Sartor takes planning job with Labor donor – or does he?

Just three months after losing his job as Planning Minister Frank Sartor took a paid job with one of Australia’s top law firms that lists planning, property and construction as some of its speciality areas, says Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.

The firm, Gadens Lawyers, donated $14,000 to NSW Labor in the lead up to the 2007 election according to Ms Rhiannon.

But the firm denies the appointment and will not comment, and calls to Mr Sartor’s Rockdale electorate office and his Parliamentary office have drawn no response.

Yet a Discretionary Return lodged at Parliament by Mr Sartor says he had been engaged to provide consultancy services for a fee to both Youth Insearch Foundation and Gadens Lawyers for the period 1 November to 31 December 2008.

A ‘return’ is a statement of income, investments and assets required from politicians to guard against conflicts of interest.

The appointment was widely reported in the daily press.

Ms Rhiannon accuses Mr Sartor of ‘double-dipping’.

‘Frank Sartor’s salary package from Gadens would top up his $126,000 MP’s wage which comes with a $37,000 expense account’, she said.

‘Mr Sartor has been the architect of this government’s regressive planning laws. For Sartor to take a job with Gadens, a big Labor donor, is unethical if not strictly against the government’s shoddy rules.

‘His wealth of experience and contacts linked with his previous planning portfolio would prove valuable to Gadens.

‘Former ministers and premiers are able to take up jobs linked with their former portfolio areas immediately on leaving office because both the Labor government and the opposition have failed to introduce a cooling-off period.’

Ms Rhiannon said a 2004 ICAC report recommended that the government introduce rules to restrict the employment that Ministers can take up in the immediate period after leaving office. The US and Canada had a two-year ban on positions in areas covering former portfolio responsibilities.