Daryl Maguire set up meeting with Planning Minister and Chinese property developer ‘friends’
DISGRACED MP Daryl Maguire, who brokered deals on behalf of a Chinese property developer, set up a meeting with its executives and the NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
NSW
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A DISGRACED MP who brokered deals on behalf of a Chinese property developer set up a meeting with its executives and the NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Wagga Wagga State MP Daryl Maguire organised an “introductory” meeting for Mr Roberts to meet with two CEOs from Country Garden on August 9 last year.
The 15-minute meet and greet took place more than a year after Mr Maguire was secretly recorded attempting to broker property deals with then-Canterbury City councillor Michael Hawatt.
The damning conversations, played at the ICAC hearing on Friday, revealed the MP was acting on behalf of Chinese “friends” from Country Garden who had “mega money” for “mega big” property deals.
Mr Maguire quit the Liberal Party in disgrace on Friday and resigned as Parliamentary Secretary but refused to resign from Parliament, saying he will sit as an independent.
The Hong-Kong listed Country Garden has numerous property interests across Sydney.
A planning document, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, revealed the developer owns 429ha in Wollondilly, along with sites in Canterbury-Bankstown, Campsie and Ryde.
It was also revealed last month Country Garden paid a family on the outskirts of Sydney $69.88 million to secure land it knew would benefit from the M9 orbital, months before the route of the orbital was known to locals.
Yesterday a spokesman for Mr Roberts played down his meeting, saying it was Mr Maguire’s idea and he has only met with the developers once.
“The Member for Wagga approached the minister’s office in person on a sitting day to request an introduction to the two CEOs of Country Garden who were visiting Australia,” the spokesman said.
“Staff advised a 15-minute meeting could occur only on the condition Country Garden observe the minister’s office protocol of not discussing any site-specific projects or proposals, and that a disclosure form be completed by the company prior to the meeting.
“The meeting took 15 minutes and the minister spoke about the government’s reforms to the independent hearing and assessment panels.”
The spokesman said the meeting was fully disclosed.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who is on leave, spoke with Mr Maguire on Friday night.
Sources said the Premier was very disappointed.
The Operation Dasha ICAC hearing was played a recorded telephone conversation from May 9, 2016, in which Mr Maguire claims to be the middle man between Country Garden and investors.
Mr Maguire was recorded saying Country Garden could pay him “a couple of grand a day” to facilitate meetings.
Operation Dasha is investigating the conduct of councillors on the former Canterbury Council. Wagga Wagga-based Nationals upper house MP Wes Fang said the Liberals should bow out of the seat to “atone” and clear the way for the Nationals to repair trust.