Adam Lanza, social misfit

Nancy Lanza was a Prepper, one of thousands of Americans who horde supplies, believing the world as we know it, is about to end.  She also collected guns and owned five registered firearms and taught her son Adam how to shoot.  

For reasons yet unknown, last week Adam walked into his mother's bedroom and shot her in the face while she lay in bed.  He then took several of her guns and drove her car to the Sandy Hook Elementary School and murdered 20 children and six adults before shooting himself.  His mother was not a teacher at the school, nor a member of staff.

Nancy Lanza

Adam was estranged from his brother, Ryan Lanza 24, and rarely saw his father who remarried last year and moved away. 

His classmates remember him as a skinny boy "who hardly talked at all" and stayed close to the walls as he walked along the school corridors, carrying his briefcase.  He was also known as a highly intelligent student.

His aunt, Marsha Lanza said her nephew was raised by kind, nurturing parents who would not hesitate to provide mental help for their son if he needed it, and his mother Nancy was a good, kind-hearted mother.

Adam Lanza graduated from Newtown High in 2010 but his picture didn't appear.  The only image he left behind is an empty space that reads 'camera shy.'

Robert Hughes to face child sex charges

Sarah Monahan told A Current Affair in March 2010 that Robert Hughes, the star of the television series Hey Dad had sexually abused her for seven years.  

Sarah Today

"I guess I was the smallest and I know I wasn't the only one."  Years of abuse sent her almost over the edge.  "I remember at school they actually demanded that I see a psychiatrist.  In art classes I could draw perfect penises and they were like, there's something wrong with this girl drawing stuff like that at such an early age, I think I was at the point of being suicidal."  

But she didn't get any support from her employers.  Former executive producer Gary Reilly said he had no knowledge of what was going on but he did hear rumours about something happening to another child and she was given a chaperone.

"They said they didn't know but they knew, and it was always kept quiet because it was the most successful television show and people don't want to know about that" Sarah said.  The abuse began when she was six and continued until she was thirteen, when she had enough courage to tell him to stop.  Once he realized he'd lost control, he turned nasty and bombarded her with insults.

Hughes in Sydney with his wife yesterday

Sarah Monahan, who now lives in America, must be a happy woman today.  Robert Hughes flew into Sydney on Thursday after his extradition from London and charged with 11 child sex offences against five alleged victims over a six year period dating back to 1984.  He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was granted conditional bail.  He will report to Surry Hills police station three times a week and face court on January 29.

Hughes today

Peter Slipper's sexual harassment case thrown out

Peter Slipper, with his wife Inge-Jane Hall

Some people were shocked when Federal judge Steve Rares threw out the sexual harassment case brought against ex Speaker Peter Slipper. Justice Rares said James Ashhby's case was "an abuse of process carried out for the purpose of causing public, reputational and political damage to Mr Slipper."  He dismissed the claim and ordered Ashby to pay Mr Slipper's legal costs.

Justice Steve Rares

Ashby has hundreds of text messages from Slipper about sexual matters, some of which were released to the media.  Their content is so offensive, particularly those referring to female genitalia, they leave no doubt that Peter Slipper should never have been considered for the high office of Speaker.  The Opposition moved a motion to remove him on an accusation of denigrating women, obscenely so, and Slipper made a public apology that "a number of these text messages refer to women and nothing excuses their content."

When interviewed for the position of staffer, Ashby claims he told Slipper he was gay and agreed to share his apartment.  Not long after he started the job, he alleges Slipper asked him to massage his neck and began moaning with pleasure and suggested they could become closer.  He also asked Ashby why he closed the door when he took a shower.  When he made it clear that his sexual advances were unwelcome, he claims Slipper started a campaign of revenge to punish him which became unbearable.

James Ashby

There's another reason why some people were shocked by Justice Rares' ruling.  In October the government settled Ashby's case by giving him $50,000 and promised to introduce training for MPs and senators regarding sexual harassment.  "By paying Mr Ashby $50,000 - a very substantial sum and for all practical purposes, conceding that he was right all along, what the Commonwealth has done in effect is concede the accuracy of his claims against Mr Slipper" Senator Brandis said in October. 

Justice Rares also found that Mal Brough - who recently won LNP pre-selection for the Queensland seat of Fisher - acted with Mr Ashby and Karen Doane in abusing the judicial process.  The government now has Justice Rares' finding to attack Brough who met with Ashby three times before he launched his case.  The PM insists he is not a fit candidate to run against Slipper in next year's election because he colluded with Ashby to bring Slipper down and hopefully, the government with him.  

Mal Brough

On the first sitting day of 2012, Slipper raised a few eyebrows by wearing a long black robe instead of a suit, preferred by his predecessor.  He also reinstated the more formal procession of the Speaker into the house, preceded by the sergeant-at-arms and mace.  

Julia Gillard offered Peter Slipper the Speaker's chair because she needed his vote in the House and he accepted the job because he knew his own party, the Liberal Nationals, would not pre-select him in next year's election. He would also enjoy a large increase in salary and status and his future seemed assured. Little did he know that the PM would ask him to stand down a few months later.


Tony Abbott said this morning that if the government think that Slipper is "a man worthy of public acclaim", they should return him to the speaker's chair.  But we know that isn't going to happen.

