Thread: N.S.W. politics. Back to the roots.

N.S,W. politics have had some intersting twists and turns and characters over the years, there's always been a connection between organized crime and politics.
The best politicians money can buy they say, (In victoria it's the best police money can buy and in Q'land there used to be a saying 'do the police a favour, beat yourself up')
Anyway, looks like they're at it again.

Man 'who could bring down New South Wales government' shot dead

A Scottish-born man who was shot dead in front of his son in Sydney was in possession of a tape capable of bringing down the New South Wales state Labour government, it has been claimed.



By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Published: 10:30PM BST 06 Sep 2009

Michael McGurk died after being shot outside his home Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES


Michael McGurk, a well-known loan shark, was arriving at his multi-million-dollar home with his 10-year-old son on Thursday evening when he was shot once in the head by a lone gunman.
Mr McGurk, 46, had been due to appear in court the following day in relation to a complex property dispute.

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Since his death, it has emerged that he met with journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald in the days before the murder.
During the meeting he claimed to have made a tape of a conversation containing revelations of corruption within the NSW government and said he was concerned for his life.
Jim Byrnes, a business associate of Mr McGurk's who has served time in jail, has also claimed that following the meeting the dead man's home and office were ransacked by people trying to find and destroy the tape.
Mr Byrnes claimed Mr McGurk was shot in the head outside his home in the northern Sydney suburb of Cremorne because he had threatened to go public with allegations that senior state MPs had accepted payments from businessmen in return for favours.
"It's a pretty well established fact that there was supposed to be a tape recording of a lengthy conversation that he had with a person ...
and that tape recording related to supposed financial payments to very senior politicians within the state," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Had that tape seen the light of day you might be seeing two or three politicians no longer being politicians."
However, Graham Richardson, a former Labour party power broker, has said he had listened to the tape and that it was "inaudible".
The tape has reportedly since been handed over to police.
The NSW opposition have called for an independent inquiry into the allegations, but Nathan Rees, the state premier, has said the case was a matter for the police.
However, the existence of the tape may not be the only motive for Mr McGurk's murder.
He had recently been cleared of two charges of firebombing houses and assault involving two men who he claimed owed him mortgage money.
Mr McGurk made many enemies in his tough dealings, and believed he had a price on his head after a series of business disputes. He was also millions of dollars in debt.

Man 'who could bring down New South Wales government' shot dead - Telegraph