Grand estate with dark history lists: murder and celebrity wedding are in its recent past

An embarrassing incident ruled Mal Lanyon out of the top job in 2021. Now he's the frontrunner

Sydney Morning Herald

10 hours ago

Sydney Morning Herald

An embarrassing incident ruled Mal Lanyon out of the top job in 2021. Now he's the frontrunner

Late on a summer night in Goulburn, a man was lying near a pathway just metres from the town's most famous attraction, the Big Merino. Police were told it was a code red, which requires urgency – speed, lights and sirens. A person was 'lying on the footpath', the officers were told. 'NK [not known] if C&B [conscious and breathing].' An ambulance arrived soon after police to find what the paramedics described in statements later tabled to parliament as an unsteady, confused and mumbling middle-aged man. Police told them he was 'smashed' and had to be roused with 'powerful stimuli', the statements said. One source close to the incident told the Herald the man had been at a local pub drinking limoncello, an Italian liqueur made from lemons. The man resisted help, and as they tried to get him onto a stretcher, he 'clenched his fists, and raised his arms', before telling them to 'f--- off' and calling the officers' boss, the chief executive of Ambulance NSW, Dr Dominic Morgan. A paramedic warned the man that police would stop him if he tried to get away. 'They will be the ones in trouble if they try to stop me, I won't be in trouble,' the ambulance officer quoted him as saying. He left the ambulance against advice and was taken back to his hotel room, where he had 'difficulty gaining enough balance to open the door', said one of the ambulance statements. The man they assisted that night back in February 2021, Mal Lanyon, was – and still is, albeit on secondment to another agency – a deputy commissioner of the NSW Police Force. He applied for but missed out on the commissioner's job later that year because of the incident, for which he apologised, but is now favourite to take over the top job from outgoing boss Karen Webb. The NSW police commissioner has the highest profile of any NSW public servant, and has traditionally held significant moral authority – greater, usually, than politicians themselves. The job is also the professional version of Gollum's ring; desperately sought after, but known to destroy the careers of those who want it too badly. As the application deadline approaches on Wednesday, rivalries are again reaching fever pitch. Lanyon is the frontrunner, but he has detractors. There are some who think the hallowed job of NSW's chief of police should go to someone with a less blemished record, particularly as questions persist over whether Lanyon was let off lightly, while – as one senior police officer on the condition of anonymity puts it – 'constables get hauled [over the coals] for everything they do wrong'. Others are more forgiving. 'He made a mistake,' says independent upper house MP Rod Roberts, a former detective. 'He has paid his penalty and everyone is entitled to a mistake.' History suggests the favourite is never a sure thing in the race for commissioner. 'Uncle' Ken Moroney, Andrew Scipione and Mick Fuller all benefited from mutually destructive battles between two more likely deputies. Webb had been the dark horse candidate until Lanyon's hopes were put on ice after Goulburn and former homicide boss Mick Willing's attempts at lobbying annoyed then-premier Dominic Perrottet. Webb struggled in the job, mostly due to poor communication skills. Her timidity in front of the camera meant she forfeited the authority of her predecessors. But she was not helped by her rival's presence in the executive office. He was better at media and more politically adroit, representing a constant point of comparison that, insiders say, worried her. Schisms appeared in the top ranks between Webb (backed by the deputies she'd appointed) and the deputies she'd inherited, including Lanyon and fellow deputy David Hudson. Webb sacked one of her rivals, Willing, soon after she took the job. Her supporters came to think it was a strategic error not to have moved Lanyon on too. In April last year, Webb had Lanyon relocated to the NSW Reconstruction Authority on a secondment, where he remains. But that was a strategic error, too; it put him in close contact with Premier Chris Minns and Premier's Department secretary Simon Draper, who are said to have become fans of Lanyon's. Draper is expected to join Minns on the interview panel for the commissioner's job. The third interviewer is Police Minister Yasmin Catley, who was close to Webb and, several sources say, less enamoured of Lanyon than her boss. Webb's resignation last month came as a surprise. She had served barely three years; a commissioner's term is supposed to last for five. Hers was the shortest tenure in four decades. In the mid-1990s, the power to appoint commissioners was taken from a board and given to the police minister (inspired by a face-off between a police minister, Ted Pickering, and a commissioner, Tony Lauer, which Lauer won). At the time, there were warnings that move would politicise the role. Webb's spokespeople say her departure was her own decision, but multiple police sources say she was actively encouraged by the government to go amid leaks, continuous attacks from sections of the media and ongoing concern about her public-facing performance. If it's true that Webb was pushed, Minns would be the first premier since the Police Act of 1990 to have ended a commissioner's tenure midway through