.
Chris Minns says the allegation he made to ICAC is “completely without merit”. (Kate Geraghty) In a statement last night, Minns called the decision “completely without merit”, “disgraceful” and “old fashioned smear”, and said there was no evidence today to support the submission. “It really undermines the principles of inquiry and the Independent Commission Against Corruption that they have spread unsubstantiated rumours and packaged them as allegations of corruption .. while totally failing to provide any information, facts and evidence to support this exact allegation,” he told reporters in Sydney. “In NSW we have seen the politicisation of ICAC for a long time. It is a political exercise but that doesn’t mean it is right. “I think that is a major indicator as to why more people don’t go into politics because if you stick your head over the wall there is a good chance that someone like Mark Latham will come along and tarnish your character, accuse you of corruption and most importantly, stop you from advancing.” “It’s probably a good idea for Sydney to be a city councillor, but I think it’s a good idea for people like Mark Latham to come along and tarnish your character, accuse you of corruption and most importantly, stop you from advancing,” he told reporters in Sydney. Latham is one of 10 NSW MPs on the committee, of which only three are government members. While Mr Minns will be referred to the ICAC, it will be up to the independent body to decide whether to investigate the Premier over the allegations. Mr Minns said he had “absolutely not” been involved in corruption and said the referral to the committee was a last-ditch effort to stop a proposal by political rivals to turn Rosehill into a miniature city. “There has to be some kind of credible evidence for that proposal, not rumour or intimidation,” he said. “The reason there isn’t, and the reason this committee is referring it to the (ICAC) in a politicised way, is because they don’t have those facts or evidence,” he added, saying if there was any corroborative information it would have been found by the committee and made public during its inquiry. Mr Minns said he would push for the Rosehill redevelopment, calling it a “game changer for Sydney”.