INDEPENDENTS' SQUEAKY-CLEAN IMAGE TARNISHED

Today's Sun-Herald revelations about the business activities of
Pittwater's newly elected MP Alex McTaggart will inflict devastating
damage on the squeaky-clean image of Parliament's independent MPs.

Only days after standing on the front steps of Parliament in
Macquarie Street and declaring themselves "The Magnificent Seven",
the independents will be calculating the public's reaction to
McTaggart's hitherto unknown business life.

The independents' movement has gathered electoral strength precisely
because it attracted men and women of high principle who rejected the
grubby political machinations of the major parties to serve as
community feelgood do-gooders. There was North Sydney MP Ted Mack who
has almost become the patron saint of NSW independents.

He quit Macquarie Street after serving six years, 11 months and 29
days - only one day short of seven years - just so he could avoid
receiving the over-generous, taxpayer-subsidised MPs' pension.

Then there was South Coast MP John Hatton, the indefatigable crime
fighter who virtually single-handedly forced the 1990s royal
commission into police corruption.

Two other star independents were Tony Windsor, who quit the lower
house seat of Tamworth to enter Federal Parliament in 2001 as the MP
for New England, and Dr Peter Macdonald, MP for Manly, who is now
Manly's mayor. The McTaggart disclosures may also force some
back-tracking by Premier Morris Iemma and his ministers, who warmly
welcomed the Avalon surfie after his victory in the seat previously
held by opposition leader John Brogden.

In their delight at the humiliation of Liberal candidate Paul
Nicolaou - who suffered a 25 per cent swing against him - and the
collateral damage to Liberal leader Peter Debnam, they embraced the
new crossbencher more enthusiastically than was prudent.

McTaggart will be sworn in on February 28 when Parliament resumes
after a 12-week break. But he began receiving his $110,650-a-year
salary from November 26, the day of his byelection victory.

At present, McTaggart receives $12,925 as a councillor on Pittwater
Council, plus an extra $28,215 for being mayor. He has indicated that
he will step down as mayor in the new year in favour of his deputy,
Christian Democrat Patricia Giles, but will remain a councillor while
he serves in Macquarie Street.

He will also receive an electoral allowance of $35,570 to staff his
Pittwater office and a logistical allowance to buy a computer,
printer, phone and fax equipment.

He has been allocated Room 917 on the ninth level of State
Parliament, where his neighbours will be Clover Moore, the Bligh
independent and Sydney Lord Mayor, and Shooters Party MP John Tingle.

McTaggart's swearing-in next February was billed a triumph for the
independents and a kick in the guts for the Liberals. Now it might
simply become a giant embarrassment.