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.
Ru @ 289
If he does have much bigger things to hide he must be crapping himself now. Phone records, offers to recommend leniency or even immunity from prosecution will be massive incentives for those under the spotlight to cough up.
guytaur
Photo in your link
Abbott looking more like Frank Sinatra every day , in more ways than one.
Especially having taken the Casino King ( Packer) to China with him
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
Don’t get thank you notes from The Premier of NSW too often, he probably had it framed in his man cave. 🙂
KEVIN-ONE-SEVEN @259
‘While on the topic of NSW corruption, have many people on this blog ever read Cyril Pearl’s wild men of sydney. Fantastic read, if you can lay your hands on it.’
Covers a turbulent era in Australian social and political life. A trio of colourful villians who wroght a trail of havoc and scandal across the socail and political life of Australia.
5 bucks plus postage. I’ll get Barry a copy. Won’t get a receipt. Probably.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=11749100144&searchurl=an%3DCyril%2BPearl%26amp%3Bsts%3Dt
Well i’ve seen the footage of Tone’s reaction to the question and that is not a very PM like answer, maybe if the PM wants better standards he should start by finding a mirror.
His reaction is quite aggressive and somewhat contemptuous particularly considering the issue at this stage shouldn’t be impacting on the federal government.
Ruawake
One might keep it with one’s CV.
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
Someone who saw the possibilities. As I said earlier Nick Di Girolamo might have been very happy that Bazza didn’t declare the bottle.
Libertarian Unionist@294
I think you might be going off on a tangent.
Remember ICAC already had been advised of and handed the note.
ICAC would still probably be tapping Girolamo’s phone and the phones of others – so unlikely Girolamo had contact with BOF yesterday after BOF gave testiment.
But Girolamo has probably asked his lawyer should he tell ICAC about the note worried they will dig deeper – one version anyway, I’m sure many others can be generated.
“@702sydney: @Kate_McClymont says #BOF had no other option but to resign after giving false testimony to #ICAC”
BOF had to go – his recall of everything about that day EXCEPT receiving the bottle shows he constructed events to back his story – he made the mistake many liars do – his story was TOO elaborate…
@296
I’m quite taken with the idea of Barnarby putting a paper bag over his head. 🙂
guytaur@307
That is exactly how it is.
Straight down the line.
This is one ping Tones didn’t want to hear.
[I’m quite taken with the idea of Barnarby putting a paper bag over his head. ]
He would probably make more sense. 😉
If i received a hand written thank you note from a premier or high profile person i would most likely keep it.
Dave, I’m not saying that conversation happened.
I’m saying that NdG, in handing the note to the ICAC, could well be signalling to Bof his ability to “generate” more evidence, on other matters. What those matters might be is anyone’s guess.
[But they surely can recommend charges?]
ICAC can but they won’t for Barry. They would need to believe that Barry lied. The exchange between Watson SC and Barry does not suggest that.
Plus it is a distraction for ICAC from the main game which is targeting the uber bad guys of which there appears to be an abundance.
Libertarian Unionist
[ I’m saying that NdG, in handing the note to the ICAC, could well be signalling to Bof his ability to “generate” more evidence, on other matters. What those matters might be is anyone’s guess. ]
Yep – who knows ?
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
Three years.
[ “@702sydney: @Kate_McClymont says #BOF had no other option but to resign after giving false testimony to #ICAC”
That is exactly how it is.
Straight down the line.]
Argh, but why give the false testimony? That’s the question!
A brain fade is but one of many explanations.
“@hughriminton: Royals in, Premier out, another mining tragedy, Ukraine on the brink, new roads for Sydney – too much for 1 hour @TenNewsSydney goes 90 at 5”
Yep Abbott’s big day scuppered. It also managed to make coverage of Labor infighting after WA only a real story for WA.
[he made the mistake many liars do – his story was TOO elaborate…]
Yeah, it was obvious yesterday that things just didn’t add up with his testimony.
‘Boff’ v. trans.
To inflict terminal self-damage on one’s political career through disrememberation, mispeaking or a combination of the two; to forget important limiting factors on one’s political career, such as the existence of documentary evidence which directly contradicts what you say in public; to say under oath one thing while there is irrefutable evidence something else is true.
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
I would probably have such things kicking around in my office.
“@GreenJ: @vanOnselenP they should have released the audit commission report. #putouthetrash”
‘to make a mistake’
When the subject is a Liberal luminary, this phrase means that the subject has been caught in fraud, perjury, lying, rorting, bribery, stealing and/or conspiracy to damage democracy in some way, shape or form.
When the subject is a Liberal luminary, ‘integrity’ means that, when you are caught while making a ‘mistake’, you jump before you are pushed.
That WAS an excellent piece attributed to Jacquie Maley, Guytaur.
I wonder who wrote it.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/red-wine-destroys-tony-abbotts-redletter-day-20140416-zqvk0.html
If you work in the grey zone between legal, sort of legal, and crime, you never know do when a note might come in handy.
After all, there is no honour amongst thieves.
““@702sydney: @Kate_McClymont says #BOF had no other option but to resign after giving false testimony to #ICAC””
The Prime Minister of Australia praises a liar, proven to be so in a duly constituted Commission Against Corruption, as a man of integrity, and an honourable man.
