[Greens-Media] Liberals loosing moral authority to govern in NSW

[John Kaye]

Liberals loosing moral authority to govern in NSW

Media release: 2 May 2014

Allegations of corrupt behaviour involving senior Liberal party MPs call into doubt the continued ability of the Baird government to function, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: "The third most senior Liberal in the NSW Parliament has had to step aside after being accused of conducting corrupt dealings with a developer.

"This is a government that has lost its moral authority.

"Corruption allegations at the senior levels of the Liberal party have taken out two ministers and others are now in the firing line.

"Public confidence has been entirely eroded.

"Premier Mike Baird cannot bluff his way through this.

"Immediate reform of his Liberal party and emergency legislation to expose lobbying to public scrutiny and kill off dodgy donation practices are only one part of the long process of restoring integrity in NSW.

"The government's mandate to run the state has been effectively squandered.

"The day-to-day decisions are now being taken in what has become a democratic vacuum.

"The parliament must step in and tighten its oversight of executive government and each minister must be open and accountable to the public and the legislature.

"This is a crisis moment for NSW.

"Premier Baird should tell his ministers to change their dismissive and arrogant approach to parliament and the public.

"He should bring to an end the practice of ministers hiding unpleasant and inconvenient truths with torrents of verbal abuse thrown at the Opposition and the Greens.

"After the exposure of corruption amongst senior Labor figures, public trust in politics was already at an historic low point.

"The political culture of NSW must change right now or face the consequences of a complete collapse in public engagement in the future of the state," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455


-------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

P: (02) 9230 2668 | F: facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc<http://www.facebook.com/john.kaye.mlc> | T: @johnkgreens<twitter.com/johnkgreens> | W: www.johnkaye.org.au<http://www.johnkaye.org.au>
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

This email is solely for the named addressee and may be confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please notify the sender by email immediately and then destroy any copy of this message. Except where otherwise specifically stated, views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual sender.
[Description: MC900437266[1]]  Please consider the environment before printing this email.