NSW Police refers Angus Taylor doctored documents investigation to AFP
The NSW Police has referred its investigation into potentially falsified documents used to politically attack Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore, to the Australian Federal Police.
In September, The Daily Telegraph published a page three story quoting a letter sent by energy minister Angus Taylor to Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore, which claimed that Moore’s council spent more than $15m on international and domestic travel. That figure contrasted with the council’s annual report, which showed $4,206.32 and $1,727.77 spent on domestic and overseas out-of-pocket travel costs, respectively.
Taylor apologised, but was adamant he downloaded the figures from the council’s website
Moore denied the Telegraph’s story, and the figures Taylor provided, and proceeded to lodge a complaint with the Press Council.
And the Minister, in briefing the Tele for this hatchet job news piece, told them the City spends $14m on flights and accommodation each year. This figure is grossly inaccurate. Last year, to cover the cost of travel – for our over 2,000 staff – the City spent just over $200,000.
— Clover Moore AO (@CloverMoore) September 30, 2019
Ultimately, Taylor apologised “unreservedly”. He claimed to have found the figures on the council’s website.
“It is now clear to me that the correspondence I sent you on 29 September 2019 included numbers that were not correct,” Taylor wrote. “Given this, I regret not clarifying those figures with you before writing, and relying on those figures in media commentary, I apologise unreservedly.”
In October, before Taylor’s apology, the Labor party referred the matter to the NSW Police, asking it to investigate whether someone falsified the document with the intent to induce Daily Telegraph journalists to accept it as real and attempt to influence Moore and other councillors.
Now, the state’s police force has concluded its investigation, referring the matter to the AFP.
That referral was only made public this week, with reports stating it could be a result of a potential jurisdictional issue, with any possible crime occurring in Canberra, not New South Wales.
Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
Linkedin
Like delivering wheat to a coeliac, the AFP will have no stomach for this.
User ID not verified.
Federal ICAC now.
First off…Barnyard from Tamworth.
User ID not verified.
Does the AFP even have the power of arrest? I’ve never seen them use it.
User ID not verified.
Only to arrest journalists, or others thinking outside party lines.
User ID not verified.