Minister sacked as PC porn audit reveals blue Nile

Uggly situation ... Paul McLeay, Kristina Keneally, David Campbell and Karyn Paluzzano / Pic: Nathan Edwards Source: The Daily Telegraph

Not me ... the Reverend Fred Nile. Source: The Daily Telegraph

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It can also be revealed that the audit, conducted two months ago, identified Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile as one of the biggest viewers of adult content.

Mr Nile claimed yesterday he had never viewed pornography and said his staff had used his log-on and done so for "research purposes".

But up to 200,000 suspect hits have been recorded under Mr Nile's log-on, sources said.

Mr Nile's office said that amount of hits was "impossible".

Several other MPs' offices were identified as having accessed porn.

A Coalition MP has been named by sources as having viewed pornography. The MP denied the claims and an Opposition staffer had shown a large number of suspect hits.

Mr McLeay was forced to resign from the front bench by Ms Keneally after being contacted at 10am yesterday over allegations he had been caught surfing online porn.

He admitted accessing pornography and gaming in his ministerial office and as a backbencher.

He is the fourth minister to resign during Ms Keneally's nine months in the job, including David Campbell for visiting a gay sex club and Ian Macdonald over travel rorts.

MP Karyn Paluzzano resigned after being caught lying to ICAC.

The Government has lost six ministers in 12 months, including Joe Tripodi and John Della Bosca, who resigned a year ago after revelations he conducted an affair in Parliament.

In a teary media conference yesterday outside Parliament, Mr McLeay said he had apologised to the Premier. He said he had offered to resign from the Labor Party.

The audit, by the Department of Parliamentary Services, is understood to have found more than 60,000 suspect hits on Mr McLeay's log-on.

"I am quite embarrassed to be standing here before you. This behaviour is not the standard expected of Government ministers," he said.

The audit was ordered by Speaker Richard Torbay after revelations a former staffer for Ms Paluzzano, Tim Horan, had accessed online gaming.

A firewall was installed in July for Legislative Assembly MPs so they could not view pornography but Legislative Council President Amanda Fazio elected not to install a firewall for the Upper House.

Before news of Mr McLeay's resignation broke, Ms Fazio yesterday said she was refusing to implement a similar ban in the Upper House saying she was "against internet censorship".

Ms Keneally announced Mr McLeay's sacking in the House during Question Time.

"This behaviour is not the standard I expect of a Minister," she said.

A staffer for Mr Nile, David Copeland, confirmed he had viewed sites to research the activities of the Australian Sex Party and also the proposed internet filter.

It appears neither Ms Fazio nor Mr Torbay conveyed initial reports of the viewing of pornography they received to the Government or Opposition.

Four right-wingers are pushing for Mr McLeay's Cabinet spot. Tanya Gadiel, Leila McMahon and Andrew McDonald were understood to be putting their hands up, sources said, however powerbroker Eddie Obeid was backing Miranda MP Barry Collier.