his scientists.
“These are issues where we should have a logical public debate and it’s completely intolerable that people be subjected to this sort of abuse and to threats like this,” he said. “I think it is totally outrageous.”
The university yesterday refused to say why no complaint was lodged with the police.
“Climate change staff approached university management about verbal and written harassment,” a spokesman said. “The university acted to move them to more secure offices.”
Mr Pilgrim, who was called in to adjudicate on a Freedom of Information request over the emails, found 10 of them did “not contain threats of harm against the recipients or the ANU”.
“I consider the danger to life or physical safety in this case to be only a possibility, not a real chance,” he said of the 11th email, an account of an exchange that occurred at an off-campus event sponsored by members of the university’s Climate Change Institute and other bodies. (source)
This confirms my own enquiries with ACT Police that no complaint had been filed.
Australian Climate Madness 
Aren’t these the same people who want us to believe their highly suspect views on AGW? You couldn’t call it verifiable research,now could you.
Do you remember how fast the Brain dead media jumped on this story,Dirty Deniers threatening the brave AGW persons at ANU .12 months to find out that it was a crock of s–t WOW i’m really really (not)impressed.Climate Change is Natural and CO2 is life.
And what do these people call us who challenge the validity of the science and just want reasonable debate and truth?
Surprise, Surprise!! The Chicken Little mindset is not just confined to the climate science issues, these ANU people are also offended by anyone who dares to question their motives and saying ‘boo’ to them would constitute a serious threat to their security, to them just as life threatening as Co2.
I am sure there was also a degree of journalese in the lefty newspaper’s reporting of the matter which would have blown it up as well.
I don’t bother reading any Fairfax newspapers anymore for this reason.
What we have here is a dishonest university administration … the most recent dishonesty of an academic ‘administrator’ at UQ led to his demise.
The appropriate members of ANU academic and administrative staff should resign as they have been shown to be dishonest.
Simon keep up the good work, it’s a thing of beauty to watch the slugs squirming back into their lying lairs covered in salt!
Makes you wonder about the level of journalism in this country, then again on this issue the rest of the world is being fed the same tripe:(
Wonder why the ANU cronies didn’t actually report the ‘threats’ to police?
Could it have something to do with the following law?
Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts
CRIMINAL CODE 2002 – SECT 715: False accusation of offence
I would have thought that claims of death threats are pretty serious, right up there with making claims about fake terrorist attacks, or bomb hoaxes. Normal law abiding citizens have a right to be angry with these lying unapologetic cretins. Are these ANU staff criminals if they make baseless, invented allegations such as these?
I despair that none of them will be held accountable these outrageous actions. No, instead this weak and self interested government is interested only in outlawing free speech by pursuing law abiding citizens in our courts rather than bringing any disrepute on their warmist team or agenda.
The only death threats they received was from their very own hierarchy enforcing they keep the scam alive!!
Gillard and her filth to go the way of Bligh and hers…and the sooner the better..