Daryl Maguire: Why was former Wagga Wagga MP sent to jail?

Former New South Wales MP Daryl Maguire has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for giving misleading evidence to the state’s corruption watchdog, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The former Wagga Wagga representative, once a Liberal Party member and later an independent, was found guilty in June of knowingly misleading the inquiry in 2018.

On his sentencing, Magistrate Clare Farnan on Tuesday, August 19 said, “The misleading evidence was given deliberately while Mr Maguire was the sitting member of parliament ... he has not demonstrated any remorse and maintains his innocence,” as the Sydney Morning Herald quoted.

After the sentence was imposed, Maguire's counsel, Rebecca Gall, said he would lodge an appeal and sought to be heard on a bail application pending that appeal, as ABC reported.

Why was he jailed?

Maguire appeared before ICAC during an investigation into the former Canterbury City Council. He was questioned about whether he stood to benefit financially from a multi-million-dollar property deal linked to ex-councillor Michael Hawatt and a Chinese developer.

Operation Dasha, the ICAC investigation, led to Maguire's resignation after phone taps revealed his discussions with ex-Canterbury councillor Michael Hawatt about a 300-unit site sale to Chinese company Country Garden in May 2016.

Initially, Maguire denied any business dealings or expectations of payment. He will serve a non-parole period of five months.

His political career

Maguire represented Wagga Wagga from 1999 until 2018. He was elected as a Liberal but declared himself an independent in July 2018 after his dealings with property developers were scrutinized.

During his time in parliament, he served on several committees, including the Liberal Party Rural Advisory Committee and the Coalition Policy Committee.

He was also known as the chairman of the NSW Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group and co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of the Australian Red Cross.

The person behind the politician

Outside parliament, Maguire held patron roles across schools, local associations, and community organisations in the Wagga Wagga region. He also worked with groups ranging from surf lifesaving clubs to riding for the disabled and cultural societies like the Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod.

Away from politics, Maguire was a Justice of the Peace with wide-ranging personal interests. These included antiques, gardening, the olive industry, and restoring vintage motor vehicles. He is also a father of two.