NSW Premier Morris Iemma last night challenged Opposition leader Peter Debnam to back up a “serious smear” against an unnamed cabinet minister, or resign.

As Mr Orkopoulos recovered in the intensive care ward of Newcastle’s Mater hospital yesterday, the scandal around him widened with the charging of Patrick Roughan, 62 — a close friend and volunteer worker with Mr [Milton Orkopoulos] — with child-sex offences. Mr Roughan was freed on bail after being charged with twice raping a girl, aged between nine and 10, between November last year and February this year.

At his press conference, Mr Iemma said the Opposition had “form” on vicious smear campaigns, citing an unspecified speech in parliament in May 2003. On May 27, 2003, Liberal MP Charlie Lynn made a controversial speech alleging that an unnamed senior member of the NSW Labor cabinet had had illegal sex with a 15-year-old boy and robbed him.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma last night challenged Opposition leader Peter Debnam to back up a “serious smear” against an unnamed cabinet minister, or resign.

In a heated and emotional performance, Mr Iemma said a parliamentary question earlier in the day by Mr Debnam “was one of the grubbiest, dirtiest smears that I have ever seen in my time in the NSW parliament”.

“He’s got to come down here, he’s got to front the people of NSW, he’s got to back up what he says, or he resigns,” Mr Iemma said.

Mr Debnam refused the challenge.

In parliament, Mr Debnam had asked if any minister other than former Aboriginal affairs minister Milton Orkopoulos — who apparently attempted to take his own life on Tuesday after being charged with sex offences against minors — was being investigated by “any law enforcement authority”.

He also asked if Mr Iemma would “seek a briefing from the Police Integrity Commission”. A spokesman for Mr Debnam refused to say last night whether theOpposition had evidence against any minister.

The extraordinary scenes in NSW parliament follow the charging of Mr Orkopoulos with 30 sex and drug offences and the Opposition’s claims of a government cover-up.

As Mr Orkopoulos recovered in the intensive care ward of Newcastle’s Mater hospital yesterday, the scandal around him widened with the charging of Patrick Roughan, 62 — a close friend and volunteer worker with Mr Orkopoulos — with child-sex offences. Mr Roughan was freed on bail after being charged with twice raping a girl, aged between nine and 10, between November last year and February this year.

Mr Orkopoulos thanked Mr Roughan in his maiden speech in 1999, and in a 2003 speech paid tribute to him and other staff members as “my eyes and ears”.

Mr Roughan, who has been forced to resign from the Labor Party, fled Newcastle Local Court yesterday with his face concealed. While Mr Roughan refused to answer his door yesterday, people yelled abuse as they drove past. A fire was lit at the side of his house earlier this week.

A Newcastle mother of two girls told a television interviewer last week she had made a complaint about a man to Mr Orkopoulos, but he had done nothing.

No one was home at the alleged victim’s residence yesterday. A note on the door read: “No comment, holidaying with family.”

The girl’s home is a brick Housing Department town residence in the beachside suburb of Swansea. A neighbour said the family had fled several days ago to avoid any attention arising from the case.

At his press conference, Mr Iemma said the Opposition had “form” on vicious smear campaigns, citing an unspecified speech in parliament in May 2003. On May 27, 2003, Liberal MP Charlie Lynn made a controversial speech alleging that an unnamed senior member of the NSW Labor cabinet had had illegal sex with a 15-year-old boy and robbed him.

The allegations were referred to the PIC by then premier Bob Carr, but no charges were laid.

Late yesterday NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca admitted he had received a telephone voice message and an SMS from Mr Orkopoulos on Tuesday. He said the call, which was revealed by The Australian, disturbed him enough to call police.