Della Bosca Resignation

Della Bosca resigns amid sex scandal

By Barbara Miller for AM


New South Wales Health Minister John Della Bosca has quit amid revelations that he had an affair with a 26-year-old woman.

According to the reports in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Mr Della Bosca had a sexual relationship with a 26-year-old woman from March to August of this year.

In a letter to Premier Nathan Rees, Mr Della Bosca said he had decided to resign as Health Minister and leader of government business in the Upper House after a series of questions were put to him about his personal life.

Mr Della Bosca was tight-lipped as he arrived at the New South Wales Parliament this morning, telling reporters that he would be making a statement later this morning. Mr Della Bosca had no response when he asked if he believed he had been set up.

In his letter of resignation, Mr Della Bosca, who is married to Federal Labor MP Belinda Neal, said he regretted some personal decisions he had made and was deeply sorry for the hurt he had caused his family.

He survived the Iguana Joe's nightclub scandal but Mr Della Bosca's ambitions to lead NSW Labor now appear to have been dealt a final blow.

According to the reports, the affair between 53-year-old Mr Della Bosca and the 26-year-old woman began after the two met at a function at the New South Wales Art Gallery.

The woman claims the two were lovers soon afterwards and apparently fell in love.

A text message sent from Mr Della Bosca's Blackberry to the woman in mid June is reported to state, "Boy oh boy am I in love with you. I haven't stopped smiling since our chat this morning even though it's a pretty ordinary day. John."

The woman says she also fell for the minister, almost 30 years her senior.

"You can't really explain attraction," she is quoted as saying. "I thought he was a spunk. He has the most beautiful eyes and beautiful smile."

The woman claims they met at her apartment, had sex in Mr Della Bosca's office, and sometimes dined together in public.

She also states that in July Mr Della Bosca deliberately missed a flight to Armidale to attend a hospital opening so he could be with her.

Daily Telegraph editor Gary Linnell says the woman in question was not paid for her story.

"She made it clear to us from the start that she did not want any money, she was very angry," he said.

In his letter of resignation to Premier Nathan Rees, Mr Della Bosca said he had not acted improperly as far as his parliamentary duties were concerned.

"At no time did I breach my duties as a Minister or Member of Parliament. I took the decision to resign following a series of questions put to me about my personal life," he said in the letter.

"I do not want this matter to be a distraction to a Government which is working hard to improve services. I regret some personal decisions I made and I am deeply sorry for the hurt I have caused my family.

"It has been a privilege to serve the people of New South Wales and to work with dedicated people who are committed to public service."

The State Parliament was due to resume again today, following an intense period of speculation about whether Mr Rees was about to be ousted.

Mr Della Bosca has long been known to covet the leadership.

New South Wales Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell says it is ironic that news of Mr Della Bosca's downfall came when it did.

"It's simply incredible that on the day in which the public expected the soap opera that is the Rees Government to be put to bed, we've seen another tawdry, tacky episode that further demonstrates to the community that this is a State Government focused on itself and not working hard to eliminate the problems that New South Wales experiences," Mr O'Farrell said.

"This does reflect on the Government just as much as the factional squabbling and the leadership bickering within the Labor Party does.

"It means that for another day, another week, another month, this State Labor Government will be focused on itself, on crisis management, on trying to eliminate the problems created by scandals instead of getting on with the job that the public and business expect them to do - which is tackling the very serious problems confronting New South Wales."

An ABC cameraman outside the family home on the state's central coast this morning said there was no sign of Mr Della Bosca or Ms Neal, but two police cars had arrived at the home.

AM contacted a number of senior New South Wales Labor figures this morning, including the right-wing powerbrokers Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid, the Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt and the Treasurer Eric Roozendaal.

None were prepared to comment on Mr Della Bosca's resignation.

The MP Phil Koperberg, who himself had to resign from the front bench over a personal scandal, told AM he was of the firm view that a person's personal life was that and did not impact on their capacity to do their job.

Mr Koperberg said he felt very sorry for Mr Della Bosca, who he said had been a "superb" health minister.

Meredith Burgmann, a former president of the New South Wales Upper House, was also not prepared to go on tape, but told AM she was sad about the news. Dr Burgmann said Mr Della Bosca had been a really good minister