IS THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC) A NSW LABOR GOVERNMENT TOOL?

In March 2008, NSW Opposition Liberal-National Leader Barry O’Farrell launched a scathing attack on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) accusing them of ducking State Government corruption claims.  He said the ICAC was a far cry from the fearless watchdog it was under with former Commissioners Ian Temby and Barry O’Keefe.

He said that although Mr. Temby was appointed by former Premier Nick Greiner to head the ICAC for the ICAC for its first 5 years, he was obviously no Liberal Party pin-up because a finding of corrupt conduct led to Mr. Greiner’s resignation in 1992.

ICAC found Mr. Greiner acted corruptly by appointing his former Education Minister, Terry Metherell, to a Public Service position in return for resigning from his safe Liberal seat.  The finding was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Mr Temby was much more demanding of the Government than the incumbent Commissioner Jerrold Cripps, Mr, O’Farrell said.  He added that politicians were no longer fearful of the ICAC “because its inner spring has wound down.”

“That’s best evidenced by its refusal to investigate the green’s reference to the ICAC of (Planning Minister) Frank Sartor’s alleged phoning of corporates for donations,” he said.

ICAC decided in February 2008 not to investigate an allegation made by the Greens that Mr. Sartor had called the managing director of Stockland and asked if the company would purchase a table at a political fund-raiser.  At the time, Mr. Sartor said he did not remember the phone call, which was alleged to have been made at a time that he was considering substantial development applications from Stockland.

“I do not believe Ian Temby or his successor would have sat by and allowed a Government to give a Planning Minister so much centralised planning power that he or she would make decisions on development applications of political donors to their party,” Mr. O’Farrell said.

An ICAC spokeswoman refused to comment. Why?  You can Link Update April 2008 and judge for yourself whether ICAC is covering up for the NSW Labor Government.