Wednesday 22 September 2021 The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will re-open the Operation Witney public inquiry into allegations concerning the State Member for Drummoyne, John Sidoti MP, commencing next Wednesday, 29 September 2021 from 10:00 am for approximately three days. He was a member of the Liberal Party, but moved to the crossbench as an independent in March 2021, following the announcement of a public inquiry into his property dealings by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). 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More from Latest News A witness list is attached. Drummoyne MP John Sidoti told 9News reporter Chris O'Keefe he won't resign despite the corruption finding. Mr (John) Anthony John SIDOTI (1970 - ) Place of Birth: Australia Parliamentary Service Political Party Activity LGC President, Drummoyne Branch of the Liberal Party. A final report is expected in early 2022. The tense exchanges came after Mr Sidotis sister was pressed on her involvement in preparing Mr Harons document. "A consistent matter of contention were representations made by planners," Mr Ranken said. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating whether Mr Sidoti improperly used his influence to impact Canada Bay Council planning decisions between 2011 and 2018. The Sidoti family property at 120 Great North Road had a total area of approximately 620 square metres and was therefore too small to benefit from any bonus proposed height increase. Senior NSW MP John Sidoti says he is "innocent" after recent ICAC findings. The former sports minister also denies he breached ministerial guidelines by failing to disclose property interests in the area. The former minister, stood down in September 2019, denies the accusations. Sidoti's also dismissed claims he has a bad. And if ICAC requires more funding, they need to go to the Premiers department to request that. Mr Sidoti, a former Liberal who now sits in state parliament as an independent, has denied accusations he tried to pressure councillors in his electorate to make planning decisions that would benefit him and his family. Fellow upper house Greens MP David Shoebridge said 10 of 12 requests from the ICAC for increased funding had been rejected by the Premiers department in the past decade. The corruption watchdog will investigate whether state MP John Sidoti made "threats" to councillors at Canada Bay Council to pursue his personal interests. Issues concerning the statutory declaration necessitated further investigation by the Commission and, ultimately, the reopening of the public inquiry. However, I am concerned that my presence in the Liberal Party room may be used as a distraction by the media and my political opponents, Mr Sidoti said. Yes, replied Mr Haron, who is the former vice-president of the Five Dock Chamber of Commerce. MS Teams is the AVL technology that the Commission will use to conduct the public inquiry remotely. D'Amore claimed that the tunnel would be a major public transport outcome for the Inner West. John Sidoti arrives at the ICAC in Sydney last week.Dominic Lorrimer "I never, ever intentionally set out to mislead in any shape or form," he said on Tuesday. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Sidoti has insisted he never pushed local councillors to get onside with the changes, despite telling one he was fucked without his vote. "I'm here telling the truth commissioner," Mr Sidoti replied. Sidoti was reminded several times on Thursday that he was giving evidence under oath by Commissioner Peter Hall QC, who demanded he stop being argumentative and evasive. The inquiry relates to Mr Sidotis property interests in Five Dock, near a future metro site. We use cookies in order to personalise your experience and improve our services. You can now log in once to listen live, watch live, join competitions, enjoy exclusive 2GB content and other benefits. At one point, Hall asked the MP if he had memory problems. The commission has already heard Mr Sidoti believed he had every right like any citizen to contact local councillors about how they exercised their public functions, but on Tuesday said he never attempted or intended to improperly influence those councillors. NSW MP John Sidoti has insisted to an anti-corruption inquiry that he was indifferent to the outcome of a last-ditch effort to enact zoning changes which would benefit his family. These interactions will be explored during the inquiry. Sidoti resigns from Liberal Party after ICAC launches public hearing. The ICAC is committed to maintaining a COVID-safe work environment. Thursday 30 September The former sports minister is waiting on ICAC's findings after he was accused of influencing the outcome of a local council decision at Five Dock to benefit his parents. Wolter Peeters The Independent Commission Against Corruption is examining Mr Sidoti's sustained campaign to rezone several blocks in Five Dock where his family owned property. I did the best I could, she said. Wake Up Australia with Luke Grant Tuesday, 2nd of May, Labors immigration policy conducted by stealth, Overnights with Luke Grant Tuesday, 2nd of May. The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will re-open the Operation Witney public inquiry into allegations concerning the State Member for Drummoyne, John Sidoti MP, commencing next Wednesday, 29 September 2021 from 10:00 am for approximately three days. Mr Sidoti surrendered his ministerial salary and entitlements indefinitely while awaiting the outcome of the preliminary hearing. Three weeks after the initial inquiry was completed Mr Sidoti, through