Tim Owen and Andrew Cornwell resign following ICAC revelations

Time to go: Tim Owen leaving ICAC via the carpark today.

NEWCASTLE MP Tim Owen and Charlestown MP Andrew Cornwell have resigned from the NSW Parliament over revelations about alleged bribes and lies at ICAC.

NSW Legislative assembly speaker Shelly Hancock has told parliament she received letters from Mr Cornwell and Mr Owen today resigning their seats.

Leader of the house Anthony Roberts asked for parliament’s assent to declare the seats of Charlestown and Newcastle vacant – which was agreed to.

Premier Mike Baird told question time that there will be by-elections held for the seats of Charlestown and Newcastle.

The resignations come after Premier Mike Baird told the suspended Liberal MPs to resign after they admitted corruption.

Asked by text message if he would resign today, Mr Cornwell said “yes”.

Mr Owen sensationally admitted lying to the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Tuesday after admitting he did not return a $10,000 cash payment to Newcastle Mayor Jeff McCloy. Mr Cornwell has also admitted accepting a $10,000 bribe from Mr McCloy, who has also been told to resign.

“It is time they considered their positions,” Mr Baird said.

“They are not members of the party, it is ultimately up to them.

“But on the evidence we’ve seen, the comments that’ve been made they should consider their positions as Members of Parliament.”

Mr Baird said voters were entitled to feel “appalled, angry and betrayed” by the string of damaging revelations coming out of ICAC surrounding Liberal MPs.

Suspended Liberal MP Tim Owen has admitted to ICAC today he lied about giving $10,000 cash back to a developer, amid claims he had said his wife would divorce him if she found out he took the money.

Mr Owen told ICAC that he met with prominent Newcastle developer and Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy on Sunday about evidence he would give to the commission.

Yesterday he told the ICAC he put the money into Mr McCloy’s letterbox with a note that said “no thanks”.

Mr McCloy’s barrister Ian Faulkner SC asked Mr Owen if he gave “false” evidence yesterday about returning $10,000 Mr McCloy gave him in his envelope.

“Yes it is,” Mr Owen said.

“Mr McCloy said to you ‘I have forgotten the exact amount…we’ve got to tell them,” Mr Faulkner said.

“You said my wife will divorce me, I’ve sworn on a stack of bibles I didn’t take any money.”

“I didnt say that,” Mr Owen said.

“You said to him, Jeff, we have to agree that you gave me $2,000 and I put it back in the letterbox,” Mr Faulkner said.

“No, no,” Mr Owen said.

“Essentially…both Jeff and I agreed we would say something along those lines,” he said.