Taxpayer helped by whistleblower Richard Boyle speaks for first time

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One of the taxpayers helped by ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle has spoken out for the first time, describing the prosecution of the person who gave him a lifeline as "insanity".

Transcript

00:00 So Dirk Fielding is a small businessman who in 2017 had terrible health issues and owed

00:09 the tax office money and they garnished his bank account which means that they can just

00:15 suck it dry and he didn't have enough money to pay wages to his staff.

00:20 And he sent emails, he phoned, he couldn't get through to the ATO so he eventually sent

00:25 a fax saying please help me, begging for help and Richard Boyle helped him.

00:30 He was at the tax office at the time and he lifted the garnishee notice and the business

00:35 is thriving now.

00:37 What happened with Richard Boyle is he was raided by the AFP for having some tax payers

00:42 information at his home and he's facing years in jail.

00:47 He is still facing the prospect of decades in jail.

00:51 How are he and his family holding up?

00:54 It's really, I spoke to his wife Louise and it's really, it's a tragic situation.

01:01 She's saying that sometimes she comes home and she's hoping her husband is still alive

01:06 because he's been put through hell for five years waiting for this case.

01:10 And she hasn't really spoken publicly before has she?

01:13 Not really, this is the first sit down interview that she has done.

01:17 And why does she feel compelled to speak now?

01:20 Because this has been going on for so long?

01:22 Because it's been going on for so long and his trial is next year but in the meantime

01:26 he's just recently lost a case regarding whistleblowing which shows how deeply flawed are whistleblowing

01:33 protection laws in Australia.

01:35 So she felt now was the time to speak up and she wrote to the Attorney General and the

01:39 Prime Minister just in the last couple of days begging them to pardon her husband.

01:44 And has she received any kind of response?

01:46 Not as yet.

01:47 But this is an ongoing issue isn't it?

01:50 Better protections for whistleblowers in Australia?

01:52 Oh absolutely, it's really shocking and before the last election the ALP was very strong

01:58 on protecting whistleblowers but we haven't really seen much action as yet.

02:03 And so the Prime Minister and the Attorney General could in fact pardon Richard Boyle?

02:07 The Attorney General has the power under the Judiciary Act but he has said in a statement

02:13 to us a couple of days ago that it takes exceptional circumstances.

02:19 What's the ATO saying about this situation?

02:22 The ATO can't comment because there's legal action in place so they have declined to comment.

02:27 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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