ICAC begins investigation into former NSW minister Tim Crakanthorp

Chris Minns has backtracked on a previously stated stance about removing Tim Crakanthorp from the party room, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption investigates the embattled Hunter MP.

Premier Chris Minns will not sack former Hunter Minister Tim Crakanthorp from the party room after it was revealed the Independent Commission Against Corruption had begun investigating the embattled MP.

According to documents released to parliament on Wednesday, ICAC chief commissioner John Hatzistergos acknowledged the commission had begun “conducting a preliminary investigation into whether Mr Crakanthorp substantially breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct”.

In a stunning departure, from the premier’s previous comments he would remove Mr Crakanthorp from the party room should the ICAC commence investigations into the MP, Mr Minns said he would instead wait for the preliminary investigation to be completed.

“It’s important to note that ICAC has launched a preliminary investigation and they haven’t moved to the next stage which is a formalised stage of public inquiry,” he said.

“I think it is reasonable in the circumstances to wait for that to happen, if that were to happen.

“ICAC have shown… a willingness to make the next step, to take the next step if they choose to do so in terms of a formal investigation.”

Dumped NSW minister Tim Crakanthorp is now being actively investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Picture: Nikki Short

Mr Minns previously said in August, he would remove Mr Crakanthorp from the party room should ICAC communicate to the government they were “willing” to undertake an inquiry.

“If in the end (ICAC) say, they communicate to us that they’re willing or will undertake an inquiry of course he will be stepped aside from the party room,” the premier said in August.

The premier sacked the Newcastle MP from the ministry ministry in August after failing to disclose that his wife and in-laws owned dozens of properties in the Hunter, with the Premier stating a “potential conflict of interest”.

Neither Mr Crakanthorp’s wife or her family are accused of any wrongdoing.

Documents produced to parliament suggest that the premier’s office asked the Cabinet Office for advice about Mr Crakanthorp in the days before Mr Minns sacked the Minister over his land holdings.

While the requests for advice were kept secret, documents provided to parliament reveal that the “PO” sought and received advice about Mr Crakanthorp in late July, specifically relating to the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

The acronym “PO” is commonly used to refer to the “Premier’s Office”.

The Cabinet Office refused to release documents about Mr Crakanthorp’s disclosures in part because ICAC wanted them to be kept secret as they had “the potential to prejudice the Commission’s investigation”.
Mr Crakanthorp did not respond to requests for comment.

Revelations of a “preliminary investigation” into Mr Crakanthorp are set to heap pressure on the Premier to boot the Newcastle MP from the Labor caucus.

Mr Minns previously said that Mr Crakanthorp would not be able to stay in caucus if he found himself under ICAC investigation.

“If in the end (ICAC) say, they communicate to us that they’re prepared or are willing or will (sic) undertake an inquiry of course he will be stepped aside from the party room,” Mr Minns said in August.

Premier Chris Minns referred Mr Crakanthorp to ICAC last month. Picture: Jeremy Piper

In the days after he was dumped from cabinet, Mr Crakanthorp defended not initially disclosing properties owned by his wife and in-laws, saying he at first thought he had complied with the rules.

Mr Crakanthorp revealed he had reported a property owned by his wife and her in-laws in recent days which he didn’t declare when he became minister.

Mr Crakanthorp said he “unfortunately omitted” another property at Newcastle owned by his wife, which she bought this year.

He then declared that property’s ownership in the days leading up to the revelation.

Mr Crakanthorp said he had subsequently asked his in-laws to assemble a full list of their properties, understood to number more than 24, which he has provided to the Premier’s office.
It comes after a review into a multi-billion dollar entertainment and residential redevelopment in Newcastle made by the Minns government after Mr Crakanthorp was dumped did not look at what involvement he may have had in the project.