The police, the PM and the psychic

[Muse]

A SENIOR Australian Federal Police officer has been suspended for consulting a clairvoyant over a threat to assassinate Prime Minister John Howard.

Although bound by the AFP's strict code of conduct regarding confidentiality and national security, the officer turned to a small-town psychic he knew socially and disclosed classified information about Mr Howard and the death threats.

In a statement to The Sunday Age yesterday, an AFP spokesman said: "I can confirm we are currently investigating the matter. A member of the AFP has been suspended … The AFP takes seriously all allegations of misconduct by officers, and does not condone the use of psychics in security matters."

For the rest of the story see here

[Admin]

Mind boggling!

What the hell do people think these psychics are? Why are so many people taken in by these nonexistent abilities?

What's the harm? Well it looks like this guy could be directing traffic - if he's lucky.

When confronted yesterday, she said: "It's an extremely sensitive situation … how did you find out about this? If this gets out, the lad will lose his job.

Well she didn't see this coming did she?

From the article, it looks as if the Australian Federal Police are about as keen on psychics as our own police forces are.

[Admin]

There's a clip from Aussie TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY0BxgaI0Xw

Skeptic Richard Saunders does a great job here.

It must be very difficult to come up with good answers with limited time on live TV.

[Muse]

:o I couldn't stop myself from yelling at the screen when Barbara Mitchell stated that 'psychics are very highly trained people' and that the psychics that 'make the media are doing it for the wrong reasons'.

Surely they're all doing it for the wrong reasons be it money, fame, power, in the name of spiritualism, misplaced deluded desire to help etc. ??? I actually felt quite offended that she had the nerve to suggest that the was a great and eminently worthy body of psychics working tirelessly for the good with these poor familes.

Richard Saunders is a very sharp cookie when it comes to psychics and other types of assorted nitwittery. I especially liked the quips re 'flying carpets' and 'crystal balls'. He's had plenty of practice as he frequently appears in and on the Aussie media, podcasts etc. You can find his site here. That and he's a very nice guy too. :)

[Mojo]

A SENIOR Australian Federal Police officer has been suspended for consulting a clairvoyant over a threat to assassinate Prime Minister John Howard.

Although bound by the AFP's strict code of conduct regarding confidentiality and national security, the officer turned to a small-town psychic he knew socially and disclosed classified information about Mr Howard and the death threats.

Note the direction that information was going: he disclosed information to her.

Presumably she then will have been able to repeat back what he had told her and wait for him to say "how could she possibly have known that?"

[Muse]

Obviously another graduate from the "I love psychics" Jackie Malton school of policing - unskeptical 'skeptic' of 'Britain's Psychic Challenge' fame. ??? :)