List of Australian politicians convicted of crimes
Encyclopedia
Federal
- Michael CobbMichael CobbMichael Roy Cobb is an Australian politician who represented the electorate of Parkes in the Australian House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998.Before entering politics Cobb worked as a veterinary surgeon and ran a farm...
- NSW federal National Party MP fined $14,000 and given a two-year suspended jail term after being found guilty of rorting travel expenses.
- Pauline HansonPauline HansonPauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
- One Nation co-founder sentenced to three years' jail for electoral fraud, but was subsequently acquitted and found to have been jailed wrongly.
- Andrew TheophanousAndrew TheophanousAndrew Charles Theophanous is a former Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1980 to 2000, and an independent member from 2000 to 2001...
- ALP politician sentenced in 2002 to 6 years' jail for bribery and fraud
New South Wales
| Name | Year | Party | Offence | Sentence | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rex Jackson Rex Jackson Rex Frederick Jackson was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was the son of a railway fettler and born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and educated at Harefield Public School and Junee and Sutherland High Schools. He became a rail... |
1987 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
accepting bribes | 10 years | former Minister for Corrective Services; increased from 7½ years on appeal | |
| Tony Packard Tony Packard Anthony Charles "Tony" Packard is a former Australian politician. He was the Liberal member for The Hills in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 1993.... |
1993 | Liberal Party Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
unlawful use of listening devices | convicted, fined $1000 | ||
| Barry Morris Barry Morris Barry Morris was an Australian politician, who in 1995 was jailed for making bomb and death threats. The incident was considered a key factor in the Labor Party being returned to power in New South Wales after seven years in Opposition.-Career:Born in Lithgow in 1935, Morris initially followed... |
1996 | Liberal Party Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
making death threats | 1 year | decreased from 2½ years on appeal | |
| Milton Orkopoulos Milton Orkopoulos Milton Orkopoulos is a former Australian Labor Party politician, and convicted criminal. A member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1999, Orkopoulos was appointed Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship in August 2005.In November 2006, New... |
2008 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
33 counts, including child sex and drug offences | 13 years and 8 months (non-parole period 9 years) | appealed March 2009 | |
| Richard Face | 2009 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Making a false statement to the ICAC | fined $2500, three-year good behaviour bond | ||
Queensland
| Name | Year | Party | Offence | Sentence | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Austin Brian Austin Brian Austin was a Queensland politician and Minister of Health who represented the state seat of Wavell for the Liberal Party and then for the National Party... |
1990 | National Party National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
misappropriating public funds | 15 months | ||
| Leisha Harvey Leisha Harvey Leisha Teresa Harvey is an Australian politician. She was a National Party of Australia member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1983 to 1989, representing the electorate of Greenslopes. She served as Minister for Health in the Ahern government from 1987 until her sacking in January 1989... |
1990 | National Party National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
misappropriating public funds | 12 months | 7 months served in home detention | |
| Don Lane Don Lane (politician) Donald Frederick Lane was a Minister of Transport in the Bjelke-Petersen state of Queensland's coalition government. A former policeman in the Special Branch, in 1971 he was elected as the Liberal member for Merthyr. In 1983 he joined the National Party providing it with a majority... |
1990 | National Party National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
misappropriating public funds | 12 months | ||
| Geoff Muntz | 1990 | National Party National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is... |
misappropriating public funds | 12 months | ||
| Keith Wright Keith Wright (Australian politician) Keith Webb Wright is a former Australian politician and convicted rapist. Born in Toowoomba, Queensland, he was educated at the University of Queensland and Kelvin Grove Teachers College in Brisbane before becoming a teacher and author.... |
1993 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
child sex offences | 8 years (non-parole period 4 years), paroled after 5½ years | Former Opposition Leader | |
| Bill D'Arcy Bill D'Arcy William Theodore "Bill" D'Arcy is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Albert and Woodridge in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.... |
2000 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
child sex offences | 11 years (non-parole period 7 years) | ||
| Merri Rose Merri Rose Merri Rose was a minister in the Beattie government and member for Currumbin in the Queensland Parliament. -Early life:... |
2005 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
extortion | 1½ years | ||
| Gordon Nuttall Gordon Nuttall Gordon Richard Nuttall is a former Australian politician who represented Sandgate in the Queensland Parliament from 1992 to 2006.... |
2009, 2011 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Corruption, receiving secret commissions, theft | 15 years (non-parole period 10 years) | ||
| Karen Struthers Karen Struthers Karen Struthers is an Australian politician. She represents the electoral district of Algester in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, having held the seat since its inception at the 2001 state election. She first entered parliament after the 1998 election, winning the seat of Archerfield... |
2007 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Drink driving | $1000 fine and loss of licence for 10 months | ||
Tasmania
| Name | Year | Party | Offence | Sentence | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brenton Best Brenton Best Brenton Roy Best is an Australian politician. Born in Devonport, Tasmania, he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1996 as a Labor member for Braddon. He continues to represent the seat.-References:... |
2002 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Drink driving | |||
| Terry Martin Terry Martin (politician) Terence Lewis Martin is a former independent member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council in the Electoral division of Elwick.... |
2011 | Independent Independent -Independent may refer to:*Independent bookstore, bookstore that is not part of a chain*Independent business, privately-owned companies*Independent city, city that does not form part of another local government entity... |
Sex with underaged child | |||
Victoria
| Name | Year | Party | Offence | Sentence | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolyn Hirsh | 2005 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Drink driving | $600 and driving ban of 6 months | , | |
| Andrew Olexander | 2005 | Liberal Party Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
Drink driving | , | ||
| Carolyn Hirsh | 2006 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Drink driving and driving whilst disqualified | $600 and driving ban of 1 year | , | |
| Adem Somyurek Adem Somyürek Adem Somyürek is a Turkish Australian politician and Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council.... |
2009 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
Driving whilst disqualified | $300 and 1 month suspended Gaol sentence | , | |
Western Australia
| Name | Year | Party | Offence | Sentence | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Burke Brian Burke Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988... |
1994 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
misappropriating public funds | 7 months | former state Premier | |
| Ray O'Connor Ray O'Connor Raymond James "Ray" O'Connor was the 22nd Premier of Western Australia.-Pre-political life:He was born in Perth and attended schools in towns of Narrogin and York, and St Patrick's Boys' School in Perth... |
1995 | Liberal Party Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
stealing a Bond Corporation cheque from a parked car | 18 months | former state Premier | |
| David Parker David Parker (Australian politician) David Charles Parker was an Australian politician from Western Australia, serving as a minister in the Burke Ministry , then as Deputy Premier in the Dowding Ministry... |
1996 | Labor Party Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
perjury | 18 months | former state Deputy Premier, paroled after six months | |
| Wayde Smith | 1998 | Liberal Party Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
perjury | 18 months | paroled after six months | |