Showing posts with label ICAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ICAC. Show all posts
Friday 12 September 2014
Former member Metgasco Limited's executive team to appear before NSW ICAC Operation Spicer investigation
Between 2011-13 Richard Shields was coal seam gas miner Metgasco Limited’s in-house lobbyist on its executive team as External Relations Manager.
Prior to crossing over to this listed mining company for those two years, Shields served as Deputy Director of the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) for over 3 years and also served as the Interim State Director.
It is primarily this political party role which sees Richard Shields included on the witness list for Friday 12 September 2009.
Presumably because evidence given during Operation Spicer hearings is that Shields took a direct hand in fundraising during his time in the party's William Street head office between 2008 and 2011 and, this is a period in which unlawful political donations were allegededly laundered through Liberal Party associated entities.
Labels:
ICAC,
NSW government
Wednesday 10 September 2014
The 'I Knows Nuffink' defence reaches the height of absurdity during NSW ICAC Operation Spicer hearing
An exchange between junior counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Greg O'Mahoney and Queanbeyan property developer Lee Jay Brinkmeyer during an Operation Spicer hearing on 9 September 2014:
O’MAHONEY: Do you appreciate, Mr Brinkmeyer, that as a businessman who is spending company funds that you’ve written a $20,000 cheque to an organisation you know nothing about on the say so of a person whom you only have a mobile phone contact for without knowing precisely where the money’s going to go and having made no inquiries about where the money actually went, is that the effect of your evidence?
BRINKMEYER: Yeah. I mean, when you put that way - - -
O’MAHONEY: That’s it in a nutshell?
BRINKMEYER: When you put it that way it sounds bad but that’s - - -
O’MAHONEY: It sounds more than bad, Mr Brinkmeyer?
BRINKMEYER: That’s correct
O’MAHONEY: It sounds absurd, if you wouldn’t mind me saying?
BRINKMEYER: Well look, when I’ve made other donations in the past whether it - - -
Labels:
ICAC,
Liberal Party of Australia,
NSW government
Tuesday 9 September 2014
NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption: Has the other shoe dropped for former premier Barry O'Farrell?
Retired as NSW Premier and Minister for Western Sydney effective 17 April 2014 and moved to the back bench after giving false evidence to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, Barry O’Farrell Liberal MP for Kur-ing-gai for is recalled as a witness today.
The Sydney Morning Herald 9 September 2014:
Two weeks before the 2011 election, then opposition leader Barry O'Farrell announced a tax policy that benefited developer Brickworks while the company was allegedly bankrolling a researcher in his office and had secretly donated $125,000 to the Liberal campaign.
As Premier, Mr O'Farrell made good on the policy – to repeal a controversial property transfer tax – six weeks after the election.
The researcher, Matt Crocker, is now director of policy to Premier Mike Baird.
Mr O'Farrell is due to give evidence at the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Tuesday after the commission heard last week that Brickworks secretly funded Mr Crocker's position in his office while he was opposition leader.
Mr O'Farrell is due to give evidence at the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Tuesday after the commission heard last week that Brickworks secretly funded Mr Crocker's position in his office while he was opposition leader.
Former Liberal fundraiser Paul Nicolaou told the commission that Brickworks paid for a researcher in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at a cost of $50,000 a year……
The ICAC has also heard Brickworks donated $125,000 to the Liberal-linked Free Enterprise Foundation, a federally registered organisation, which was then allegedly channelled back to the NSW Liberals for use in the 2011 state election campaign.
Brickworks is Australia's largest brickmaker but also has a property development arm. Property developers have been banned from donating to state election campaigns in NSW since late 2009.
Mr O'Farrell visited the Horsley Park headquarters of Brickworks subsidiary Austral Bricks on March 12, 2011.
During the visit Mr O'Farrell announced that if Coalition won the March 26 election it would repeal what he called Labor's "sneaky" home buyers tax – a levy on property transfers worth more than $500,000, announced by planning minister Tony Kelly in 2010.
Attending the announcement was a representative of the Property Council of Australia which had railed against the new tax as "a brake on investment" and "effectively ... a second stamp duty".
Six weeks after winning the election, Mr O'Farrell made good on his pledge to repeal the property tax with legislation introduced to the Parliament on May 9.
