Two more Western Australian government ministers, John Bowler and Kim Chance, appeared at the Corruption and Crime Commission inquiry today.
Two more Western Australian government ministers, John Bowler and Kim Chance, appeared at the Corruption and Crime Commission inquiry today.
The CCC is examining whether improper influence from lobbyists, namely disgraced former premier Brian Burke and his business partner Julian Grill, has led to misconduct by public officials.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance made a brief appearance before the inquiry, where he explained that he has had minimal contact with Messrs Burke and Grill.
Local Government Minister John Bowler, who has acknowledged being a close friend of Mr Grill, was also questioned.
Premier Alan Carpenter in December demoted Mr Bowler, then resources minister, to more junior portfolios because of what he called the "smear and innuendo" surrounding his links with Mr Grill and Mr Burke.
The CCC today heard secretly recorded phone conversations in which Mr Burke referred to Mr Bowler as Mr Grill's "protege" and Mr Grill claimed to be "very close" to him.
Mr Carpenter yesterday sacked environment minister Tony McRae after the CCC accused him last week of using his position as a minister to try and gain a financial benefit from Mr Grill.
Last November, Mr Carpenter sacked then-small business minister Norm Marlborough after the CCC revealed the extent of his links to Mr Burke.
Mr Burke described state government minister John Bowler as lobbyist Julian Grill's protege, in a secretly recorded telephone conversation revealed by the state's corruption watchdog.
The CCC today heard Mr Grill has close ties with Mr Bowler, currently minister for local government, who occupies the seat once held by Mr Grill.
In one secretly recorded conversation from February last year, senior Department of and Industry Resources bureaucrat Gary Stokes asked Mr Grill if he has much to do with Mr Bowler, who was then resources minister.
Mr Grill replied: "A lot, he is very close to me, I ran his campaign."
In a conversation with David Cecchele, the WA project director of Urban Pacific, one of the lobbyist's clients, Mr Burke described Mr Bowler as Mr Grill's "protege".
Mr Cecchele asked Mr Burke whether he knew Mr Bowler's position on a rezoning application put by Urban Pacific which would allow them develop a 500 hectare tract of land south of Perth.
"Really, it's something you should ring Julian about," Mr Burke replied.
Later in the same conversation, Mr Burke told Mr Cecchele: "I'm absolutely confident that Julian will see this matter in the correct way."
Premier Alan Carpenter demoted Mr Bowler in a cabinet reshuffle in December over what he called the "smear and innuendo" surrounding his links with Mr Grill and Mr Burke.
Mr Carpenter yesterday sacked Environment Minister Tony McRae, after the CCC accused him last week of using his position as a minister to try and gain a financial benefit out of Mr Grill.
More ministers are expected to be called to face questioning this week.
Last November, Mr Carpenter sacked then-Small Business Minister Norm Marlborough after the CCC revealed the extent of his links to Mr Burke.
Mr Carpenter also forced the disgraced former police minister John D'Orazio out of the ALP after the CCC revealed in August he had met with an allegedly corrupt Perth panel beater.