his lawyers, served on the Commission a statutory declaration made by former Five Dock Chamber of Commerce vice president, Glen Haron. to contact local councillors about how they exercised their public functions, not knowing exactly what I was signing,. At the very least she has to sack him from the Liberal Party. Week beginning Monday 27 September 2021 Mr Sidotis conduct toward the councillors included maligning aspects of the design study and falsely accusing CCBC staff of making misleading statements about it; misrepresenting the concerns of the local business community, or shopkeepers, about the study and urging them to better represent their shared constituents and deliver their vision, although he could not identify any of the shopkeepers; engaging in persistent email and telephone communication and initiating meetings with the councillors before every meeting at which the relevant planning matters were due to come before council; advocating for planning outcomes that he represented reflected the concerns and feedback of unspecified constituents, but which in fact benefited his familys property interests; directing their attendance at meetings and berating them for non-attendance; and suggesting their positions on CCBC could be threatened if they did not advance the positions he urged them to adopt and advance. Investigation report Fact sheet, NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, Level 7, 255 Elizabeth Street Community Activity President, Five Dock Chamber of Commerce, 2006. Opposition leader Jodi McKay said Mr Sidoti should remain on the crossbench and should not be allowed to vote in support of any government legislation, until the ICAC has delivered its findings. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Mr Sidoti resigned from the Liberal Party. Chief Commissioner the Hon Peter Hall QC presided at the public inquiry, at which Mr Sidoti and 15 other witnesses gave evidence. Greens anti-corruption spokesman Jamie Parker said the NSW Liberal and Labor parties were putting unprecedented pressure on the resources of the ICAC. "I suggest to you what you were referring to [was]the fact that what you wanted to get past the council at that meeting would not be successfully passed if Dr Ahmed was not at the meeting, because then you wouldn't have the numbers.". Chief Commissioner Peter Hall QC cautioned Mr Sidoti that if he did not settle down it would take a long time for the hearing to conclude. Counsel assisting Rob Ranken described the meeting as Sidotis last chance to delay proceedings so his familys properties could be included in the rezoned area. NSW MP John Sidoti has been suspended from parliament after he was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct. Liberal MP John Sidoti told the corruption watchdog he didn't know what documents he was signing and had no idea his wife made $360,000 in one year - at least according to the tax department. One of Dominic Perrottets most recognisable ministers has moved to a new role in his first job since leaving politics. The general scope and purpose of the public inquiry is to gather evidence relevant to the matters being investigated for the purpose of determining the matters referred to in section 13(2) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988. Nearly three weeks after that exchange before the commission, on May 17, Mr Sidoti provided the investigators with the statutory declaration signed by Mr Haron. Mr Sidoti said he had never deliberately or intentionally failed to disclose material in his pecuniary interests declarations to the Parliament. The ICAC is investigating whether Mr Sidoti, a former NSW minister, misused his position to improperly influence councillors and lobby them on behalf of his family's property interests. The investigation centres on whether Mr Sidoti improperly used his influence as an MP to try to advance his family's property interest in the inner-west suburb of Five Dock. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. People have reputations and you destroy them.. His family, through a trust, owned a property at Five Dock and subsequently bought three more in 2014 and 2015. He formally resigned as minister and left the Liberal Party in March. What Im suggesting to you is that from a very early stage following the conclusion of the public inquiry (in April), you took particular steps to maintain control over the form of the evidence and the statement that would be given by Mr Haron, Mr Ranken said. Please try again later. Mr Sidoti said he would engage lawyers to look at his disclosure documents if he had his time again, because theyre almost legal documents.. The DPP determines whether any criminal charges can be laid, and conducts all prosecutions. Sidoti was also asked how he formed his position on the issue, given consultation had concluded some community members were against the zoning changes. Mr Ranken said on Wednesday the matter of the document should be heard in public because it could inform how the commission viewed Mr Sidotis credibility. One of Dominic Perrottets most recognisable ministers has moved to a new role in his first job since leaving politics. Wednesday 29 September . It's alleged the Sidoti family properties didn't benefit from the plan. Both Mr Haron and Mr Sidoti have said they ran into each other in Drummoyne in April and began talking about the ICAC investigation into the MP. The ICAC said John Sidoti, who now sits on the crossbench, was corrupt when he sought to pressure local councillors to make planning changes which would benefit himself and his family. The inquiry has heard evidence