Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell has called on the state government to fully explain the circumstances of Tim Crakanthorp's property disclosures after media reports the Newcastle MP's chief of staff reported them to Premier Chris Minns.
Sydney media reported the former Minister for the Hunter's chief of staff told Mr Minns about the extent of the Crakanthorp family's "substantial" property holdings in Newcastle after the MP refused to do so.
Mr Crakanthorp told Parliament on Wednesday evening that he had "self-reported" breaches of the ministerial code of conduct after becoming aware he had omitted properties from his formal disclosures.
"In recent days I've made a subsequent disclosure to the Premier's office to self-report an omission on my ministerial disclosures," he said.
"I would like to note that this oversight was identified due to my own self-reporting."
Mr Minns appeared to contradict that assurance on Thursday when he said he had been provided with information about the properties, prompting him to write a formal letter to Mr Crakanthorp.
"Information was given to me that I'm not going to go into relating to the number of properties that minister Crakanthorp held," he said.
The Premier sacked Mr Crakanthorp from his cabinet on Wednesday and referred the matter to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Analysis: Questions remain over Crakanthorp's property disclosures
Mr Layzell said the government should be open about the circumstances surrounding Mr Crakanthorp's previously undisclosed family interests.
"I think everyone knows there's questions to be answered, despite the Premier's assertions that he referred it to the ICAC so there's no more questions to be answered until the report comes out," the Nationals MP said.
"Well, I think generally the people and the Parliament do need to know what's gone on.
"We all know the ICAC will do an investigation and that will take as long as it takes, but we do need to know what's gone on."
Some of the properties belonging to Mr Crakanthorp's wife and in-laws are close to the government's proposed Hunter Park redevelopment at Broadmeadow and in an area earmarked by the state for significant housing growth.
Mr Layzell said more information was "coming to light all the time" in the media and it was incumbent on the Premier to keep the public informed.
"There was an opportunity for the Premier yesterday to actually just explain what had all happened and get it all out there, because the reality is now the information's coming out anyway," he said.
"I think in the next few days we'll know the extent of it and whether he's [Mr Crakanthorp] misled the Parliament."
In that event, Mr Minns would write to party officials asking them to suspend Mr Crakanthorp's membership.
The Newcastle Herald has approached Mr Crakanthorp and Mr Minns for comment.
Mr Minns said on Wednesday that Mr Crakanthorp would be "stepped aside" from the Labor party if the ICAC decided to investigate the matter.