Tony Abbott in Afghanistan yesterday

Bob Carr boasts about UN vote

Michael Danby

Julia Gillard must be wondering if she did the right thing giving Senator Bob Carr the job of Foreign Affairs Minister.  As an ex NSW Premier, some would say he's a very astute politician.  

The PM wanted to continue Australia's loyal support of Israel by voting "no" to the UN resolution for greater Palestinian recognition but Bob Carr has admitted to "ringing around" and boasted that more than 90 per cent of her caucus agreed with his view that Australia should abstain.

Labor MP Michael Danby is Jewish and very upset.  He's accused Senator Carr of acting like Roman Emperor "Tiberius on the telephone" organizing the numbers against the PM and forcing her to back down.

Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg said yesterday that Mr Danby's claims were proof that Senator Carr was "treacherous" and had his eyes set on the top job.

Senator Carr said "My view as a friend of Israel is that we are doing nothing for Israel if we fail to register a criticism when Israel has got it wrong.  And it was that spirit that I think over 90 per cent of the party, the cabinet, the caucus subscribed to when it endorsed the approach we were taking at the UN on the vote on non-state status of Palestinians."  


Mr Danby told the Australian Jewish News that Ms Gillard, ministers Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy, parliamentary secretaries Mark Dreyfus, David Feeney, Don Farrell and Bernie Ripoll "stood staunchly behind us" in opposing the Palestinian plan.

In Canberra yesterday, US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich addressed the National Press Club and said that both Australia and America wanted the same goal of a two-state solution.

Army helicopter pilots leave for better pay

Twenty two Army helicopter pilots have left in the past year for better pay and conditions in the oil and gas industries and at least 23 more are planning to leave.


The oil and gas industry will hire between 30 and 50 pilots for the growing North West Shelf project in 2013.  It costs $2 million to train a military pilot who earns up to $100,000 and works long hours.  Pilots flying to offshore oil and gas rigs earn twice that with fewer hours.  


But it's not all about the money.  Pilots have a serious complaint about safety as it becomes clear that the Army's new attack helicopters are a health hazard. Pilots refused to fly Tigers from the Darwin-based 1st Aviation Regiment last week when seven aircraft had a problem with toxic fumes in the cockpit.


There have been a string of near disasters as the fumes cause impaired judgement similar to being very drunk, and one two-person crew had no memory of landing their machine. The fumes displace oxygen and continued exposure could cause death.  There have been 24 recorded fume incidents by the Tiger fleet.


The future of the Armed Forces looks bleak as the Labor government has cut defense spending to its lowest levels since WWII - 1.5 per cent of GDP and more cuts are expected as Treasurer Wayne Swan strives to keep his promise to produce a surplus.

DJs not to blame for Jacintha Saldanha's death

Mel Greig

Everyone is still running for cover over the tragic death of British nurse Jacintha Saldanha, including the two DJs who made the prank call to the London hospital.  


Mel Greig and Michael Christian made unpaid television appearances last night and although visibly distraught, said they were not ultimately responsible for the stunt - it was up to management to okay everything they did before it went to air.  Christian said there was a process in place for what goes to air and the royal prank "was put through every filter that everything else is put through" which includes an internal legal review.

Michael Christian

Apparently the pair were expecting the hospital to spot the prank and hang up on them. Greig said "We thought a hundred people before would have tried it .......  it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate, let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital, we wanted to be hung up on."


Chief Executive of Southern Cross Austereo Rhys Holleran said "We don't claim to be perfect and always strive to do better.  We have initiated a detailed and rigorous review of our policies and procedures. We are also providing support for our people who are deeply saddened by this tragic and unforeseen event."


There is a poll in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning with reads: Has your opinion of 2DayFM DJs changed after watching them interviewed on television last night?  67 per cent said no, they're just as much to blame as anyone.

Nurse's tragic death after hospital phone hoax

Last week 2DayFM's DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian were involved in a hoax they will regret for the rest of their lives.  When they rang the London hospital where Catherine was recovering from acute morning sickness for a laugh, pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, they had no way of knowing their prank would push a vulnerable nurse over the edge.  But it did.


Jacintha Saldanha's brother Naveen said his devoutly Catholic sister would have been devastated  when she realized she had helped a colleague breach medical confidentiality and believes she died of shame.


Chairman of the King Edward VII Hospital, Lord Simon Glenarthur got it right when he said the prank resulted in the "humiliation of two dedicated nurses."  He wrote to 2DayFM management and said "King Edward VII Hospital cares for sick people and it was extremely foolish of your presenters even to consider trying to lie their way through to one of our patients, let alone actually make the call.  Then to discover that, not only had this happened, but the call had been pre-recorded and the decision to transmit approved by your management, was truly appalling."

Sydney radio station 2DayFM and its parent company Southern Cross Austereo are now being targeted by hacktivists Anonymous.  They posted a threatening video on You Tube this morning accusing the station, the parent company and the two hosts of the murder of Jacintha Saldanha.


"You are directly responsible for the death of another human being......We have found you guilty of murder and you have a funeral to pay for."   They demand the two DJs be sacked immediately and if they refuse, they will not only go after the radio station, but their advertisers too.  "You have put their data bases and websites at risk."   They have one week to comply with their demands.


The two DJs are off air until further notice and are currently undergoing intense counselling.