Sidoti regularly met with three Liberal councillors on the issue, including in the lead up to a 2016 council meeting. Later, growing increasingly frustrated with the number of times Mr Sidoti answered by saying: "I don't recall", Commissioner Hall queried whether there could be a medical reason for his inability to remember. Labor says,. Mr Sidoti denies the accusations. In a budget estimate hearing last week he insisted he'd had no knowledge that metro stations were slated to be built close to two properties he had an interest in. Last month Mr Sidoti announced he would "remove himself from the Liberal Party Room"while the investigation was underway and join the crossbench. Ive been trash-talked: John Sidoti maintains innocence as ICAC inquiry ends. ICAC found he used his position to try to influence . The corruption watchdog has dismissed some of the allegations against him but on others, he's been labelled corrupt. View on Google maps, News from the NSW The accuracy of a document that John Sidoti presented to a corruption watchdog as evidence in his favour has been thrown into question. Everything went through the eyes of people far smarter and experienced than I.. NSW Sports Minister John Sidoti has laughed off any potential bid from Queensland to host the NRL Grand Final, . The ICAC said on Wednesday it would hold a public . The former sports minister also denies he breached ministerial guidelines by failing to disclose property interests in the area. It is also considering if Mr Sidoti breached public trust by failing to disclose pecuniary interests including through family trusts. "The planning outcome advanced on behalf of the Sidoti family interests was consistently not supported by the independent experts engaged by the council or by council staff.". Independent Commission Against Corruption. Drummoyne MP John Sidoti has rejected the Premier's call to resign, vowing to fight findings by the corruption watchdog that he engaged in serious corrupt conduct by using his position to influence local councillors to benefit his family's property interests. Were working to restore it. ICAC accused him of influencing the outcome of a local council decision at Five Dock to benefit his parents. Mr Ranken told the commission this week it was unorthodox to hold onto such information. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/john-sidoti-accused-of-making-threats-over-five-dock-properties/100036802, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, This man advises his clients that elections, rates and mortgages are invalid, Recreational vaping to be banned, all e-cigarettes to be strictly controlled, Qantas names new boss ahead of Alan Joyce's retirement, RBA tipped for rates hold, Treasurer refuses to confirm reported JobSeeker lift for people over 55, but says targeted support in the budget, Selling the furniture and couch surfing: Families forced to make 'impossible' decisions amid fears inflation crisis hitting kids, US updates Russian death toll in Ukraine, Twitter glitch logs users out. Mr Sidoti, a former Liberal who now sits as an independent, has denied accusations by the Independent Commission Against Corruption that he tried to pressure councillors in his electorate to make planning decisions that would benefit him and his family. However, it was only on larger sites, in excess of 2,000 square metres, that consideration of an additional storey was recommended. Adelaide hospitals repeatedly fail to have a single emergency bed available, Council threatens $1100 fine for dangerous hipster trend. Mr Ranken said to Mr Sidoti: "You have responded to say, 'Mate, without you I'm f***ed, we won't have the numbers'. We are very reasonable and . The claim led Mr Ranken to accuse Mr Sidoti of making up evidence. ICAC hearing investigates alleged threats made by MP John Sidoti over Five Dock properties, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce will retire in November after 15 years in the airline's top job, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. Watch the latest news on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>. And it just so happened to be a happy coincidence, did it, that that was also a result that favoured your familys property interests? Ranken said. You can now click/tap LISTEN to start the live stream. Millions of Aussies to get help buying homes in just weeks. For further information, please refer to the Operation Witney September 2021 public inquiry media guidelines. Monday 27 September Ms McKay on Wednesday called on the Premier to sack Mr Sidoti from the Liberal Party. The MP has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he was representing consitutents and shopkeepers of Five Dock in his efforts to achieve rezoning as part of a town centre redesign. Mr Sidoti, the former sports minister, has been sidelined from the frontbench for almost 18 months while the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) did a preliminary investigation. The Prime Minister has been quizzed as to why he hasn't delivered on a promise to introduce a Federal ICAC. She went on to prepare a draft for Mr Haron based on her conversations with him over the phone, she told the ICAC. John Murray: Succeeded by: John Sidoti: . The Commission found that in this communication, Mr Sidoti was attempting to get the councillors to form a united voting position that challenged the council staff s recommendation to endorse it, was attempting to use his position and influence as a member of Parliament and the local member to interfere with the councillors independence, and he had an undisclosed private interest in achieving an increase to the recommended FSR for the town centre that he wanted to persuade the councillors to adopt and advance. However he continues to serve the electorate of Drummoyne as an independent MP. