Rees dumps Tony Stewart from NSW cabinet

AAP - NSW Small Business Minister Tony Stewart has been dumped from cabinet after refusing to resign following a probe that found he verbally abused a staff member.

Premier Nathan Rees on Tuesday asked the Lieutenant-Governor to remove the suspended
minister from the frontbench, after receiving a report that found Mr Stewart had
failed to tell the truth about the altercation with Tina Sanger.
An investigation by lawyer Chris Ronalds SC, tabled in NSW Parliament on Tuesday,
found Mr Stewart intimidated Ms Sanger while holding her down by the leg at a
fundraising dinner last month.
In her findings, Ms Ronalds said after a short "inappropriate" conversation with Ms
Sanger, Mr Stewart "placed his hand on her leg for a few seconds to prevent her from
standing up to leave" while asking her not to be upset and telling her that she
would be happier in another job.
"This conversation and the physical touching of Ms Sanger was entirely
inappropriate; even though there was no sexual connotation he was restraining her,
albeit for a few seconds only, against her will, both conversations caused distress
to Ms Sanger and she felt humiliated and embarrassed," Ms Ronalds wrote in her
report.
Mr Stewart, the MP for Bankstown, who was also minister for science and medical
research and minister assisting the health minister, is the ninth Labor minister to
be sacked or stood down since October 2006.
He denied the allegations regarding Ms Sanger in a News Ltd report but has otherwise
not made any public comments.
Mr Rees said he made it "very plain" to Mr Stewart that if his version of events was
established as incorrect his position would be "untenable".
"Based on the findings of Ms Ronalds' investigations, I indicated to the minister
that he no longer enjoyed my confidence," Mr Rees said.
Opposition leader Barry O'Farrell said he found it "disturbing" that it had taken
five days for Mr Rees to demand an explanation from his minister and a further five
days to order the inquiry.
"And all the way through, Mr Stewart denied it and refused to talk about it and this
morning, apparently refused to resign," he said.
Tuesday's actions were a clear example of Mr Rees buckling to media pressure and
failing his own party, he said.
"Nathan Rees promised to end the soap opera, stop the scandals. They both continue
and it's because Nathan Rees and his team aren't up to it."
The findings come after several complaints surfaced in recent days about Mr Stewart
and his behaviour.
Ms Ronalds' investigation did not examine claims by two retired detective sergeants,
brothers John and Paul Doran, who say Mr Stewart tried to influence cases involving
the family of an ALP member in the mid 1990s.
Nor did it canvass any other complaints against Mr Stewart that have emerged since
the original allegation was made.
Tourism Minister and Minister for the Hunter Jodi McKay will take over Mr Stewart's
portfolios.