Mike Baird to wrongdoers: 'I'm your worst nightmare
Mike Baird has delivered a stern warning to anyone found guilty of wrongdoing during recent investigations by the state's corruption watchdog: "I'm your worst nightmare."
The Premier is due to meet newly appointed NSW Liberal party state director Tony Nutt on Wednesday afternoon to discuss evidence aired during hearings of the Independent Commission Against Corruption into allegations of illegal political donations.
The ICAC has heard claims that some of the party's most senior officials, including finance director Simon McInnes, were complicit in seeking to disguise payments from prohibited donors to bankroll the NSW Liberal 2011 election campaign.
Labor has called on Mr Baird to shut down the party's main fundraising body, the Millennium Forum, which the ICAC has heard was used to launder banned donations, along with another entity called the Free Enterprise Foundation.
Asked if that was a reasonable demand, Mr Baird said that "what's reasonable is we need to clean up the culture of politics in NSW".
"We'll be taking appropriate responses and we'll be doing it in a way that restores trust and confidence, not only to the party but to the entire government process," he said.
Mr Baird's predecessor, Barry O'Farrell, resigned as premier during a previous inquiry into infrastructure company Australian Water Holdings after giving false evidence in relation to the gift of a $3000 bottle of Grange Hermitage from a Liberal party fundraiser, Nick Di Girolamo.
The hearings focused fresh scrutiny on to the culture of political lobbying in NSW.
Mr Baird said that it was "important that we stamp out the practices that we have seen ... I am shocked and appalled by the revelations I've seen, not just this week but over the past few weeks".
Mr Baird said he would not provide a running commentary on the ICAC. ''But I'll say this: I am determined to clean up events that we're seeing to make sure they do not happen again," Mr Baird said.
"I don't care what political badge you have. If you have done wrong and if ICAC has shown you have done wrong them I'm your worst nightmare.
"I'm going to do everything to restore confidence in the government. I'm going to do everything to restore confidence in the great party I'm part of.
"The actions that we take will be strong, they'll be swift and the community will see that we're determined to fix and ensure that events that have been unravelling for many weeks down at ICAC do not happen again.
Mike Baird has delivered a stern warning to anyone found guilty of wrongdoing during recent investigations by the state's corruption watchdog: "I'm your worst nightmare."
The Premier is due to meet newly appointed NSW Liberal party state director Tony Nutt on Wednesday afternoon to discuss evidence aired during hearings of the Independent Commission Against Corruption into allegations of illegal political donations.
The ICAC has heard claims that some of the party's most senior officials, including finance director Simon McInnes, were complicit in seeking to disguise payments from prohibited donors to bankroll the NSW Liberal 2011 election campaign.
Labor has called on Mr Baird to shut down the party's main fundraising body, the Millennium Forum, which the ICAC has heard was used to launder banned donations, along with another entity called the Free Enterprise Foundation.
Asked if that was a reasonable demand, Mr Baird said that "what's reasonable is we need to clean up the culture of politics in NSW".
"We'll be taking appropriate responses and we'll be doing it in a way that restores trust and confidence, not only to the party but to the entire government process," he said.
Mr Baird's predecessor, Barry O'Farrell, resigned as premier during a previous inquiry into infrastructure company Australian Water Holdings after giving false evidence in relation to the gift of a $3000 bottle of Grange Hermitage from a Liberal party fundraiser, Nick Di Girolamo.
The hearings focused fresh scrutiny on to the culture of political lobbying in NSW.
Mr Baird said that it was "important that we stamp out the practices that we have seen ... I am shocked and appalled by the revelations I've seen, not just this week but over the past few weeks".
Mr Baird said he would not provide a running commentary on the ICAC. ''But I'll say this: I am determined to clean up events that we're seeing to make sure they do not happen again," Mr Baird said.
"I don't care what political badge you have. If you have done wrong and if ICAC has shown you have done wrong them I'm your worst nightmare.
"I'm going to do everything to restore confidence in the government. I'm going to do everything to restore confidence in the great party I'm part of.
"The actions that we take will be strong, they'll be swift and the community will see that we're determined to fix and ensure that events that have been unravelling for many weeks down at ICAC do not happen again.
(30/4/2014 Sydney Morning Herald)
新南威爾斯新省長Baird新官上任，立即顯出新人事新作風，誓要根除官員議員接受商界的利益輸送，義正辭嚴，給人一種煥然一新的感覺。防微杜漸當然是正確的防貪看法，不過看了省長這番話，我就unimpressed。一言以蔽之：色厲內荏。省長講明自己會是違規人士的夢魘，講得好聽，可是，想深一層，動聽的話不中用。何解？我打個比喻，學生在校內做出犯法行為，訓導主任把持一切，他扮演了警察及法官的角色，他決定懲治方法，那麽，法律制度置於何位？省長可能是犯規的人的夢魘，但行為明顯犯法，就應該由法律制度來治他們，而不是由省長作人治。
這裏防貪治貪工作做得太差，廉署有權搜證、聽證，可惜聽完之後，有的證據就會變成不能呈堂了，有證變無證。有心打擊貪污，就要改革這裏的廉署，把它的權力擴大，變成類似香港那種模式。訂立打擊貪污的法例，逮捕檢控利益輸送，以權謀私的人，控以身為公職人員行為不當那類控罪，又何須交給訓導主任記過踢出校？如果你覺得O'Farrell為了那枝Grange罷了官已足夠，假如是曾蔭權、梁振英、湯顯明收受了出生年的Grange，輸送利益不被檢控，你接受得來嗎？如果你接受得來，你不是滿腦覬覦貪污機會的人，就是雙重標準，欠乏法治的心。省長如果真有治貪的決心，就應改組廉署，增訂法例，拿幾件有代表性的案出來殺鷄警猴，儆惡懲奸。這些案俯拾即是，罪不可逭的人，還使用打手板的方法，看通了就是色厲內荏，骨子裏是lukewarm water。省長這番話明進實退，分分鐘自己心中有鬼，拿個幌子出來擾亂視聽。
http://hkm.appledaily.com/detail.php?guid=18706293&category_guid=4104&category=daily&issue=20140501
回覆刪除Bill, 剛剛睇到上訴庭批准就DPP介入私人傳票並撤銷檢控的決定提出司法覆核, 似乎本案有機會成為繼RV v Director of Immigration同Chiang Lily v Secretary for Justice後另一單處理Attorney General's prerogative如何受基本法和人權法規限的案例. 唔知bill有咩高見呢?
這事不易評論，DPP介入私人傳票訴訟然後撤銷檢控也不罕見，等判辭上載了才看下有沒有能力評論。能夠的話，也只是愚見。
刪除