The repeal bill was introduced to the Legislative Assembly by Mike Baird, who was then the Treasurer and who became Premier in April this year after Mr O'Farrell resigned over giving false evidence to a previous ICAC inquiry…..
Can the Speaker in the House of Representatives deny knowledge of alleged laundered money routed through The Dame Pattie Menzies Liberal Foundation?
According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on 8 September 2014, Liberal Party MP for Mackellar and Speaker in the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop has been identified in evidence before the Operation Spicer investigation as being a director of the Dame Pattie Menzies Foundation Trust which received $11,000 from the Free Enterprise Foundation on December 9, 2010, which it then directed to the NSW branch of the party for use in the 2011 state election and The previous day, Mr Partridge has sent a cheque for $125,000 to the Free Enterprise Foundation with a note which read: "We trust this donation will provide assistance with the 2011 NSW State election campaign". Additionally, A $2000 donation to the Dame Pattie foundation from Australian Corporate Holdings, a company connected to Sydney property developer and sailor Syd Fischer, was also passed on to the NSW Liberals.
So sure was the foundation that these donations would not be queried that they were included on the relevant disclosure from:
So sure was the foundation that these donations would not be queried that they were included on the relevant disclosure from:
Can Bronwyn Bishop deny all knowledge of this foundation receiving ‘laundered’ developer donations before passing them onto the NSW Liberal Party, when Australian Securities & Investment Commission records reveal that at least three current office bearers of The Dame Pattie Menzies Liberal Foundation Ltd (incorporated in NSW) are being questioned concerning allegations of corruption currently being heard during NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Spicer hearings:
JOHN PEGG, 9 Bushlands Avenue, GORDON NSW 2072, appointed 15.11.93 appeared before NSW ICAC on 8 September 2014
BRONWYN KATHLEEN BISHOP, 21 Pacific Parade, DEE WHY NSW 2099, appointed 29.08.86
WARWICK JAMES WILKINSON, 6A Parriwi Road, MOSMAN NSW 2088, appointed 29.08.86
GILLIAN STOREY, Werong, YASS NSW 2582, appointed 23.11.92
CHRISTINE MARGARET LIDDY, 103 Raglan Street, MOSMAN NSW 2088, appointed 20.02.04
DENISE ANNE FINK, Unit 11, 282 Sailors Bay Road, NORTHBRIDGE NSW 2063, appointed 20.02.04
DAMIAN JONES, 853 Barrenjoey Road, PALM BEACH NSW 2108, first appointed 06.01.05
NICHOLAS CAMPBELL, 6 Rhonda Close, WAHROONGA NSW 2076 appointed 13.12.13 appearing before NSW ICAC 9 September 2014
The company secretary since 2008 is:
SIMON JOHN MCINNES 5 Hillpine Avenue, KOGARAH NSW 2217, appeared before NSW ICAC 4 September 2014
Monday 8 September 2014
NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) OPERATION SPICER witness list for week commencing 8 September 2014 - witness cheat sheet UPDATED
NSW ICAC OPERATION SPICER witness list for week commencing 8 September 2014:
Monday 8 September
Mark Neeham - former State Director of the New South Wales Liberal Party, executive director polling/lobbying firm Crosby Textor
Michael Photios - member of the NSW Liberal Party's state executive until September 2013, contracted by Australian Water Holdings in 2011 to lobby NSW O’Farrell Government, chairman of registered lobbyist company Premier State Consulting Pty Ltd
Michael Yabsley - former Liberal NSW MLC and former minister in the Greiner Government, former Honorary Federal Treasurer of Liberal Party of Australia and former member of the party's Federal Finance Committee, CEO Australia Gulf Council, founding director of Government Relations Australia now merged into GRACosway lobbyists for mining interests such as AGL, MMG & QGC
John Pegg - member of the three-man panel appointed by NSW Premier Mike Baird to take control of the state party’s finances, property and fundraising in the wake evidence before ICAC
Nicholas Jones – electoral officer of Gary Edwards, the NSW Liberal MP for Swansea who moved to the cross bench, after allegations during evidence that he had received an unlawful political donation
Tuesday 9 September
Barry O'Farrell - NSW Liberal MP for Ku-ring-gai, resigned as Premier and Minister for Western Sydney effective 17 April 2014 and moved to the back bench when it was proven that he had not told the truth when giving evidence at a NSW Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Credo hearing in relation to an undeclared $3,000 gift from the then CEO of Australian Water Holdings.
