Della Bosca must be sacked: Opposition

http://news.smh.com.au/national/della-bosca-must-be-sacked-opposition-20080608-2ng6.html

The NSW opposition has demanded the sacking of Education Minister John Della Bosca after he was allegedly involved in a pub altercation then drove home, despite saying he would no longer drive.

Mr Della Bosca announced last month that he would relinquish his licence ahead of an impending six-month driving ban, after he had racked up a series of speeding fines.

It has emerged the state Labor minister, and his federal Labor MP wife Belinda Neal, were involved in a argument with bar staff at a Gosford nightclub on Friday and he has admitted to then driving home.

"On 13 May 2008, John Della Bosca told Parliament he would no longer drive following advice from the RTA that his licence would be cancelled for repeated speeding fines," NSW Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell said.

"He's now confirmed he drove home after Friday's incident at the nightclub."

Mr O'Farrell said Premier Morris Iemma sacked former MP Carl Scully for "lying to Parliament, and he should apply the same standard to John Della Bosca".

"Any refusal to act by Mr Iemma would again confirm that he is not prepared to apply any standards to his ministerial team."

Mr O'Farrell has also called for an investigation to determine what took place at Iguana's Waterfront.

Mr Della Bosca has said he had drunk "only mineral water" on the night, and that his licence was yet to be formally revoked.

Bar staff have signed a statutory declaration claiming they were threatened by the state MP and also Ms Neal, Labor member for the Federal seat of Robertson.

The threats included staff losing their jobs, the premises being stripped of its licence and a warning to not call the police.

"These are serious allegations about a Iemma Minister and Rudd MP throwing their weight around, trying to intimidate staff and threatening to have a liquor licence cancelled," Mr O'Farrell said.

"If it were first grade footballers involved, their club would be required to explain what went on."

But Mr Della Bosca dismissed the reports as "nonsense", saying it was the couple who had suffered abuse.

"I was confronted and attacked by somebody, I left the place and that is all I have to say about it," he told the Seven network.

http://news.smh.com.au/national/iemma-awaits-report-from-della-bosca-20080609-2nr9.html

Premier Morris Iemma is awaiting a written explanation from Education Minister John Della Bosca over his actions at a Central Coast nightclub on Friday night.

The education minister has remained adamant he and his wife, federal Labor MP Belinda Neal, did nothing wrong and said on Monday he was targeted by staff after complaining at Iguanas Waterfront Bar in Gosford.

But the NSW opposition has called for Mr Della Bosca to be sacked, despite Iguanas' general manager Steve Twitchin issuing an apology and staff retracting statements that the state minister and his wife were abusive and threatening during an altercation with staff.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell wants Mr Della Bosca sacked as a minister for driving his car after telling parliament he would no longer drive following RTA advice his licence would be cancelled over repeated speeding fines.

Mr O'Farrell said Mr Iemma sacked former MP Carl Scully for "lying to parliament, and he should apply the same standard to John Della Bosca".

Staff previously provided News Limited with statutory declarations stating the couple used profanity, threatened to have staff sacked and threatened to have police shut down the premises.

A spokesman for the premier on Monday said he was waiting to receive an account of Friday night from Mr Della Bosca.

Mr Della Bosca said on Monday the dispute arose when members of his group were asked "rudely" to move tables when the room was being cleared.

He said he and his wife were recognised by staff and the incident was made public because staff threatened both of their political careers.

"People, because they did know who we were, were saying because they were a bit annoyed about the fact that we had complained that effectively they would report this, that they would make a big issue of it and that they would destroy myself and my wife," Mr Della Bosca told ABC radio.

"That's what one of the staff members said to me `I want to turn this into a he said, she said thing' - that's in fact the way this was portrayed."

He said he was having a meal with his wife and others at the local bistro.

"It was a friendly night and nothing was out of order until the last five minutes, or seven minutes of the evening when there was a dispute about moving a table."

"I wasn't drunk, I didn't behave illegally, I didn't do anything improper.

"I ask you how many private citizens would have to put up with the kind of behaviour i have had to."

He said he was drinking mineral water all night and his wife was not drunk.