Sir Les Patterson Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 There has to be some common sense applied. It's a bottle of wine whether he knew the value or not. Why can't he be held accountable in another way that doesn't involve him losing his job. Why doesn't he just get a fine and be some with it. NSW govt keeps one of their 'most honest' pollies and they can get on with things without interruption and embarrassment. BTW I wonder how many gifts the Queen has received over the years that have been paid for by taxpayers. Spose she should lose her job as well since she's a public servant too. What part of lying under oath to a corruption inquiry are you having difficulty with ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) The crime doesn't justify the time. Lying is a bit strong IMO I think he genuinly couldn't remember. He's a premier with a full diary and would have thousands of entries in his diary over the last 3 years. He should have been given some leeway and the press reports say more or less the same thing. Can't a politician make a mistake ? I'd be more willing to forgive a man who had a clean record than one eh was rotten to the core. Sorry but something smells fishy about this. An element in the party that wants him out and took the opportunity to set him up. It's just so obvious. Edited April 18, 2014 by jasepom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 He was definitely setup. The thankyou note was not offered on day 1. They waited until he emphatically denied it before producing the thank you note the next day. However Barry O'Farrell was a bit stupid. If he had just said the usual Ï cannot recall receiving a bottle of grange, he wouldn't have been forced to resign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Absolutely they could have phoned him explained about the note and given him the opportunity to explain. But they sprung it on him at the best possible moment to damage him. It was precision expulsion IMO. That's why Aussie politics is rotten. Throw the baby out with the bath water !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 yep, definitely set up by persons unknown.......this is obviously a forgery.......I say again what part of lying under oath to a commission against corruption are you having difficulty with.....FFS it's not rocket science Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 That doesn't mean he wasn't setup or that he was lying. He legitimately forgot about receiving this wine but made the mistake about emphatically denying it. He was setup - note produced on day 2 forcing him to resign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) I get what your saying Les. It's a note written 3 years ago. Doesn't alter my opinion that he made a mistake and the note was held back to cause maximum damage. FFS does it not occur to you that he may have got setup. He probably had lots of offers of gifts when he was elected. Maybe he did forget maybe he didn't Was it worth resigning over. No way. BTW IT WAS 3 YEARS AGO. If it was last month you would resign. Edited April 18, 2014 by jasepom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/LA/precdent.nsf/0/17D6715BD9124FFACA25788B001A1537 3 Gifts (a) Members must declare all gifts and benefits received in connection with their official duties, in accordance with the requirements for the disclosure of pecuniary interests. (b) Members must not accept gifts that may pose a conflict of interest or which might give the appearance of an attempt to improperly influence the Member in the exercise of his or her duties. © Members may accept political contributions in accordance with part 6 of the Election Funding Act 1981. from the provided link.......pretty straightforward I would have thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 You should have heard that ageing queen Jones bleating about it during the week. If it had been a Labor member we'd have heard nothing else for 6 mths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 BOF has not 'done the honourable thing'. He lied under oath to the ICAC about receiving a bribe. He was caught out - he had no option but to quit. He could have got five years in prison for what he did. For those who say it's 'just a bottle of wine', it's not - it's about the whole culture of lobbying, favours-for-the-mates, and being accountable. BOF came in to parliament claiming he would sweep away the rot of the previous ALP government. Within days of taking office he was accepting - with nice little thank you notes - expensive gifts from those he knew were seeking favourable contracts. When put on the spot about this, he vehemently denied it. I've met BOF at a private function and he is not an idiot - he's a very smart guy and knows what a bottle of Penfold Grange 1959 is worth, he wouldn't forget it. Just shows that the NSW Libs have their snouts in the trough as much as the ALP did. Lesson to be learned? NSW needs to to get really tough with the the lobbying/jobs-for-the-mates culture. We need more mandatory transparency on political donations, lobbying and conflicts of interest. We also need more media diversity - with the likes of the Murdoch family and pay-for-comment Alan Jones dominating the media, it's no wonder that BOF and Eddie Obeid can get away with this stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 (edited) It seams that uk mp culture is spreading down to oz , they are only sorry when they get caught, BOF must be a very intelligent person otherwise he would not have got to the position he has , to say he can't remember is total nonsense , by the looks of it he has been stitched / up set up but the ammunition was put there by himself for someone to use by not declaring and then lying about it. I am afraid that there is a lot of corruption involved in politics from grass route level up to the top and a lot are driven by greed and what they can make out of it for