their term – an unprecedented level of political interference. As soon as Webb's departure was announced, sources within the government suggested that, barring unexpected candidates or events, the job would be Lanyon's. The premier 'loves him', says a senior police officer, also on the condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media. The view that the job is Lanyon's is so widely held within the police force that several possible applicants told the Herald that they saw little point in putting themselves forward. With applications still open, his competitors are less clear. Most hopefuls still haven't submitted the paperwork. Sources close to Lanyon confirm he intends to apply. Those close to Hudson, a long-serving deputy who is popular with many serving police, says he's been reluctant to put himself forward but might consider doing so if he is asked, perhaps for a shorter term than the usual five years. He is liked and respected by grassroots officers. 'The best commissioner NSW never had,' says one senior officer. Willing is likely to throw his hat into the ring. Sources say Paul Pisanos, another deputy, is considering his options, while those close to the acting commissioner, Peter Thurtell, argue he would be the continuity candidate, but there is no indication he will apply. Some assistant commissioners may put themselves forward, such as Peter Cotter from Professional Standards Command. It's unusual that a commissioner comes from their ranks, though not unprecedented – Fuller is an example. An external candidate is also unlikely, not least because the powerful NSW Police Association is of the strong view that the appointment should be internal. Plus, a difficult tenure by Briton Peter Ryan in the late '90s, as the NSW Police grappled with its corruption clean-out, is still fresh in the minds of many. Victoria recently struggled to find internal candidates for its own top job (it imported a New Zealander), and Queensland is in flux, due to the ill health of its commissioner. An Australian Federal Police candidate is unlikely to win favour; there is animosity between NSW Police and their federal counterparts, and the type of policing is different. Lanyon is ambitious, well-connected and better at talking to politicians than Webb. Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is said to be a fan of the work he is doing at the reconstruction authority, and he has the support of key non-Labor MPs too. Lanyon grew up in Rydalmere and cut his police teeth in the old 8th division, a once-rough area that took in Glebe, Balmain and Leichhardt (which also produced Hudson and influential former deputy Nick Kaldas). He has held some senior jobs within the organisation, including head of the State Crime Command and corporate services. He would probably be police commissioner now, if it wasn't for that night in Goulburn. The Big Merino was too fresh in the public mind when the job came around last time, sources close to the 2021 recruitment process say on the condition of anonymity to protect the privacy of deliberations. It has now had four years to fade into the distance. But questions linger over how the matter was handled, particularly as many more junior police – and some senior ones – feel they would have faced far more severe consequences if they'd done the same thing. The Sunday Telegraph broke the story in March 2021. It said Lanyon was found collapsed in the gardens of the Mercure Hotel (next to the Big Merino), was attended by police and ambulance, resisted paramedics, and called Morgan. Lanyon was visiting the city for an attestation ceremony at the police academy, where graduating probationary constables would have been taught about the NSW Police code of conduct. It says police must 'behave honestly and in a way that upholds the values and good reputation of NSW Police, whether on or off' duty, and 'must not make improper use of their position'. Police issued a statement to the newspaper, saying the officer had a 'minor medical episode' that his doctor said had occurred as a result of 'exhaustion and dehydration'. The officer apologised to the ambulance officers 'if he presented any difficulty' and also apologised to them in person. When then-commissioner Fuller was asked about it by a parliamentary estimates committee in March 2021, he said Lanyon told him he'd had a 'medical episode', and while alcohol was consumed, it wasn't the cause. Lanyon and Morgan had told him there was no criminal behaviour or conduct unbecoming of a police officer, Fuller testified to the committee. 'From my perspective, there was nothing identified under part 8A,' Fuller said, referring to the procedure for making complaints about police conduct. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, or LECC, 'looked into this matter, but they were not considering opening a matter based on the information they had, so the matter was closed'. The committee was given a letter from the conduct commission, the police oversight body. The letter didn't quite say it had looked at the matter and decided not to investigate; it said the commission had seen the Telegraph article but wasn't investigating because it had not received a complaint, and there was no intention to investigate it any further. 'I am aware Mr Lanyon has recently assumed his very senior position in the police force with its attendant stresses and responsibilities,' LECC commissioner Reginald Blanch wrote to Fuller. 