The long-awaited ‘Operation Keppel’ ICAC report into the possible corrupt conduct of Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Will you sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to implement all of the recommendations in Operation Keppel?

The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s report found that both Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire engaged in serious corrupt conduct, with the Commission seeking further advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions as to whether Daryl Maguire and two of his associates should be prosecuted.  

Climate 200 was established to push for better standards in Parliament – to advance real action on the climate and to raise the level of political integrity. This issue strikes at the core of what our movement seeks to achieve — an end to corruption.

The report  provides 18 recommendations to help prevent further corruption in NSW and we now need your help to ensure the NSW Parliament implements these recommendations in full.

Please sign our petition now to send a strong message to say: the community wants strong action against corruption.

Background

The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Keppel found that former NSW politician Daryl Maguire misused his position, tax-payer-funded resources and his office to advance his various personal financial interests and the commercial interest of his associates. This included:

• Using his office to benefit G8wayInternational, a company whose profits he had an arrangement to share with others
• Misusing his office to advance his financial interests and the interests of his associates with an immigration scheme
• Misusing his office to advance his financial interests in connection with the sale and/or development of land in NSW
• Misusing his role as a member of Parliament and chair of the NSW Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group to advance his financial interests and the commercial interests of his associates, including members of Shenzhen Asia Pacific Commercial Development Association

Even with a strong ICAC in place, the high likelihood of getting caught is sometimes not enough to outweigh the self-interest and lack of integrity among certain politicians. 

Unfortunately, the laws often allow politicians to avoid legal consequences, even when an anti-corruption commission armed with recordings of “I’ll throw money at Wagga, don’t you worry about that” and “I don’t need to know about that bit” makes a finding of serious corrupt conduct as it did with former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Despite finding that Gladys Berejiklian:

• Breached public trust by failing to declare a personal conflict of interest, because of her relationship with Daryl Maguire, in relation to funding for the Australian Clay Target Association (Acta) and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music was a breach of public trust; and
• Engaged in corrupt conduct by failing to report suspicions that Maguire had engaged in corrupt conduct,

she will not face prosecution for her conduct as her ICAC testimony was given ‘under objection’, meaning it would not be admissible in a criminal proceeding.

A strong demonstration from our community will send a strong message about what standards we expect.

‍Sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to implement all of the recommendations in Operation Keppel.