‘False evidence’: Lib MP John Sidoti denies lying to ICAC about conversation

NSW MP John Sidoti has told ICAC his mother was the driving force in a property portfolio he had no idea he was part of, but he denies that he lied to the watchdog.

Liberal MP John Sidoti has been accused of “making up evidence” after claiming he spoke to a businessman about his evidence weeks before he even took the stand at the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The MP also has used his final moments before the corruption watchdog to depict his ageing mother as the “drive” behind the family‘s property holdings and insists he never intentionally misled the public about his role in her ”schemes”.

Sidoti has steadfastly denied using his position as a NSW MP to lean on Liberal councillors in the City of Canada Bay who were refusing to rezone parts of Five Dock.

Councillors have accused him of calling on party kingmakers to mount a “barrage” of pressure so they‘d include his family’s function centre in the redesign of Five Dock town centre.

NSW MP John Sidoti has again appeared before the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The ICAC has heard the Liberals who refused to go along with him - including the mayor - paid with their jobs.

Sidoti, on Tuesday, told the ICAC he ran into a local businessman who had been following the corruption hearings.

The businessman had watched Sidoti‘s evidence and wanted to remind the MP he’d helped set up a meeting between council and the chamber of commerce to discuss rezoning, Sidoti said.

Sidoti said he had that conversation in the first two weeks of hearings - but the ICAC heard that is not possible because the MP only gave evidence in the third week.

“It‘s absolutely not possible for you to have a conversation with (the businessman) in the first two weeks of this hearing,” Counsel Assisting the Commission Rob Ranken said.

Sidoti insisted the conversation about his evidence had come up but did not explain the apparent contradiction.

John Sidoti has been accused of making up evidence. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“What I‘m suggesting to you Mr Sidoti is you made up that evidence.... it is false evidence,” Mr Ranken said.

“That‘s not correct at all,” Sidoti responded.

Sidoti has spent almost a week on the stand insisting he had no idea he was part of the family property and superannuation holdings that were overseen by his elderly parents - Catherine and Richard.

On his final day of testimony, answering questions from his own barrister, he said he‘d never been aware of how documents named him as a beneficiary in their property “schemes”.

“This had just been mum‘s drive all the time,” he said on Tuesday, rattling off her decades of property projects including boarding homes, villas and redevelopments.

“She was a very strong, business minded person. Dad was the worker. The success of their investments is purely on the shoulders of my mother.”

Sidoti said his mother had plans to redevelop the function centre with a purpose built apartment on the top floor where the MP‘s parents would live off the rent of the commercial space below.

The ICAC has previously heard Sidoti and his wife, Sandra, signed tax returns and documents without reading them when prompted by Sidoti‘s parents.

Those tax returns allegedly told the ATO Sandra Sidoti made $700,000 from property in a few years despite not having any income.

Sandra Sidoti said the money never hit her account while her husband, John, reiterated on Tuesday that he‘d never so much as heard of the massive payments.

Sidoti said he believed he was “over disclosing” his income and interests when he became parliamentary secretary for planning.

“All I owned was the family home in the name of my wife and I,” he said.

“I had no other income aside from parliamentary income. There was no suggestion I was involved in other properties at all.”

His barrister asked if he deliberately failed to disclose his income.

“No, I never ever set out to intentionally mislead at all,” Sidoti responded.

The first time Sidoti became aware he was part of the family‘s property empire, he said, was when NSW Labor leader Luke Foley stood up in NSW parliament with a bundle of documents that listed his name.

NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay says the government shouldn’t accept the vote of John Sidoti. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The public part of the inquiry into Sidoti’s affairs has now finished meaning all that’s left is the final report by the ICAC.

The report could conclude no further action is warranted or recommend a range of further actions including more investigation or criminal charges.

Labor Leader Jodi McKay said the Government should not accept the vote of John Sidoti in parliament, declaring his vote “tainted”.

Following the conclusion of the ICAC’s public hearings, Ms McKay said Mr Sidoti should “not participate in a vote that would benefit the government”.

The Labor leader said Mr Sidoti should not be allowed back into the Coalition partyroom, but Ms McKay stopped short of calling on the Drummoyne MP to quit politics altogether.

“It’s fair for him to remain an elected member of parliament,” Ms McKay said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian would not comment on the matter when asked on Tuesday if there was any reason why Mr Sidoti would not be welcomed back into government ranks.