Nicholas Campbell - director at The Dame Patty Menzies Liberal Foundation Ltd
Natasha McLaren-Jones - Liberal Party NSW MLC since March 2011
Natasha McLaren-Jones - Liberal Party NSW MLC since March 2011
Lee Brinkmeyer - political donor to NSW Liberal Party, Queanbeyan property developer with Elmslea Development, possibly related to land speculator and former president of the Queanbeyan branch of the Liberal Party Alex Brinkmeyer
Mark Vaile – former Nationals MP for Lyne, former leader of the Federal National Party and deputy prime minister, Independent Non-Executive Director at Whitehaven Coal Ltd, shareholder in Whitehaven through Wendmar Pty Ltd
Anthony Bandle - chartered accountant Bandle McAneney & Co, trustee of Canberra-based associated entity Free Enterprise Foundation, previously called as a witness in Operation Spicer hearing in May 2014
Wednesday 10 September
Not sitting day
Thursday 11
September 2014
Wayne Brown - NSW Liberal party state
executive member
Aaron Henry - member
of the Liberal Party and former staffer with Liberal MP for The
Entrance Chris Spence now sitting on the cross benches as an independent
after expulsion from the party
Robert Webster
- former NSW
Planning and Energy Minister in Greiner Coalition Government
Friday 12
September 2014
Craig Baumann - NSW
Liberal MP for Port Stephens previously mentioned in evidence given during Operation Spicer
Jeff McCloy – property developer, Chairman
of the McCloy Group, former Newcastle mayor who resigned his mayoral
position due to admissions that he had made to ICAC that he had made unlawful
political donations to the NSW Liberal Party
Hilton Grugeon - millionaire NSW property
developer and owner of the Hunter Advantage company, co-founder of Hunter
Land Pty Ltd
Vincent Heufel – accountant, Heufel
Partners Business Advisers Pty Ltd
Richard Shields - General Manager Government and
Stakeholder Relations at Insurance Council Of Australia, former Metgasco
Ltd External Relations Manager, former Deputy Director of the Liberal Party of
Australia (NSW Division) and former Interim State Director
Ray Carter - former
electorate officer for then NSW Resources and Energy
Minister Chris Hartcher
Arthur
Sinodinos - Federal Liberal Senator for NSW and Assistant Treasurer in the Abbott
Government - not fulfilling assistant treasurer duties for the duration
of the ICAC Operation Credo and Operation Spicer investigations, after allegations concerning the corporation
Australia Water Holdings of which he was a director were made during Operation Credo
NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption now has evidence before it that implicates members of the election campaign team which helped Tony Abbott become Prime Minister of Australia
This is a section of the 2010 email (above) copied to Brian Loughnane, Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia and husband of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s chief of staff, as well as Arthur Sinodinos who was then Honorary Treasurer of the NSW Division of the Liberal Party and a former chief of staff to John Howard when he was prime minister:
This email makes it clear that one property developer is unlawfully donating $25,000 to the NSW Liberal Party of Australia via the party’s federal associated entity, the Free Enterprise Foundation.
So will Brian Loughnane assert that he didn't read his emails in 2010 or will he, like Senator Sinodinos' lawyer, claim that routing unlawful donations to the NSW Liberal Party through the Free Enterprise Foundation was a legitimate action.
UPDATE
According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on 8 September 2014, Liberal Party MP for Mackellar and Speaker in the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop has been identified in evidence before the Operation Spicer investigation as being a director of the Dame Pattie Menzies Foundation Trust which received $11,000 from the Free Enterprise Foundation on December 9, 2010, which it then directed to the NSW branch of the party for use in the 2011 state election and The previous day, Mr Partridge has sent a cheque for $125,000 to the Free Enterprise Foundation with a note which read: "We trust this donation will provide assistance with the 2011 NSW State election campaign". Additionally, A $2000 donation to the Dame Pattie foundation from Australian Corporate Holdings, a company connected to Sydney property developer and sailor Syd Fischer, was also passed on to the NSW Liberals.
