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.

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 - - -

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.
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:

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
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




Well it can no longer be ignored, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption now has evidence before it that implicates members of the election campaign team which helped Tony Abbott achieve his goal of becoming 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:

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.

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

Mike Fleming – former chief of staff to then NSW Labor MLC, former Minister for Lands and later Shadow Minister for Resources and Primary Production who he resigned from parliament after an ICAC investigation found that he had acted corruptly when Minister for Lands Removed from this week's list
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

Craig Baumann - NSW Liberal MP for Port Stephens previously mentioned in evidence given during Operation Spicer. Removed from this week’s list
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
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
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

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.

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.

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
Dominic Schuster - Director Business Policy & Performance NSW State Treasury Garry Webb - former CEO of  Newcastle Port Corporation 

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
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