Liberal apparatchik to gas lobbyist

DEPUTY Director of the NSW Liberal Party Richard Shields has accepted a job as a lobbyist with Metgasco, the company which is proposing to build a gas pipeline from Casino through the Border Ranges to Ipswich.

Mr Shields has been appointed as the manager of external relations, meaning he will liaise on the company's behalf with the NSW Liberal-National government.

Shadow Special Minister for State Steve Whan said the appointment was a “major conflict of interest for the O'Farrell government”.

“Richard Shields was part of the Liberal Party team that helped bring Barry O'Farrell into office,” Steve Whan said. “This is a major conflict of interest for the O'Farrell government that will no doubt concern members of the community worried about the impact of coal seam gas mining in NSW.

“The fact is a senior Liberal Party official is now lobbying the Liberal NSW Government on behalf of his coal seam gas company.

“A balanced approach needs to be taken to coal seam gas – we can't have a government that pretends to be listening to the community and then be seen doing deals with industry in company boardrooms,” Mr Whan said.

“Barry O'Farrell needs to call on Richard Shields to resign from his position in the Liberal Party before letting him take a job as a lobbyist for coal seam gas mining in NSW.”

A former minister, Mr Whan lost his lower house Monaro seat in the March election but stepped into the Upper House when Tony Kelly resigned. Former Lands Minister Mr Kelly is currently under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

A spokesperson for Premier Barry O'Farrell said:

“There is a new government in NSW and the old Labor ways of doing business are over. The Premier has made it very clear the backdoor is firmly shut to lobbyists and if anyone thinks they'll get the inside running because of who they know will be sorely disappointed.

“The new NSW Government has already strengthened the rules around lobbying, including a ban on lobbyist success fees – something which the former Labor Government refused to do.”

(Success fees are paid to lobbyists who successfully negotiate an outcome with government that was pre-determined by the organisation employing the lobbyist).

In May this year Premier Barry O'Farrell's government introduced legislation removing lobbyist “success” fees and giving the government the power to fine companies up to $55,000 and individuals $22,000 for breaking that regulation. At that time the O'Farrell government came under fire because former Fahey government Minister Michael Photios was a lobbyist for the Australian Hotels Association, who, along with Clubs NSW, are rallying against the federal government's changes to poker machine laws.

Mr Shields, who is understood to be working at NSW Liberal headquarters in Sydney until Friday and will begin his job with Metgasco on Monday, did not return calls from The Echo.

Clarence MP Steve Cansdell said: “Metgasco have employed someone, they've got a right to hire who they feel is going to put their point of view across to the government... and that's what they've done.

“He hasn't come from politics, he's come from administration and that's the decision Metgasco made. Obviously they feel comfortable with it.”