Helen McCaffrey fronts John Sidoti ICAC probe

The former mayor of Canada Bay said she felt compromised by NSW MP John Sidoti as he allegedly threw his weight around in the Liberal Party to coerce councillors into dodgy planning decisions.

The former mayor of Canada Bay said she felt compromised by NSW MP John Sidoti as he allegedly threw his weight around in the Liberal Party to coerce councillors into dodgy planning decisions.

Former Mayor Helen McCaffrey is not the first Liberal councillor to tell the corruption watchdog she felt compromised as Sidoti allegedly pushed for zoning changes that would benefit his family’s properties around Five Dock.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption spent all Monday questioning Ms McCaffrey about her contact with Sidoti and other councillors who were allegedly in the MPs sights as he pushed for changes to urban redesign plans. Sidoti denies all wrongdoing.

Former Canada Bay Mayor Helen McCaffrey has given evidence to ICAC.

Ms McCaffrey repeatedly said she couldn’t recall details or intentions of her messages but agreed she was coming under pressure from the MP.

Liberal councillor Mirjana Cestar, in one email to then-Councillor McCaffrey, said there was “no significant public benefits” in supporting Sidoti’s rezoning request and the change ”was not supported”.

Ms McCaffrey said “we need to find a way to make it supported”, the ICAC heard.

Council Assisting Rob Ranken asked what she could possibly be referring to other than Sidoti‘s request.

“I don’t know what I was referring to when I say we need to make it supported,” Ms McCaffrey said.

“I don‘t know what I was referring to with the word ‘it’.”

John Sidoti arrives early at his ICAC hearing. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Ranken suggested that Ms Cestar was saying the councillors would need to argue there were significant public benefits to go against their own expert advice.

“It appears so,” Ms McCaffrey said.

“And there was none, was there?” Mr Ranken asked.

“Not that I recall,” Ms McCaffrey said with a deep sigh.

Like Ms Cestar, Ms McCaffrey told the ICAC she was concerned about her re-election after Sidoti allegedly said other community members were “lining up” to run for council.

Councillor McCaffrey told the ICAC she may not have seen some emails because she didn‘t have access on some afternoons when she went to council.

But the self-confessed “Luddite” did have her phone during one meeting in 2016 when she was serving as mayor, the ICAC heard.

During that meeting the Liberal dominated council discussed the Five Dock town centre study and Ms McCaffrey texted her fellow Liberal councillors including Ms Cestar.

Ms McCaffrey could not recall what she was messaging the group about but the ICAC heard Ms Cestar responded “he can eff off”.

Mr Ranken asked if it was appropriate for councillors to be texting about an issue while a public discussion was happening at the same time.

“It happened, often it was writing a note between councillors” Ms McCaffrey said.

Mr Ranken said it appeared, in this case, the councillors were discussing a way to handle something suggested by Sidoti.

“It could have been, I don’t know,” Ms McCaffrey said.

Mr Ranken asked what else it could have been.

“I don‘t know,” she repeated.

Ms McCaffrey will return to the witness box tomorrow.