You might have noticed that we haven’t been releasing videos after the police arrested a suspect for the firebombing of my house.While we’re very grateful for their persistence throughout this ordeal, we felt it would be prudent to see what the response would be from certain individuals.

Their response has been one of rather perplexing confidence. Buoyed by the lack of further arrests they have decided to be much more blunt with their requests, threatening anyone they believe had handed over information to assist with the creation of the video Coronation.

This video detailed links former Deputy Premier John Barilaro had with development company Coronation Property.

The video encompassed more than Coronation Property associates.It included an array of spirited characters, many of whom were enraged with its release. Police have made it very clear that many of the prime suspects in the firebombing are in that video.

Now, over a year later, these figures are once again venting, threatening dire consequences if the video isn’t taken down. Given these people’s colourful history we don’t consider these to be idle threats.

Naturally, we contacted the appropriate authorities, but it appears these men have engulfed the state in a state of fear. It appears these men are indeed above the law. It appears these men are free to point the scythe at anyone they wish, blackmail them with the most heinous, violent acts imaginable and there is not an authority in the land powerful enough, or perhaps foolhardy enough to check them.

We have done our absolute best to keep the video up. Believe me, we have. But if the content of Coronation is to fall on willfully deaf ears, if its only tangible result is the death of innocent people,we will not have their lives hang on our conscience.

In other words, you win. We’re taking down the video. Congratulations. You run this city.

We were ignorant of the fact that Sydney is more or less 1920s Chicago. But now that we’re fully aware, you are free to run your business without further bother from us. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The real shame in all of this, of course, is that it would have made a great story for self-proclaimed home of Australian investigative journalism Four Corners, that touts that it exists to serve the public interest. And you, of course.

It would be very interesting to hear the editorial rationale for why the paralysing grip that organised crime has over the first state didn’t meet that criteria while trying to get to the bottom of why there isn’t more homosexual AFL players did.

Questions for another time, perhaps.

The question for now, though, is how did these men accumulate so much power that they have incapacitated any of the so-called estates from acting on matters that question its own ascendancy?

This is not thugs killing other thugs for territory. This is unlawful punishment for reporting on the erosion of state authority.You would think that that would interest the state for self-preservation purposes if nothing else and yet it doesn’t.

As such, if the policy is to let sleeping dogs lie, so be it. We can live with that. In fact, we have no choice. We have learned that there is a currency that is far more dependable than the dollar, and that’s terror.

We can take solace in the fact that we did our part— more than our part. More than we will ever be able to publicly divulge. We ran out on to no man’s land without any support and support never came.