The following is a list of Australian politicians convicted of crimes.
Federal
Name Year Party Offence Timing of conviction Sentence Reference 1846 Protectionist Stealing Before office Transportation to Australia D. B. Waterson, 'Groom, William Henry (1833–1901)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4, MUP, 1972, pp. 304–305. 1892 Protectionist Duelling Before office Good behaviour bond 1914 Labor Failing to comply with a compulsory medical examination for conscription Before office 3 days' jail 1916 Labor Conspiracy to commit arson, perverting the course of justice, incitement to commit sedition Before office 15 years' jail 1926 Nationalist Fraudulent conversion of trust funds After office 3 years' jail 1938 Country Drink driving During office Fined £25 1947 Nationalist Murder After office Death, later commuted to confinement in Broadmoor Asylum 1948 Labor Forgery After office 3 years' jail 1967 Liberal Assault Before office Fined $50 1987, 2011, 2014 Justice Contempt of court, breaching suppression orders Before office 12 days in prison, 5 months' home detention, 50 days in prison 1990LaborIndecent exposure During office Good behaviour bond1996LiberalFraud After office 1998 National Rorting travel expenses During office Fined $14,000; 2 year suspended jail term 1999 Liberal Rorting travel expenses After office 18 month suspended jail sentence 2002 Labor Bribery and fraud After office 6 years' jail 2014 LaborIndependent Theft After office $25,000 fine 2015 Liberal Unlicensed drink driving During office 4 month good behaviour order
New South Wales
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes ReferencePeter Howe1891ProtectionistConspiracy to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee CompanyImprisoned for 7 years, released after 3 years and 7 months.One of a series of prosecutions in relation to bank failures. Resigned from the Legislative Assembly after convictionFrank Smith1892Free Tradeconspiracy to fraudulently misrepresent the financial affairs of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee CompanyImprisoned for 7 years, released after 3 years.One of a series of prosecutions in relation to bank failures, had been defeated in 1891.Francis Abigail1892Free TradeConspiracy to issue a false balance-sheetImprisoned for 5 years, released after 2 years and 6 months.One of a series of prosecutions in relation to bank failures, had been defeated in 1891. Thomas Slattery1905ProtectionistStealing £6,958Imprisoned for 3 years and 6 months, set aside by High CourtSeat in Legislative Council declared vacant after conviction but before the successful appeal to the High Court.Alan Millard1906Liberal ReformMisappropriation of £5 of a client's money6 months, suspended on 12 month good behaviour bond Seat in Legislative Assembly was declared vacantTheodore Trautwein1940IndependentFalse representation to avoid bankruptcyImprisoned for 12 monthsSeat in Legislative Council declared vacant by the Court of Disputed Returns. Subsequently imprisoned for contempt of court. Thomas Ley (also served in Federal Parliament) 1947 Nationalist Murder Death, later commuted to confinement in Broadmoor Asylum Involvement with a number of disappearances, including that of Frederick McDonald, his predecessor as MP Rex Jackson 1987 Labor Accepting bribes 10 years Former Minister for Corrective Services. Increased from 7½ years on appeal Tony Packard 1993 Liberal Unlawful use of listening devices Fined $1000 Offences were committed while operating a used-car business, prior to entering parliament Barry Morris 1996 Liberal Making death threats 1 year Decreased from 2½ years on appealPhuong Ngo2001IndependentLaborMurderLife imprisonmentConvicted of ordering the killing of Australian MP John Newman on 5 September 1994, a crime which has been described as Australia's first political assassination. 2008 Labor 33 counts, including child sex and drug offences 13 years and 8 months (non-parole period 9 years) Decreased from 13 years and 11 months on appeal Richard Face 2009 Labor Making a false statement to the ICAC Fined $2,500, three-year good-behaviour bond Lied about misusing parliamentary and electoral office staff to help set up a consultancy.Karyn Paluzzano2012LaborFalsely claiming parliamentary paymentsTwelve months' home detention Adam Marshall 2014 National Mid-range prescribed content of alcohol Driver's licence suspended for nine months, fined $2,000 Returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.112. Eddie Obeid 2016 Labor Misconduct in public office 5 years (non-parole period of 3 years) Failing to declare his precuniary interest while a member of parliament and subsequent attempts to influence bureaucrats and Labor colleagues so as to benefit his family Ian Macdonald2017LaborWilful misconduct in public office10 years (non-parole period 7 years) set aside on appealConviction set aside on appeal and re-trial orderedEddie Obeid2021LaborConspiracy to wilfully commit misconduct in public officeEddie Obeid, Moses Obeid and Ian Macdonald conspired for Macdonald to commit misconduct concerning the granting of a coal exploration licence involving the Mount Penny tenementIan MacdonaldGareth Ward2025LiberalSexual intercourse without consent, three counts of indecent assault
Queensland
