Coroner & Legal
Mike Baird replaces Barry O’Farrell
New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell says he will resign owing to a “significant memory fail on my part” when giving evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) yesterday.
Mr O’Farrell has been unable to explain to ICAC a call from his phone to an Australian Water Holdings (AWH) executive who allegedly gave him a $3,000 bottle of Grange wine.
ICAC alleges the company AWH lobbied Mr O’Farrell over an agreement with the state-owned Sydney Water to roll out water infrastructure.
AWH is accused of corruptly billing Sydney Water for expenses and using the money for political donations, executive salaries and various other expenses.
• Basil Fitch, in Comments: Its no wonder ICAC never saw the light of day in Tasmania. The tentacles of deception stretching so far and wide would leave so few politicians, advisers, public servants, councillors, etc, etc. unscarred it would re-write the history books.
• Barry’s last Cabernet meeting …
• John Hawkins, in Comments: He told a blatant lie under oath and was exposed by his thankyou letter and telephone calls; that is his problem. Abbott supported him and was immediately let down and made to look a fool. Pollies in general are low life and on the take; the NSW ICAC has the teeth to deal with such matters. Premier Hodgman, how about putting some teeth into the system derived by your mates Wilkinson, Hall and Harriss to protect your own; or do you also have a lot to hide?
• Penne, in Comments: I love these quotes from the article link (below); they could be directly applied to Tassie! ‘crony-capitalism is set up to benefit parasitic politicos and their private-sector cartel benefactors’
THURSDAY: • Guardian: Mike Baird poised to take over as premier of NSW