Oh my they're now rock spiders.
More sex claims for NSW Labor
November 10, 2006 - 6:27AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/more-sex-claims-for-nsw-labor/2006/11/10/1162661858957.html
Police have reopened investigations into child sex abuse allegations against a Sydney man following the arrest of the NSW Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos on similar charges.
Parliamentary and government circles were abuzz last night with rumours another Labor MP was being investigated about child sex abuse allegations.
The Seven Network reported that a Newcastle mother had told police a Labor Party figure sexually abused her children.
The network said the woman claimed to have reported the matter to the police and that the investigation was not yet complete.
The man concerned had denied the allegations, Seven said.
Police confirmed last night they had reopened their investigations following rumours someone with links to the Labor Party was being investigated about child abuse allegations.
"NSW police will seek further information into a child sexual assault investigation involving a 62-year-old male ... which was suspended earlier this year," a police statement said.
"In late July 2006 a four-month investigation was suspended due to insufficient information, however, police will attempt to seek further information in light of recent events."
Orkopoulos, at the centre of the allegations that emerged yesterday, has vowed to fight charges he supplied two teenage boys with drugs and paid one of them for sex.
He has been suspended from the Labor Party, will be formally expelled within a week, and the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, has made it clear he wants him to resign from parliament.
Mr Iemma has vowed tough action against any member of his Government or party found to have covered up child sex allegations against Orkopoulos.
He yesterday sacked Orkopoulos as the Aboriginal Affairs Minister after he was arrested and charged with 30 drug and sex offences.
Mr Iemma today said he wanted Orkopoulos and anyone who knew of the allegations out of parliament.
"If it touches on anybody else in my Government, I want them out of the Government and I [don't] want them in the same party as the party I'm in," he told reporters.
A police fact sheet tendered in court yesterday said one of the alleged victims complained about Orkopoulos to Jillian Snedden, a member of his electorate office staff, in October 2005.
Ms Snedden allegedly told an ALP member about the complaint and the member later told her he had referred the matter to police and the state's corruption watchdog.
No such complaint was ever officially recorded, police said.
An ICAC spokeswoman would not comment except to confirm the police statement was correct, and that "it was not an MP who complained to ICAC".
The Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam, today said the authorities must investigate the suggestions that someone in the Government failed to report the allegations against Orkopoulos.
There had been rumours in parliament for two or three weeks that a minister had been under investigation by the police, Mr Debnam said.
The NSW Labor Party general secretary, Mark Arbib, today said he did not know the identity of the party members allegedly referred to by the electorate officer in the complaint against Orkopoulos.
"I have no knowledge of that and I think it's important that the Government gets to the bottom of that as well as the law enforcement authorities," Mr Arbib told AAP.
Mr Iemma's chief-of-staff, Mike Kaiser, was told on Monday that police were investigating Orkopoulos but Mr Iemma was not informed until Tuesday night.
Mr Iemma dismissed the timing of his notification as "not relevant", saying he had been busy with cabinet and the federal water summit.
But Mr Debnam said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Iemma was not told about the allegations earlier.
The Deputy Premier and Police Minister, John Watkins, became aware on Monday that police were investigating serious allegations against Orkopoulos.
Mr Watkins said he was not told the nature of the allegations, but it had been "appropriate" for him to know Orkopoulos was being investigated by police.
"As minister for police I'm briefed on a whole range of confidential and security matters almost every day by NSW," he said.
Mr Watkins declined to say if he had previously heard rumours a minister was being investigated by police.
Mr Iemma gave assurances that the police investigation would be free from any interference from the Government, and ruled out an internal ALP probe.
Meanwhile, Nathan Rees, a former chief-of-staff to Orkopoulos and now the Labor candidate for Toongabbie, had assured Mr Iemma he knew nothing about the allegations against his former boss, a spokesman for Mr Iemma said tonight.
Mr Rees works for Mr Iemma as an adviser and also worked for former premier Bob Carr.