'I am confident in leaving a check on his welfare to you.' It wasn't until later in the year, when parliament sought documents from police and ambulance, that the paramedics' versions of the night were made public. The statements, made a week after the incident, said Lanyon was drunk; 'the patient was so intoxicated that he would not have [been] able to walk unassisted,' wrote one. One said the main concern of their boss, Morgan, who was called by Lanyon, was how the patient would be looked after. 'The patient should not be left alone in his current intoxicated state, as it would potentially be dangerous,' the statement said. The man was allowed to return to his room, assisted by police, although he 'swayed back and forth' as he opened the door, said one of the statements. The upper house demanded police and ambulance produce documentation of the incident. The police documents were heavily redacted, and included the notes of only one officer. There was no documentation about the creation of a COPS event, which is standard procedure after such call-outs, a former police officer turned whistleblower, Richard McDonald, told the Herald. A COPS event would have required the name of the person of interest, in this case Lanyon, to be recorded in the system. Fuller told another parliamentary estimates hearing in September that Morgan had told him the incident was consistent with low blood pressure. He said that he had personally counselled Lanyon. However, when asked in a supplementary question whether he knew of the allegations in the ambulance statements when he counselled Lanyon, Fuller said no. Loading McDonald argues that scrutiny was unusually light for that kind of incident. 'This was a case involving one of the highest-ranking officers in the state, involving alleged abuse of emergency service workers, apparent intoxication in public, and possible breaches of statutory obligations [by the attending officers] under LEPRA [Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act] – and yet, no investigation was even attempted,' he says. LEPRA requires police to detain someone who is intoxicated in a public place, if they pose a risk to themselves or someone else. 'Instead, they allowed a visibly intoxicated and unstable man, who had already required emergency assistance, to return alone to a motel room in a condition that placed him at serious risk,' McDonald says. The LECC told the Herald that it sought more information after its initial letter and was 'satisfied with the NSW Police Force handling of the matter'. It would not provide any further details. But McDonald is not the only one who feels there are still questions about how the incident was handled. 'You'd expect to be charged, let alone fired for that,' says one more junior officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity so he could speak freely. A recently retired officer with knowledge of the incident says, 'If Lanyon gets [the commissioner's job], that's clear evidence that morality and ethical behaviour means nothing to the government.' Another, more senior officer, says the scrutiny of junior officers was rigorous in the police force, but seemed less so when it came to higher ranks. 'It's the culture of the joint.' Unless an outsider is appointed to the force, the person says, 'the culture will not change'. That person is not the only one concerned about police culture; Webb commissioned an independent review of it before she left, and the results are due early next year. A meme that circulated in the days after Webb resigned and Lanyon emerged as a frontrunner – around the same time Catholics waited for a Vatican smoke signal to announce a new pope – showed blue smoke emerging from the Big Merino statue, with the words, 'we have a new commissioner'. Fuller told the Herald, in response to questions for this article, that Lanyon had reported the incident to him the following day, and Morgan confirmed Lanyon's version of events. 'Given his rank, I held Mr Lanyon to a higher standard than a junior officer and counselled him for the overall incident,' he said. 'LECC was informed of the incident and was satisfied with the outcome. 'This public scrutiny did not identify any further issues, nor did it instigate any subsequent independent complaint to NSW Police or LECC.' Lanyon said he was counselled by Fuller. 'The incident happened well over four years ago,' he told the Herald, in response to questions. I regret the circumstances and my behaviour was completely out of character. I immediately sought to apologise personally to the ambulance officers when I became aware I had been argumentative towards them. 'I have the greatest respect and admiration for all NSW Ambulance staff and they will always have my unwavering support.' Rod Roberts was the MP who used parliamentary powers to demand the documents and get to the bottom of the incident, concerned that the full story was initially hidden from the public. Nevertheless, he backs Lanyon for the commissioner's job and says any questions about the handling of the incident should be Fuller's to answer, given he was the one who told estimates that it was a medical episode. Loading 'I think [Lanyon] is probably the ideal candidate,' he says. 'He has paid his penalty. If that incident had not been exposed, he would have been commissioner now. I haven't been made aware of any recurrence; in fact, he's been exemplary in his performance in the reconstruction authority. It's the past now, as untasteful as it was at the time. The embarrassment itself would be a massive punishment. He's copped it on the chin and put his head down.' A spokeswoman for Minns said the government would not comment.

