Barry O Farrell resigns over a bottle of wine[/b]
Barry O’Farrell has resigned as the New South Wales premier after announcing that a signed thank you note for a $3,000 bottle of wine had been tendered to the Independent Commission against Corruption (Icac).
On Wednesday morning the inquiry received a card from O’Farrell to former Australian Water Holdings (AWH) chief executive Nick Di Girolamo thanking him for his gift of wonderful wine. O’Farrell denied receiving the bottle of 1959 Penfolds Grange when he gave evidence to Icac on Tuesday. Di Girolamo had told the inquiry he had sent the wine to O’Farrell. Announcing his resignation at a press conference at the state parliament, O’Farrell said that I’ve been advised overnight that a thank you note from me in relation to the bottle of wine will be presented.
He said that he still can’t recall the receipt of the gift of the bottle of 59 Grange. I can’t explain what happened to that bottle of wine, but I do accept that if there is a thank you note signed by me and as someone who believes in accountability I accept the consequences of my actions. He said the evidence that he gave Icac on Tuesday was to the best of my knowledge. I believed it to be truthful, he said. In a statement, O'Farrell maintained that he did not set out to deceive Icac. In no way did I seek to mislead willfully or (otherwise mislead) the Independent Commission against Corruption, he said. That would go against everything I am. He said there would be a meeting of the parliamentary Liberal party next week where he would resign and enable a new leader to be elected premier of New South Wales. Icac is investigating AWH and the circumstances around its attempt to secure a public-private partnership deal to deliver water infrastructure to Sydney’s north-west. People linked to the company stood to make millions of dollars from the deal, the inquiry has heard, including the former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid and Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos.
Di Girolamo claimed on Tuesday he had sent O’Farrell the wine from 1959, the year the premier was born as a gift after the state Liberals won office in March 2011. The courier company that was said to have delivered the wine from the headquarters of AWH to O’Farrell’s home, Direct Couriers Australia, was asked to provide documentary evidence to the corruption inquiry on Wednesday a spokesman for the company said the Wednesday morning deadline set by Icac had been met. All the documents have been supplied, he said.
Barry O’Farrell has resigned as the New South Wales premier after announcing that a signed thank you note for a $3,000 bottle of wine had been tendered to the Independent Commission against Corruption (Icac).
He said that he still can’t recall the receipt of the gift of the bottle of 59 Grange. I can’t explain what happened to that bottle of wine, but I do accept that if there is a thank you note signed by me and as someone who believes in accountability I accept the consequences of my actions. He said the evidence that he gave Icac on Tuesday was to the best of my knowledge. I believed it to be truthful, he said. In a statement, O'Farrell maintained that he did not set out to deceive Icac. In no way did I seek to mislead willfully or (otherwise mislead) the Independent Commission against Corruption, he said. That would go against everything I am. He said there would be a meeting of the parliamentary Liberal party next week where he would resign and enable a new leader to be elected premier of New South Wales. Icac is investigating AWH and the circumstances around its attempt to secure a public-private partnership deal to deliver water infrastructure to Sydney’s north-west. People linked to the company stood to make millions of dollars from the deal, the inquiry has heard, including the former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid and Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos.
Di Girolamo claimed on Tuesday he had sent O’Farrell the wine from 1959, the year the premier was born as a gift after the state Liberals won office in March 2011. The courier company that was said to have delivered the wine from the headquarters of AWH to O’Farrell’s home, Direct Couriers Australia, was asked to provide documentary evidence to the corruption inquiry on Wednesday a spokesman for the company said the Wednesday morning deadline set by Icac had been met. All the documents have been supplied, he said.