24 December 2015

Burch quits police, emergency services portfolios

| Charlotte
Join the conversation
17
JoyBurch

Embattled ACT Government Minister Joy Burch has this afternoon resigned from the Police and Emergency Services portfolios as ACT Policing investigate Fairfax Media reports that her most senior adviser briefed Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union ACT Secretary Dean Hall on the contents of a meeting between Ms Burch and Chief Police Officer Rudi Lammers.

EARLIER STORY: Burch under pressure as ACT Policing investigate media reports

Ms Burch is on leave till the new year from tomorrow, but retains her seat in cabinet and other portfolios (education and training, disability, racing and gaming and the arts) at this time.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Ms Burch announced her resignation and Mr Barr’s acceptance of it in a joint statement tonight.

Mr Barr said there would be a ministerial reshuffle before the Assembly sits in 2016, and that Deputy Chief Minister Simon Corbell would take on the Police and Emergency Services portfolio in the interim.

“I will consider the allocation of portfolios over the summer break and announce the revised portfolios in the new year,” Mr Barr said.

“It is important to be clear that, based on advice I have, there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Minister Burch.

“However, following yesterday’s announcement by ACT Policing that they will evaluate the veracity of allegations relating to Minister Burch’s office, she has resigned in accordance with her responsibility under the Ministerial Code of Conduct. Under the Code, Ministers are not only accountable for their own behaviour but also for the decisions and actions of their staff.

Minister Burch said she remained committed to making a contribution to the current government.

“We have an important agenda to deliver and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Canberra.

“As the police have said, the ACT Government does not direct ACT Policing in relation to how it undertakes its operational activity, and did not do so on the occasion that has been the subject of recent public attention.

“It is nonetheless entirely appropriate that I step aside from this portfolio while ACT Policing conducts its evaluation,” she said.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said Mr Barr’s acceptance of Ms Burch’s resignation from the police portfolio was a weak and inadequate response.

“If Ms Burch is unfit to be the Police Minister then she is unfit to be the Education Minister, the Gaming Minister, or hold any other position in Cabinet,” Mr Hanson said.

“The Chief Minister has failed in his responsibility to the people of the ACT by not removing Joy Burch from Cabinet.

The Canberra Liberals Leader said Mr Barr needed to “fully explain other matters beyond the inappropriate briefing of the CFMEU that he claims led to her resignation”.

“Andrew Barr’s failure to stand up to Labor’s factions and the CFMEU further erodes the integrity of his government and is to the detriment of our community,” Mr Hanson said.

“I once again call on Andrew Barr to sack Joy Burch and cut financial and political ties with the CFMEU.”

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
SidneyReilly4:39 pm 04 Jan 16

I think that after the election in October we will have a new Government be it Labour or Liberal.
Curious we never had this sort of carry on before self government… But then I suspect none of you would remember those halycon days…
Just as a snyde gybe in strictest confidence; I think Gallagher left at the right time – to save her own reputation…..

dungfungus said :

I would appear that she will retire at the next election in which case we should speculate about who will be appointed to replace her.
I say “appointed” because it has nothing to do with the voters, does it?
The other scenario is who would replace her if she resigned right now?

If she stayed to the next election but did not contest it, then it would be up to the voters. Voting in the ACT is not like voting for the Federal Senate.

If she were to retire before the election, the likely replacement would be Rebecca Cody, 2016 candidate for Murrumbidgee, or Karl Maftoum, 2016 candidate for Brindabella.

Nilrem said :

gooterz said :

Nilrem said :

henryans said :

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Any chance we could focus on the integrity issue without flicking the swicth to political war? We’ve all got political views, but it’s nice sometimes to focus on the substance of issues.

You don’t think a lack of substance or integrity is reason enough to get better representation.
If only she was in a position to be informed about the issues around WWVP.

On the contrary, she failed the integrity test and had to go! She should have gone earlier. Pokies, cage etc. There are very very ordinary MLAs on both sides of the chamber.

Ooops, wishful thinking. I reckon a resignation from all portfolios before next February though.

gooterz said :

Nilrem said :

henryans said :

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Any chance we could focus on the integrity issue without flicking the swicth to political war? We’ve all got political views, but it’s nice sometimes to focus on the substance of issues.

You don’t think a lack of substance or integrity is reason enough to get better representation.
If only she was in a position to be informed about the issues around WWVP.

Thanks to the massive blowout in the Barr budget deficit announced today we are now all in the VP category.

gooterz said :

Nilrem said :

henryans said :

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Any chance we could focus on the integrity issue without flicking the swicth to political war? We’ve all got political views, but it’s nice sometimes to focus on the substance of issues.

You don’t think a lack of substance or integrity is reason enough to get better representation.
If only she was in a position to be informed about the issues around WWVP.

On the contrary, she failed the integrity test and had to go! She should have gone earlier. Pokies, cage etc. There are very very ordinary MLAs on both sides of the chamber.

Ps: someone needs to learn how to photoshop

Nilrem said :

henryans said :

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Any chance we could focus on the integrity issue without flicking the swicth to political war? We’ve all got political views, but it’s nice sometimes to focus on the substance of issues.

You don’t think a lack of substance or integrity is reason enough to get better representation.
If only she was in a position to be informed about the issues around WWVP.

Joy Burch has a list of stuff ups as long as your arm. probably longer. Every portfolio she has had there been a conflict.

rosscoact said :

Ms Burch is an argument for a larger Assembly and Cabinet

I doubt this will improve the quality of ACT political candidates and members. Suspect that we will go further down into the dregs of the parties to fill the larger number of slots available.

I can’t see how her position as a minister of anything is tenable. Misconduct in one portfolio surely casts in doubt her fitness to be minister for anything. Plus she’s hardly suffering any personal consequence for her failings, apart from some temporary embarrassment – she still gets paid the same, now with less work to do.

She’s a goner. She has gone on leave, and Barr will be doing a reshuffle before the next Assembly meeting. (Good riddance – worst minister in ACT’s history of self-government)

I would appear that she will retire at the next election in which case we should speculate about who will be appointed to replace her.
I say “appointed” because it has nothing to do with the voters, does it?
The other scenario is who would replace her if she resigned right now?

henryans said :

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Any chance we could focus on the integrity issue without flicking the swicth to political war? We’ve all got political views, but it’s nice sometimes to focus on the substance of issues.

About time. Institutional links with the union movement are a critical flaw for the ALP that will hound them until they get rid of them, and here’s a classic example of overstepping the boundaries of acceptable conduct.

Canberra politics needs a reboot. Barr and co have been in way too long and act like dictators, swatting away any challenges to the green social engineering projects

Good – she started 2015 with a no-confidence motion being moved against her, and has ended the year with this.

It is beyond belief that she would resign from a portfolio after this latest effort, but not over failures which harm the most vulnerable in the community – the aborted attempt to change the maximum dollar note limit for poker machines, the ‘student cage’ inquiry, her son working in schools without a WWVP card. It says a lot about her character that she wasn’t willing to take responsibility for the other incidents.

Ms Burch is an argument for a larger Assembly and Cabinet

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.