The Age

10 hours ago

The Age

An embarrassing incident ruled Mal Lanyon out of the top job in 2021. Now he's the frontrunner

Late on a summer night in Goulburn, a man was lying near a pathway just metres from the town's most famous attraction, the Big Merino. Police were told it was a code red, which requires urgency – speed, lights and sirens. A person was 'lying on the footpath', the officers were told. 'NK [not known] if C&B [conscious and breathing].' An ambulance arrived soon after police to find what the paramedics described in statements later tabled to parliament as an unsteady, confused and mumbling middle-aged man. Police told them he was 'smashed' and had to be roused with 'powerful stimuli', the statements said. One source close to the incident told the Herald the man had been at a local pub drinking limoncello, an Italian liqueur made from lemons. The man resisted help, and as they tried to get him onto a stretcher, he 'clenched his fists, and raised his arms', before telling them to 'f--- off' and calling the officers' boss, the chief executive of Ambulance NSW, Dr Dominic Morgan. A paramedic warned the man that police would stop him if he tried to get away. 'They will be the ones in trouble if they try to stop me, I won't be in trouble,' the ambulance officer quoted him as saying. He left the ambulance against advice and was taken back to his hotel room, where he had 'difficulty gaining enough balance to open the door', said one of the ambulance statements. The man they assisted that night back in February 2021, Mal Lanyon, was – and still is, albeit on secondment to another agency – a deputy commissioner of the NSW Police Force. He applied for but missed out on the commissioner's job later that year because of the incident, for which he apologised, but is now favourite to take over the top job from outgoing boss Karen Webb. The NSW police commissioner has the highest profile of any NSW public servant, and has traditionally held significant moral authority – greater, usually, than politicians themselves. The job is also the professional version of Gollum's ring; desperately sought after, but known to destroy the careers of those who want it too badly. As the application deadline approaches on Wednesday, rivalries are again reaching fever pitch. Lanyon is the frontrunner, but he has detractors. There are some who think the hallowed job of NSW's chief of police should go to someone with a less blemished record, particularly as questions persist over whether Lanyon was let off lightly, while – as one senior police officer on the condition of anonymity puts it – 'constables get hauled [over the coals] for everything they do wrong'. Others are more forgiving. 'He made a mistake,' says independent upper house MP Rod Roberts, a former detective. 'He has paid his penalty and everyone is entitled to a mistake.' History suggests the favourite is never a sure thing in the race for commissioner. 'Uncle' Ken Moroney, Andrew Scipione and Mick Fuller all benefited from mutually destructive battles between two more likely deputies. Webb had been the dark horse candidate until Lanyon's hopes were put on ice after Goulburn and former homicide boss Mick Willing's attempts at lobbying annoyed then-premier Dominic Perrottet. Webb struggled in the job, mostly due to poor communication skills. Her timidity in front of the camera meant she forfeited the authority of her predecessors. But she was not helped by her rival's presence in the executive office. He was better at media and more politically adroit, representing a constant point of comparison that, insiders say, worried her. Schisms appeared in the top ranks between Webb (backed by the deputies she'd appointed) and the deputies she'd inherited, including Lanyon and fellow deputy David Hudson. Webb sacked one of her rivals, Willing, soon after she took the job. Her supporters came to think it was a strategic error not to have moved Lanyon on too. In April last year, Webb had Lanyon relocated to the NSW Reconstruction Authority on a secondment, where he remains. But that was a strategic error, too; it put him in close contact with Premier Chris Minns and Premier's Department secretary Simon Draper, who are said to have become fans of Lanyon's. Draper is expected to join Minns on the interview panel for the commissioner's job. The third interviewer is Police Minister Yasmin Catley, who was close to Webb and, several sources say, less enamoured of Lanyon than her boss. Webb's resignation last month came as a surprise. She had served barely three years; a commissioner's term is supposed to last for five. Hers was the shortest tenure in four decades. In the mid-1990s, the power to appoint commissioners was taken from a board and given to the police minister (inspired by a face-off between a police minister, Ted Pickering, and a commissioner, Tony Lauer, which Lauer won). At the time, there were warnings that move would politicise the role. Webb's spokespeople say her departure was her own decision, but multiple police sources say she was actively encouraged by the government to go amid leaks, continuous attacks from sections of the media and ongoing concern about her public-facing performance. If it's true that Webb was pushed, Minns would be the first premier since the Police Act of 1990 to have ended a commissioner's tenure midway through their term – an unprecedented level of political interference. As soon as Webb's departure was announced, sources within the government