NSW Minister quits over web surfing

Sep 1, 2010 4:43 PM
Filed under Oddware

Visited adult and gambling sites.

NSW Ports and Waterways Minister Paul McLeay has resigned from cabinet after visiting "gambling and adult sites" on a parliamentary computer.

"This morning the member advised me that he had used a computer supplied by the Parliament to visit gambling and adult sites," State Premier Kristina Keneally said.

"Some people may choose to undertake similar activities in their personal lives, but I cannot condone the use of parliamentary resources by a Minister in this way.

"I made clear to the member that I expect Ministers to use the resources of office appropriately, and that this behaviour is not the standard I expect of a Minister.

"I am sorry that this situation has occurred. I will not condone it, and I will continue to make clear that I expect the highest integrity from Ministers."

The NSW Department of the Premier and Cabinet has been contacted for comment.

The NSW Government of the CIO referred iTnews to the Premier's office. McLeay's own office declined to comment.

The story was first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph.

It came just days after four Victorian Police officers were sacked for using their corporate email system to circulate offensive materials.

4 comments in this discussion

"I thought it interesting that the "defence" offered by the good Rev is the same one Gary Glitter used when busted for child porn - "I was just doing some research for a book". But this isn't new ..."

By ap

Tags

nsw, minister, mcleay, web, surfing, parliament, computer, adult, gambling

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Comments: 4

johnpro2 Sep 2, 2010 2:27 PM	If the material is not illegal in Australia and has not resulted in real life adverse situations ..we are entering into witch-hunt territory. Simulated murders & violence on TV are fine for general viewing, but 'porn' is illegal. Scandinavian countries regard violence as porn ..not reproducing reenactments. Jp
anonymous Sep 2, 2010 4:54 PM	No witch-hunt, just a sleazy politician misusing his taxpayer funded computer (and wasting time he should have been working) to look at porn and gambling. He rightly got fired for stupidity and cupidity, not per se for what he looked at on-screen.
Graeme Harrison (prof at-symbol post.harvard.edu) Sep 2, 2010 5:45 PM	Slow-learning - the Nile way I too have formed an opinion on porn (I don't like it but see it as an issue of classification, not prohibition)... and that took 0% of the reported 200,000 internet page hits of porn that Fred Nile's office took to form it opinion of porn. They're either very slow learners or super hypocritical! After seeing so many US ministers who were vocal opponents of homosexuality later found to have hired boys for their own pleasure... it does make you wonder if the most-vocal opponents of porn are those who find themselves drawn to it... while the rest of us yawn.
ap Sep 3, 2010 6:09 PM	I thought it interesting that the "defence" offered by the good Rev is the same one Gary Glitter used when busted for child porn - "I was just doing some research for a book". But this isn't new territory for Rev Fred - I remember from a long time ago when the movie Caligula was released in Australian cinemas that Rev Fred Nile was interviewed on TV about how the movie should be banned, that no Australian should be allowed to view such corrupt and vile images. He himself had seen the movie - twice - and could defintiely confirm that it was too depraved for the rest of us.