NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley has even more questions to answer over Labor’s murky past

A tongue-tied Michael Daley struggled to summon a reason for why he failed to declare any developer donations when assessing their contentious developments during his time at Randwick City Council, writes Sharri Markson.

• Editorial: New Daley is same old Labor
• Daley’s link to Obeid partners’ $15m payday

A tongue-tied Michael Daley struggled to summon a reason for why he failed to declare any developer donations when assessing their contentious developments during his time at Randwick City Council.

Under siege over his approval of jailed union boss Michael Williamson’s home, he said: “I don’t recall the DA.”

And why didn’t he declare a conflict in a DA submitted by large donors Argos Investments? “Because I didn’t know they were donations, I didn’t know they were donors.”

Well, did he ever declare any donation? “I’d have to go back and check the council records,” he said, weakly.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley. Picture: David Swift.

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And farcical was his claim he tried to overturn anti-corruption measures that forced councillors to disclose donations from developers as he wanted even tougher measures.

Then came what can only be described as a pitiful answer from a politician — a solicitor, no less — who wants the public to elect him NSW Premier.

The question: “You deny that you broke any rules for councillors about declaring donations from people?” Daley’s reply: “I acted in accordance with what I thought the law was at the time, as I’ve always done.”

We are expected to have confidence in the fact he acted in accordance with what he thought the law was at the time, not what the law was.

The heat will be on Daley after our revelation the Labor leader chaired the committee that approved the DA for business partners of the Obeid family, the Boyd brothers, who stood to make $15 million from building swanky townhouses on what had been public open land in Maroubra.

They donated generously to the Labor Party — including to Daley’s campaigns to enter state parliament and Labor’s Randwick council ticket.

Daley will today have even more questions to answer about an era in Labor’s murky past. Picture: David Swift. Picture: David Swift.

The lucrative business venture required rezoning and DA approval from Randwick Council — where Daley was deputy mayor. And he, once again, never disclosed donations when assessing the DA.

Daley will today have even more questions to answer about an era in Labor’s murky past that he has tried his very best to distance himself from.