Joseph Tripodi
Encyclopedia
Joseph Guerino "Joe" Tripodi (born 25 November 1967), a former Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing the electorate of Fairfield
for the Australian Labor Party
between 1995 and 2011
. He was Minister for Finance, Infrastructure, Regulatory Reform, Ports and Waterways under former Premier Nathan Rees
. He was a controversial figure during his time in politics, known as a factional boss, within the NSW Labor Right
whose Terrigals sub-faction has twice dumped the sitting Labor Premier
during 2007 and 2010. On 11 November 2010, he announced his decision to not contest the 2011 state election
.
, the eldest of four children to Italian migrants Angelo and Iolanda, receiving his early years of education at Westfields High School, West Fairfield. He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from the University of Sydney
and became an economist with the Reserve Bank of Australia
from 1989 to 1991. At age 16, Tripodi joined the Labor Party and served as State Secretary of NSW Young Labor, later becoming an official with the NSW Labor Council
from 1993 to 1995.
, Tripodi was elected to the New South Wales
Legislative Assembly, representing the western Sydney
electorate of Fairfield for Labor
.
Prior to entering the ministry Tripodi was the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee. He was the Minister for Housing from February to August 2005, when he became Minister for Roads. In September 2005, he was chased and grabbed on the floor of the Assembly by National Party
member Andrew Fraser
, apparently in relation to a road funding issue. In February 2006, he became Minister for Energy, Minister for Ports and Waterways and Minister Assisting the Treasurer on Business and Economic Regulatory Reform. In April 2007, he became Minister for Small Business, Regulatory Reform, Ports and Waterways.
In 2007, former premier Bob Carr
was critical of Tripodi's performance as waterways minister with regard to his management of harbour development.
In 2009, it was reported that Tripodi had proposed electricity industry reform in NSW that would result in the three state-owned retailers being sold off to private enterprise and the sale of long-term "gentrader" contracts.
, Tripodi is seen as a factional leader of a sub-faction known informally as "the Terrigals". He and Obeid have been held responsible for ending the hopes of loyal Terrigal Carl Scully
of becoming NSW Premier in 2005 following the resignation of Bob Carr
. Tripodi and Obeid reportedly walked into Scully's office and informed him that they had decided to support then Health Minister Morris Iemma
instead. This has since been described as "one of the greatest acts of bastardry of all time". Iemma went on to become Premier and win the 2007 NSW elections however in 2008 Tripodi and Obeid withdrew their support for Iemma, forcing Iemma to resign from the NSW Premiership.
On 8 September 2008 Iemma's successor Nathan Rees
promoted Tripodi to the Finance and Infrastructure portfolios, in addition to his previous responsibilities of Ports and Waterways, and Regulatory Reform. On 15 November 2009 Rees dumped Tripodi from the front bench for allegedly plotting to install former Health Minister John Della Bosca
as Premier; Rees used new special powers granted to him at the NSW Labor Party
State Conference the day before, which gave him authority to choose who serves on the Labor front bench instead of the State Parliamentary Labor Party.
Soon afterwards, Tripodi enacted revenge on Rees by organising a petition calling for a special caucus meeting to enable a leadership challenge. This resulted in Rees on 3 December 2009 stating that "Should I not be Premier by the end of this day, let there be no doubt in the community's mind, no doubt, that any challenger will be a puppet of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi". Rees that day subsequently lost the leadership and Premiership to Kristina Keneally
.
staffer at a New South Wales Parliament House
function the month before. The complainant made an initial statement to the NSW Police, but withdrew it the following day. It was later alleged that one of the police officers who investigated the original complaint was a member of Tripodi's branch of the ALP.
In 2001, the manager of a committee chaired by Tripodi took out an apprehended violence order (AVO) against the MP after he publicly opposed a development application by her husband for a tavern opposite a primary school in Tripodi's electorate. The AVO was withdrawn shortly afterward.
Tripodi was also accused of branch stacking
. In 1996, it was reported that he paid almost $7,000 in cash to the ALP head office to fund a "branch stack".
Tripodi was implicated in the Orange Grove affair
, but subsequently cleared by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2005.
Whilst Minister for Roads, Tripodi was chased and grabbed by Coffs Harbour
local member Andrew Fraser
on the floor of Parliament in September 2005, apparently in relation to a lack of funding for the main roads, including the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour. Fraser apologised to Parliament and Tripodi. It was revealed that alcohol may have influenced Fraser's rage.
