WA: Mayor and deputy exposed council over Burke links: CCC

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2009
WA: Mayor and deputy exposed council over Burke links: CCC

By Andra Hayward

PERTH, Dec 3 AAP - A mayor and aspiring federal Labor candidate helped expose his council
to a culture of corruption through his links to disgraced former premier Brian Burke,
Western Australia's corruption watchdog says.

The WA Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) on Thursday tabled a report into alleged
public sector misconduct in the City of Wanneroo, in Perth's north.

It found former Wanneroo deputy mayor Salvatore (Sam) Salpietro had engaged in misconduct
twice between 2003 and 2006 when dealing with Mr Burke, a former premier turned lobbyist.

Wanneroo mayor Jon Kelly, the sole candidate for ALP preselection in the federal Perth-based
seat of Cowan, had not engaged in misconduct, but had a "mutually duplicitous" relationship
with Mr Burke, the CCC said.

The CCC investigation examined five development proposals in Wanneroo and the links
between Mr Salpietro and Mr Burke, his long-time friend.

The allegations were examined in public hearings at the CCC in February 2007.

It is the ninth report into possible misconduct by public officers in connection with
their dealings with Mr Burke and his lobbyist business partner and former minister Julian
Grill.

The CCC said Mr Salpietro had engaged in misconduct when he voted in favour of a development
proposal which he had discussed with Mr Burke.

The then deputy mayor had failed to declare his links with the lobbyist at the meeting
when the vote took place, it said.

The CCC said Mr Salpietro again engaged in misconduct when he told Mr Burke and a client
of the former premier how to conceal a grower's retail market was trading in contravention
of its zoning as a wholesale market.

Mr Burke had also offered to use his connections to help Mr Salpietro's election to
committees and to help him seek a term as the council mayor, the report said.

In his dealings with Mr Kelly, Mr Burke told the mayor he could use his connections
to help him secure a Lotto licence for his business.

Mr Kelly did not immediately follow up the offer but told Mr Burke it was "greatly appreciated".

Later, he experienced problems getting the licence and eventually accepted the lobbyist's
offers of assistance, the CCC said.

"On the evidence, it is apparent that Mr Burke saw that as an opportunity to create
in Mr Kelly's mind a sense of obligation to him," the CCC said.

Mr Burke had also offered Mr Kelly assistance by getting him re-admitted to the ALP
after his resignation during a factional dispute, and a chance to win a seat in WA's upper
house, the CCC said.

Mr Kelly's preselection for Cowan is due to go before the ALP state executive on December 14.

The CCC said Mr Burke used the "tacit compliance" of Mr Kelly and Mr Salpietro to promote
his influence to other clients.

"Discussions with Mr Kelly and Mr Salpietro belie their claim that they kept Mr Burke's
lobbying at arm's length and reacted to his requests by either ignoring or subverting
them," the CCC said.

"Both men were alive to the potential benefits for them if they helped Mr Burke and
kept in his good graces.

"The inability to refuse Mr Burke or to draw clear boundaries in dealing with him,
by both these public officers, exposes a high-risk culture of corruption and misconduct
with the City of Wanneroo at that time."

AAP ah/was/it/cdh

KEYWORD: WANNEROO BURKE

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