Statement Fails To Address Key Claims
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday June 10, 2008
THE Education Minister, John Della Bosca, has failed to address claims he abused and threatened nightclub staff or that his wife, federal MP Belinda Neal, threatened the liquor licence of a Gosford nightclub in a written statement he provided to the Premier yesterday.
But Morris Iemma has accepted the statement, with Labor sources saying he had no option but to keep Mr Della Bosca in cabinet despite Bosca as the Opposition continues to call for his head. But Mr Iemma was backing Mr Della Bosca last night with a spokesman saying: "He [Mr Della Bosca] has provided his full account."Mr Della Bosca claimed in his statement some of his friends who were at Iguanas were preparing statutory declarations backing his version of events. But Mr Della Bosca's office refused to say who he was with that night. So dire was Mr Della Bosca's situation seen within Labor yesterday that several backbenchers were working the phones lining up for his ministerial spot should there be a reshuffle, Labor sources said. The sources believed Mr Iemma would have dumped Mr Della Bosca with the latest incident one of a series of misdemeanours were it not for the electricity privatisation issue. In another blow to Mr Della Bosca yesterday, the versions given by staff were collaborated by a patron. Dave Lincoln, from Saratoga, said: "There's no doubt Ms Neal was abusive to staff. I clearly heard her saying 'I'm going to close this place down in three months'. "He [Mr Della Bosca] was aggressive getting in the face of the staff." At least two members of Iguanas staff are still standing publicly by their statutory declarations. Management of the bar issued a statement on Sunday retracting the statutory declarations and issuing an apology but only after Mr Della Bosca threatened the owners of the club with legal action in several phone conversations. The Premier issued a statement saying he had referred the Della Bosca statement to Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione but requested no action. Mr Iemma said Mr Della Bosca would explain the incident to the Parliament at its next sitting and the Premier had instructed him to stop driving. The Della Bosca statement claimed that in one incident when approached by a restaurant manager in the club car park: "I felt that his manner was threatening and agitated. He indicated his general view of politicians was a negative one. I responded that my wife and I simply wanted to go home. "I repeatedly asked him to leave us and he refused." By contrast, general manager Steven Twitchin has said that he was accused in the car park by the pair of "serving under-age patrons and encouraging binge drinking". "Belinda Neil (sic) then told me that my staff were rude and that I needed to apologise to her. ". . . She told me that I would lose my liquor licence within three months." Labor sources complained yesterday that the staff statutory declarations were tainted because they were witnessed by a staffer for Liberal MP Chris Hartcher. SMH
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
