Arthur Sinodinos: tricky politics can't hide substance of allegations
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Version 0 of 1. Arthur Sinodinos has done what he was always going to have to do, and stood aside as assistant treasurer while the Icac hearings continue. The prime minister is right when he says Sinodinos “has done the right and decent thing” while the inquiry is under way. But the right and decent thing happened in a politically tricky way – seconds before question time, and after Coalition senators had spent the entire morning denouncing the very suggestion that he should stand aside or make an explanation as being an unthinkable smear on an honourable man. For those who may not have spent the morning tuned in to the red chamber, George Brandis lambasted Labor’s John Faulkner for even suggesting Sinodinos had questions to answer. “He is an officer of the order of Australia,” the attorney-general thundered, as if that settled things once and for all. “He is a person of the highest integrity.” “Let us not forget the stature and the quality of the Australian against whom this disgraceful smear is being made,” said Eric Abetz, who pointed out that parliament should not set it itself up as “judge and jury” – which is, of course, correct, but has never stopped it before. We now know that Sinodinos was, during this time, telling the prime minister he had decided to stand down. It was all tactical political theatre. Like everyone, Sinodinos deserves the chance to be heard before the inquiry. And he is a man who has earned respect during his long time in politics. But he is facing some serious questions. He was appointed a director and then chairman of Australian Water Holdings in order to open doors with the Liberal party, Icac has heard. He was also the treasurer of the NSW Liberal party at the time. The company made generous donations to the Liberal party and used a legal loophole to charge to Sydney Water – in effect, to NSW taxpayers – enormous “administrative expenses” including Sinodinos’s own extremely generous salary and the aforementioned donations to the Liberal party. If Sinodinos knew about all these arrangements it raises serious questions of probity. If he didn’t it raises serious questions of competence. And that has been the case since the evidence that emerged on Monday and throughout all the political posturing and tactics that have engulfed parliament ever since. |