David Begg: Influential Liberal Party figure charged with driving while licence suspended for low range drink driving

A high-profile Liberal party figure was caught behind the wheel of his car while his licence was suspended for drink driving. Read what happened in court

David Begg, with his wife Natalie Ward, the deputy NSW Liberal leader, has pleased guilty to driving while his licence was suspended for low range drink driving. Picture: Simon Cocksedge

A senior high-profile Liberal party figure has been caught behind the wheel of his car while his licence was suspended for drink driving.

David Begg, an influential powerbroker within the NSW arm of the party and a co-founder of leading lobbying firms, was stopped by police at 2.30am on Sydney’s Lower North Shore.

Mr Begg, 57, who is married to former Coalition Roads Minister Natalie Ward, told officers who pulled him over at Neutral Bay last month that his licence had been suspended for a low range drink driving penalty.

Ms Ward, a member of the NSW Parliament’s Upper House, is now the deputy Liberal leader in the NSW Opposition and has been touted as a possible future Premier.

The couple are both important figures in the party’s moderate faction, with Mr Begg regarded as a skilful behind the scenes “number cruncher”.

David Begg (right) with Premier Mike Baird (centre) and Sean Rout, author of the book “Manly Rugby”, a history of the Manly Marlins Rugby Club, at its launch in Manly in 2015. Picture: Damian Shaw

He is a co-founder, with the former NSW Liberal government minister Michael Photios, of PremierState in Sydney and CapitalHill Advisory in Canberra, government relations and corporate advisory firms

Mr Begg has had two stints on the party’s powerful State Executive as well as holding senior party positions on the northern beaches.

David Begg at Manly Oval when he was president of the Manly Rugby Union Football Club. Picture: Simon Cocksedge

Mr Begg, is also well known in rugby union circles at an elite level. He was an outspoken past president and chairman of the Sydney Rugby Union and a former president of the Manly Rugby Union Football Club — the “Marlins”. He was a leading referee in the Sydney Shute Shield rugby competition.

Mr Begg appeared in Manly Local Court on June 28.

David Begg refereeing in the Shute Shield in 2002. Picture: Simon Dean

Documents tendered to court showed that he pleaded guilty to one count of drive while licence suspended.

Mr Begg’s traffic record, seen by the court, showed that he had his licence automatically suspended by police on April 21 after he was issued a penalty notice for a low-range drink driving offence. The suspension was to end on July 20.

David Begg and Natalie Ward are prominent figures within the NSW arm of the Liberal Party. File picture: Simon Cocksedge

Under NSW legislation police can suspend a driver’s licence for three months if the blood alcohol limit is between 0.05 and 0.08, and issue an on-the-spot $603 fine. The matter does not go to court.

A police facts sheet tendered to court stated that Mr Begg was driving a Porsche west on Military Rd at Neutral Bay when he was stopped by a police patrol car for a random breath test.

When asked for his licence he said it had been suspended “for a low range charge”.

Police did an immediate check and found that Mr Begg was not entitled to drive until July 21.

The breath test came back negative.

Magistrate Robyn Denes disqualified Mr Begg from driving for three months, from June 27, and fined him $1000.

Mr Begg has been contacted for comment.