New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has sacked a parliamentary secretary after the upper house MP refused to withdraw his comments accusing police of violence and unethical practices at pro-Palestinian protests.
Minns said on Thursday she had asked Anthony D’Adam to withdraw the comments and revoked his appointment as parliamentary secretary for customer services and digital government, youth justice and emergency services when he refused.
‘Mr D’Adam did not raise his criticisms of the NSW Police to me, the Police Minister or the NSW Police. The first we knew was his speech in Parliament,” Minns said in a statement.
‘Mr D’Adam’s comments do not represent the views of the New South Wales Government.
‘I have formed the view that his actions and criticism of the New South Wales Police, without ever speaking to his colleagues to convey his concerns in relation to this matter, are inconsistent with his position as Parliamentary Secretary.
“NSW Police do an incredible and extremely difficult job and have the full support of the NSW Government.”
D’Adam, a New South Wales Labor Friends of Palestine member, will remain in the upper house. He was elected in the 2019 state election.
Minns had previously called D’Adams’ comments “absolutely reprehensible”, however, he said he did not want to “turn the MP into a martyr” by sacking him.
This prompted calls from Opposition Leader Mark Speakman for the Prime Minister to sack Mr D’Adam.
Anthony D’Adam (right) attending a pro-Palestinian protest in January this year. Image: X
On Wednesday night, D’Adam told the upper house that he believed police had failed to “distinguish between real violence and feigned violence” regarding the “harmless” actions of attendees at the pro-Palestinian protest.
D’Adam said police actions had “made a liar” of NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb when she told budget estimates in February that police were operating on Pelian principles – the principle of acting with consent.
“The attitude of the Public Order and Riot Team in many Palestinian protests makes the commissioner a liar,” said Mr D’Adam.
‘He used fear and intimidation as a means to achieve compliance.
“We will not be intimidated, especially when we are trying to stop a genocide.”
During question time on Thursday, Vaucluse Liberal MP Kellie Sloane asked Mr Minns if he would sack Mr D’Adam as Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Services over his comments.
Minns said he did not want to “become a martyr”, while criticizing the Labor MP for his comments.
“I thought those comments were absolutely reprehensible and I completely disassociate myself from them,” he said.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said D’Adam’s comments were “absolutely reprehensible”. Image: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard
“We don’t want to make anyone a martyr in this set of circumstances and I thought the member’s comments were completely outrageous.”
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley also called D’Adam’s comments “offensive”.
“(It was) nothing more than an attack on hard-working NSW police,” he said.
‘Our police officers work tirelessly, day and night to keep our public safe. They are not politicians. They don’t take sides.
‘To say the opposite. “It is dangerous for our democracy.”