Coalition campaign advertising ahead of the 2007 election identified Tripodi—along with Treasurer Michael Costa and Planning Minister Frank Sartor
—as one of the government's least popular. Independent MPs indicated that, in the event of a hung parliament
, they would not support a minority Labor government in which Tripodi remained a minister.
During an ICAC investigation into Wollongong City Council in 2008, it was revealed that a former Council officer against whom corruption allegations had been made was a personal friend of Tripodi's and had subsequently appointed to a senior position in a department in his portfolio Tripodi claimed the appointment had been "at arm's length" from him, and on 3 March 2008 the ICAC indicated there was no evidence that would sustain an investigation. This was criticised by Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell
who stated that the community would feel let down by the ICAC's decision.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
representing the electorate of Fairfield
Electoral district of Fairfield
Fairfield is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's West. Fairfield has historically been one of the safest Labor seats in New South Wales and is considered a part of Labor's heartland in Western Sydney...
for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
between 1995 and 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
. He was Minister for Finance, Infrastructure, Regulatory Reform, Ports and Waterways under former Premier Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees MP, , an Australian politician, was the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009...
. He was a controversial figure during his time in politics, known as a factional boss, within the NSW Labor Right
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
whose Terrigals sub-faction has twice dumped the sitting Labor Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
during 2007 and 2010. On 11 November 2010, he announced his decision to not contest the 2011 state election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
.
Early career
Tripodi was born in 1967 and raised in Fairfield, New South WalesFairfield, New South Wales
Fairfield is a western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfield is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is also partly in the local government...
, the eldest of four children to Italian migrants Angelo and Iolanda, receiving his early years of education at Westfields High School, West Fairfield. He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and became an economist with the Reserve Bank of Australia
Reserve Bank of Australia
The Reserve Bank of Australia came into being on 14 January 1960 as Australia's central bank and banknote issuing authority, when the Reserve Bank Act 1959 removed the central banking functions from the Commonwealth Bank to it....
from 1989 to 1991. At age 16, Tripodi joined the Labor Party and served as State Secretary of NSW Young Labor, later becoming an official with the NSW Labor Council
Labor Council of New South Wales
The Labor Council of New South Wales is a representative body of Trade union organisations in the State of New South Wales, Australia. As of 2005 there are 67 unions and 8 Rural and Regional Trades & Labor Councils affiliated to the Labor Council, representing 800,000 workers in NSW...
from 1993 to 1995.
Political career
In 1995New South Wales state election, 1995
Elections to the 51st Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 March 1995. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The minority Liberal Party of Australia-led Coalition government of Premier John Fahey was defeated by...
, Tripodi was elected to the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Legislative Assembly, representing the western Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
electorate of Fairfield for Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
.
Prior to entering the ministry Tripodi was the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee. He was the Minister for Housing from February to August 2005, when he became Minister for Roads. In September 2005, he was chased and grabbed on the floor of the Assembly by National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member Andrew Fraser
Andrew Fraser (New South Wales politician)
Andrew Raymond Gordon Fraser JP , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Coffs Harbour for the National Party of Australia since 1990....
, apparently in relation to a road funding issue. In February 2006, he became Minister for Energy, Minister for Ports and Waterways and Minister Assisting the Treasurer on Business and Economic Regulatory Reform. In April 2007, he became Minister for Small Business, Regulatory Reform, Ports and Waterways.
In 2007, former premier Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
was critical of Tripodi's performance as waterways minister with regard to his management of harbour development.
In 2009, it was reported that Tripodi had proposed electricity industry reform in NSW that would result in the three state-owned retailers being sold off to private enterprise and the sale of long-term "gentrader" contracts.
Factional boss
Along with Eddie ObeidEddie Obeid
Edward Moses Obeid OAM , a former Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council who served between 1991 and 2011, representing the Australian Labor Party. He was the Minister for Fisheries and the Minister for Mineral Resources from 1999–2003...
, Tripodi is seen as a factional leader of a sub-faction known informally as "the Terrigals". He and Obeid have been held responsible for ending the hopes of loyal Terrigal Carl Scully
Carl Scully
Patrick Carl Scully , was an Australian politician and minister in the New South Wales state government before his forced resignation on 25 October 2006....
of becoming NSW Premier in 2005 following the resignation of Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
. Tripodi and Obeid reportedly walked into Scully's office and informed him that they had decided to support then Health Minister Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
instead. This has since been described as "one of the greatest acts of bastardry of all time". Iemma went on to become Premier and win the 2007 NSW elections however in 2008 Tripodi and Obeid withdrew their support for Iemma, forcing Iemma to resign from the NSW Premiership.