The same article also pointed out that:
UPDATE
According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on 8 September 2014, Liberal Party MP for Mackellar and Speaker in the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop has been identified in evidence before the Operation Spicer investigation as being a director of the Dame Pattie Menzies Foundation Trust which received $11,000 from the Free Enterprise Foundation on December 9, 2010, which it then directed to the NSW branch of the party for use in the 2011 state election and The previous day, Mr Partridge has sent a cheque for $125,000 to the Free Enterprise Foundation with a note which read: "We trust this donation will provide assistance with the 2011 NSW State election campaign". Additionally, A $2000 donation to the Dame Pattie foundation from Australian Corporate Holdings, a company connected to Sydney property developer and sailor Syd Fischer, was also passed on to the NSW Liberals.
The same article also pointed out that:
Previously
suppressed emails at a corruption inquiry raise serious concerns about major
donors to the Liberal Party being rewarded with extraordinary access to senior
party figures.
The emails
are from the chief fundraiser of the NSW Liberal Party Paul Nicolaou to Peta
Credlin, one of the most powerful figures in the federal government….
As well as
being chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Ms Credlin is married to
Brian Loughnane, the party's federal director.
The emails
reveal that, in March 2011, while in Opposition, Ms Credlin was advised by Mr
Nicolaou that the managing director of Brickworks, Lindsay Partridge, was
"a very good supporter to the party".
Brickworks
was one of the largest corporate donors to the Liberal Party, giving a massive
$384,000 in a nine-month period from July 2010 to April 2011.
As well as
its brand Austral Bricks, Brickworks also lists property development as a core
business. The ICAC has heard that Brickworks used the Free Enterprise
Foundation, a shadowy Canberra-based organisation, to channel $125,000 in illicit
donations to the NSW Liberals for the March 2011 state election.
Labels:
Abbott Government,
corruption,
ICAC,
NSW government,
Tony Abbott
Saturday 6 September 2014
Playing hide and seek with NSW ICAC Operation Spicer exhibits
An interesting incident which occurred during evidence given by former NSW Greiner Coalition Government minister, Robert Webster on 4 September 2014:
MR WATSON: I’m sorry to interrupt but there’s been something drawn to
my attention. I understand there’s some complaint made about material
which is Exhibit Z83 and Z84 they’ve been removed from the screen.
Perhaps it’s better for present purposes, Commissioner, if you make a
suppression order in respect of the material which had previously been put
onto the unrestricted website and marked as - - -
THE COMMISSIONER: Well can you give me a page number?
MR WATSON: No, well at the moment I can’t and I know it’s not the
whole of the volumes but I’m just doing this as some sort of general
protection. We’ve been threatened - - -
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (not transcribable)
MR WATSON: Well I don't know anything about this but I’m trying to
protect them but I’ve got some people who’ve got a better idea then go for
their lives.
THE COMMISSIONER: Anyway the solution presently is, I don’t want to
interrupt this for too long, the solution presently is that Z83 and Z84 are
restricted from publication in their entirety until that order is varied.
Z83 AND Z84 ARE RESTRICTED FROM PUBLICATION IN THEIR
ENTIRETY UNTIL THAT ORDER IS VARIED
MR WATSON: And I’ll have a look at this correspondence and - - -
THE COMMISSIONER: All right, thank you.
MR DUGGAN: It might be something (not transcribable)
MR WATSON: I think it’s not coming from Senator Sinodinos it was
coming from the Liberal Party.
MR DUGGAN: I thank Counsel Assisting for raising this issue and we can
talk about it after (not transcribable)
MR WATSON: Yes. I’m sorry, I - - -
Both restricted exhibits are from The Free Enterprise Foundation folders and one these folders contained some correspondence from the Liberal Party of Australia Millennium Forum whose official patrons in 2010-11 were Tony Abbott MP and Barry O’Farrell.
The Sydney Morning Herald 5 September 2014:
Media
organisations have joined forces at a corruption inquiry to fight a suppression
order over a controversial chain of emails involving a "very well known
person" and a Liberal identity.
The emails,
headed "Re Carbon Tax", were suppressed at the Independent Commission
Against Corruption on Thursday after questions were raised about whether
publishing the documents would breach parliamentary privilege.
