John Sidoti engaged in ‘serious corrupt conduct’, NSW ICAC finds

Former NSW Liberal minister John Sidoti used his position to try to improperly influence local councillors for the benefit of his family’s property interests, watchdog finds.

Former NSW Liberal minister John Sidoti. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Joel Carrett

Former NSW Liberal minister John Sidoti will challenge his corruption findings in the Supreme Court after ICAC found he engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” by using his parliamentary position to try to “improperly influence” City of Canada Bay councillors for the benefit of his family’s property interests.

Released on Wednesday, the Independent Commission Against Corruption report found Mr Sidoti exerted pressure on three Liberal councillors in a bid to ensure his family’s property was included in rezoning development plans.

“The commission found Mr Sidoti’s conduct towards the councillors involved the use of pressure and threats to try to interfere with the impartial exercise of their official functions to further his family property interests,” the Operation Witney report said.

“It was contrary to his public duty to always put the public interest before his family property interests and involved a serious attempt to interfere with the independence and integrity of the exercise by other officials of their official functions.”

Mr Sidoti characterised his engagement with councillors as “robust communications”, saying he would “continue to fight to clear my name”.

“This report has a number of unfounded inferences, errors and assumptions, and its findings are completely rejected,” he said.

“The only positive for myself and my family is that the ICAC part of this saga is over.

“I will continue to fight to clear my name and have instructed my lawyers to lodge an application in the Supreme Court.”

In a statement, NSW Premier Dom Perrottet said he had contacted Mr Sidoti and told him he should resign from parliament. “Should Mr Sidoti not resign, the NSW government will move a motion to have him suspended,” he said, adding his government had sought legal advice on the matter.

Mr Sidoti could face criminal charges for his alleged misconduct, with ICAC seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on prosecution.

Elected during the Coalition’s 2011 landslide victory, Mr Sidoti was chair of the parliamentary privileges and ethics committee before being promoted to minister of sport, multiculturalism, seniors and veterans after former premier Gladys Berejiklian won the 2019 election.

He has been sitting on the parliamentary crossbench since ICAC announced an inquiry into his property dealings in March last year.

The NSW Liberal Party was contacted for comment.

The report alleged Mr Sidoti attempted to use his position to ensure the Five Dock Town Centre Urban Design Study, an effort to revitalise the inner-western Sydney suburb, included his family’s property at 120 Great North Road and benefited from proposed height increases.