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes Reference William Hamilton 1891 Labor conspiracy in connection with the Queensland shearers' strike 3 years future state MP Brian Austin 1990 National misappropriating public funds 15 months Leisha Harvey 1990 National misappropriating public funds 12 months 7 months served in home detention Don Lane 1990 National misappropriating public funds 12 months Geoff Muntz 1990 National misappropriating public funds 12 months Keith Wright 1993 Labor child sex offences 8 years (non-parole period 4 years), paroled after 5½ years Former Opposition Leader Bill D'Arcy 2000 Labor child sex offences 11 years (non-parole period 7 years) John Budd 2002 Labor fraud and misappropriation 2½ years (suspended) Merri Rose 2005 Labor extortion 1½ years Karen Struthers 2007 Labor Drink driving $1,000 fine and loss of licence for 10 months Gordon Nuttall 2009, 2011 Labor Corruption, receiving secret commissions, theft 15 years (non-parole period 10 years) Scott Driscoll 2013 Liberal National 42 counts of contempt of Parliament, four counts of failing to register interests and one count of misleading the House fined $84,000 for contempt; fined $4,000 for failing to register interests; fined $2,000 for misleading the House; and the Legislative Assembly moved to expel Driscoll from the chamber and declare the seat of Redcliffe vacant "to protect the honour and dignity of the Legislative Authority". Paul Pisasale2019LaborIndependent2 counts of extortion. In 2020 he pleaded guilty to 30 other charges including Fraud, Sexual Assault and Official Corruption7.5 years (non-parole period 3 years)Former Mayor of Ipswich
Tasmania
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes Reference John McDonald 1951 Labor Manslaughter 10 years' jail Brenton Best 2002 Labor Drink driving fine and loss of licence Terry Martin 2011 Independent Producing child pornography and sexual penetration of a child under the age of 17 suspended sentence
South Australia
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes ReferenceJohn Richards1882Twice convicted of cheque fraudImprisonment for 1 months and imprisonment for 3 monthsBeasley Kearney1933LaborFraudImprisonment for 3 yearsTammy Franks2012Greens South AustraliaTax Return FTL Penalty (10 charges of failing to lodge tax returns)Fined $6600 and ordered her to pay $7,500 court costs Bernard Finnigan 2015 LaborIndependent Obtaining access to child pornography A 15-month suspended sentence with a three-year $1,000 good behaviour bond Also added to the sex offender register Troy Bell 2024 LiberalIndependent 20 counts of theft and five counts of dishonest dealings with documents 5 years (non-parole period 2 years and 6 months) David Speirs 2025 Liberal Two counts of supplying a controlled drug A $9,000 fine and 37.5 hours of community service.
Victoria
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes Reference Carolyn Hirsh 2004 Labor Drink driving $600 fine and driving ban of 6 months Andrew Olexander 2004 Liberal Drink driving $500 fine and loss of licence for 12 months Carolyn Hirsh 2006 Labor Drink driving and driving while disqualified $600 fine and driving ban of 1 year Adem Somyurek 2009 Labor Driving while disqualified One-month suspended jail sentence and $300 fine Tim Smith 2021 Liberal Drink driving $750 fine and 1 year license suspension Russell Northe 2023 National Misconduct in public office 21-month jail sentence
Western Australia
Name Year Party Offence Sentence Notes Ref Julian Stuart 1891 Labor conspiracy in connection with the Queensland shearers' strike 3 years future state MP George Taylor 1891 Labor conspiracy in connection with the Queensland shearers' strike 3 years future state MP John Marquis Hopkins 1910 Ministerial Forging and uttering a promissory note 5 years sitting state MP Frederick Baglin 1923 Labor stealing as a servant 3 years sitting state MP"Ex-Legislator Sentenced.", The West Australian, 15 August 1923.Bill Grayden1978Liberalassault and wilful damagesitting state MP Brian Burke 1994 Labor fraud two years former state premier, guilty of four counts of defrauding the state by making false claims on the parliamentary imprest account, paroled after seven months Ray O'Connor 1995 Liberal stealing a Bond Corporation cheque 18 months former state premier, paroled after six months David Parker 1996 Labor perjury 18 months former state deputy premier, paroled after six monthsBrian Burke1997Laborstealing $122,585 in campaign donations from the Labor Party3 yearsformer state premier, conviction quashed after six months in jail Wayde Smith 1998 Liberal perjury 18 months paroled after six months Graham Burkett 2006 Labor receiving bribes 14 months former mayor of Stirling and state MP(28 February 2006). "Former WA politician jailed for corruption" – ABC News. Retrieved 8 October 2020.Ben Dawkins2023LaborBreaching a violence restraining orderA $2,000 fine and a 10-month community-based ordersitting state MP, expelled from the Labor PartyJames Hayward2023National Partycharged with child sex offences.2 years and 9 monthssitting state MP,
See also List of political controversies in Australia Rory Amon – former Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly awaiting trial for child sex crimes Crime in Australia
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