This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/19/arthur-sinodinos-stands-down-as-assistant-treasurer
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Arthur Sinodinos stands down as assistant treasurer | Arthur Sinodinos stands down as assistant treasurer |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Arthur Sinodinos has stepped down as the assistant treasurer while the Independent Commission Against Corruption completes its investigation into Australian Water Holdings (AWH), of which he was a director. | Arthur Sinodinos has stepped down as the assistant treasurer while the Independent Commission Against Corruption completes its investigation into Australian Water Holdings (AWH), of which he was a director. |
| “I do not want this sideshow to be an unnecessary distraction to the important work of the government,” he told the Senate just before question time. | “I do not want this sideshow to be an unnecessary distraction to the important work of the government,” he told the Senate just before question time. |
| Sinodinos thanked his colleagues for their “strong support and their ongoing faith in my integrity”. | Sinodinos thanked his colleagues for their “strong support and their ongoing faith in my integrity”. |
| “The Icac is an important forum, the appropriate forum, for me to answer any questions in relation to this matter,” he said. | “The Icac is an important forum, the appropriate forum, for me to answer any questions in relation to this matter,” he said. |
| The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, will act as the assistant treasurer. | The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, will act as the assistant treasurer. |
| The prime minister, Tony Abbott, has continued to publicly support Sinodinos and said it was his decision alone to step aside. | The prime minister, Tony Abbott, has continued to publicly support Sinodinos and said it was his decision alone to step aside. |
| “What we see here is a member of this parliament doing the right and the honourable thing … which is what you’d expect from someone like Senator Sinodinos who has given their country, given our country, such long and faithful and decent service,” he said. | “What we see here is a member of this parliament doing the right and the honourable thing … which is what you’d expect from someone like Senator Sinodinos who has given their country, given our country, such long and faithful and decent service,” he said. |
| During question time Abbott said: “I just want to make it absolutely clear that what we see here is a member of the parliament doing the right and honourable thing,” before adding that he looked forward to seeing Sinodinos “back in the ministry” soon. | |
| Sinodinos stood to make between $10m and $20m from his role at AWH had the company won a lucrative state government contract, Icac was told, and was paid $200,000 for 100 hours’ work a year. | Sinodinos stood to make between $10m and $20m from his role at AWH had the company won a lucrative state government contract, Icac was told, and was paid $200,000 for 100 hours’ work a year. |
| Senior Liberal party figures, including the former prime minister John Howard, have been effusive in their praise and support of Sinodinos but the Labor party has mounted a concerted campaign to put pressure on him to step aside. | Senior Liberal party figures, including the former prime minister John Howard, have been effusive in their praise and support of Sinodinos but the Labor party has mounted a concerted campaign to put pressure on him to step aside. |
| Senate debated for three hours on Wednesday morning whether to force Sinodinos to make a statement explaining himself . It wrapped up only when the president stepped in at 1.45pm, saying it was time for matters of public interest. | |
| Icac is in its first week of a three-week hearing but Sinodinos will also be examined at a separate hearing at the end of April into a slush fund and businesspeople associated with it. | Icac is in its first week of a three-week hearing but Sinodinos will also be examined at a separate hearing at the end of April into a slush fund and businesspeople associated with it. |
| A senior manager at AWH, William MacGregor-Fraser, took the stand on Wednesday just before Sinodinos resigned and was asked if he thought the minister’s salary seemed excessive. | |
| He replied: “Yes, it does a little bit.” | He replied: “Yes, it does a little bit.” |
| MacGregor-Fraser said Sinodinos did not have experience in water infrastructure when he was hired but denied he was given the job to open doors to Liberal politicians, contradicting evidence given by AWH’s former executive chairman John Rippon on Tuesday. | MacGregor-Fraser said Sinodinos did not have experience in water infrastructure when he was hired but denied he was given the job to open doors to Liberal politicians, contradicting evidence given by AWH’s former executive chairman John Rippon on Tuesday. |
| The family of the corrupt former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid were allegedly “secret stakeholders” in AWH and could have made up to $60m from the deal. Icac heard Sinodinos was brought into the company in 2008 as a connection to the Liberal party and corruptly lobbied his New South Wales colleagues to grant AWH the contract. | |
| At the time he was the treasurer of the state branch of the Liberal party and was soon to become its president. At one point he was one of five directors of AWH when it had only 10 employees. | At the time he was the treasurer of the state branch of the Liberal party and was soon to become its president. At one point he was one of five directors of AWH when it had only 10 employees. |
| AWH also gave $75,000 to the Liberal party in 2008 which it allegedly put down as an expense to the state-owned Sydney Water, though Sinodinos had said he did not have any knowledge about the donation. | AWH also gave $75,000 to the Liberal party in 2008 which it allegedly put down as an expense to the state-owned Sydney Water, though Sinodinos had said he did not have any knowledge about the donation. |
| The Liberal party returned the donation in 2011. | The Liberal party returned the donation in 2011. |
| Sinodinos stepped down from the company and relinquished his shareholdings to AWH in 2011 when he took up a Senate vacancy. | Sinodinos stepped down from the company and relinquished his shareholdings to AWH in 2011 when he took up a Senate vacancy. |
| Senate opposition leader Penny Wong has accused the government of colluding in a “cover-up” with Sinodinos but high-ranking Liberal members and parliamentarians have stood behind him. | |
| Howard said it was not appropriate for him to comment on the substance of the matter but he supported the senator. | Howard said it was not appropriate for him to comment on the substance of the matter but he supported the senator. |
| “Arthur Sinodinos is a man of great integrity and ability,” he said. “I continue to hold him in the highest regard.” | “Arthur Sinodinos is a man of great integrity and ability,” he said. “I continue to hold him in the highest regard.” |