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FRE
February 26, 2014
Your independent local newspaper
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Issue 77
Local members withdraw from NSW Parliamentary Liberal Party he Member for Terrigal Mr Chris Hartcher, the Member for The Entrance Mr Chris Spence and the Member for Wyong Mr Darren Webber have all voluntarily withdrawn from the NSW Parliamentary Liberal Party until the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) proceedings relating to them are determined.
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The members are still members of Parliament and the Liberal Party, however, they have resigned from the Liberal Parliamentary Party meaning they will now sit on the cross benches with any independents present. The ICAC is investigating allegations of whether corrupt conduct occurred between April 2009 and April 2012, where certain members of parliament, including Mr Hartcher, Mr Webber and Mr Spence, and others are alleged to have corruptly solicited, received and concealed payments from various sources in return for certain members of parliament agreeing to favour the interests of those responsible for the payments. ICAC is also investigating whether between December 2010 and November 2011, certain members of parliament, including Mr Hartcher, Mr Webber and Mr Spence, and others, solicited, received and failed to disclose political donations from companies, including prohibited donors, contrary to the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981
and whether Eightbyfive, a business operated by Timothy Koelma, Mr Hartcher’s former senior advisor, and Australian Water Holdings Pty Ltd, through its CEO Mr Nicholas Di Girolamo, (currently a director on the board of the State Water Corporation) entered into an agreement whereby Australian Water Holdings Pty Ltd made regular payments to Eightbyfive, purportedly for the provision of media, public relations and other services and advice, in return for which Mr Hartcher favoured the interests of Australian Water Holdings Pty Ltd. As part of its investigation, the ICAC will hold a public inquiry starting on Monday, April 28, at Level 7, 133 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Mr Hartcher was contacted for comment but declined to comment on the matter. Media release, 19 Feb 2014 Alicia McCumstie, Liberal Party of Australia Kaitlin Watts, 19 Feb 2014 Website, 19 Feb 2014 Roy Waldon, Solicitor to the Commission, ICAC
Premier Mr Barry O’Farrell and Member for Terrigal Mr Chris Hartcher at the opening of Service NSW in Gosford