Robert
Newlinds, SC, the barrister for NSW Liberal Senator and former party president
Arthur Sinodinos, wrote to the ICAC to alert the commission to the potential
breach.
"The
letter we wrote simply said that we were somewhat perturbed that there may be a
breach by counsel assisting [Geoffrey Watson, SC] and the commission of the
federal Parliamentary Privileges Act," Mr Newlinds told the hearing on
Thursday afternoon.
"I don't
really want to say out loud what the topic is because the private individual is
a very well known person.
"I
just don't want this to get out. Can we at least have a suppression
order about the debate."
The hearing
was closed to the public while the matter was discussed.
On Friday,
media organisations including Fairfax Media (the publisher of The Sydney
Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review), the ABC,
News Ltd and Channel 9, briefed barrister Sandy Dawson to challenge a
suppression order over the emails.
Several
journalists had read the emails before they were suppressed.
The emails
were tendered as part of a public exhibit on Thursday morning during the
ICAC's inquiry into Liberal Party fundraising.....
The risible aspect of all this, is that notoriously biased Liberal Party MP and Speaker in the House of Representatives, Bronwyn Bishop, is being asked by ICAC to rule on whether the exhibits can be made public.
Thursday 4 September 2014
Ex-News Corp journalist & Abbott propagandist Steve Lewis now a lobbyist with Newgate Communications
Steve Lewis, the former News Corp journalist who ran the ‘Abbott in Opposition’ political spin on many subjects, has joined Newgate Communications as a senior advisor.
This company is a lobbyist at federal level for twenty-one companies – including Whitehaven Coal which has been mentioned in evidence in NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Jasper and Operation Spicer investigations.
Managing partner of the Australian branch of Newgate Communication is Brian Tyson who worked as a press secretary for the Greiner and Fahey NSW Coalition Governments - and states in his Linked in entry that he worked with then NSW Planning and Energy Minister Robert Webster.
Webster coincidentally is scheduled to appear at an ICAC Operation Spicer hearing today.
Monday 1 September 2014
NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Operation Spicer Witness List for week commencing 1 September 2014 -UPDATED
NSW ICAC Operation Spicer witness list for week commencing 1 September 2014
Monday 1 September 2014
Joe Tripodi -
former NSW Labor MP for Fairfield and Minister for Ports and Waterways, in 2010
announced that he would not stand at the 2011 state election after corruption
allegations made in ICAC Operation Cyrus hearings concerning his
actions as minister
Ross Cadell - NSW Nationals regional
co-ordinator, director at R & S Cadell Pty Ltd, manages
the trading arm of family businesses including Tiny Tutus Pty Ltd, Tutu
Central and P1 Race Engineering
Kristina Keneally - former Labor MP for
Heffron and former NSW Premier
Ian McNamara - chief of staff to
Opposition Leader John Robertson, stood aside while Operation Spicer continues
Eric Roozendaal - former NSW Labor MLC for
and NSW Treasurer, suspended from the Labor Party in 2012 during an ICAC
investigation into an inducement he accepted, resigned from Parliament in 2013,
now working for a Chinese development company
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Eric Roozendaal - former NSW Labor
MLC for and NSW Treasurer, suspended from the Labor Party in 2012 during an
ICAC investigation into an inducement he accepted, resigned from Parliament in
2013, now working for a Chinese development company
Chris Hartcher - former NSW Liberal Party
MP for Terrigal and former NSW Resources and Energy now sitting on the cross
benches as an independent MP after expulsion from the party
Bart Basset - NSW Liberal MP for
Londonderry who moved to the cross bench after ICAC commissioner
Megan Latham announced that new evidence had emerged to widen the inquiry's
scope to examine whether Nathan Tinkler's firm Buildev tried to influence Mr
Bassett
Wednesday 3 September 2014
Bart Basset - NSW Liberal MP for
Londonderry who moved to the cross bench after ICAC commissioner
Megan Latham announced that new evidence had emerged to widen the inquiry's
scope to examine whether Nathan Tinkler's firm Buildev tried to influence Mr
Bassett
Mark
Regent - Buildev project manager on the
Redbank North Richmond Joint Venture regional housing project
Matt Kelly - Newcastle Herald journalist
