Why would NSW taxpayers pay millions for an Olympic-standard shooting facility in Wagga Wagga when there was one at Sydney Olympic Park?
This was the central issue being debated at ICAC’s Operation Keppel, which began in Sydney yesterday.
This morning Paul Doorn, executive director of sport and recreation in the office of sport within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and then the executive director of the NSW government’s sport infrastructure group, gave evidence that he did not consider it a worthwhile use of public money.
He said then-member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire wrote to the sports minister in 2012 wanting money for a new centre — a shooting range plus extra facilities — for the Australian Clay Target Association.
Doorn seemed quite dismissive of the proposal, saying it “wasn’t necessarily a good use of funds” because Sydney had built at great expense a shooting facility for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
The department gave the project a low priority and in July 2013 the sports minister told Maguire his request had been denied.
Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, who resigned from the NSW Parliament two weeks ago, is the focus of this inquiry — in particular her secret, undisclosed relationship with Maguire.
The ICAC is examining whether she facilitated the potential misuse of $35 million of public money to help the electoral prospects of her former boyfriend. And if so, was it “corrupt conduct” under the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Act?
Berejiklian has strenuously denied any wrongdoing in connection with these matters and will give evidence next week.
The examination of Doorn by counsel assisting ICAC, Scott Robertson, is akin to that of a bricklayer building a wall. Robertson is painstakingly, word by word, building the case that Maguire’s requests for millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money did not meet any relevant criteria for funding.
Doorn, and the public servant who gave evidence yesterday, Michael Toohey, correctly fulfilled their duties by denying the requests. Public servants at this level are custodians of public money and take their duties extremely seriously. Both men seemed perplexed and annoyed these requests had been taken out of the department’s hands and then fast-tracked by their political masters.
Robertson said in his opening address yesterday that ICAC would investigate whether Berejiklian engaged in conduct between 2012 and 2018 that was “liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct” by Maguire.
She gave evidence to ICAC last year that she had been in a “close personal relationship” with Maguire between about 2015 and 2018, which had not been publicly disclosed.
Robertson also said ICAC would be investigate whether Berejiklian exercised her official functions dishonestly or partially by refusing to exercise her duty to report any reasonable suspicions about Maguire to the ICAC.
Yesterday Toohey said he had first seen the funding proposal in October 2016, when he was on secondment in the office of sport from the Premier’s Department, and it came up as one line in an email from his then boss detailing some new policy proposals.
Then the proposal was fast-tracked and by mid-November he was given just one day to draft a submission for cabinet’s expenditure review committee to fund the project. Berejiklian was treasurer at this time. But the “purported business case” was a dog’s breakfast, with no design details and no comparative analysis as to whether such a sum might be better spent elsewhere.
By the end of 2016 the committee had approved it and by early January Maguire publicly announced the project, thus preventing the department from requiring more information.
Former NSW premier Mike Baird is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, and deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres, who was the sports minister during the period in question, will be called on Friday.
The hearing continues.
Now that Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane have been chosen as Australian cities to host the Olympics, surely it must be Wagga’s turn next. And with the shooting range already built, all the town needs is an international airport, Olympic village, new aquatic centre, athletics complex, and a few other bits and bobs, and it will be good to go.
With the CoalKeeper funds about to be extorted off the Australian taxpayer in return for Net Zero 2100, I’m sure Wagga will be ready to bid for the 2068 Olympics. Assuming the Earth hasn’t drowned and fried from climate change in the meantime.
Maybe then Daryl can benefit in some way!
How is Maguire benefiting? Is it because his insecure personality craves constant adulation and validation that he is the better, tougher power-broker? And seducing the Treasurer/Premier was an irresistible cherry on that cake? Or is there a money trail with Maguire and his acquaintances pocketing cash from contracts or land sales associated with the shooting range (and, for that matter, the four times more expensive Riverina Conservatorium of Music)?
Great comment
Please don’t let REX Airlines get hold of your idea that Wagga should bid for the 2068 Olympics. Its Wagga home base has already cost taxpayers more than enough $$. Why is no-one looking at this?
I’m looking forward to Friday to see and hear what Mr Marise Payne has to say for himself.
Same. Also Mike Baird is in the stand on Wednesday
There was some mention of the facility being used for the Invictus games, although that was another miss whatever as it is not a sport that those games include.
I should hope so. What sort of message does incapacitated and injured soldiers shooting at moving targets for sport send?
The organisers could change it to a ‘Guns and Hoses’ event. A few years ago, the Police and Fire fighters used to hold special ‘work skills focused’ events and the local population rebranded the events as the ‘Guns and Hoses’ Games.
A very mixed message!
I suspect one whereby the Afghanis probably think “Why didn’t we think of that?”
Which they did actually and have practised it since at least the visit by Alexander the Great. 😉
“But the “purported business case” was a dog’s breakfast.”
I resemble that remark! As one fully schooled in the art of a dog’s breakfast, I can confirm that this was, and remains so.
Will be interesting to see what else comes out. Gladys did not go gently into that good night, she knows what’s coming and I’m guessing we will find out soon.