2019-09-18
Jamie Parker MP, the NSW Greens Spokesperson for anti-corruption, has condemned the government's refusal to debate an ICAC referral motion in the Lower House today.
The motion, proposed by Greens MLC David Shoebridge, was passed without objection in the Legislative Council this morning before being blocked in the Lower House.
The motion would refer the testimony of the Member for Drummoyne to the ICAC and asks the ICAC to examine whether the pecuniary interest disclosure regime, the Code of Conduct for Members and the NSW Ministerial Code of Conduct are sufficient to ensure MPs private interests and public duty do not conflict.
Jamie Parker MP, NSW Greens spokesperson on anti-corruption says:
"The government is running a protection racket.
"By refusing to deal with this motion today, the government is stopping the ICAC from doing the job of ensuring MPs are properly held to account in NSW.
"This breaks with hundreds of years of tradition in Parliament. It's astounding that the government would flatly refuse to consider a motion that has been sent to them by their government colleagues in the Upper House.
"The rules around disclosures and conflicts of interest are woefully inadequate and need to be urgently reviewed by the ICAC," he says.
David Shoebridge MP says:
"The government is clearly in disarray on this, they supported the ICAC referral in the morning and then turned around and opposed it in the afternoon.
"This is a far broader inquiry than just whether or not one Minister broke the rules, this is about whether or not the rules themselves are broken.
"The public are right to be sick and tired of MPs voting to protect each other rather than protect the people they are elected and paid to serve," Mr Shoebridge said.
Jamie Parker is available for interview.
Media contact - Eleanor Nurse - 0409 757 254