suggested that, barring unexpected candidates or events, the job would be Lanyon's. The premier 'loves him', says a senior police officer, also on the condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media. The view that the job is Lanyon's is so widely held within the police force that several possible applicants told the Herald that they saw little point in putting themselves forward. With applications still open, his competitors are less clear. Most hopefuls still haven't submitted the paperwork. Sources close to Lanyon confirm he intends to apply. Those close to Hudson, a long-serving deputy who is popular with many serving police, says he's been reluctant to put himself forward but might consider doing so if he is asked, perhaps for a shorter term than the usual five years. He is liked and respected by grassroots officers. 'The best commissioner NSW never had,' says one senior officer. Willing is likely to throw his hat into the ring. Sources say Paul Pisanos, another deputy, is considering his options, while those close to the acting commissioner, Peter Thurtell, argue he would be the continuity candidate, but there is no indication he will apply. Some assistant commissioners may put themselves forward, such as Peter Cotter from Professional Standards Command. It's unusual that a commissioner comes from their ranks, though not unprecedented – Fuller is an example. An external candidate is also unlikely, not least because the powerful NSW Police Association is of the strong view that the appointment should be internal. Plus, a difficult tenure by Briton Peter Ryan in the late '90s, as the NSW Police grappled with its corruption clean-out, is still fresh in the minds of many. Victoria recently struggled to find internal candidates for its own top job (it imported a New Zealander), and Queensland is in flux, due to the ill health of its commissioner. An Australian Federal Police candidate is unlikely to win favour; there is animosity between NSW Police and their federal counterparts, and the type of policing is different. Lanyon is ambitious, well-connected and better at talking to politicians than Webb. Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is said to be a fan of the work he is doing at the reconstruction authority, and he has the support of key non-Labor MPs too. Lanyon grew up in Rydalmere and cut his police teeth in the old 8th division, a once-rough area that took in Glebe, Balmain and Leichhardt (which also produced Hudson and influential former deputy Nick Kaldas). He has held some senior jobs within the organisation, including head of the State Crime Command and corporate services. He would probably be police commissioner now, if it wasn't for that night in Goulburn. The Big Merino was too fresh in the public mind when the job came around last time, sources close to the 2021 recruitment process say on the condition of anonymity to protect the privacy of deliberations. It has now had four years to fade into the distance. But questions linger over how the matter was handled, particularly as many more junior police – and some senior ones – feel they would have faced far more severe consequences if they'd done the same thing. The Sunday Telegraph broke the story in March 2021. It said Lanyon was found collapsed in the gardens of the Mercure Hotel (next to the Big Merino), was attended by police and ambulance, resisted paramedics, and called Morgan. Lanyon was visiting the city for an attestation ceremony at the police academy, where graduating probationary constables would have been taught about the NSW Police code of conduct. It says police must 'behave honestly and in a way that upholds the values and good reputation of NSW Police, whether on or off' duty, and 'must not make improper use of their position'. Police issued a statement to the newspaper, saying the officer had a 'minor medical episode' that his doctor said had occurred as a result of 'exhaustion and dehydration'. The officer apologised to the ambulance officers 'if he presented any difficulty' and also apologised to them in person. When then-commissioner Fuller was asked about it by a parliamentary estimates committee in March 2021, he said Lanyon told him he'd had a 'medical episode', and while alcohol was consumed, it wasn't the cause. Lanyon and Morgan had told him there was no criminal behaviour or conduct unbecoming of a police officer, Fuller testified to the committee. 'From my perspective, there was nothing identified under part 8A,' Fuller said, referring to the procedure for making complaints about police conduct. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, or LECC, 'looked into this matter, but they were not considering opening a matter based on the information they had, so the matter was closed'. The committee was given a letter from the conduct commission, the police oversight body. The letter didn't quite say it had looked at the matter and decided not to investigate; it said the commission had seen the Telegraph article but wasn't investigating because it had not received a complaint, and there was no intention to investigate it any further. 'I am aware Mr Lanyon has recently assumed his very senior position in the police force with its attendant stresses and responsibilities,' LECC commissioner Reginald Blanch wrote to Fuller. 