NSW Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees says accusations by a Nationals MP linking him to the Milton Orkopoulos affair are nothing but "gutless slander".
Orkopoulos, 50, the former Aboriginal affairs minister, was jailed in May for at least nine years and three months, after being convicted of 30 child sex and drugs charges.
Opposition leader of the house Adrian Piccoli claims Mr Rees still must explain what he knew about drug and child sex allegations against Orkopoulos when he was his chief of staff.
Mr Piccoli wants a parliamentary committee to examine the protection of public sector whistleblowers to look at the treatment of Orkopoulos' former electorate officer Gillian Sneddon.
Ms Sneddon was sacked when she raised allegations against Orkopoulos with police.
Mr Piccoli said the inquiry should also examine if it was just coincidence Mr Rees left Orkopoulos' office three days before the government apparently learnt of the allegations.
"Obviously, Mr Rees, as his former chief of staff, would be one of those people we would like to see give evidence at that inquiry," Mr Piccoli told reporters.
"And, if Mr Rees has nothing to hide, I'm sure that he will be happy to appear. I think there are plenty of questions Mr Rees needs to answer."
But Mr Rees has taken exception at Mr Piccoli's claims.
He said he was with Mr Piccoli in his Murrumbidgee electorate just two days ago and the Nationals MP had not raised any issue then.
"Mr Piccoli spent half a day with me two days ago and didn't have the good grace to look me in the eye and make these accusations," Mr Rees said.
"Instead, his exercise is gutless slander, and that's simply what it is. If he had any substance to his assertions he would have taken them off to the appropriate authorities."
Mr Piccoli has denied he has raised the allegations again at a time when Mr Rees is being touted as a possible replacement for Premier Morris Iemma.
