Law & Order: Special Investigations Unit

Previously on Law & Order: Special Investigations Unit:

Part 1
Nora: My case is somewhat closer to home. Nick and I are looking at allegations regarding developer donations and conflicts of interest at City Hall.

Part 2
Nora: The state is beginning to take an interest in the case. Local Government Minister Desley Boyle has written to the CMC asking for public hearings.

And now, onto our story:

Nora: Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.

Nick: We're married Nora, you can see me any time.

Nora: This is important Nick. It involves the CMC investigation into the Gold Coast City Council.

Nick: Yes, I've been following the story in The Courier Mail. According to the paper it seems that Paul Brinsmead, the solicitor administering The Common Sense Fund for the Gold Coast was also a principal strategist in the neighbouring Tweed election campaign. He's a property developer in his own right.

Nora: That's right - Resort Corp - but that's not all. It seems this is not Mr Brinsmead's first involvement in Local Government.

I've been doing some research and discovered that Paul Brinsmead is the son of Tweed Councillor Bob Brinsmead. There have been some questions asked in March this year about conflicts of interest regarding the sale of public land in the region. It seems that public land in Pandanus Parade at Cabarita was sold to Resort Corp and Cr Brinsmead did not declare a conflict of interest.

Also, back in 2003 Sydney Morning Herald named both Cr Brinsmead and Paul Brinsmead in what it called 'the biggest fraud in local government history' about a '$2.5billion project that never was'.

Nick: There are so many players in common between the Tweed Shire game and what's happening on the Gold Coast that jury won't take much convincing if the Coast scandal gets to an inquiry.

Law & Order: Special Investigations Unit - brought to you by the Cuban Crime Of Passion cocktail