Former NSW Liberal minister John Sidoti has lashed the independent corruption watchdog in an emotional speech before he was suspended from parliament weeks after being found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct.
The government, along with the opposition, on Tuesday voted to suspend Sidoti from the Legislative Assembly after he refused to resign following the corruption finding.
NSW MP John Sidoti addresses the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday before being suspended from parliament.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption last month found Sidoti had engaged in corrupt conduct to benefit his family’s property interests in Sydney’s inner west between late 2013 and early 2017.
Sidoti became emotional during his speech to the lower house during the suspension motion, criticizing the ICAC, which he described as an out-of-control “Frankenstein monster,” and urged Labor leader Chris Minns to reform the agency if he wins government next year .
“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.
The ICAC found Sidoti persistently emailed, telephoned and sought meetings with councilors in the lead-up to every council meeting at which relevant planning matters were to be discussed.
He also directed the councillors’ attendance at meetings, berated them for non-attendance, and implied their positions on Canada Bay Council could be threatened if they did not advance the positions he wanted.
When the councilors refused to comply, Sidoti withdrew his endorsement for those of them who were contesting the 2017 council election.