The Australian Crime File 3 by Paul B. Kidd

Author:Paul B. Kidd
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-fiction-True crime, Australia, Non-fiction, True crime, New South Wales, Victoria, Paul B. Kidd, Justice Marcus Einfield, Peter Foster, the Mickelbergs, Warren Lanfranchi, Dangar Place, murder, drugs, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Derek Percy, Wanda Beach killer, Jodie Larcombe, Arthur Coningham, David Hicks, Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano, Bruce Burrell, mafia, Sef Gonzales, Justice Jeffrey Shaw, Samantha Knight, Fred Many, John Christie, Notting Hill murder, Wales-King murders, John Newman, Heather Parker, Peter Gibb, gangsters, Harry ‘the Hat’ Blackburn, cannibals, Darryl Raymond Beamish, Ed Gein, Karl Suleman, Bobby Lulham, Colin Campbell Ross, William Moxley, BTK serial killer, Colin Winchester, Adrian Kay, Mount Rennie Rape Case, Al Grassby, Pauline Hanson, Roger Rogerson, Jodie Harris, Mersina Halvagis, Peter Dupas, Peter Falconio, John Leslie Coombes, Yorkshire Ripper, Roni Levi, Pretty Boy Walker, Son of Sam, Arthur Brown, Dr Jayant Patel, Schapelle Corby, Kray Twins, Peter Hollingworth, Captain Moonlite, Darren Osborne, Australia’s Biggest Gold Heist, Robert Raymond Day, Pogo the Killer Clown, Bulli rapist
ISBN: 9781743460184
Publisher: Five Mile Press
Published: 2012-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

31

The Two Lives of Al Grassby

While many residents of the ACT complained bitterly about the unveiling of a $72,000 statue of the late politician Al Grassby at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre in Civic, Canberra, in 2008, many other citizens thought it was a terrific idea. They believed that if the statue was placed outside, the pigeons could now do to Mr Grassby what they had been wanting to do to him for years.

Preferring to be referred to as the ‘father of multiculturalism in Australia’ rather than an ‘associate of the Mafia’, Grassby was a flamboyant character notorious for his loud appearance and enthusiasm for immigration. But the implications of Grassby’s association with the Italian Mafia weren’t lost on his detractors, especially when Grassby endeavoured to incriminate an innocent woman, Mrs Barbara Mackay, in the murder of her husband, Griffith drug campaigner Donald Mackay. These false allegations made Grassby many more enemies than friends.

Albert Jaime Grass was born in 1926 in Brisbane to a Spanish father and an Irish mother. Later Al changed his name to Grassby – allegedly to make it sound more Irish – and spent his earlier years working as a journalist specialising in rural and agricultural issues before standing for, and winning, the seat of Murrumbidgee representing the Labor Party as Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly in 1965.

He served as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Conservation between 1968 and 1969. The outspoken Grassby became popular for his views supporting country issues and was encouraged to enter federal politics. In the 1969 federal election, he easily won the rural electorate of Riverina for the Labor Party. This included the town of Griffith, which was the marijuana-growing capital of Australia and was controlled by members of the Calabrian Mafia residing in Australia.

Following Gough Whitlam’s landslide victory at the 1972 ‘It’s Time’ election, Al Grassby was a natural appointment for Minister for Immigration. In his purple suits and colourful shirts and ties, Grassby became one of the highest-profile members of the Whitlam ministry. He was best known for encouraging multiculturalism through immigration from non-English-speaking countries and burying the White Australia policy. He also banned racially selected sporting teams from playing in Australia and repealed the law that required Indigenous Australians to seek permission before going overseas.

But let’s not forget that he was still the Member for the Riverina. Among Al Grassby’s numerous other achievements while in a position of power was to override decisions by immigration officers in Italy, allowing Mafia personnel to enter Australia. Mr Grassby also later used his influence to thwart a National Crime Authority investigation into the Mafia in Australia.

In the early to mid-1970s, Sydney was awash with good, cheap Griffith marijuana. A retail ounce of cultivated primo grass was $30, or it was $300 for a pound – 16 ounces. And there was no mistaking where it was from. Among many other names, it was known as Griffith Green or Riverina Rocket Fuel. It created a new type of criminal – the ‘amateur’ drug dealer.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.