The
NSW Labor Party haven’t been the only pols caught up in the Orange Grove
affair. Despite the ICAC findings, there are implications for the Liberals,
too.

Orange
Grove was a factory outlet centre approved by Liverpool Council in Sydney’s west that contravened planning law. Council
sought state government approval to change the local plan so it would conform.
Dianne Beamer, the then planning minister, received a warning of corruption
over the matter from then premier Bob Carr’s office, refused to move, and the Orange
Grove Outlet Centre was closed, with the loss of many jobs.

The interesting sub-plot, of course, is how Westfield had challenged the
approval in court. Nabil Gazal owned the Orange Grove factory outlet centre and, as
with many local government land deals, stood to make a tidy profit from buying land
cheap and having it rezoned to a more commercial use.

Gazal is very upset about the ICAC report. In the past, he has
been portrayed by our feathered friend the Parrot as a selfless soul
campaigning for the sake of all the people who lost their jobs. The Parrot did not disappoint this morning. He had a big squawk about ICAC and an interview
with a “white hot” with rage John Broaden. This was followed by a talk with Gazal,
who said that he had asked Labor MP Joe Tripodi and Liberal Anthony
Roberts – odd bedfellows – to help him with his lobbying.

Roberts, the Member for Lane Cove, used to be the chief
Parrot wrangler when he worked in the Prime Minister’s office. Crikey readers
will recall, the Parrot rewarded Roberts for his efforts by giving him a
glowing reference when he stood for preselection. As Bob Carr pointed out,
Anthony Roberts was previously a director of Flagstaff Communications, with his
Liberal mate Jeff Egan. Carr made much in the house about faxes from Flagstaff
Communications briefing the Opposition on what to say in Parliament on Orange
Grove.

Liberal MPs say – off the record, natch – that John Broaden feels
he was “set up” on Orange Grove by members of his own party and did not really
have the case to run with in the way it was first presented to him.

That might explain why he is white hot today – and why there is speculation
how the episode will play in the never ending factional wars in the local Libs,
particularly given Borden’s and Robert’s positions on different sides of the
fence.