Clive Palmer caught using parts of John F Kennedy speech in National Press Club address

Updated

Federal MP Clive Palmer used large chunks of a 1961 speech by then US president John F Kennedy, without attribution, during his National Press Club address.

Mr Palmer did not make any direct reference to Mr Kennedy during the speech, despite quoting slightly altered paragraphs of the 52-year-old statement.

JFK's original speech was entitled The President and the Press and Mr Palmer borrowed phrases and sentences from it.

He did make some changes, updating a line about capitalism in the press with a reference to media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

We look at Mr Palmer's speech and other examples where public figures have been caught out passing off the work of others as their own.

Clive Palmer uses section of JFK speech as his own

In 1851 - a long time ago - the New York Herald Tribune had retained its London correspondent, a little known journalist, named by his mother as Karl Marx. Apparently he was without means, his family was sick and hungry, he didn't have any money. He repeatedly appealed to his publisher Horace Greeley ... to boost his salary of $5 a story, a stipend his close friend Engels said was the lousiest petty bourgeoisie cheating that he'd ever seen. He sought another means to support his family, to find the recognition that all journalists deserve. So he was forced to give up his job at the New York Herald Tribune so he could spend all his time working on an idea. An idea he thought he would leave to the world. An idea which became the foundation if Stalinism, Leninism, revolution, and the Cold War. If only this bourgeois publisher and editor had treated him more fairly and listened to his increase for wages. If only Marx had remained a foreign correspondent, the world might be a different place and the 20th century wouldn't have so much suffering. Clive Palmer

You may remember that in 1851 the New York Herald Tribune, under the sponsorship and publishing of Horace Greeley, employed as its London correspondent an obscure journalist by the name of Karl Marx. We are told that foreign correspondent Marx, stone broke, and with a family ill and undernourished, constantly appealed to Greeley and Managing Editor Charles Dana for an increase in his munificent salary of $5 per instalment, a salary which he and Engels ungratefully labelled as the 'lousiest petty bourgeois cheating'. But when all his financial appeals were refused, Marx looked around for other means of livelihood and fame, eventually terminating his relationship with the Tribune and devoting his talents full time to the cause that would bequeath to the world the seeds of Leninism, Stalinism, revolution and the cold war." If only this capitalistic New York newspaper had treated him more kindly; if only Marx had remained a foreign correspondent, history might have been different. John F Kennedy

Anthony Albanese uses speech from The American President

Former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese was caught out using lines from the Michael Douglas film, The American President. Mr Albanese said his staff had compiled the speech, and he had not actually seen the movie.

Stephen Harper uses lines from John Howard speech

A staff member for then Canadian opposition leader Stephen Harper apologised after copying large sections of John Howard's speech calling for military intervention in Iraq.

Barack Obama uses lines from governor's speech

US president Barack Obama was accused of plagiarism by Hillary Clinton's campaign during the 2008 primaries, when he used a comeback to claims he was all talk that was strikingly similar to one used by his friend, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, two years earlier. Mr Patrick defended Mr Obama's use, saying they discussed the argument in advance and he encouraged Mr Obama to use the line.

Joe Biden uses words from Bobby Kennedy speech

US vice-president Joe Biden's attempt to run for president in 1988 campaign was derailed after he was accused of using parts of a speech by US Senator Bobby Kennedy, as well as British Labour leader Neil Kinnock, without referencing them. The allegations led to it being revealed that Mr Biden had been involved in a plagiarism controversy during his first year at Syracuse University.

Topics: federal-government, government-and-politics, australia

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