What universe are we in?
@senthorun: This is probably the most tangential think to ask but: why did you have to declare a Paddington bear in 1984? http://t.co/CkZKoloV3R #auspol
In ICAC’s own words. They will next be looking directly at AWH bribing NSW Liberal Ministers.
[Operation Spicer will examine whether, between April 2009 and April 2012, certain members of parliament including Christopher Hartcher, Darren Webber and Christopher Spence, along with others including Timothy Koelma and Raymond Carter, corruptly solicited, received, and concealed payments from various sources in return for certain members of parliament favouring the interests of those responsible for the payments.
The Commission is also examining whether, between December 2010 and November 2011, certain members of parliament, including those mentioned above, and others, including Raymond Carter, solicited, received and failed to disclose political donations from companies, including prohibited donors, contrary to the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981.
Further allegations include whether Eightbyfive, a business operated by Mr Koelma, and AWH, through its chief executive officer, Mr Di Girolamo, entered into an agreement whereby AWH made regular payments to Eightbyfive, purportedly for the provision of media, public relations and other services and advice, in return for which Mr Hartcher favoured the interests of AWH.]
“…in return for which Mr Hartcher favoured the interests of AWH” Is the cruncher.
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
Tax receipts – proof he didn’t drink it himself: “personal use”.
This is a precursor to the next ICAC investigation. Labor in NSW just gained a lot more votes. Greiner / BOF , I love ICAC
Very true, but … how has bringing the note to light and bringing the premier down helped NdG? I think LU might be on to something there … and if bringing the premier down was what was required to make a point about … something … keeping schtum about something else? You have to wonder what the something else might be…
Wallarah 2 , come on down!! Spivs r us are in deep doodah. Lovin’ it !
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?]
As I said yesterday, a smart crook would keep meticulous records of communication, transactions etc they had with like minded people and politicians.
Hell, anyone dealing with politicians would be fools not to.
A while ago people were talking about John cain’s legendary standards on freebies.
I heard Phillip Adams tell once of how when he was at film Australia or something they would usually invite Cain to big opening nights but he never came. Eventually Adams caught up with him and asked him why and Cain answered that he would only attend if he could pay for his own ticket.
It’s a far cry from Tories who charge taxpayers to get to weddings, parties, football matches, anything
LU
[I’m saying that NdG, in handing the note to the ICAC, could well be signalling to Bof his ability to “generate” more evidence, on other matters. What those matters might be is anyone’s guess.]
My line of thinking too!
[Who would hang on to a thank you note for two years?
]
This is the sort of thing that happens in movies. The crooked mastermind keeps all sorts of things that might be useful at some stage – usually to blackmail someone into doing something.
mhilliard:
[I’m quite taken with the idea of Barnarby putting a paper bag over his head.]
Yes me too! Don’t let the Hungry Beast deter you Barnaby!
I believe this would be the 765th time since December 2009 that PB has declared Tony Abbott “gone”. I await the 766th.
muttleymcgee@327
Animal farm? 1984?
Nick de Geronimo held the thank you note for 3 years.
Who’s surprised.The underlying conservo ethos is the law of the jungle ….. look after No1! The thank you note was de G’s revenge insurance if O’F did not play ball as premier.
Apparently he didn’t cooperate in the ways de G wanted.
What has brought O’F down is the certainty with which he held yesterday that he did not , definitely did not, receive the vino. He left no wriggle room. He was emphatic about it.
“I don’t remember ever receiving the vino” was all he needed to say.
That may have been the truth, who knows, certainly not Diogenes (as he claimed way back on this thread).
As a result O’F has lost his job, rather than just having to endure being mocked like Sinodinos, for having a bad memory.
crikey whitey
I had quite a surprise after reading it to look to see who the author was.
[He (O’Farrell) said a thank you note would be tendered to the corruption inquiry for a $3000 bottle of wine he still cannot remember.]
O’Farrell’s inability to remember the Grange reminds of an old joke:
A: Why are you drinking so much?
B: I’m drinking to help me forget.
A: What are you trying to forget?
B: I’ve forgotten.
Compare and contrast. ( Omitted the paper bag bit).
Barnaby Joyce: ‘The Australian people are always emphatic about this and I don’t know where the truth lies in this, but they will forgive you a whole myriad of faults but you can never be seen to be taking a pecuniary benefit by reason of your office, that you don’t declare, and if you make a mistake you’ve got to live with the consequences…
With great office comes great responsibility and the higher you are the more you have to be guided by a stricter sense
of principles and Barry obviously believes he forgot about it, he forgot about it. He said well, it must have happened therefore I’ve done the wrong thing, as a person in high office you do the honourable thing straight away’.
<a href="mikehilliard@309
“>mikehilliard@309
mikehilliard@309
Compare and contrast.
Barry O’Farrell: ‘I accept the consequences of my actions.’
@theLIJ: Tips for recognising & avoiding a conflict of interest: http://t.co/ulfdXDybhb
[“I don’t remember ever receiving the vino” was all he needed to say.
That may have been the truth, who knows, certainly not Diogenes (as he claimed way back on this thread).]
If you genuinely can’t recall receiving a Grange worth $3K, ringing to thank someone for it and sending a thank you note, you have no place being in a position of responsibility.