[Greens-Media] NSW Greens Call for Minister Tripodi to Resign

[Christopher Holley]

NSW Greens MPs today called for Government Minister Joe Tripodi to resign after details of his profiting from the sale of public housing were made public.

“At the same time as low income earners have found it almost impossible to get access to public housing Joe Tripodi, a former Housing Minister and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, has been reaping private profits from the sell-off of public housing stock,” said Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP.

“We have to wait for the ICAC to decide if he has been corrupt, but we don’t need an ICAC inquiry to tell us that Joe Tripodi’s actions stink of double standards and profiteering at the expense of the poor and he should not be a Minister.”

“The Greens intend to pursue this issue during upcoming estimates committee hearings and when parliament resumes.”

“We will be calling for a full public audit of all sales of public housing during the term of the Labor government,” declared Ms Hale.

“It also demonstrates the laxity of the parliamentary disclosure rules. The Greens will be moving in the next session of parliament to tighten up those rules to ensure that the property assets of politicians and their spouses and dependents are publicly disclosed,” said Ms Rhiannon.

“The Tripodi scandal is part of a wider web of relationships between the Labor Party and property developers,” said Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.

 “Electoral Office figures reveal that property developers and construction companies have donated over $9 million to the Labor Party in the last five years.” 

For a full summary of property developer donations to all political parties go to www.democracy4sale.org 

Further information: Chris Holley 9230 3030 / 0437 779 546