'I am confident in leaving a check on his welfare to you.' It wasn't until later in the year, when parliament sought documents from police and ambulance, that the paramedics' versions of the night were made public. The statements, made a week after the incident, said Lanyon was drunk; 'the patient was so intoxicated that he would not have [been] able to walk unassisted,' wrote one. One said the main concern of their boss, Morgan, who was called by Lanyon, was how the patient would be looked after. 'The patient should not be left alone in his current intoxicated state, as it would potentially be dangerous,' the statement said. The man was allowed to return to his room, assisted by police, although he 'swayed back and forth' as he opened the door, said one of the statements. The upper house demanded police and ambulance produce documentation of the incident. The police documents were heavily redacted, and included the notes of only one officer. There was no documentation about the creation of a COPS event, which is standard procedure after such call-outs, a former police officer turned whistleblower, Richard McDonald, told the Herald. A COPS event would have required the name of the person of interest, in this case Lanyon, to be recorded in the system. Fuller told another parliamentary estimates hearing in September that Morgan had told him the incident was consistent with low blood pressure. He said that he had personally counselled Lanyon. However, when asked in a supplementary question whether he knew of the allegations in the ambulance statements when he counselled Lanyon, Fuller said no. Loading McDonald argues that scrutiny was unusually light for that kind of incident. 'This was a case involving one of the highest-ranking officers in the state, involving alleged abuse of emergency service workers, apparent intoxication in public, and possible breaches of statutory obligations [by the attending officers] under LEPRA [Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act] – and yet, no investigation was even attempted,' he says. LEPRA requires police to detain someone who is intoxicated in a public place, if they pose a risk to themselves or someone else. 'Instead, they allowed a visibly intoxicated and unstable man, who had already required emergency assistance, to return alone to a motel room in a condition that placed him at serious risk,' McDonald says. The LECC told the Herald that it sought more information after its initial letter and was 'satisfied with the NSW Police Force handling of the matter'. It would not provide any further details. But McDonald is not the only one who feels there are still questions about how the incident was handled. 'You'd expect to be charged, let alone fired for that,' says one more junior officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity so he could speak freely. A recently retired officer with knowledge of the incident says, 'If Lanyon gets [the commissioner's job], that's clear evidence that morality and ethical behaviour means nothing to the government.' Another, more senior officer, says the scrutiny of junior officers was rigorous in the police force, but seemed less so when it came to higher ranks. 'It's the culture of the joint.' Unless an outsider is appointed to the force, the person says, 'the culture will not change'. That person is not the only one concerned about police culture; Webb commissioned an independent review of it before she left, and the results are due early next year. A meme that circulated in the days after Webb resigned and Lanyon emerged as a frontrunner – around the same time Catholics waited for a Vatican smoke signal to announce a new pope – showed blue smoke emerging from the Big Merino statue, with the words, 'we have a new commissioner'. Fuller told the Herald, in response to questions for this article, that Lanyon had reported the incident to him the following day, and Morgan confirmed Lanyon's version of events. 'Given his rank, I held Mr Lanyon to a higher standard than a junior officer and counselled him for the overall incident,' he said. 'LECC was informed of the incident and was satisfied with the outcome. 'This public scrutiny did not identify any further issues, nor did it instigate any subsequent independent complaint to NSW Police or LECC.' Lanyon said he was counselled by Fuller. 'The incident happened well over four years ago,' he told the Herald, in response to questions. I regret the circumstances and my behaviour was completely out of character. I immediately sought to apologise personally to the ambulance officers when I became aware I had been argumentative towards them. 'I have the greatest respect and admiration for all NSW Ambulance staff and they will always have my unwavering support.' Rod Roberts was the MP who used parliamentary powers to demand the documents and get to the bottom of the incident, concerned that the full story was initially hidden from the public. Nevertheless, he backs Lanyon for the commissioner's job and says any questions about the handling of the incident should be Fuller's to answer, given he was the one who told estimates that it was a medical episode. Loading 'I think [Lanyon] is probably the ideal candidate,' he says. 'He has paid his penalty. If that incident had not been exposed, he would have been commissioner now. I haven't been made aware of any recurrence; in fact, he's been exemplary in his performance in the reconstruction authority. It's the past now, as untasteful as it was at the time. The embarrassment itself would be a massive punishment. He's copped it on the chin and put his head down.' A spokeswoman for Minns said the government would not comment.

