There are a thousand jokes (some more serious than others) about how politicians are criminals for the way they spend our tax dollars, and accusations are running hot at the moment following the ‘sports rort’ scandal. It may or may not surprise you to know that there are a ton of Australian politicians who have actually been convicted of committing legitimate crimes, so why not take a look at what they’ve been up to?
Side note: Turns out I’ve opened a can of worms, and that Australian politicians have committed so many crimes. So many. To keep us from being here forever, let’s just look at the crimes that have happened since 2000.
FEDERAL
Derryn Hinch, Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party
In 2014 Derryn Hinch was convicted of contempt of court for breaching a suppression order by speaking out about the criminal history of Jill Meagher’s killer. He served 50 days in jail.
Andrew Theophanous, Labor Party
Jailed in 2002 for six years (but served only two) for bribery and fraud.
Craig Thompson, Labor Party / Independent
Copped a $25,000 fine for defrauding the Health Services Union.
Steve Irons, Liberal Party
Was put under a four month good behaviour order in 2015 for unlicensed drink driving.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Milton Orkopoulos, Labor Party
Was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in prison in 2008 after being charged on 33 counts, including sexual assault of a minor, indecent assault and supplying heroin and cannabis.
Richard Face, Labor Party
In 2009 was fined $2500, and put under a three-year good-behaviour bond for lying to the ICAC.
Adam Marshall, National Party
Fined $2,000 and lost his license for 9 months for driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.112.
Eddie Obeid, Labor Party
Sentenced to 5 years in prison for lobbying a public servant to secure lease renewals for two Circular Quay businesses in 2008. He had financial interests in the businesses, but didn’t mention that to the public servant. It was a whole thing.
Side note, New South Wales has the only politician ever convicted of murder: Thomas Ley in 1947. So that’s a fun fact.
QUEENSLAND
Bill D’Arcy, Labor Party
In 2000, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted on for one charge of rape and seventeen other charges of sexual assaults on children.
Merri Rose, Labor Party
Sentenced to 18 months in prison for blackmail.
Karen Struthers, Labor Party
Fined $1000 and lost her licence for 10 months after drink driving.
Gordon Nuttall, Labor Party
In 2009 he was found guilty of corruption during his time in office and jailed for seven years. In 2010, he was found guilty of even more corruption as well as perjury, and was jailed for an extra seven years
TASMANIA
Brenton Best, Labor Party
Another drink driving case, he was fined in 2002.
Terry Martin, Independent
He was convicted of creating child pornography and having sex with a 12-year-old girl in 2011, but he was given a suspended sentence because the judge said that medication Martin was taking for Parkinson’s disease had been a “significant factor” in his actions. Go figure.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Bernard Finnigan, Labor Party / Independent
Was given a 15-month suspended sentence, a three-year good behaviour bond, and was registered as a sex offender after accessing child porn.
VICTORIA
Carolyn Hirsh, Labor Party
Fined for drink driving in 2004
Andrew Olexander, Liberal Party
Fined for drink driving in 2004
Carolyn Hirsh (AGAIN), Labor Party
Didn’t learn the first time. Fined for drink driving and driving while disqualified in 2006.
Adem Somyurek, Labor Party
Fined for driving while disqualified in 2009. Victorian pollies have a problem with driving laws it seems.
Damien Mantach, Liberal Party
Sentenced to 5 years in prison after being convicted of fraud by creating false invoices and marketing campaigns.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Graham Burkett, Labor Party
Sentenced to 14 months prison in 2006 for taking bribes.
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