What the Daryl Maguire saga tells us about politics

By state political editor Brigid Glanville

There are several reasons Australians hate politicians.

They can't stand it when pollies put political wins ahead of the best interests of the voter, or politicians who blatantly lie.

They also hate politicians who use their position for financial or personal gain, and that's where the NSW Liberal member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire comes in.

It was last week revealed in a corruption inquiry that Mr Maguire sought payment of a "dividend" over a property deal.

Despite mounting pressure to resign from the Parliament, he yesterday revealed plans to stick it out until the NSW election in March, 2019.

For that decision, one senior Government minister described Mr Maguire as "just a stubborn prick".

Mr Maguire made the admission during an extraordinary day at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) last Friday.

The MP appeared before the corruption watchdog during an investigation into improper conduct by former Canterbury City councillors Michael Hawatt and Pierre Azzi.

He told ICAC he pursued Mr Hawatt on behalf of Chinese "friends" with "mega money" from the company Country Garden, who he was trying to help get established in Australia.

In a tapped phone call from May 2016 between Mr Maguire and Mr Hawatt, Mr Maguire said his Chinese friends wanted to invest in as many as 30 development-approved properties.

Mr Hawatt suggested a $48 million project on Canterbury Road in Canterbury.

Mr Maguire asked Mr Hawatt what his margin was on the property.

Mr Hawatt replied that his margin was 1.5 per cent.

"1.5 per cent divided by two isn't very good," Mr Maguire said.

"Three per cent is a lot better, if you know what I'm talking about.

Shortly after the inquiry, the member for Wagga Wagga apologised "unreservedly for causing distress and embarrassment" to the Liberal Party and resigned from his position to sit on the crossbench.

The Premier has asked him to "think carefully" about his future, but Daryl Maguire has said he will not resign from Parliament.

He is not going to recontest his seat at the March 2019 election, saying: "I won't put the cost to the taxpayer of having a byelection."

That means for the next nine months Mr Maguire will continue to receive his $165,000 yearly backbencher's salary.

The backlash in Mr Maguire's own Wagga Wagga electorate has been swift and now visible, with signs beginning to pop up demanding he quit.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said: "I urge him to listen very closely to what the people of Wagga are saying, because they're saying to him very clearly: go."

How he could go

The only way to force Mr Maguire to resign is to vote to expel him from Parliament, but that standing order hasn't been used since 1917 and it's normally reserved for convictions of a criminal nature.

If the party or the Opposition did use this order, it would be an extraordinary thing to remove a member put there by the voting public.

But as one Government minister said: "Does this guy have no f***ing moral compass?"

"He's doing damage to the Liberal Party, damage to the Government and damage to politicians in general."

There has been criticism of the Government for not taking a firmer stance against Mr Maguire and trying to force him to quit.

Some Nationals members believe it's because the Government doesn't want a by-election in the seat of Wagga as the Liberals will lose it to the Nationals.

"All matters and debates of Parliament are a matter for the Nats Party room," Acting Premier John Barilaro said.

"As leader I don't discuss nor pre-empt party room discussions."

Parliament resumes from the winter break in three weeks' time.