New South Wales will shortly have its fifth Premier in seven years following the bombshell resignation of Barry O’Farrell, who was today embarrassed by the emergence of a card in which he thanked Australian Water Holdings boss Nick Di Girolamo for a $3000 bottle of wine he yesterday denied having received. O’Farrell is the state’s second Liberal Premier to have been brought down by the exertions of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Nick Greiner having fallen foul of an adverse ruling in 1992 involving a job offer to Liberal-turned-independent MP Terry Metherell. It now falls to the Liberal Party to find a replacement: without being too aware of the daily machinations of New South Wales politics, my immediate presumption was that the Treasurer, Mike Baird, would be the front-runner. However, I am seeing Gladys Berejiklian, Andrew Constance, Brad Hazzard and Jillian Skinner mentioned around the place.
[ outside left
Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 9:12 pm | PERMALINK
I want squeaky clean Mike!! ]
Isn’t he a happy clapper – might be a worry – another wierdo from ” the shire”?
feeney 595
‘The best thing about today’s events is witnessing Abbott’s press explosion, and patronising a journalist as “Madam”.
The journo should have booted Abbott for 24 hours.
A little snippet from last year
[On Friday the Treasurer, Mike Baird, who is a shareholding minister for State Water, declined to say whether Mr di Girolamo’s appointment – for three years at $34,300 a year – was assessed by an independent panel under rules announced by him in September 2011.
He said all board appointments are made on merit and approved by cabinet but the government ”does not discuss internal recruitment processes to ensure we attract high-quality candidates”.]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/libs-give-leading-fundraiser-water-board-role-20130301-2fbpi.html#ixzz2z30tpD2s
Not much movement in the betting to replace BOF
Baird $1.45
Berejiklian $3
Stoner in to $13
Constance in to $15
[457
poroti
As for whisky. An “unfortunate” incident at high school involving a bottle of Johnny Walker Red ruined any possible love affair with the brew for me.]
Red. There’s your problem. Should have stuck to black label.
[Mind you Glenmorangie is nae to bad.]
Aye.
A light drinker myself, but do like a shot of good scotch or rum every couple of days, with a fresh cup of good coffee for a chaser.
rossmcg @ 600: Noted. But since I gather he also said he had no memory of writing the note, he presumably meant that it looked indistinguishable from his handwriting, which would be true if (a) he wrote it himself; or (b) it was a first class forgery.
[573
confessions]
🙂
Donations to Liberal Party by AWH
[603
sprocket_
A little snippet from last year
On Friday the Treasurer, Mike Baird, who is a shareholding minister for State Water..]
…a shareholding minister…that must make him the minister for party donations….
I want a Federal ICAC
Mr O’Farrell is the first minister I can recall for a very long time to have resigned before anyone seriously called for his resignation. An interesting contrast with the ALP politicians in NSW who, by their own testimony, confirm that they knew that their party had been taken over by a bunch of crooks, but did nothing about it at the time.
Boy, Peter Hartc her is so far in the tank with th libs he needs scuba gear. Truly embarrassing attempt to defend Bazza
Pedant
I think you are clutching at straws. If there was seriously any doubt about the authenticity of the note I doubt BOF would have rolled over.
Seems like some in the Liberal Party are not so keen on a Premier Baird. lots of references leaking out tonight, such as this one.
Page 29 of the NSW estimates hearing makes some interesting reading, with Mike Baird expanding a wee bit on his relationship with Nick Di Geronimo
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/787f996b166debf0ca257bcd001b1d10/$FILE/47162686.PDF/Highlighted%20transcript%20-%20Uncorrected%20proof%20-%20Treasury%20-%20Industrial%20Relations.PDF
What did Nicola Berkovic ask Abbott?
Reportage of Abbott defending BOF today
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbott-defends-barry-ofarrell-as-a-man-of-honour-20140416-zqveh.html
pedant@611
He resigned because Di Girolamo reminded him that he knew where the bodies were buried, and could prove it.
Cud chewer
Article i just posted references the question by the journo
Shellbell, my BIL is a high flying Lawyer type, my wife is a legal sec , my youngest daughter is a legal sec, and I have told ’em all countlessly, they pull their ‘salaries’ from a godless industry. When I count my earnings after a hard week [tradie] it is with a clear conscience. That state of mind does not exist in your industry
Player one
Our esteemed msm would have us believe that BOF simply resigned over a bottle of wine
Player one , and that could possibly be a lot of bodies!
