Expensive drop: Taxpayers stung by Grangegate
The bottle of wine that cost Premier Barry O'Farrell his job earlier this year, cost New South Wales taxpayers a lot more.
A 7News Freedom of Information investigation has found his resignation was just the start of dozens of Government departures that racked up a bill of nearly a million dollars.
The bottle of Grange Hermitage, which proved Mr O'Farrells undoing, worth just under $3000.
NSW paid dearly. The former Premier initially said he didn't remember receiving it, and then accepted 'a significant memory fail', and 'accepted the consequence of his actions'.
The taxpayer also paid dearly, and was forced to payout more than 20 government staffers who subsequently lost their jobs.
Freedom of Information documents obtained by 7News reveal that in the days following Grange-gate, 13 government ministers were sacked and 28 employees, with severance packages totaling 966,405.
Dumped ministers included Barry O'Farrell, Robyn Parker, Greg Smith, George Souris, and Don Page.
Promoted MPs did the same, including new Premier Mike Baird, Pru Goward, Gabrielle Upton, Kevin Humphries and Katrina Hodgkinson.
Duncan Gay's office also dumped staff after changing from Roads and Ports to Roads and Freight minister, and so did Jillian Skinner when she resigned as deputy liberal leader.
Mike Gallacher's staff can't blame a bottle of red: they lost their jobs after the former police minister resigned.
