Michael Daley announces sacking of Sydney Cricket Ground Trust if he is elected

Michael Daley doubles down on his stoush with Alan Jones over Labor’s plan to sack him and the rest of the SCG Trust board.

NSW opposition leader Michael Daley, left, has sensationally told Alan Jones, right, live on air of his plan to sack the board of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust on which Jones sits.

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley has doubled down in his battle with 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones after his on-air promise to sack him and the rest of the “archaic” members of the Sydney Cricket Ground Board if elected on March 23.

“What we’ve got here is a board that was in on the fix if you like, the $737 million of the great rip off of taxpayers,’ Mr Daley told reporters out on the hustings in the beachside seat of Coogee, one of the Liberal Party’s most marginal Sydney seats.

Mr Daley clashed with Jones during a fiery studio interview with the high profile broadcaster on 2GB this morning, accusing the SCG board of it “colluding” with the Berejiklian government to fund the “grandiose” stadium projects.

COMMENT: Daley has thrown a calculated punch at Jones, writes Andrew Clennell

Along with Jones, those facing the sack under a Labor government would include the Trust chairman Tony Stuart, former News Ltd chairman John Hartigan, former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell, businessman Maurice Newman and Rod McGeoch, who led Sydney’s Olympic bid.

“If I’m elected the board will go, I want a new broom through, I know you’ve been on that board for 30 years ... but the board will go, it will be sacked,” Mr Daley told 2GB.

Public anger over the NSW Berejiklian Government’s $2.2 billion investment to knockdown the Allianz Stadium, which is managed by the SCG and refurbish the Sydney Olympic Park stadium, has been a key election issue for NSW Labor. But Mr Daley took it a step further this morning, deliberately confronting Mr Jones, the longest serving member on the board, on his own program.

“It’s not personal ... I’ve always had a good relationship with Alan, it’s not personal with any particular members of the board,” Mr Daley told reporters later

Asked why he would choose to pick a fight with such a formidable opponent on the eve of a state election, Mr Daley said: “I call it as it is … I don’t care what enemies I pick around town, whether they think they are powerful or not,’’ Mr Daley said.

“I will take the side of the ordinary citizens of NSW every day regardless of whatever peril it puts me in … this is a bad deal for the ordinary taxpayers of NSW and I am going to put an end to this bad deal.”

Mr Daley said after studying the business case for the demolition of Allianz stadium, provided to him by the SCG Trust, it was immediately obvious to him the push for such a huge injection of public funds “didn’t hold water”.

“It became more and more apparent to me that this was a board that was compliant with the wishes of the government and the more I saw the worse I felt about that board. I knew that they had to go.”

Jones has hit back at Mr Daley’s decision, saying the NSW opposition leader was “out of his depth”.

“We are trustees, we don’t own the damn thing, NSW taxpayers own it,” Jones said on Sky News. “[The stadium is] deficient on every standard measure or discipline when it comes to the fire and life safety standards determined by Lord Justice Taylor,” Jones said. “We are miles behind. We need to be able to compete if we want to hold these events and unless we rebuild Allianz, we can’t.”

Reacting to the interview, Premier Gladys Berejiklian questioned Mr Daley’s suitability to run the state. “I would say is this person fit to be the Premier of NSW?’’ she asked.

“He made obviously a very hot headed decision under pressure. I want to thank people like [Trust board member] Rod McGeoch who helped secure the Olympic Games and who helped secure 10 world events in NSW.

“I want to thank people like [Trust chair] Tony Shepherd who are on the Trust, who are one of the most, I believe, successful contributors to public policy from the business community.

“People like [Trust member] Katie Page who has been a trailblazer for women [and] people like Maurice Newman who have made an outstanding contribution to NSW.

“It is not good enough to make a rash decision under pressure during a morning interview. That is not the right thing to do.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Daley’s promise to sack Mr Jones and the rest of the SCG Trust was proof Labor was “drunk with power” and full of “hubris.”

“What is it with the Labor Party at the moment drawing up lists of people they want to sack? The hubris doesn’t stop,” he said.

“Whether it is federally or in NSW, I actually haven’t seen an Opposition quite carry on like this for some time. They are drunk with power and they haven’t even drunk from the cup as yet.”

The stoush comes as Mr Daley defends allegations he did not declare political donations from developers. Jones said it was “hypocritical” of Mr Daley to campaign against overdevelopment and gridlock when he was a member of the Randwick council that approved multiple developments he is now fighting against.

Mr Daley said on 2GB he was sent a letter by the SCG Trust in December outlining why Allianz Stadium should be knocked down, which referenced the stadium’s seats were flammable.

“Tony Shepherd (SCG Chairman) swore on oath the seats were flammable and the next minute we see Stuart Ayres — a friend of yours and others — bragging on TV how they are shopping those seats at rugby clubs all over the state,” Mr Daley told Jones.

“The board will go. It will be sacked. I’m sorry about the SCG Trust Board, thanks for your service.”

Mr Daley accused the Board of ripping out the fire sprinklers “under the cover of darkness”.

“We had independent expert advice that there were no fire sprinklers—,” Jones said.

“That’s because the board has ripped them all out,” Mr Daley responded.

Jones said the accusation was incorrect and the stadium was “completely in breach of the building codes”.

“It’s a scandalous waste of money,” Mr Daley said.

Shortly after the interview, Mr Daley issued a statement confirming Labor’s plan to appoint a new SCG Trust board with “better expertise and representation”, accusing the Trust of having “colluded” with the NSW Government.

“Labor wants to bring the Board from the 19th century into the 21st century and ensure it acts in the interests of all of the people of NSW and those that follow their respective codes,” he said in the statement.

“The trust has colluded with the NSW government to spend $730 million of taxpayers’ money on an unnecessary stadium instead of schools and hospitals for the people of NSW.

“The two board members who were elected by the SCG Members, Phil Waugh and David Gilbert will remain, as will former test cricketer Stuart MacGill.”