Matt Kelly - Newcastle Herald journalist
Gary Edwards - NSW Liberal
MP for Swansea on 14 August 2014 announced he had moved to the cross bench,
after allegations during evidence that he had received an unlawful political
donation
Michael Gallacher - NSW Liberal MLC who
resigned as Minister for Police and Emergency Services on 2 May 2014 after
being named as one of the subjects of ICAC’s Operation
Spicer investigation, suspended from the Liberal Party and moved to the
cross bench
Victor Yee - unknown
Mark Ryan – director of
public affairs at Westfield Corporation and a director of the Lowy Institute
for International Policy
Robert Webster – Korn Ferry chairman, Brickworks Ltd
independent director and former NSW Nationals planning minister
Thursday 4 September 2014
Robert Milner – chairman
of Washington H Soul Pattinson & Company Limited, chairman and major shareholder in
Brickworks Ltd
Lindsay Partridge – Liberal Party member, Austral Bricks
managing director and CEO at Brickworks Ltd which are part-owned by
Washington H Soul Pattinson & Company Limited
Lee Brinkmeyer - political donor to NSW Liberal Party, Queanbeyan property developer with Elmslea Development, possibly related to
land speculator and former president of the Queanbeyan branch of the Liberal
Party Alex Brinkmeyer
Mark Neeham - former State Director of
the New South Wales Liberal Party , executive director polling/lobbying
firm Crosby Textor
Simon McInnes - Finance Director of the
New South Wales Liberal Party
Paul Nicolaou – was principal fundraiser for the New
South Wales Liberal Party, former chairman of the Liberal Party fundraising
associated entity Millennium Forum, former chief executive of the NSW branch of
the Australian Hotels Association
Friday 5 September 2014
Philip Christensen - former Whitehaven Coal board member, heads
Baker & McKenzie Brisbane law office
Natasha McLaren-Jones - Liberal Party NSW MLC
since March 2011
Michael Photios - member of the NSW
Liberal Party's state executive until September 2013, contracted by Australian
Water Holdings in 2011 to lobby NSW O’Farrell Government
Michael Yabsley - former Liberal NSW MLC
and former minister in the Greiner Government, former Honorary Federal
Treasurer of Liberal Party of Australia and former member Federal Finance
Committee, CEO Australia Gulf Council, founder and director
of Government Relations Australia
Labels:
corruption,
ICAC,
NSW government,
NSW Parliament
Thursday 28 August 2014
RECAP: The score now stands at ICAC 14 Liberal Party of Australia 0
*Updated as NSW Independent Commission against Corruption Operation Spicer continues*
Arthur Sinodinos Federal Liberal Senator for NSW and Assistant Treasurer in the Abbott Government - not fulfilling assistant treasurer duties for the duration of the ICAC Operation Credo and Operation Spicer investigations, after allegations concerning the corporation Australia Water Holdings of which he was a director were made during Operation Credo .
Barry O’Farrell NSW Liberal MP for Ku-ring-gai – resigned as Premier and Minister for Western Sydney effective 17 April 2014 and moved to the back bench when it was proven that he had not told the truth when giving evidence at a NSW Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Credo hearing in relation to an undeclared $3,000 gift from the then CEO of Australian Water Holdings.
Mike Gallacher NSW Liberal MLC – resigned as Minister for Police and Emergency Services on 2 May 2014 after being named as one of the subjects of ICAC’s Operation Spicer investigation, suspended from the Liberal Party and moved to the cross bench.
Chris Hartcher NSW Liberal MP for Terrigal – resigned as Minister for Resources and Energy, Special Minister of State, Minister for the Central Coast on 9 December 2013, suspended from the Liberal Party and moved to the cross bench.
Marie Ficarra NSW Liberal MLC – resigned as parliamentary secretary on 17 April 2014 after it was alleged she solicited an unlawful political donation, suspended from the Liberal Party and moved to the cross bench..
Darren Webber - NSW Liberal MP for Wyong and Member, Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety - suspended from the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW) after corruption allegations, moved to the cross bench and not re-contesting his seat at the 2015 state election.
Christopher Spence - NSW MP for The Entrance, suspended from the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW) after corruption allegations, moved to the cross bench and not re-contesting his seat at the 2015 state election.
