MR Reilly

@TheLastNeocon What the last few years have demonstrated is that, in order for Israel to become more popular in the West - it needs to fight more like the Arabs.

Yes. Stop invading other countries for no reason, stop settling in the West Bank, and seriously negotiate a 2 state solution. If the Palestinians say no, keep trying. As long as you do that Americans will keep supporting Israel

@MidlifeGrinch @blowingtom2 There is an explicit statutory requirement in the legislation creating the extraterritorial murder charges that gives the AG unique oversight, approval and discontinuance powers. That is different than say, cookie cutter Cth drug importation matters.

@mrr78504 @blowingtom2 No our system has it that the CDPP makes the decision on prosecution or not and while theoretically the government can intervene I can't find an example of the government overriding the CDPP can you?

Albo did not arrest BRS. The AFP & OSI conducted an investigation set up by the Morrison govt.He is not a test case or a political prisoner. He is the second to be charged as a result of 53 investigations, some continuing. It did not cost $300m to go after him.

@cosmicjester @exslax Incidentally, that isn't the most disturbing thing about the nature of the arrest. The disturbing thing is that the AFP have leaked that they executed the arrest because they didn't want to arrest him in Qld. The last time I checked, Qld was part of the Federation

@cosmicjester @exslax The closest example to this sort of collusions between Law Enforcement and friendly media was when people from Michaela Cash's office tipped off News Corp to the AWU Raid. That (rightly) led to multiple resignations, because it was an act of public corruption.

I’ve no idea why the afp arrested brs the way they did, but given he attempted to intimidate multiple witnesses, destroyed evidence and has billionaire benefactors that have private jets, i don’t think it’s that outrageous that they didn’t alert his lawyers to his arrest first.

@jeremy_gans Western Australia is probably the natural venue for this trial. Ben Roberts Smith was domiciled in Western Australia when these offences were committed, as were the rest of the SASR (the only credible witnesses), as were the responsible officers.

@jeremy_gans If this quote is accurate (and Ninefax published it from someone they described as a well placed source), it illustrates exactly why this trial must be held in Western Australia or Queensland.

It is not clear to me why place of arrest determines place of trial. For federal charges concerning events outside Australia, the trial ‘may be held in any State or Territory.’ classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/c…

@MidlifeGrinch @blowingtom2 That is why every mature constitutional democracy in the world gives the executive, and only the executive, the power to prosecute criminal charges against defendants. It is a core act of state. It must be exercised in concordance with popular sovereignty.

@mrr78504 @blowingtom2 But why would anyone stop this? civil court found that it was highly likely he was involved in the murder of 4 people - the full bench federal appeals court agreed, you have the investigators saying we have a case and the AFP wanting to prosecute

@PaulBongiorno @SatPaper Do you think it is appropriate for the AFP to treat Queenslanders and Western Australians like Alabama jurors?

The alleged crimes of Ben Roberts-Smith thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2026/04/11/the… via @SatPaper As well do the BRS defenders have any respect for the high standards they claim for Australia? Have they read the charge sheet?

@admcollingwood I love Singapore and think it is a shining beacon of how a prosperous democracy can work with a Confucian culture. But it is a city that can only exist within an international system with lots of "Not Singapore's". It relies on a lot of spokes.

I always weep reading the Wikipedia pages of senior Singaporean politicians. The general career path seems to be: Excel at school and secure a scholarship to study some super difficult subject, like maths or physics, at Cambridge University. Excel at university and get a scholarship to do a post-grad degree in governance or an MBA at Harvard. Join the Singaporean military and excel. Reach at least the rank of Brigadier or General. Enter politics. Excel even compared with others who have similar CVs, rise to become a senior position. Compare that with the career path of the average senior British politican. Get the same results as every other middle class child at school. Do PPE or straight up politics at university. Leverage your contacts to become a SPAD for a cabinet or shadow cabinet member. Get a column writing gig at the Spectator, Economist or New Statesman Become a more senior SPAD. Run in an impossible to win seat to prove you really want to be in parliament. Get parachuted into a safe seat as a rising star. Get a junior ministerial position in the first reshuffle after the election. Get made a cabinet member after the next election. Now, why is Singapore an extremely well run country and we are not?

@MidlifeGrinch @blowingtom2 Michelle Rowland did. She had the statutory power to stop this. She didn't exercise that power. That is a political choice, and one that will haunt progressive Australia for a generation now.

@MidlifeGrinch @blowingtom2 Dutton and ScoMo take a lot of blame with this. The OSI and the CDPP are honestly performing their statutory functions. It was/is the job of politicians to consider these wider questions of taxpayer value and the national interest. But their AG didn't allow these charges.

@NoddyWalker @SpectatorOz None of what I've written is amenable to a judicial determination of truth.

@mrr78504 @SpectatorOz Nice story, could you prove this in court?

As a practising lawyer of more than 35 years’ experience, including in Commonwealth criminal law, I always understood martial law, including war crimes, to be an arcane and highly specialised area of expertise, involving very few cases and only a handful of experienced practitioners. Clearly, I’m mistaken based on the authoritative and loudly expressed opinions on the Ben Roberts-Smith charges and arrests from the media, tradies, baristas, business leaders, billionaires, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers, none of whom have been in active service in Afghanistan. Article | spectator.com.au/2026/04/ben-ro…

@Platypustoo @sandylanceley @MsMountebank Now - I accept that BRS's Mum has a dog in this fight, and her bias has to be assessed against that. Andrew Hastie is a politician who has benefited enormously from Ninefax reporting, and indirectly from the shifting of blame for these incidents away from command (ie: him).

@mrr78504 @sandylanceley @MsMountebank Your thoughts aren't facts. But as long as you preface everything with "I believe..." you're covered. I'd encourage you to think about whether Mrs R-S may have a tiny amount of bias in her thinking and statements.

All Andrew Hastie has done is tell the truth under subpoena, apparently this now qualifies you as being a “traitor” Andrew Hastie’s political ambitions have been improved by the cookers slamming him

@Platypustoo @sandylanceley @MsMountebank No. They aren't. Such is the objective nature of truth. It is a fact that Ninefax knew to subpoena Andrew Hastie. It is a fact that no good defamation lawyer will subpoena a witness if they don't know what they are going to say.

@5BNylonTip The Taliban spotters were not POW's. They weren't part of a regular military. They were not in an active and complete state of surrender. Ben Roberts Smith did not imprison them and force them to build the Burma Railroad on 400 calories a day. Ali Jan was no Weary Dunlop

Japanese soldier executes Australian prisoners of war: scumbags! Barbarians! Monsters! Australian soldier executes prisoners of war: Hero! Legend! Isn’t he good looking! Give that man a leg full of beer and make a colossus of him!

@taipan168 Over $200 million for 2 Indictments. Unprecedented uses of prosecutorial power to compel witnesses and grant immunity. The use of state power, not as a neutral investigative tool but a political weapon against Australian servicemen. Not a damn thing about this is the rule of law

I have no idea why the charging of Ben Roberts-Smith has become a political issue. Isn't it as simple as - you support the rule of law as it stands in Australia (which most so-called "conservatives" claim to do) or you don't?

@Platypustoo @sandylanceley @MsMountebank I agree that lies told about a person don't impact credibility. But here's the thing - I don't think everything said about Andrew Hastie by Mrs Roberts-Smith is a lie. Because it hasn't just been said by Mrs Roberts-Smith, and it fits a certain pattern.

@mrr78504 @sandylanceley @MsMountebank It's only "grounds for criticism" if it's true. It's certainly grounds for making insinuations to undermine his credibility though. You don't need any truth for that.