It is an amazing coincidence.
I believe that they could have called Jackson to the RC even if he had not been in Australia (as he is still officially Australian) but I don't think they initially understood the significance of his position until things were revealed and due to the instant communications they were able to receive from ex JWs.
Things just came together perfectly. Even the fact that these days the internet can be used to send messages and infomation instantly and that ex JWs took advantage of this as well as the Commission making themselves available to receive them.
Cardinal Pell relocated from Sydney to Rome around Feb 2014. He has been called to the RC and now says he is ill and asked to be heard via video link. McLellan refused his request and postponed his hearing date.
It would appear that the more a witness shows a reluctance to attend the more the Commission is determined to hear them, which is commonsense as it raises the question of what they are trying to hide.
Jackson and his supporters went even further than trying to avoid attendance for compassionate reasons. They claimed he had nothing to contribute whereas the Commission were aware enough by this stage that the claims were untrue.
Recently I re-read some of the transcript in regards to the Victorian (a State of Australia) Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Organizations which was held in 2013 and the one that Seven Unthank was involved in. It didn't compare in any shape or form to the current RC and probably helped to make the WTBTS pretty much complacent about the whole thing. In comparison they would have had no idea what was about to hit them.
Reading the latest submission/response from the WTBTS demonstrates how stunned and bewildered they were about the whole hearing. They rejected all the claims, accused the commission of going outside its point of reference, belittled those involved in the Commission and were very reluctant to concede anything. In doing so they defied their own rules of neutrality - respect and submission for the higher authorities and not meddling in influencing changes to laws (as detailed in the April 2016 Watchtower).
I think they even said in their submission that it was obvious that the Commission were allowing themselves to be influenced by ex-JWs. Which of course they were, how else do they get both sides of the story? But there is a difference with being influenced and undue influence. I can't remember how accurate I am with this point though as I've only read it once and it was a very long document.
It's not just co-incidence for all this because the WTBTS have only themselves to blame. The Commission has shown itself to be very proficient and dedicated in what they are doing.
What puzzles me more than anything is in relation to Angus Stewart SC. He was only admitted as a Barrister in NSW in 2011 and appointed to Senior (formelly Queen's) Counsel in 2014, probably enabling him to hold the senior position he was in at the RC. As mentioned already, this Case Hearing 29 was far superior to the 2013 Victoria hearing and it was due to the Stewart's talent and dedication as well as the support given to him by the Hon Justice McLellan.
