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Minns acted swiftly, but premier’s first ministerial casualty has come all too quickly
Most people have never heard of Tim Crakanthorp, and it’s unlikely the member for Newcastle’s name was on everyone’s lips around the state’s pubs and kitchen tables on Wednesday night.
What voters will take away from Crakanthorp’s dismissal from cabinet over undisclosed family land holdings – just four months after his swearing in – is an uneasy sense that the more things change, the more things stay the same.
Chris Minns said he had concerns Tim Crakanthorp “may have acted in matters that rendered a material benefit to him or his family as a result of decisions that he has made”.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
This is a government that came to power in March promising a new wave of ethical conduct, free from the scandals that engulfed the previous mob, including John Barilaro’s trade job saga and the corruption inquiry that ultimately found against Gladys Berejiklian and her former colleague and secret boyfriend Daryl Maguire.
Yet here we are, with the office furniture barely moved in, and Labor has already suffered its first ministerial casualty over the smelly combination of property interests and improper disclosure.
It was not known from Chris Minns’ remarks on Wednesday whether Crakanthorp, as minister for the Hunter, had somehow used his position to advantage his family’s “substantial” commercial property interests in the Newcastle region.
But the premier said he personally had concerns that Crakanthorp “may have acted in matters that rendered a material benefit to him or his family as a result of decisions that he has made”.
Minns has referred those concerns to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, meaning yet another inquiry into a former minister, should the watchdog choose to investigate.
The premier should be praised for acting swiftly, and indeed the Coalition acknowledged this in a brief statement. The hammer has fallen hard on Crakanthorp, with Minns declaring that if the ICAC opens an investigation, the Newcastle MP will also need to leave the parliamentary Labor Party.
That strikes a different tone from Minns’ somewhat casual response to the ICAC’s findings against Berejiklian five weeks ago, when he said elected officials shouldn’t necessarily stand aside if they were under investigation.
Granted, he added: “There may be circumstances where it’s absolutely appropriate because the evidence is overwhelming, but it shouldn’t happen in an automatic way.”
Tim Crakanthorp was sworn in as skills and TAFE minister, as well as minister for the Hunter, in April.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Minns did not mince his words on Wednesday; he said Crakanthorp’s breach of the ministerial code was “clear” and unacceptable, and as leader, he was disappointed. Moreover, Minns obviously has concerns the former minister acted or made decisions in matters where he had a conflict of interest.
Crakanthorp made no comment on the details of the matter, other than to say he had “self-reported” his breach of the ministerial code and resigned his post.
There are more robust disclosure requirements for cabinet ministers compared to backbenchers, as indeed there are higher standards for ministers generally. And while Crakanthorp had never been in cabinet before, he was no newbie in parliament – he was elected in 2014, and served as a shadow minister for nearly two years. He should know the rules.
More importantly for Minns, Crakanthorp has burned through a chunk of the government’s sheen. He may not have been a household name, but if you’re a cynical voter (and there are a few of them out there), you might be tempted to think this lot may not be much better than the last.
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