‘It could have been fatal': What pushed crime author Mark Brandi to focus on writing

Sydney Morning Herald

10 hours ago

Sydney Morning Herald

‘It could have been fatal': What pushed crime author Mark Brandi to focus on writing

This story is part of the June 21 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories. Mark Brandi, the author of five crime novels, starting with Wimmera (published in 2017 and winner of the prestigious British Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award for an Unpublished Manuscript), writes about outsiders: heroin addicts, former prisoners, and child victims of poverty and violence. A look at his family background and his career in Corrective Services before he started writing full-time sheds light on why he is drawn to people on the margins. You were born in 1978 in Italy, the fourth son of migrants who ran a pub in Stawell, in rural Victoria. What was your childhood like? There were great aspects to growing up in the country. We went rabbiting, fishing, yabbying, all that stuff. The flip side was being in a small Victorian town which was very Anglo-Saxon. We were the only Italian family, which was tough, especially in the schoolyard. I couldn't make friends, and I didn't know why. You start to think, 'There's something wrong with me.' Then, some of the kids told me, 'My dad told me not to be friends with you because you're a wog.' Did that childhood experience feed into your interest in writing about people who are outsiders? Yes, definitely. Being an outsider myself created a greater degree of empathy for others on the margins. Plus, when you are on the outside, wanting to be accepted, you start to observe people closely. I was watching kids in the schoolyard – how they spoke, what they talked about – and that observational skill has helped me in my writing. Also, growing up in the pub, where I met people from all walks of life: farmers, police officers, chronic alcoholics, criminals. When I started working behind the bar, my dad always said, 'Don't make judgments about people based on how they look. Talk to them because everyone's got a story they want to share.' And that's what I found over time. You listen to people who might look a bit rough and they often had the most interesting stories. That sparked something inside me. When I sat down to write, it affected the subject matter I was drawn to. Your parents ran the pub successfully for many years. Then in the 1980s, the local police started to harass them. What happened? In the 1980s, there were [false] rumours that we were dealing drugs from the pub. At the time, thanks partly to Robert Trimbole [a prominent Mafia figure of Italian background who was involved in the drug trade in Griffith, in south-west NSW], there was a perception that Italians doing well might be linked to organised crime. The police started to take a keen interest in the pub, showing up regularly, checking patrons' IDs and security logbooks. It was relentless. It seemed like they were trying to drive Dad out of business. It was crazy because he was the most clean-living person you could imagine. Then, one night in 1985, there were people from out of town in the bar, drinking heavily. They started provoking some of the customers to violence, then pulled out their badges and said they were undercover police. They started to arrest patrons indiscriminately, grabbing them from their bar stools by the hair. I was seven and heard it all from my room upstairs. It was terrifying. They took people to the cells, then showed up the next morning and charged Dad with multiple breaches of his licence. When it went to court Dad ended up pleading guilty to illegal gambling on the premises – for having a footy tipping competition on the wall, which every pub in Victoria had at the time. None of the other charges stuck. The police kept up the harassment, and it was unbelievably stressful for my parents. It led to them deciding to sell the pub, which was a bitter pill for my dad. He loved running that pub. You studied criminal justice at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) then worked for 10 years in the criminal justice system in Victoria, including as a political adviser to the corrections minister. Tell us about that. I loved studying criminal justice: the law is fascinating, full of drama and good versus evil stories. We learnt about the social determinants of crime and why we label people deviants. After RMIT, I got a placement at the Department of Justice [now Justice and Community Safety], where I worked in multicultural policy, disability policy, emergency services, gambling and other areas. I went into the department a bit as a crusader, wanting to make a difference. That was partly born of that experience in the pub, seeing power exercised unjustly, and the terrible impact it can have on people. I wanted to do something positive, and that led me to work as an adviser to the corrections minister, advising on corrections, emergency services and counterterrorism. I loved that job. 