Furious Wollongong MP Noreen Hay has dismissed as "completely untrue" allegations raised in State Parliament about a home unit she bought from a high-profile developer.
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon used parliamentary privilege to question whether Ms Hay bought an apartment in Wollongong's Landmark building at a discounted rate after she had lobbied on behalf of the developer Jempac.
However, Ms Hay yesterday maintained she bought the apartment at market value and challenged Ms Rhiannon to make the speech again outside of Parliament, where MPs are not legally protected.
The claims also drew heavy criticism from Government MPs listening to the speech late on Tuesday night, who interrupted several times claiming the comments were out of order.
During debate on the Government's political donations bill, Ms Rhiannon claimed development company Jempac or Jem Developments sold an apartment to Ms Hay for $340,000 in 2006, the same year similar units were selling for $490,000.
She also claimed that Ms Hay had lobbied to secure the rezoning of another Jempac site, the Rawson St car park.
The council rezoned the site in 2004 and sold it to Jempac for $6.1 million, to be developed as a 60-bed medical facility with four operating theatres, a 90-bed nursing home and 127 independent seniors' living units.
Ms Rhiannon said Ms Hay's purchase needed to be investigated.
"If Ms Hay did purchase the unit at a rate below market value, the people of Wollongong need to know how this came about and be absolutely sure that her decision to invest in this developer's project had nothing to do with the assistance she apparently provided to the same developer in their other controversial projects," Ms Rhiannon said.
Ms Hay said transfer documents proved nothing improper had occurred.
The Mercury has sighted official documents showing the apartment Ms Hay and her husband Lee Lawler bought was one of six comparable apartments sold in 2006. Two, including Ms Hay's, sold for $340,000. The other four apartments actually sold for less than that - $325,000 - and were then sold on within the same year for $490,000.
Ms Rhiannon defended her speech yesterday, which she said was intended to raise questions about relationships between developers and MPs.
"I don't think in any way I was not accurate because I was not absolute in what I said."
Ms Hay said Ms Rhiannon should be ashamed of herself.
"I can openly and honestly say I purchased my investment property at market value," Ms Hay said.
"I deliberately do my business in the area of Wollongong.
"I think that the Green representatives should be ashamed of themselves for giving the impression that they have some kind of honesty and integrity when they use the parliamentary chamber to tell lies."
Ms Rhiannon's claims also attracted criticism in the Parliament.
The house's deputy president, Fred Nile, twice upheld points of order against her, on the basis speaking MPs cannot impute improper motives to other MPs.
Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said: "Ms Lee Rhiannon clearly does not understand what she has been saying."
Ms Rhiannon went on to attack Ms Hay and Kiama MP Matt Brown over political fundraising and what happened to surplus funds. She said Ms Hay used government ministers to lure people to fundraisers, including one on November 23, 2007, which was not advertised as a fundraiser.
"Some of the invited guests saw it as a fundraiser, others saw it as a briefing from key Labor ministers," she said.
"The event was not advertised as a fundraiser."
Ms Hay said the fundraisers were legitimate and transparent.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter