National
Reverend Fred Nile denies viewing internet pornography and says his staff used his log-on. Picture: Tracee Lea Source: The Daily Telegraph
- MP denies viewing internet pornography
- 200,000 suspected hits allegedly recorded
- Computer audit ends minister's career
A CHRISTIAN Democrat MP has been identified as as one of the biggest viewers of internet pornography in an audit of NSW parliamentary computers.
The audit, which claimed the front-bench career of a Labor minister yesterday, showed that adult content had been accessed under Reverend Fred Nile's log-on.
Sources said that up to 200,000 suspect hits had been recorded.
Mr Nile denied viewing pornography and said that his staff had used his log-on for research purposes.
His office added that 200,000 hits was impossible.
Ports Minister Paul McLeay was sacked by Premier Kristina Keneally after he admitted accessing online pornography and gambling sites as a minister and as a backbencher.
He is the fourth minister to resign from Ms Keneally's government in nine months, including David Campbell for visiting a gay sex club and Ian Macdonald over travel rorts.
MP Karyn Paluzzano was sacked for 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.
"I spoke to my wife first, then the Premier, then my mother and that's why I am here this afternoon."
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". She said MPs should be able to research pornography.
Ms Keneally announced Mr McLeay's sacking in the House during Question Time and said he had admitted to accessing online pornography.
"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.
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