Cansdell scandal angers NSW premier

SYDNEY (AAP) - NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says he was disappointed and annoyed when he heard a Nationals MP had lied to avoid losing his driver's licence.
Northern NSW MP Steve Cansdell quit state politics last Friday after admitting to signing a false statutory declaration in 2005 when a camera on the Pacific Highway at Woodburn caught him speeding.
The departure of Mr Cansdell is the first scandal to rock the six-month-old coalition government and is a blow to Mr O'Farrell, who promised to end the "soap opera" that was the former Labor government.
Speaking to the media for the first time since Mr Cansdell's resignation, Mr O'Farrell said he was "disappointed and clearly annoyed" when told by Nationals leader Andrew Stoner on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Cansdell's actions were "unacceptable", the premier said, but he praised Mr Stoner's handling of the incident.
"(This was) an event that occurred in 2005, not during this government, but this government dealt with it appropriately, dealt with it quickly and demonstrated again that we're a government that intends to raise standards," Mr O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney.
"(Mr Stoner) has acted absolutely correctly all the way through and has demonstrated again that if you are confronted with these situations, what you have do is make decisions to raise standards - not to put up with it."
With a by-election in the safe Nationals seat of Clarence expected in November, jockeying is now underway for Mr Cansdell's replacement.
The National Party hopes to open nominations this week, with the independent who ran against Mr Cansdell at the March election considering joining the party and contesting the seat again.
Richie Williamson, the mayor of Clarence Valley Council, said he was considering "what options may be available to me", including running for the National Party or again as an independent.
"It's early days - Steve only made the announcement on Friday, and I have spoken with the National Party since then on a couple of occasions, and I suspect that conversation may continue through this week," Mr Williamson told AAP.
"I hope within a week we could have some solid way forward for both parties."
National Party state director Ben Franklin described Mr Williamson as a "prominent local member of the community", and said he would be a "very serious candidate".
"If he is of a mind to join the party and put his hat into the ring, then I would have thought that he would be considered as a serious candidate," Mr Franklin told AAP.
"There are other candidates as well, but if he wants to join the party then Richie will be considered on his merits."
Mr Franklin refused to speak of Clarence as a safe Nationals seat - the party won the electorate with a massive 81.4 per cent two-party vote - saying "we don't take any seat for granted, we'll be working very hard".
Labor has yet to decide if it will run a candidate in the by-election, with the party finishing third behind Mr Williamson in March.
Greens candidate at the state election, Janet Cavanaugh, said she would announce this week whether she would run.