Finnigan’s home up for sale
Disgraced former Labor frontbencher Bernard Finnigan’s northern suburbs home is on the market, InDaily can reveal.
The house, which became the hub of police and media attention in April 2011 when authorities raided the property, seizing computer files, was placed on property websites including Domain and realestate.com on the weekend. The exact address was not listed, but InDaily has confirmed it is the former MP’s property.
Finnigan was this month found guilty of obtaining child pornography and subsequently quit his $150,000 a year job as an independent Legislative Councillor, which he had retained despite leaving the party that installed him in the role. Labor last week anointed shop workers union boss Peter Malinauskas as his replacement, a position that will be ratified by parliament in December.
Finnigan hopes to net $450,000 for the property sale, almost $100,000 less than the listed median price for the area. He did not return calls, but Labor sources have told InDaily he also owns property in Mt Gambier. It’s not known whether he owns his Adelaide house freehold.
By coincidence, the Weatherill ministry is visiting Mt Gambier today for a community cabinet.
Finnigan leaves his Torrens Titled three-bedroom home. Photo: AAP.
The three-bedroom, single carport Torrens Titled house features a private backyard with a paved entertaining area, and is described as “an affordable character home with potential”. The online spiel highlights it is “just a short stroll” to shopping centres and a local primary school.
After the guilty verdict was delivered, the house was vandalised, with a window and gate broken; a Ferryden Park man has faced court charged with the offence.
Finnigan has maintained high-priced legal representation since his arrest. His lawyer Nicholas Iles told InDaily there would be no comment about whether his client would consider an appeal until after he is sentenced, with sentencing submissions scheduled in a week’s time.
The state Liberals have been quick to try and link Malinauskas to Finnigan, who also hailed from the shop workers union.
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"The Finnigan-Malinauskas change means the entire @alpsa Leg Co team are former union officials/party hacks #saparli pic.twitter.com/J9xAb2LMjs"
"— The SA Liberals (@LiberalSAHQ) November 20, 2015"
Malinauskas was rubber stamped for the vacancy on Friday afternoon, despite submissions from other candidates.
InDaily revealed last week that Mahanbir Grewal would stand to protest Labor’s lack of focus on regional SA.
He told the state executive: “Whoever the successful candidate is, I humbly request that they give a commitment to working hard in regional SA and ensure that Labor is represented every day of the year, not just leading up to elections.”
