Premier of NSW Chris Minns has requested one of his cabinet members to resign and sent him to the corruption watchdog.
Tim Crakanthorp, the minister for the Hunter, allegedly failed to report substantial family land holdings in the Hunter and may have a conflict of interest between his official duties and personal interests, according to Mr. Minns.
The Minister of Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education is Mr. Crakanthorp.
It was a serious violation of the ministerial code, Mr. Minns told reporters in a hurried press appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
He won’t leave the Labour party room.
“I am disappointed,” Mr. Minns stated.
I came to the conclusion that Minister Crakanthorp had disregarded his duty under the ministerial code of conduct by failing to promptly inform the NSW cabinet office of any potential conflicts of interest.
According to Mr. Minns, the violations were related to his role as Minister for the Hunter and his failure to disclose any interests that belonged to his wife and in-laws.
As a member of parliament, his properties are listed on his financial disclosure form; nevertheless, his wife also owns property in the Hunter. There are further in-law residences in the Hunter that we should have been made aware of.
In June 2022, Mr. Crakanthorp’s most recent report on the website of the NSW parliament only disclosed a joint ownership stake in a house in Newcastle and a flat in the Sydney neighbourhood of Darlinghurst with his wife.
navy-suited man speaking over the microphone
Earlier today, the premier claimed to have spoken with Mr. Crakanthorp.
According to Mr. Minns, “He did not supply information about significant private family holdings in the Hunter region until recently when he should have, constituting a clear violation of the Ministerial code. I have forwarded that information and other information to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).”
According to Mr. Minns, the ICAC should look into any decisions that benefited Mr. Crakanthorp’s family holdings.
Mr. Minns stated, “I cannot respond to it. I have concerns about it, and they are included in my reference to the ICAC, but it is an issue for them to investigate.
Given the huge amounts of private and commercial real estate that his family has in the Hunter, I do have some worries.
Premier stated he needed to take action.
Mr. Minns stated earlier this year that his election programme called for a new beginning for NSW politics.
“Breaches of the ministerial code are a clear breach of that undertaking, and as a result I had to act,” the politician said after being elected. “We were elected not long ago with a promise to restore trust and integrity to public matters and public life.”
In a statement, opposition leader Mark Speakman stated that there were still unanswered questions.
The Premier must now respond to inquiries from the Opposition regarding perceived conflicts of interest and instill confidence in the people of NSW that the necessary steps have been taken to manage any perceived conflicts of interest, he said, in light of today’s revelations and referral to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
According to Mr Minns, Prue Car, the deputy premier and minister of education, will serve as the temporary minister for skills and TAFE, while Yasmin Catley, the minister of police, will serve as the interim minister for the Hunter.
Mr. Crakanthorp issued a brief statement in which he stated that he would continue to represent Newcastle as an MP and would refrain from further remark.
