Senator Doug Cameron outside the ICAC hearing / Pic: John Grainger Source: The Daily Telegraph
SENATOR Doug Cameron believed in Ian Macdonald's "integrity" when he backed him to remain a NSW minister while others within the Labor Party fought to boot out the now-disgraced politician, ICAC heard yesterday.
Seven years and three corruption investigations into Mr Macdonald later, Mr Cameron yesterday told ICAC that at the time he believed his mate deserved the chance "to go out (of politics) with some dignity".
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the link between Mr Macdonald and Mr Cameron went beyond the political sphere. Mr Cameron's lawyer daughter Fiona worked in Mr Macdonald's office between 2003 and 2010, mainly as a policy adviser.
Sources close to Mr Macdonald said Ms Cameron was responsible for the NSW Food Authority and state development. She worked in his office until he was dumped as minister in 2010.
In 2006, when senior Labor figures raised concerns about Mr Macdonald during a lunch at Sydney's Noble House Chinese restaurant, Mr Cameron was the national secretary of the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union.
Some Labor figures, including then-assistant party secretary Luke Foley, wanted Mr Macdonald out but Mr Cameron said yesterday he'd believed Mr Macdonald's "long parliamentary career" should count in his favour.
"No one had raised any issues with me about Mr Macdonald's integrity. All I knew was that he was a hard-working and effective minister," he said.
But before the corruption watchdog now are events that took place two years after that lunch - at a time when Mr Macdonald awarded a lucrative mining exploration licence to a group of investors, which included former CFMEU national president John Maitland, without a competitive tender.
Mr Cameron told ICAC he believed Mr Macdonald wanted to stay in parliament because he was having "financial difficulties" supporting a daughter's education and also wanted to go to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a minister.
"You don't remember him advancing any policy or political reason why he should continue in his position?" Peter Braham SC, counsel assisting the inquiry, asked.
"My memory is sketchy on this but he defended his political standing ... but, you know, he was a good minister and a competent minister," Mr Cameron said. He said he had "no recollection whatsoever" of telling others at the lunch that "Macca ... is a mate and we should continue to support him".
Mr Cameron said outside the ICAC that the corruption allegations under investigation were "horrendous and rock me to the core".
ICAC is investigating whether Mr Macdonald "conferred an improper favour or benefit" on Mr Maitland, who turned a $165,000 outlay in the Doyles Creek mining licence into a $15 million windfall within three years.
CFMEU boss Tony Maher told ICAC yesterday he thought John Maitland was "chasing rainbows" over the proposed training mine in the Hunter Valley and he had been worried it had the scent of corruption.
"If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's corruption," Mr Maher said.
The inquiry continues.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét