Art and soul

JOHN Hatton came to Goulburn yesterday on a mission. Equipped with a large oil painting he’d poured his heart into, he and wife Vera drove straight to John Edlund’s home.

The former independent MP for the South Coast wanted to express his appreciation to the man, who like himself had fought police corruption and been victimised for having the courage.

“The reason I want to give this to John is my extreme admiration for him,” he told the Post.

“I want to leave for him and his family an expression of gratitude for what he’s done for the people of NSW. It’s my way of recognising him.”

The landscape work doesn’t depict any particular rural scene, but one in Mr Hatton’s head. The sweeping hills represent the countryside in which the MP and Mr Edlund regularly seek solace, healing and perspective. Granite rocks in the foreground symbolise integrity.

Mr Hatton has a wealth of respect for Mr Edlund. Together they worked to expose police corruption in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to the Wood Royal Commission.

Former Detective Sergeant Edlund was medically discharged from the NSW Police Academy in December 1998 suffering severe stress. He says he was the victim of a string of trumped up charges and allegations after airing his concerns about corruption in senior NSW police ranks, uncovered in Operation Seville, a drug operation involving mafia.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has only this year apologised for Mr Edlund’s treatment.

“It’s not an anger that boils but I feel outrage when people are treated badly by the very organisation they’re serving, and which should be looking after them,” Mr Hatton said.

Mr Hatton has been interested in painting since 1970 but took it up seriously 16 years ago. Mr Edlund is a painter too, with a penchant for landscapes, kookaburras and horses. Only when he moved to Goulburn did he find the time for art classes.

Cancer in his lung and shoulder has since restricted his movement. The disease has already cost him an eye and the stress of fighting his case hasn’t helped, he says. He was overwhelmed by Mr Hatton’s gesture.

“It’s one of the few moments in my life that someone has done something for me in gratitude for what I did as a police officer,” he told the Post.

“My experience with John Hatton is that from the first moment I looked for help, he was there.” Mr Edlund said it had been a long journey and thanked Mr Hatton and former Detective Sergeant Matt Casey for their enduring support. The painting has taken pride of place in his lounge room.