Alan Jones and Ray Hadley face off over who should be NSW’s top cop
EXCLUSIVE: THE race for NSW’s next police chief has split Sydney’s most powerful broadcasters. Alan Jones wants Cath Burn, Ray Hadley wants Nick Kaldas.
NSW
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THE race to find the state’s next police chief has split Sydney’s two most powerful broadcasters.
Veteran radio host Alan Jones is backing Cath Burn to be NSW’s next police commissioner while his 2GB colleague Ray Hadley yesterday bagged current deputy commissioner Ms Burn on air, claiming if she were appointed it would lead to senior police resignations.
Hadley is backing medically retired former deputy commissioner Nick Kaldas to replace Andrew Scipione, who retires in April, but said if that was not possible the government should appoint assistant commissioners Mick Fuller or Frank Menilli ahead of Ms Burn.
But Jones told The Daily Telegraph yesterday that anyone who read the Ombudsman’s Operation Prospect report into the police bugging affair and saw the findings of how Mr Kaldas accessed documents around the affair and is alleged to have given false evidence could never approve him becoming commissioner.
He said Ms Burn had a university medal, two commissioner’s commendations, had previously been NSW Businesswoman of the year and had the experience to fill the job above all others.
Jones, who is due back on air in three weeks after four bouts of surgery, described Ms Burn as: “The most outstandingly credentialed police figure in this country.”
He declared he was a patient of Ms Burn’s doctor and barrister father years ago.
Hadley, on the other hand, who is filling in for Jones at the moment as well as doing his regular morning spot, confirmed yesterday he plays golf with Kaldas’ former father-in-law; the father of Mr Kaldas’ first wife.
He delivered a spray on 2GB yesterday in response to The Daily Telegraph’s revelations she intended to go for the top cop’s job and her comments that she’d been “vindicated” by Operation Prospect.
Hadley said: “I say to Ma’am Burn ‘you need to take responsibility for what you did to many innocent people in the media and police officers whose lives are changed forever by what you did. The internal affairs unit — of which she was a team leader — tapped the phones of many innocent police, their families and civilians.
“Nick Kaldas was one of those officers along with his family.
“Ms Burn was also the officer in charge of the operation at the Lindt Cafe siege. She says ‘I believe I have the qualifications, the credentials and that’s why I’m putting my name forward’.
“Let me tell you, Ma’am Burn, if you want to be appointed commissioner, there would be resignation after resignation of senior police officers almost immediately, almost immediately.”
Hadley went on to say it would be a sad day in NSW if Ms Burn was put in the role given the many other contenders who would hopefully put their hand up.
“They include, of course, Nick Kaldas; hopefully he’ll nominate,” he said.
“But if he was not to get it, or not to nominate, well there are very good assistant commissioners who would be deputy commissioners if they weren’t to be commissioners, in Mick Fuller and Frank Mennilli, who would do an absolutely outstanding job.”
“There’s never been an apology from anyone involved, including her, to the Kaldas family ... and many other people who were targeted when they went to Supreme Court judges who seemed rather compliant to give listening warrants on the basis of absolutely no evidence.”
Ms Burn had told yesterday’s Daily Telegraph: “I have been exonerated from those serious (illegal bugging) allegations that have been made about me over many years.”
She also produced legal advice disputing the Ombudsman’s finding that she had engaged in “unlawful conduct” over the handling of a police informant breaching bail conditions.
Jones also disputed the common media view that Mr Kaldas had the support of the rank and file yesterday.
“He’s never had any regard for general duties police,” Jones said.
“I’m simply saying ‘read Prospect’. That’s all I have done. This has been a massive campaign (against Ms Burn). I don’t know why.”
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