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| Icac inquiry: former water minister says AWH was 'a flea on a dog' | Icac inquiry: former water minister says AWH was 'a flea on a dog' |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A former water minister regarded the company that was pushing for a deal that would have made the Obeid family and Arthur Sinodinos millions as a “flea on one of the many dogs I had to deal with”. | A former water minister regarded the company that was pushing for a deal that would have made the Obeid family and Arthur Sinodinos millions as a “flea on one of the many dogs I had to deal with”. |
| Former NSW Liberal minister Greg Pearce told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) he knew Sinodinos was involved with Australian Water Holdings (AWH) and it was “obvious” he would have told premier Barry O’Farrell about it when the company was lobbying for a public-private partnership. | Former NSW Liberal minister Greg Pearce told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) he knew Sinodinos was involved with Australian Water Holdings (AWH) and it was “obvious” he would have told premier Barry O’Farrell about it when the company was lobbying for a public-private partnership. |
| He backed away from evidence the commission has previously heard that he felt “overlobbied” by Sinodinos and AWH chief executive Nick di Girolamo. | He backed away from evidence the commission has previously heard that he felt “overlobbied” by Sinodinos and AWH chief executive Nick di Girolamo. |
| http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/08/eddie-obeid-pushed-for-sydney-water-boss-kerry-schott-to-be-sacked | |
| Instead, Pearce said he regarded Di Girolamo as a “pest” and could not recall a phone conversation he had with Sinodinos about the potential partnership, which the commission has heard would have made Sinodinos up to $20m and the Obeid family up to $100m. | Instead, Pearce said he regarded Di Girolamo as a “pest” and could not recall a phone conversation he had with Sinodinos about the potential partnership, which the commission has heard would have made Sinodinos up to $20m and the Obeid family up to $100m. |
| “I’ve had the benefit of seeing his [Sinodinos’s] evidence in which he implicates he believes there was a phone call. If there was a phone call it was so unremarkable I didn’t mention it to anyone except Mr O’Farrell and Mr di Girolamo to complain about it,” Pearce said. | “I’ve had the benefit of seeing his [Sinodinos’s] evidence in which he implicates he believes there was a phone call. If there was a phone call it was so unremarkable I didn’t mention it to anyone except Mr O’Farrell and Mr di Girolamo to complain about it,” Pearce said. |
| Pearce said he remembered a meeting with O’Farrell and Di Girolamo about the proposed deal. | Pearce said he remembered a meeting with O’Farrell and Di Girolamo about the proposed deal. |
| “I arrived at the meeting and I was taken aback because it seemed to be so cosy,” he said. | “I arrived at the meeting and I was taken aback because it seemed to be so cosy,” he said. |
| Pearce said he was annoyed di Girolamo had gone over his head to the premier and told him during the meeting he did not appreciate being lobbied so much. | Pearce said he was annoyed di Girolamo had gone over his head to the premier and told him during the meeting he did not appreciate being lobbied so much. |
| “When I arrived at the meeting the atmosphere was like a schoolboy being called into headmaster’s office to explain why hasn’t done homework,” he said. | “When I arrived at the meeting the atmosphere was like a schoolboy being called into headmaster’s office to explain why hasn’t done homework,” he said. |
| Pearce said he was of the view the dispute between AWH and Sydney Water, who were seen by AWH to be blocking a public-private partnership, was a commercial one and he did not want to be involved. | Pearce said he was of the view the dispute between AWH and Sydney Water, who were seen by AWH to be blocking a public-private partnership, was a commercial one and he did not want to be involved. |
| “I wasn’t going to have the senior people of Sydney Water spending their time on a flea on one of many dogs I had to deal with,” he said. | “I wasn’t going to have the senior people of Sydney Water spending their time on a flea on one of many dogs I had to deal with,” he said. |
| Earlier on Tuesday, Icac heard that former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid pushed for the removal of Sydney Water’s chief executive, Kerry Schott, telling the then water minister to “sack the bitch” and that a group were “coming after” Schott. | Earlier on Tuesday, Icac heard that former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid pushed for the removal of Sydney Water’s chief executive, Kerry Schott, telling the then water minister to “sack the bitch” and that a group were “coming after” Schott. |
