Watchdog reforms celebrated
Former NSW police minister Mike Gallacher has gleefully marked the passing of anti-corruption reforms and the sacking of its commissioner.
Meanwhile, critics say the ICAC has been weakened and politicised.
Mr Gallacher says the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has “had a pre-determined outcome” for every inquiry it held.
Gallacher was forced to resign as a minister and move to the crossbench after being publicly named in Liberal Party corruption inquiry in 2014, and has been unhappy witht he watchdog ever since.
The Government has now passed legislation overhauling the ICAC and forcing commissioner Megan Latham to reapply for her own position.
The bill restructures the ICAC to now have three commissioners, and new rules mean two of the three have to agree before inquiries can be held.
Labor says the Baird Government restructured ICAC in order to effectively sack Ms Latham for investigating the Liberal Party.
But Mr Gallacher said it needed to be reined-in, claiming ICAC acted as though it had
“no legal barriers”.
“Organisations blinded by their own righteousness who will do anything within their power to obtain the evidence it needs to set in concrete the case it is seeking to prove is a breeding ground for noble cause corruption,” he said.
“If ICAC cannot prosecute you, they persecute you.
“I'm often asked as being forced to resign as leader and minister of this house on the 2nd of May 2014 why I would want to stay in Parliament.
“The reason is simple, it's an honour to be here ... and besides that I like my job.
“And despite the occasional challenges, some days just come along where it just cannot get any better, and let me tell you that's exactly how I feel today.”
Former commissioner David Ipp said Ms Latham was being run out because she was too independent.
“I think it is a scandalous move,” he told the ABC.
Former ICAC chief, Anthony Whealy, said the reforms were a way to sack the commissioner in the middle of her tenure.
“It's absolutely stunning that this has happened and there seems to be no justification for it whatsoever,” he told the ABC.
“I think it's very wrong and very harmful and should be very damaging to the Baird Government.
“It's outrageous and shameful. This is a means of dampening down the ICAC and removing its powers.”