‘It actually sickens me’: John Sidoti’s emotional words about parents

A disgraced former NSW minister has spoken publicly about his heartbreak as the Parliament makes a big decision on his future.

A former Liberal minister who a NSW integrity watchdog found had engaged in serious corrupt conduct has become emotional while talking about his parents in parliament as he continues the fight to save his job.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption last month found John Sidoti, who now sits on the crossbench, was corrupt when he sought to pressure local councillors to make planning changes that would benefit himself and his family.

On Tuesday, parliament voted to suspend Mr Sidoti until November 25, or until further order, to “protect and uphold the dignity of the house”.

Before the vote, Mr Sidoti told parliament he was proud of what he had done for his electorate over the past 12 years and said serving the community, including briefly as a minister, had been the greatest honour of his life.

“Although I’m saddened by the circumstances in which I find myself, I’m glad to finally address matters that have impacted my life, my family’s lives and the community I serve,” he said.

“Any errors of disclosure that may have been made were due to reliance on incorrect advice and were properly rectified when I became aware of the errors.”

John Sidoti has been suspended from parliament.

Mr Sidoti’s electorate of Drummoyne covers the same area as the City of Canada Bay, where Mr Sidoti leaned on several Liberal councillors to change planning decisions.

He denied the allegations when he testified before the commission last year and maintained his innocence during his address to parliament.

Between late 2013 and February 2017, Mr Sidoti claimed to represent local shopkeepers when he pressured councillors Helen McCaffrey, Mirjana Cestar and Tanveer Ahmed to rethink a development plan for the Five Dock town centre.

But the ICAC said Mr Sidoti was actually campaigning for his family because they owned a function centre there. The family then purchased more properties nearby and he began lobbying to rezone the block.

Mr Sidoti also failed to declare interest in property in the area, but the ICAC said that failure was not “sufficiently serious” to constitute a major breach.

The former minister in the Berejiklian government, who left the Liberals in March last year, told parliament his parents, aged 84 and 77 respectively, had owned property in Five Dock since the 1970s.

“They have always and continue to be in charge of their own business affairs,” he said.

“I cannot express how heartbroken I’ve been to watch them be vilified in media by this process – the most inspiring, beautiful people who came to Australia with absolutely nothing.

“Through hard work and love of the country they made good after looking after their family.

“It actually sickens me that their decades of contribution have been marred by this process.”

John Sidoti faced the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption last year. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Mr Sidoti said the ICAC had robbed him of his dignity, career, reputation and future prospects.

He called for ICAC reform, saying the current model was “better suited to a communist regime”.

“This Frankenstein monster is out of control and nobody is safe. Reform the beast before it takes a bite out of you too,” he said.

“You don’t have to look far to read the long line of people who have entered the ICAC process and come out beaten up and stained with the C word.

“Many of these people were later cleared by actual courts, where presumption of innocence and standards of proof and rules of evidence actually apply.

“To clear your name is a long, expensive process. I’m lodging an appeal in the Supreme Court this week.”

Mr Sidoti said he would apply to have the matter expedited.

ICAC said at the time of its findings that it would seek advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether any charges should be laid.