| The alleged warning from Obeid would have came before – as Icac was previously told – a member of the former NSW energy minister Chris Hartcher’s staff made an anonymous complaint levelling false allegations of corruption against Schott. | The alleged warning from Obeid would have came before – as Icac was previously told – a member of the former NSW energy minister Chris Hartcher’s staff made an anonymous complaint levelling false allegations of corruption against Schott. |
| Former Labor minister Phillip Costa has told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) that Obeid asked him to “sack the bitch” when they ran into each other at parliament one day. | Former Labor minister Phillip Costa has told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) that Obeid asked him to “sack the bitch” when they ran into each other at parliament one day. |
| Schott was blocking a public-private partnership with Australian Water Holdings (AWH), which would have made the Obeid family and Arthur Sinodinos, among others, millions of dollars. | Schott was blocking a public-private partnership with Australian Water Holdings (AWH), which would have made the Obeid family and Arthur Sinodinos, among others, millions of dollars. |
| “I was a little gobsmacked by it and I understood he had a purpose for this but I did not know it,” Costa said of the run-in. “In my normal way, I probably would have said, ‘I’ll look into it.’ ” | “I was a little gobsmacked by it and I understood he had a purpose for this but I did not know it,” Costa said of the run-in. “In my normal way, I probably would have said, ‘I’ll look into it.’ ” |
| Costa said Obeid began to lobby him about AWH within a month of him becoming a minister and he had a conversation with Obeid in which Obeid suggested a corruption complaint may be made against Schott. | Costa said Obeid began to lobby him about AWH within a month of him becoming a minister and he had a conversation with Obeid in which Obeid suggested a corruption complaint may be made against Schott. |
| “There was a group of us who had dinner together on a Tuesday night [at parliament] … I was sitting beside Mr Obeid at the time and was told ‘Keep away from Ms Schott – they’re coming after her,’ ” Costa said. | “There was a group of us who had dinner together on a Tuesday night [at parliament] … I was sitting beside Mr Obeid at the time and was told ‘Keep away from Ms Schott – they’re coming after her,’ ” Costa said. |
| When asked who was coming after Schott, Costa replied: “He did mention it was someone on the central coast and I dismissed it, to be honest.” | When asked who was coming after Schott, Costa replied: “He did mention it was someone on the central coast and I dismissed it, to be honest.” |
| He added: “I was of the view he was trying to protect me.” | He added: “I was of the view he was trying to protect me.” |
| Laurie Brown, chief-of-staff to former NSW Labor minister Tony Kelly, also stepped into the witness box on Tuesday to give evidence on a doctored cabinet minute, which was changed from opposing the public-private partnership with AWH to endorsing it. | Laurie Brown, chief-of-staff to former NSW Labor minister Tony Kelly, also stepped into the witness box on Tuesday to give evidence on a doctored cabinet minute, which was changed from opposing the public-private partnership with AWH to endorsing it. |
| Brown repeatedly said he did not recall specifics about altering the cabinet minute or who instructed him to change it. | Brown repeatedly said he did not recall specifics about altering the cabinet minute or who instructed him to change it. |
| He said he was “absolutely not” doing a favour for Obeid by helping to press for the public-private partnership to be adopted. | He said he was “absolutely not” doing a favour for Obeid by helping to press for the public-private partnership to be adopted. |
| He said Kelly “did not agree” with the original minute and, when asked what comment Kelly had made when he was shown the original, Brown replied: “None, I don’t think … It was obviously a minute prepared by someone who didn’t have a lot of experience in writing cabinet minutes. I said, ‘Look, I’ll have a look at it.’ ” | |
| Brown said he may have given instructions for the minute to be changed and conceded he made alterations himself. | |
| “Whether I got it [the information for the changes] from Joe Tripodi I cannot recall,” he said. | “Whether I got it [the information for the changes] from Joe Tripodi I cannot recall,” he said. |
| • This article was amended on 9 April 2014. The original misattributed | |
| words spoken by Laurie Brown to Phillip Costa and mistakenly said Costa | |
| said he may have given instructions for the cabinet minute to be changed | |
| and admitted making alterations. These errors have been corrected. |