Victoria, the Dragons were stiffed on Monday night. And not the first time against Melbourne
Given Abbotts nauseating “defense” of O’Farrells lying to ICAC (sorry Tiny, there is no such thing as inadvertently lying), as well as his patronising stropyness in the presser, could it be that his turn under the microscope is not that far away ?
Outside left
I did not watch game, and only saw replay of the highlights. Quite an extraordinary game
Yesiree Bob@623
Good point. What makes anyone think that this will stop at BOF? after all, Sinodinos is already compromised. You can;t get much closer to Abbott than that.
I imagine a lot of librals are wahing thier underwear tonight
[625
Player One
…
as well as his patronising stropyness in the presser…]
Snarling is not a good look for a PM…not good at all.
Yeah, well I bloody well watched the game.
In the last three minutes of play, three scrums packed down. On all three occasions the Storm players quickly huddled to form the scrum forcing the ref to call time off.
No problems at all there, HOWEVER, on each occasion the LOUSY time keeper FAILED to resume the timing when the ball was fed into the scrum. The timing recommenced after the ball had cleared the scrum.
How bloody convenient for the home team?
The full 80 minutes of the time CLEARLY expired BEFORE the time keeper blew the full time whistle. This enabled the Storm not only time to play the ball, but to get another play AFTER full-time!
A DISGRACE, and I didn’t bet on the game.
That’s why we hate the Storm. One bad decision against them in 5 years and they whinge YET accept all the shit in their favour week in week out!
Let me not mince my words, madam Abbott said today.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/incensed-by-corruption-question-tony-abbott-tells-media-to-lift-standards-20140416-zqvkp.html
And Cameron Smith gets away with laying all over the attacking player in a tackle in his own 20m line week after week without being penalised.
Smith get your grubby hands off the ball and let him play it!
Oh and did you see the other Mexican Slater go off after he knocked on? First decision against him in 5 years and he carried on like a good sort!
So today, following the resignation, we have had the Abbott defence, the Hartcher defence, the PvO defence and the Greiner defence. In their eyes this is all but a miscarriage of justice, an over-reaction to an “honest” mistake.
Sorry guys, but when you spend years priming the electorate with hyperbole about alleged ALP dishonesty dont think the electorate will be fooled when one of your own is caught out with a blatant case of dishonesty.
Since the SA election the LNP House of Cards has been collapsing spectacularly, with the promise of more to come from the NSW Icac.
Oh for an Icac into into Ashbygate…..
briefly@627
He’s always been a snarling Pratt. Sooner, rather than latter, this will start to wash through to the electorate, especially if this ICAC starts to rope in any other Fiberal.
Centre
You know i dont care for NRL, but Camerkn Smith and billy Slater are Queenslanders and probably two of the best to have ever played the game
The NRL should transfer the points to St.George.
The game was completed, no further refereeing decision could have had any consequences to the game.
Storm – 2
Dragons + 2
Rossmore
I would love Ashbygate to be exposed , but i wont be holding my breath
Victoria
Nothing to do with the preferential treatment they are afforded, along with that other Cronk, week in week out.
NRL – WAKE UP!
Centre
As i said, not interested in the NRL, but these players are quite exceptional
The Geek on twitter
[Is Nick Di Girolamo the Liberal NSW kingmaker a la Geoff Shaw in Victoria. #nswpol #springst #auspol]
Not arguing with Slater and Cronk, they’re talented players but irrelevant to the point.
Cameron Smith is one of the most overrated players in the game, has been for years.
This whole situation reminds me of just posted twitter post by Historical Pictures:
Historical Pictures @AncientPics 14m
16 April 1789 – George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration. pic.twitter.com/KkN4aLiXQv
“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.”
Cronk tells Smith what to do – hilarious!
These things always happen in threes, don’t they ?
Artie Sinodonis, Fatty Obarrell, T………
Anyone got a head count for tomorrow’s apparent vote?
Is a majority forming for Mike or Gladys?
Anyone close to the NSW Libs?
Poor Old Gerry Henderson doesn’t look too happy, does he ?
[642
Yesiree Bob
These things always happen in threes, don’t they ?]
It says a lot about NSW politics that nearly everyone expects there will be more, lots more…
Go Gladys 😐
Gerry, just because ICAC isn’t catching the guys you want it to catch, but is instead catching your blokes, is no reason for the Goal posts to change.
Your team stuffed up, drink it up sweatheart.
Henderson is being comedic on Lateline tonnight.
Kate McClymont his adversary. Shooting him down big time 😆
Night all
“@MayneReport: Gerard Henderson is sounding on Lateline like he has drunk the bottle of Grange. This anti-ICAC ranting is a disgrace. Pipe and slippers Gez”