'I don't believe that we are a meritocracy in that jingoistic way we like to believe. I don't think we are the land of the fair go.' Your latest novel, Eden, is about a man who spent time in prison, trying to rebuild his life. What did your work in corrections teach you about the prison system? I learnt that we essentially have the same cohort cycling through the prison system again and again. The recidivism rate is stubbornly stuck on about 40 per cent [on average] Australia-wide. It was dispiriting to see the impotence of some of the initiatives to address the problem. You can't just fix it through the prison or justice system. The broader social justice issue is how you keep people from getting into the prison system in the first place. You have written before about class in Australia. Are we the classless society we like to think we are? No. It's incredibly tough for people to overcome the circumstances that they're born into. I don't believe that we are a meritocracy in that jingoistic way we like to believe. I don't think we are the land of the fair go. A lot of people struggle throughout their lives and are sold this message that if you don't make it, it's your fault. That's not true. There are so many things beyond our control that affect our chances in life. Everyone is doing their best to live a good life; no one is seeking to fail. Let's talk about the role luck has played in your life. In 2010, you had some good luck. What happened? I decided I would like to do some writing, but needed money so I could move to part-time work. My brother suggested I go on Eddie McGuire's Millionaire Hot Seat because I was good at trivia. I thought I'd humiliate myself, but I won $50,000! That enabled me to move to part-time work and start a writing course at RMIT, which was life-changing. In 2012, you were a victim of an equally life-changing piece of bad luck. What happened? I was riding my bike down Brunswick Street in North Fitzroy, a busy area. A car turned right in front of me and didn't see me. It hit me, and I went flying over the handlebars. I had to have two shoulder operations and the recovery was painful; I was out of action for six months. It was unlucky, but in some ways it was a bit of good fortune because it brought things into stark relief for me. I realised it could have been fatal, and I got to thinking about what was important to me in my life. Of course, that was family and those close to me, but also my writing. I realised that I really needed to focus on it and give it a proper go. So I quit my job to jump into the financially precarious world of being a writer. It's a struggle; you can't plan for the future. Forget about super. I rely heavily on government grants. Is it worth it? I absolutely love it. There's nothing else I would want to be doing. When I'm writing a book I love being inside of it, even though my characters are often in difficult circumstances. The two most satisfying things are when I finish a book and I know it's working, and hearing from readers at writers' festivals. That is magic: you've created this imaginary world, and they've gone away and created something bigger out of it, with their own interpretation of it. That's what keeps me coming back to the page. Dogs feature in almost all your books, often in a prominent role. Why? I've always loved dogs. When I was a little kid having a tough time at school we had dogs, and they were my best friends. Dogs have no agenda; it's just unconditional love. They are special to me, so it's inevitable that they end up in my books. I'm paying tribute to their role in my life and the lives of many others. Why did you choose to be photographed in Melbourne General Cemetery for this article? It is just a couple of streets from where I live. My father is buried there, as are his parents, and I've spent a lot of time exploring its sprawling grounds, mostly while walking my dog. Then a few years back, while visiting my father's grave, I encountered someone sleeping rough near one of the mausolea. I began to wonder about what had brought him there. It was the spark that led me to write my latest book, Eden. It features in Eden very prominently.

Grand estate with dark history lists: murder and celebrity wedding are in its recent past

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