In the wake of Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay announcing he would stand for the Nationals pre-selection in the Federal seat of New England, Mr Torbay is now defending claims published in the Sunday Telegraph by Labor General Secretary, Sam Dastyari, that he tried to strike a deal to become NSW Labor Premier in 2009.
Mr Torbay has dismissed as “a complete lie” claims that he had approached the party to become Premier in the dying days of the NSW Labor Government.
“It’s nothing more than a smear campaign and a desperate attempt by Labor to protect the federal independents who are keeping them in government,” he said.
“There’s not a shred of truth in it.
“It is also no coincidence that this fabrication by the Labor General Secretary comes on the heels of my announcement on Friday that I would stand as a National for pre-selection for the seat of New England.”
Mr Torbay said it was no secret that he had been approached by Labor Minister, John Della Bosca, to join the party to become a candidate for Premier in 2009 and that he had refused the offer.
“The whole thing should be dismissed for the muckraking sham it is and we all would be much better off concentrating on policies and outcomes to benefit the people in rural and regional NSW,” he said.
Leader of The Nationals Warren Truss believes the false smear splashed across the front page of the Sunday Telegraph is unforgivable.
“Richard Torbay is adamant the story is a complete fabrication. It would usually be a case of one man’s word against another, except that these events have already been reported in November 2009.
“The story reported on Sunday is the exact opposite of what we know from the public record from November 25, 2009. The Daily Telegraph reported back then what actually happened in an article headed — ‘NSW Speaker Richard Torbay wanted by Labor to join its ranks’.
“According to the paper, it was Labor that approached Richard Torbay with a plot to replace Nathan Rees, not the other way around. Mr Torbay rejected Labor’s offer and said so publicly at the time.
“What we have is, the Sunday Telegraph hasn’t done its homework. But worse, the Labor Party has been exposed with another bare-faced lie, this time trying to smear the reputation of a man who only 48 hours ago decided he would seek pre-selection for The Nationals and maybe run against Labor’s prop Tony Windsor.”