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Drummoyne MP John Sidoti insisted he did not lie or make up evidence as he completed his final day in the witness box of a public inquiry into his conduct as an MP. "What would be f***ed would be the outcome you were hoping to achieve, which was a rezoning of the Waterview Street site to B4 mixed used," Mr Ranken said. Asked whether it was appropriate for Mr Sidoti to remain as a government MP, Ms Berejiklian said she would look at the terms of reference of the inquiry and seek advice. The MP has consistently rejected allegations he fostered a master-servant relationship with councillors and threatened their jobs if they did not vote in favour of his familys agenda. Launched in 1998, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC Program), started with only 10 Task Forces across the United States, but today it is a network of 61 coordinated Task Forces representing more than 3,000 Federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. Updates will be provided throughout the course of the inquiry via the ICAC Twitter account (@nswicac). The Commission seeks the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on whether any prosecution should be commenced. The member for Drummoyne has been found guilty of engaging in serious corrupt conduct by ICAC. Minister John Sidoti invested in property that went from $4.1 million to $70 million in value in areas near soon-to-be-built metro stations. The Commission has made 15 corruption prevention recommendations to help improve systems regarding the disclosure of pecuniary and private interests, and the management and declaration of conflicts of interest for members of Parliament, and to address councillors governance obligations, particularly in relation to lobbying, conflicts of interest and environmental planning issues. Nick Moir Mr Sidoti, the former sports minister, has been sidelined from the frontbench for almost 18 months while the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) did a preliminary investigation. He is accused of pressuring Canada Bay councillors in Sydneys inner-west to vote for town planning changes that would allow more development on Five Dock sites owned by his family and friends. Now they're back in Kyiv, Baby with bowel obstruction died after hospital's failures, coroner finds, NT chief minister apologises to outgoing police commissioner over retirement settlement comments, Nouma is an island paradise but for the next year you're not allowed to swim, US federal department faces environmental lawsuit following SpaceX launch and explosion, Live: Celebrities arrive at the Met Gala for fashion's biggest night, Texas college baseball player accidentally shot during game, Three firefighters rushed to hospital, one critical, after factory fire south of Brisbane. At that point the Commissioner Peter Hall QC interrupted, telling him to "pause, to reflect in your own interests". Liberal MP John Sidoti has resigned from the NSW ministry after being summonsed to appear before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.. Former minister told to stop giving speeches and asked if he has memory problems while giving evidence at anti-corruption inquiry. NSW MP John Sidoti tells ICAC email to Liberal colleagues referred to re-election, not zoning proposal, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce will retire in November after 15 years in the airline's top job, Follow our live blog for the latest from the Met Gala, Catch up with The Loop, your quick wrap of this morning's news, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. NSW INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION Anthony John Sidoti is an independent Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Drummoyne since 2011. Tensions have boiled over at a NSW corruption hearing, where an emotional MP claimed his reputation was being tarnished. "Tanveer was well aware of the representations and the concerns of the chamber of commerce and I'd look like an absolute pork chop if he wasn't there and for whatever reason the numbers couldn't align.". On Friday, Sidoti argued he was indifferent to the outcome of the meeting. It is absolutely ridiculous, is it not, to suggest that you were indifferent to a resolution that directly favoured your familys property interests? Ranken said. Mr Ranken spent Wednesday and much of Thursday quizzing Mr Haron over how the statement came to be produced. She said after the ICAC public inquiry finished in April, she was asked to throw something together about what was known about the interaction between Mr Sidoti and Mr Haron. Sidoti was also asked how he formed his position on the issue, given consultation had concluded some community members were against the zoning changes. The public hearing has spent much of the day questioning Mr Sidoti about a rezoning proposal he was advocating for, which would have benefited his parent's property interests in Five Dock in Sydney's inner west. A businessman has been quizzed over a declaration he made about a chance encounter with Drummoyne MP John Sidoti. The Commission has decided that, until there is a substantial improvement in the COVID-19 situation in NSW, any public inquiries will, as far as practicable, be conducted remotely by audio visual link (AVL). NSW MP John Sidoti is facing a corruption inquiry into his family property developments in Sydney.