00:00 Well, look, this is this government's first scalp, just over four months since it was
00:05 elected after so long in opposition.
00:08 The Premier called a snap media conference this afternoon at about 4.15, which is never
00:13 good news usually for a government, to announce that he had learned that Tim Crackenthorpe,
00:17 who's the Minister for Skills, Tape and The Hunter, had failed to disclose that his family
00:23 held significant property interests in The Hunter and that there were concerns that they
00:28 may have given rise to a conflict of interest between decisions that he was dealing with
00:33 and matters that he was dealing with in his public duties and his private interests.
00:37 Now Chris Mins said that he had talked to Mr Crackenthorpe and told him that he could
00:42 no longer remain in the job and he's also referred him to the corruption watchdog.
00:48 Here's what Chris Mins had to say a short time ago.
00:51 Minister Crackenthorpe did not supply information about substantial private family holdings
00:57 in The Hunter region until recently, when he should have, constituting a clear breach
01:02 of the ministerial code.
01:03 I have forwarded that information and other information to the Independent Commission
01:08 Against Corruption for an inquiry by them if they choose to do so.
01:12 Obviously we were elected not long ago with a promise to restore trust and integrity to
01:18 public matters and public life.
01:20 OK Sarah, so what happens from here?
01:25 Well look, the ICAC will look at this matter and see whether it thinks it is worth investigating.
01:30 At this stage we don't know what kind of portfolio this area, this conflict of interest came
01:35 up in, whether it was a mining matter or some other kind of issue which potentially created
01:40 it.
01:41 However we do know that for the time being Mr Crackenthorpe will stay in the Labor Party
01:45 room and Mr Mins says if the ICAC decides that this is worth an investigation then that
01:50 will no longer be allowed to be the case.
01:53 In the meantime his portfolios are being taken over by the Deputy Premier Pru Kha and the
01:58 Police Minister Yasmin Katli, at least temporarily until Mr Mins has made a decision about who
02:04 will fill them permanently.
02:05 However he has said this is a breach of the ministerial code and he has lost confidence
02:09 in Tim Crackenthorpe's ability to stay as a minister so he certainly won't be making
02:14 a return to this portfolio by the sounds of it, even if the ICAC decides there's nothing
02:18 to investigate.
02:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments