http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/arthur-sinodinos-goes-down-the-gurgler...
Arthur Sinodinos' political career disintegrated at the ICAC hearings this week, but the ramifications may be far more severe for him than that, reports Sydney bureau chief Ross Jones, who in the courtroom on Thursday.
ON THURSDAY, 3 April 2014, the golden dreams of Senator Arthur Sinodinos were strewn to the four winds in a mist of green fairy dust — the colour of greed, jealousy and money.
Obfuscation. Denial. Memory loss.
These things go to the heart of the Liberal National Coalition.
Peta Credlin, whose political nose cannot be denied, made sure Sinodinos only cracked assistant finance minister to Mathias Cormann even though he can smile more readily, knew John Howard and is, according to Tony Abbott, an "honourable man".
But they knew this guy was off when they hired him.
He was hanging with Nick Di Girolamo and Paul Nicolaou, both former Liberal Party fundraisers. Everyone knew them and what they did for a quid. And who they doled out the quids to; the North Sydney Forum, a Liberal fundraising operation in Joe Hockey’s electorate, which accepted $33,0000 from AWH before the stench became so strong they sheepishly returned the tainted funds.
Sinodinos was hired by Abbott for the same reasons AWH hired him — as a door opener. He’d been Howard’s Cardinal Richelieu and was seen as an electoral asset in the restoration of the ancien regime.
But no more.
The ordeal of Arthur will be long and mediaeval. Blackadder to Baldrick, not in one fell swoop, but exquisitely drawn out. If he was telling the truth to the commission – and let’s hope he was – then he falls a little behind the desired standard of your modern chairman, what with the diligence responsibilities and all.
So, you would think, that’s it for a serious, heavy-duty business career. Maybe a trucking company in Bargo, but Collins Street probably not.
Politics? Hard to see with the Obeid taint. Ride out his term maybe, then bye bye if worse hasn’t happened in the meantime.
Back in February 2013 Arthur made a mea culpa speech in the Senate for failing to disclose five – count them – directorships in what he described as an administrative oversight.
I love it.