On 8 September 2008 Iemma's successor Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees MP, , an Australian politician, was the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009...
promoted Tripodi to the Finance and Infrastructure portfolios, in addition to his previous responsibilities of Ports and Waterways, and Regulatory Reform. On 15 November 2009 Rees dumped Tripodi from the front bench for allegedly plotting to install former Health Minister John Della Bosca
John Della Bosca
John Joseph Della Bosca is a former Australian politician, representing the Australian Labor Party in the New South Wales Legislative Council...
as Premier; Rees used new special powers granted to him at the NSW Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
State Conference the day before, which gave him authority to choose who serves on the Labor front bench instead of the State Parliamentary Labor Party.
Soon afterwards, Tripodi enacted revenge on Rees by organising a petition calling for a special caucus meeting to enable a leadership challenge. This resulted in Rees on 3 December 2009 stating that "Should I not be Premier by the end of this day, let there be no doubt in the community's mind, no doubt, that any challenger will be a puppet of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi". Rees that day subsequently lost the leadership and Premiership to Kristina Keneally
Kristina Keneally
Kristina Kerscher Keneally MP, is an Australian politician and was the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and thus Premier in 2009, but went on to lose government to the Liberal/National Coalition at the March 2011 state election...
.
Controversy
His early career was marked by a series of public allegations. In October 2000, he was accused of sexually assaulting an Australian DemocratsAustralian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
staffer at a New South Wales Parliament House
Parliament House, Sydney
Parliament House in Sydney is a complex of buildings housing the Parliament of New South Wales, a state of Australia. It is located on the east side of Macquarie Street in Sydney, the state capital. The facade consists of a two storey Georgian building, the oldest public building in the City of...
function the month before. The complainant made an initial statement to the NSW Police, but withdrew it the following day. It was later alleged that one of the police officers who investigated the original complaint was a member of Tripodi's branch of the ALP.
In 2001, the manager of a committee chaired by Tripodi took out an apprehended violence order (AVO) against the MP after he publicly opposed a development application by her husband for a tavern opposite a primary school in Tripodi's electorate. The AVO was withdrawn shortly afterward.
Tripodi was also accused of branch stacking
Branch stacking
Branch stacking is the act of recruiting members for a branch of a political party for the principal purpose of influencing the outcome of internal preselections of candidates for public office...
. In 1996, it was reported that he paid almost $7,000 in cash to the ALP head office to fund a "branch stack".
Tripodi was implicated in the Orange Grove affair
Orange Grove affair
The Orange Grove affair was a political scandal in Australia concerning the dealings of the New South Wales state Australian Labor Party government with multinational corporation The Westfield Group. It resulted from a court decision to force the closure of the Orange Grove shopping centre after a...
, but subsequently cleared by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2005.
Whilst Minister for Roads, Tripodi was chased and grabbed by Coffs Harbour
Electoral district of Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Andrew Fraser of the National Party of Australia....
local member Andrew Fraser
Andrew Fraser (New South Wales politician)
Andrew Raymond Gordon Fraser JP , an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Coffs Harbour for the National Party of Australia since 1990....
on the floor of Parliament in September 2005, apparently in relation to a lack of funding for the main roads, including the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour. Fraser apologised to Parliament and Tripodi. It was revealed that alcohol may have influenced Fraser's rage.
Coalition campaign advertising ahead of the 2007 election identified Tripodi—along with Treasurer Michael Costa and Planning Minister Frank Sartor
Frank Sartor
Francesco Ernest 'Frank' Sartor JP a former Australian politician, was New South Wales Minister for Climate Change and the Environment and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health between 2009 and 2011. He was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Rockdale for the...
—as one of the government's least popular. Independent MPs indicated that, in the event of a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
, they would not support a minority Labor government in which Tripodi remained a minister.
During an ICAC investigation into Wollongong City Council in 2008, it was revealed that a former Council officer against whom corruption allegations had been made was a personal friend of Tripodi's and had subsequently appointed to a senior position in a department in his portfolio Tripodi claimed the appointment had been "at arm's length" from him, and on 3 March 2008 the ICAC indicated there was no evidence that would sustain an investigation. This was criticised by Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
who stated that the community would feel let down by the ICAC's decision.