Carl Scully
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Carl Scully
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| constituency_MP = Smithfield
| parliament = New South Wales
| term_start = 23 June 1990
| term_end = 27 March 2007
| predecessor = Janice Crosio
| successor = Ninos Khoshaba
{{collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes|Minister {{nobold|1995–{{wj}}2006}}
| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| office2 = Minister for Police
| premier2 = Bob Carr
Morris Iemma
| term_start2 = 21 January 2005
| term_end2 = 26 October 2006
| predecessor2 = John Watkins
| successor2 = John Watkins
| office3 = Minister for Utilities
| premier3 = Morris Iemma
| term_start3 = 3 August 2005
| term_end3 = 17 February 2006
| predecessor3 = Frank Sartor {{small|(as Minister for Energy and Utilities)}}
| successor3 = Joe Tripodi {{small|(as Minister for Energy)}}
David Campbell {{small|(as Minister for Water Utilities)}}
| office4 = Minister for Housing
| premier4 = Bob Carr
| term_start4 = 2 April 2003
| term_end4 = 1 February 2005
| predecessor4 = Andrew Refshauge
| successor4 = Joe Tripodi
| office5 = Minister for Roads
| premier5 = Bob Carr
| term_start5 = 28 November 1996
| term_end5 = 21 January 2005
| predecessor5 = Michael Knight
| successor5 = Michael Costa
| office6 = Minister for Transport
| premier6 = Bob Carr
| term_start6 = 1 December 1997
| term_end6 = 2 April 2003
| predecessor6 = Brian Langton
| successor6 = Michael Costa {{small|(as Minister for Transport Services)}}
| office7 = Minister for Small Business and Regional Development
| premier7 = Bob Carr
| term_start7 = 4 April 1995
| term_end7 = 15 December 1997
| predecessor7 = Ian Armstrong
| successor7 = Michael Egan {{small|(as Minister for State and Regional Development)}}
| office8 = Minister for Ports
| premier8 = Bob Carr
| term_start8 = 4 April 1995
| term_end8 = 1 December 1997
| predecessor8 = Ian Armstrong
| successor8 = Kim Yeadon
| office9 = Minister for Public Works and Services
| premier9 = Bob Carr
| term_start9 = 15 December 1995
| term_end9 = 1 December 1997
| predecessor9 = Michael Knight
| successor9 = Ron Dyer
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|04|04|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales
| birthname = Patrick Carl Scully
| citizenship =
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| party = Labor
| otherparty =
| spouse = Ann Leaf{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}
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| alma_mater = Macquarie University
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}}
Patrick Carl Scully (born 4 April 1957{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}), is an Australian former politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party, he was a member of the Parliament of New South Wales for Smithfield from 1990 to 2007. Scully served as a minister in the New South Wales Government before his forced resignation on 25 October 2006.{{cite news |first1=Andrew|last1=Clennell|first2=David|last2=Braithwaite|title=Police minister resigns|date=25 October 2006|accessdate=25 October 2006|work=The Sydney Morning Herald| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/police-minister-resigns/2006/10/25/1161749182915.html}}
Background and early career
Scully was born in Sydney and educated at state schools.{{which|date=January 2024}} He graduated in law from Macquarie University, Sydney, and was active in the Labor Party since 1976. He practised as a solicitor between 1983 and 1990.
Political career
Scully was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as member for the safe Labor seat of Smithfield at the 1990 by-election.{{cite NSW Parliament|title=The Hon. (Carl) Patrick Carl Scully (1957- ) |id=2093 |former=Yes |accessdate=13 May 2019}} He is a member of the dominant right-wing faction of the New South Wales Labor Party.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Scully held the ministerial portfolios of small business and regional development (1995), state development (1995), public works and services (1995–97), roads and transport (1997–2003), housing (2003–05) and police (2005–06).
Scully was considered a possible candidate to replace Bob Carr as Premier of New South Wales, and announced his intention to run for the position after Carr announced his resignation in July 2005. But he withdrew from the contest on 29 July when it became clear that health minister Morris Iemma had majority support in the Labor Caucus.{{cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/introducing-your-new-premier/2005/07/29/1122144024500.html | title=Introducing your new premier|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=30 July 2005|accessdate=22 April 2011|author1=Davies, Anne|author2=Pearlman, Johnathan}} Although Scully publicly blamed the party machine for working against him, it was reported that some Labor MPs feared his record as transport minister during the Waterfall train disaster and other problems would have worked against the party at the next state election if he were leader.{{cite news |first1=Darren|last1=Goodsir|first2=Andrew|last2=Clennell|title=If only he had kept the trains on time|date=30 July 2005|accessdate=25 October 2006|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/if-only-he-had-kept-the-trains-on-time/2005/07/29/1122144024554.html}}{{cite news |last=Mitchell|first=Alex|title=How Carl fell from grace|date=6 November 2005|accessdate=15 December 2014|work=The Sun-Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/how-carl-fell-from-grace/2005/11/05/1130823436537.html}}
Then, as police minister, it was revealed that he misled parliament over a report into the 2005 Cronulla riot, and as a result was ultimately asked to resign by the NSW Premier.
{{cite news |title='Errors' force minister to quit |date=25 October 2006 |accessdate=25 October 2006 |work=News.com.au |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20644325-2,00.html |first1=Peter |last1=Jean |first2=Nick |last2=Ralston |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111000040/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C20644325-2%2C00.html |archivedate=11 November 2006 }}
Scully did not recontest Smithfield at the 2007 state election;{{cite news|first=Alex|last=Mitchell|title=Scully quits politics after humiliating cabinet snub|date=14 January 2007|accessdate=15 January 2007|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/scully-quits-politics-after-cabinet-snub/2007/01/13/1168105230747.html}} and claimed he rejected an offer from Labor to contest a federal seat.{{cite news|first=Linda|last=Silmalis|title=Carl Scully: I quit|date=14 January 2007|accessdate=15 December 2014|work=The Sunday Telegraph|location=Australia|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/carl-scully-i-quit/story-e6frewt0-1111112827503?nk=0907d92cedd4731cbc390afe92f9c4d0}} In 2013, Scully testified that he was disappointed that Eddie Obeid, a powerbroker, had orchestrated Iemma becoming premier instead of Scully himself.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
Post political career
In 2017, Scully released his autobiography titled Setting the Record Straight.
In response to Scully's autobiography, journalist Emma Jones wrote an article for The Australian, “Revealed: secret plan to blow up the Harbour Bridge".[https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/revealed-secret-plan-to-blow-up-the-harbour-bridge/news-story/95a800e234e800ff1d8dae4b1dc67f92 Revealed: secret plan to blow up the Harbour Bridge] In this article, Jones discusses how Scully's autobiography makes mention of a secret plan from World War II, which explained how best to blow up the Sydney Harbour Bridge during an invasion from the North. Scully used the secret plan during his time in government, to assist in protecting the Sydney Harbour Bridge from terrorism after the September 11 terrorist attacks.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-par|au-nsw-la}}
{{succession box | title=Member for Smithfield | before=Janice Crosio | after=Ninos Khoshaba | years=1990 – 2007}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Carr ministry}}
{{Iemma-Rees-Keneally ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scully, Carl}}
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of New South Wales
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:Macquarie University alumni
Category:Australian solicitors
Category:Ministers for customer service and digital government