Rex Jackson dies aged 83
Updated
Rex Jackson, one of Australia's most controversial politicians, has died on the New South Wales south coast at the age of 83.
The former MP, who represented seats in the Illawarra beginning in 1955, held ministries in the NSW Labor government from the mid-70s until his spectacular fall from grace in 1983.
He was convicted of conspiracy as prisons minister for accepting bribes in exchange for letting prisoners out of jail early.
Tickets and buckets were the words with which he became associated; for the tickets of leave he corruptly sold and the nickname buckets of his tendency to come down hard on his opponents.
In the end, he served just over three years of his 10 year prison sentence before returning to Helensburgh and running a hotdog stand.
New South Wales ALP figure Johno Johnson says Jackson was a good man, but his gambling addiction led to his downfall.
"He was a very effervescent fellow but in later life, he had a passion for the dogs," he said.
"He'd go to the Dapto dogs, he'd go to the Wentworth Park dogs; he was a fixture at those events."
Editor's note: (January 5) the original article incorrectly attributed the nickname "buckets" to Mr Jackson because he "threatened to tip the bucket on the ALP if he was dumped".
Topics: states-and-territories, helensburgh-2508
First posted