themselves, it's about time that they were made accountable for there actions and not be able to simply walk away without consequence . Edited April 18, 2014 by Rallyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 He could have been given the opportunity to explain himself. He was not corrupt by colleagues accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 No one (of any standing) has accused Barry O'Farrell of being corrupt, including ICAC or even the Labor party. Just a few anonymous posters on here who don't know what they are talking about. He may be guilty of sloppy reporting of gifts or a bad memory but that is about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Highly unlikely he could not remember such a special bottle of wine especially as 1959 was his birth year and he refers to that in his thank you note and his wife has no recollection either???? Tony Abbott should not be defending him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 For someone who was a staunch supporter of ICAC he was hoisted by his own petard. The ICAC has been accussed of besmirching people's reputations. I actually feel sorry for BOF he made a mistake and has paid dearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) The plot thickens.....parleycross,jasepom, maryrose, Ellie2 et al..............you still think he was just a victim of circumstance? http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/job-offer-after-wine-gift-20140418-36wg1.htm Edited April 19, 2014 by Sir Les Patterson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 He may be guilty of sloppy reporting of gifts or a bad memory but that is about it. When you are employed you sign a contract with conditions. "Reporting of gifts" is a condition of employment by a politician...and a particularly well known and sensitive one given problems caused to other pollies by not registering such "interests". It's not exactly the first time this subject has been contentious in Australian politics. You'd expect any pollie with any nous to be particularly diligent in this area. "Sloppy reporting" is either incompetence ...or deliberate omission. As for "bad memory": if a $3000 bottle of 59 Grange is so forgettable, it begs the question....how many other extravagant, expensive gifts are these people receiving that it became so insignificant and forgettable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Two weeks after receiving the bottle of Grange Hermitage that would lead to his resignation as premier, Barry O'Farrell was preparing to appoint the man who bought the extravagant gift, businessman Nick Di Girolamo, to a well-paid position on a government board. A May 3, 2011, email from the director general of Mr O'Farrell's department, Chris Eccles, introduces Mr Di Girolamo to senior departmental officers as ''our replacement board member''. When Mr Di Girolamo's name was raised for a board appointment in the May email, Mr O'Farrell had failed to declare that only two weeks earlier he had been the recipient of a $3000 gift from Mr Di Girolamo. The email raises further questions about the former Premier's claim that he cannot remember the lavish gift, which the Independent Commission Against Corruption this week revealed was delivered to Mr O'Farrell's then Roseville home on April 20. from the SMH article.......no "sloppy reporting" or "bad memory" evident here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Yep it's one big mess and he should have declared the gift. But business leaders have always been involved in fundraising events so nothing unusual there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie 2 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 As we are all giving opinions on the subject with very little knowledge, it would be interesting to know the answer to: Would B O'F have given the job to this person if he had not received the wine? Doubt that will ever be answered. Personally. I take most things I read in newspapers with a pinch of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 That is definitely suspicious looking I agree if true. Of course we don't know whether being given the wine made any difference to any subsequent decisions made by the government. But the perception is bad. He has definitely done the wrong thing one way or another and it has cost him his job. Whether we can call him corrupt though, I don't know and we are just guessing really. But I agree this latest revelation doesn't sound good. On the other hand I believe AWH did not win any government work so who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Wot he should have wrote: "Dear Nick, Thank you for the wonderful bottle of wine. However, as a holder of public office you should know that I cannot accept gifts of any value, especially from those who may gain from government policy decisions. I am returning the package unopened. I made quite clear when I was elected Premier that we have to put a end to the toxic culture of lobbying and favouritism that flourished under the ALP in NSW. cheers Bazza PS I have noted this unsolicited donation (and its refusal) on my online register of interests." Edited April 20, 2014 by MichaelP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Les Patterson Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hit the nail on the head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownEyedGal Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Like Terminator 1 said "I'll be back", ditto for Barry O'Farrell. I think BOF was one of the better politicians - not that I really understand it all. But he sticks in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasepom Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Who can understand Aussie politics when you can wake up one day and find that the Prime minister has suddenly had a sex change. Backstabbing seems to be a sport here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.