Dance of the sugar plum fairy

Anti-gay rant from barrister ... Upsetting bar election results ... The Page Boy to receive a good talking-to ... Bar's monopoly fees for readers ... Jarrod Bleijie is dancing rings around No Waves 

NSW Labor MLC Helen Westwood has had some disturbing correspondence from a member of the NSW bar. 

Ms Westwood, a former mayor of Bankstown (2002-2006), said the barrister wrote an abusive letter to her after she supported a private member's Bill on same sex marriage earlier this year. 

Here's the letter she received: 

"Dear Madam, 

What the Hell is wrong with you people? No straight thinking Australian wants to hear about queers getting married! Marriage is not a game between poofters and lesbian sluts surely? 

Wake up woman to the call of the majority who would rather see all queers burnt at the stake, not married.

How do you think this sits for children at large being raised by queers? As for your children and grandchildren we feel so sorry that they have to tell their peers, my mother/grandmother is a lesbian slut." 

After reading this charming missive to parliament (Nov. 14), Westwood, who has been in a same sex relationship for decades, told MPs: 

"I had promised myself that I was not going to cry. The author of that letter is not an uneducated or powerless person. He signed his name but I will not read it out. He is a barrister, a member of the New South Wales Bar Association and a partner in well-established legal chambers in Sydney ... 

For me, that is the strongest argument for why we should change our laws." 

Westwood said the barrister plies his trade from chambers involved in many workers' compensation cases. She added: 

"I wonder how he deals with injured workers who happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or interest." 

The Same Sex Marriage Bill was lost in the Upper House by 21 votes to 19. 

Four Labor MPs voted against the law change to secure its defeat - Luke Foley, Greg Donnelly, Ernest Wong and Shaoquett Moselmane. 

*   *   *

VICTORIAN barristers were grief stricken by the bar election results that saw queens counsel enthusiast Michael Wyles SC fail to get a foothold on the council. 

Despite an active campaign with a full how-to-vote card distributed to list members he missed out on a perch. 

God Save the Queen. 

*   *   *

IN Phillip Street, John Hyde Page got 190 votes at the election and so was returned to the inner sanctum for another season of agitation. 

Alas, Greg Curtain SC didn't make the cut, with only 136 votes.

This is despite his alluring campaign platform to take, "bold, vocal and public steps (including advertising)" to impress on solicitors and institutional litigants the benefit, both "forensically and financially" of using junior barristers.

Meanwhile, the bar council minutes record the concerns of councillors as to Hyde Page's conduct during the incorporation campaign. 

In letters picked up by reptiles of the press, HP Sauce said that he was suspicious about the "partiality of the staff of the bar association, and thus the proxies that have been lodged with the association". 

The council promptly resolved to "express its sincere appreciation for the staff's exemplary organisation and conduct of the meeting". 

The Page boy also sought to front-up to the Federal Court before the expiration of his agreed deadline to inspect proxies. 

The bar council minutes note: 

"It was agreed that these concerns would be raised with Hyde Page when he next attends a meeting of the bar council." 

*   *   *

RIVERS of gold are flowing into the NSW bar 'n' grill's coffers from the readers' program. 

Those least able to afford the impost are stung $3,800 for the course and $250 per exam. 

The course itself is provided by barristers and judges who donate their time gratis. 

The costs of organisation and supervision would be minimal, yet the bar association reaped nearly $500,000 in the latest year from the poor sods who are scrambling for a place in an overcrowded game which, for most, sees a dwindling supply of work and cash. 

The revenue from readers has increased a whopping 46 percent over the past year. 

See latest annual report 

The cost for some maybe a significant barrier to entry and the charges can be made because the bar association enjoys a monopoly over issuing tickets. 

Bring on a means-tested subsidy or a read-now-pay-later scheme.  

*   *   *

Outdancing the Qld Bar

MAYBE the Qld attorney general Jarrod (Dancing Queen) Bleijie is not as stupid as you might think. 

The local bar club is bending over backwards to accommodate his desires. 

Last week he told the ABC that he's working with the bar association so that dangerous sex offenders can be kept behind bars for longer. 

In other words, the bar is thinking of ways to ginger-up the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003, with the aim of keeping prisoners locked-up for extended periods under continuing detention orders, as opposed to being released under strict supervision orders. 

President Roger (No Waves) Traves had to calm his troops with a missive on Monday (Nov. 18). 

He said that the bar remains opposed to the recently passed Public Interest Declarations Act, under which the Dancer can use executive powers to detain prisoners who've done their time. 

No WavesHowever, since it is the policy of the government to tighten up on the release of dangerous prisoners, then the bar would prefer to assist that process through the courts, rather than the AG signing bits of paper. 

To that end the bar association wants a review of the Dangerous Prisoners Act. 

The result: brilliant Bliejie has introduced an unprecedented system of executive detention and is rewarded by getting the bar 'n' grill to assist him to close the net tighter on those who might otherwise be released on supervision under the 2003 Act. 

Upstairs for dancing.