Andrew Cornwell – resigned as NSW Liberal MP for Charlestown after admitting in evidence that he had received unlawful political donations and paid his tax bill with some of that money.
Tim Owen – resigned as NSW Liberal MP for Newcastle on 12 August 2014 after admitting he had not told the truth concerning unlawful political donations when giving evidence at an ICAC Operation Spicer hearing and had met with another ICAC witness allegedly to convince that witness not to tell the truth.
Garry Edwards - NSW Liberal MP for Swansea on 14 August 2014 announced he had moved to the cross bench, after allegations during evidence that he had received an unlawful political donation.
Jeff McCloy - Newcastle Mayor, resigned his mayoral position due to admissions that he had made to ICAC that he had made unlawful political donations to the NSW Liberal Party.
Ian McNamara - chief of staff to Opposition Leader John Robertson called as witness in Operation Spicer investigation and has stood aside while ICAC hearings continue.
Bart Bassett - Liberal MP
for Londonderry, on 27 August 2014 it was reported by ABC News that
he had moved to the cross bench after ICAC commissioner Megan
Latham announced that new evidence had emerged to widen the inquiry's scope to
examine whether Nathan Tinkler's firm Buildev tried to influence Mr Bassett.
Craig Bauman - NSW Liberal MP for Port Stephens and former Port
Stephens mayor who announced he was stepping aside and moving to the cross
bench after giving evidence during Operation Spicer hearing on 12 September 2014
The score now stands at: ICAC 14 Liberal Party of Australia 0
See Operation Credo and Operation Spicer hearing transcripts here.
Labels:
Abbott Government,
ICAC,
NSW government,
NSW Parliament
Wednesday 27 August 2014
One of the reasons why there is a need for the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption
The Sydney Morning Herald 16 November 2012:
FROM barrister to barista, John Hart managed to put his past as a defender of petty criminals behind him to reach the summit of Engadine's culinary scene.
He emerged from an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2010 to buy the favourably reviewed Jack of Harts and Jude cafe in an arcade off the Old Princes Highway last year.
But the allegations that were the subject of the ICAC inquiry - judge shopping, false promises to clients and the extraction of a dubious payment - are nipping at his heels.
The ICAC made adverse findings against Mr Hart and sent the brief of evidence to the Department of Public Prosecutions.
Police have now charged Mr Hart with 11 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
ICAC prosecution outcomes updated 26 August 2014:
The Department of Attorney General and Justice commenced proceedings against Mr Hart for 10 counts of the offence of acting with intent to pervert the course of justice under section 319 of the Crimes Act, and one count of the offence of obtaining property with false pretence under section 179 of the Crimes Act. On 18 November 2013, Mr Hart pleaded guilty to five section 319 offences.
On 22 August 2014 Mr Hart was convicted and sentenced to 2 years 9 months imprisonment with a non parole period of 1 year 10 months.
Coincidentally, a John Hart (chair of the Liberal Party’s North Sydney Forum, vice-chair of Restaurant and Catering Australia's NSW/ACT state council and a Federal Government’s National Centre for Vocational Education Research board member) is also to appear before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Operation Spicer investigation. Although he has twice been removed from the witness list schedule for the week beginning 25 August 2014.
Unlawful developer donations scandal getting closer to NSW North Coast Nationals
The
Sydney Morning Herald 17 August 2014:
Mr Cadell [NSW Nationals regional co-ordinator] is also listed as an adviser for
the project, to lobby for a coal loader, in the email sent to two executives of
Mr Tinkler’s company Buildev – Darren Williams and David Sharpe – on April 20,
2011.
Mr Tinkler
had made a $50,000 donation to the federal and NSW Nationals three weeks
earlier, Electoral Commission records show.
Echo NetDaily 19 August 2014:
A prominent Tweed businessman gave the National Party a $175,000 loan after the ban on developer donations came into effect in 2009, Sydney media has revealed.
The revelation this morning has sparked calls for the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to probe developer donations to the National Party on the north coast in the same way the state Liberal Party has been investigated.
The current ICAC investigation into illegal developer donations has led to the resignation or standing aside of up to 10 NSW Liberal MPs and forced Newcastle’s mayor to quit in disgrace.