AAP
More sex claims for NSW Labor
November 10, 2006 - 6:27AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/more-sex-claims-for-nsw-labor/2006/11/10/1162661858957.html
Police have reopened investigations into child sex abuse allegations against a Sydney man following the arrest of the NSW Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos on similar charges.
Parliamentary and government circles were abuzz last night with rumours another Labor MP was being investigated about child sex abuse allegations.
The Seven Network reported that a Newcastle mother had told police a Labor Party figure sexually abused her children.
The network said the woman claimed to have reported the matter to the police and that the investigation was not yet complete.
The man concerned had denied the allegations, Seven said.
Police confirmed last night they had reopened their investigations following rumours someone with links to the Labor Party was being investigated about child abuse allegations.
"NSW police will seek further information into a child sexual assault investigation involving a 62-year-old male ... which was suspended earlier this year," a police statement said.
"In late July 2006 a four-month investigation was suspended due to insufficient information, however, police will attempt to seek further information in light of recent events."
Orkopoulos, at the centre of the allegations that emerged yesterday, has vowed to fight charges he supplied two teenage boys with drugs and paid one of them for sex.
He has been suspended from the Labor Party, will be formally expelled within a week, and the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma, has made it clear he wants him to resign from parliament.
Mr Iemma has vowed tough action against any member of his Government or party found to have covered up child sex allegations against Orkopoulos.
He yesterday sacked Orkopoulos as the Aboriginal Affairs Minister after he was arrested and charged with 30 drug and sex offences.
Mr Iemma today said he wanted Orkopoulos and anyone who knew of the allegations out of parliament.
"If it touches on anybody else in my Government, I want them out of the Government and I [don't] want them in the same party as the party I'm in," he told reporters.
A police fact sheet tendered in court yesterday said one of the alleged victims complained about Orkopoulos to Jillian Snedden, a member of his electorate office staff, in October 2005.
Ms Snedden allegedly told an ALP member about the complaint and the member later told her he had referred the matter to police and the state's corruption watchdog.
No such complaint was ever officially recorded, police said.
An ICAC spokeswoman would not comment except to confirm the police statement was correct, and that "it was not an MP who complained to ICAC".
The Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam, today said the authorities must investigate the suggestions that someone in the Government failed to report the allegations against Orkopoulos.
There had been rumours in parliament for two or three weeks that a minister had been under investigation by the police, Mr Debnam said.
The NSW Labor Party general secretary, Mark Arbib, today said he did not know the identity of the party members allegedly referred to by the electorate officer in the complaint against Orkopoulos.
"I have no knowledge of that and I think it's important that the Government gets to the bottom of that as well as the law enforcement authorities," Mr Arbib told AAP.
Mr Iemma's chief-of-staff, Mike Kaiser, was told on Monday that police were investigating Orkopoulos but Mr Iemma was not informed until Tuesday night.
Mr Iemma dismissed the timing of his notification as "not relevant", saying he had been busy with cabinet and the federal water summit.
But Mr Debnam said it was "inconceivable" that Mr Iemma was not told about the allegations earlier.
The Deputy Premier and Police Minister, John Watkins, became aware on Monday that police were investigating serious allegations against Orkopoulos.
Mr Watkins said he was not told the nature of the allegations, but it had been "appropriate" for him to know Orkopoulos was being investigated by police.
"As minister for police I'm briefed on a whole range of confidential and security matters almost every day by NSW," he said.
Mr Watkins declined to say if he had previously heard rumours a minister was being investigated by police.
Mr Iemma gave assurances that the police investigation would be free from any interference from the Government, and ruled out an internal ALP probe.
Meanwhile, Nathan Rees, a former chief-of-staff to Orkopoulos and now the Labor candidate for Toongabbie, had assured Mr Iemma he knew nothing about the allegations against his former boss, a spokesman for Mr Iemma said tonight.
Mr Rees works for Mr Iemma as an adviser and also worked for former premier Bob Carr.
AAP