The National Party, according to a News Corporation report, faces having to repay a $3,000 donation it received for its state election campaign after it emerged that it came from leading Tweed National Party identity Idwall Richards, who is also a Kingscliff developer.
Labor’s shadow minister for the north coast, Walt Secord, said, ‘It appears that prohibited donations aren’t just the sole domain of the NSW Liberal Party, it seems that the north coast Nationals are in the same murky territory’.
The Daily Telegraph report this morning names Mr Richards, owner of Rico Investments, as the businessman who gave the $175,000 loan to the National Party, but both he and the party claimed it was a loan for the federal election campaign and therefore did not come under the donor laws.
Mr Richards, according to the report, said he did not believe he was a developer, but he signed a letter earlier this year as the ‘proprietor’ of Real Living Projects Pty Ltd, which built the Azura development at Kingscliff Beach.
In the letter, Mr Richards says: ‘We had the pleasure of working with the Cullen Group on our luxury multi-residential and commercial development at Azura–Kingscliff Beach’.
Perhaps it also not too late for NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption investigators to direct their attention to North Coast Nationals' 2011 shenanigans.
Labels:
ICAC,
National Party of Australia,
NSW government
Monday 18 August 2014
NSW ICAC OPERATION SPICER witness list for week commencing 18 August 2014 - cheat sheet
OPERATION SPICER witness list for week commencing on 18 August 2014:
Monday 18 August 2014
Tracy McKelligott (Kearney) - Managing director of Eclipse Media, Events and PR Company, Brand Marketing Manager at Parramatta National Rugby League Club and deputy-chair of Newcastle Alliance
Peter Doyle - restaurateur, vice-chairman of Restaurant and Catering Australia’s NSW/ACT state council
Nick Dan - managing partner at Bilbie Dan: Solicitors & Attorneys, director Newcastle Knights' Members ‘Club Ltd and chair of its board, chair of Barrington Resources Pty. Ltd which holds magnetite licences for deposits in the Hunter, Tamworth, Scone regions
Rolly Dewith - Newcastle businessman and managing director of the Junction Hotel, former Newcastle Alliance board member
Neil Slater - Newcastle restaurateur and member of the Newcastle Alliance
Tuesday 19 August 2014
Paul Murphy - Newcastle businessman and chairman of the lobby group the Newcastle Alliance
Lynda Jane Harkness - former executive assistant at Hunter Land Pty Ltd (founded by Hilton Grugeon and Graham Burns) which undertakes development of industrial and commercial projects
Vincent Fedele - owner of Mesh Media printing
Sam Crosby - chief executive director of The McKell Institute and former senior policy adviser for the NSW Treasurer in the Keneally Labor Government
Sam Crosby - chief executive director of The McKell Institute and former senior policy adviser for the NSW Treasurer in the Keneally Labor Government
Thursday 21 August 2014
Rex Newell - artist
Samantha Brookes - wife of Andrew Cornwell
Andrew Cornwell - disgraced former NSW Liberal MP for Charlestown
Chris Stone - former Liberal Party state campaign manager
Clint McGilvray - former Australian Business Foundation head of communications and member of Barry O’Farrell’s 2011 campaign team
Matt Kelly - Newcastle Herald journalist
Matt Kelly - Newcastle Herald journalist
Rocco Leonello - former staffer with then NSW Labor Minister for Finance Joe Tripodi
Friday 22 August 2014
David Simmons - a former federal Labor
MP then working as a registered Buildev consultant
Ann Wills - former Labor staffer, worked for
Buildev and took part in the Stop Jodi's Trucks pamphlet campaign
Troy Palmer - CEO Hunter
Sports Group, Chief Financial Officer of Patinack and a Buildev Group director
David Sharpe - former co-owner and
executive at BuildDev property developer
Removed from this week's witness list at 4pm 18 August 2014
John Hart - chairman of the North Sydney Forum, a fund-raising entity attached to the Liberal Party federal electoral conference in Australian Treasurer Hockey's seat of North Sydney and, CEO of Restaurant and Catering Australia, the national lobby group for the hospitality industry
Labels:
corruption,
ICAC,
Liberal Party of Australia,
NSW government
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