Eddie Obeid

Edward Moses Obeid (born 25 October 1943) is a retired Australian politician and convicted criminal, who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1991 and 2011, representing the Labor Party. He was the Minister for Fisheries and the Minister for Mineral Resources from 1999–2003. Prior to the March 2015 expiry of his term in the Legislative Council, Obeid announced his decision to retire early on 10 May 2011, citing family reasons.^[2]

During his parliamentary career, Obeid was considered by many to be a "power broker"^[3] in the New South Wales Labor Party, belonging to the dominant right-wing sub-faction, often referred to as The Terrigals, so named as its inaugural meeting was held at Obeid's beach house in Terrigal.^[4] It was reported that Obeid might retire at the 2011 state election, prior to the expiry of his term;^[5] however, he waited until the election was concluded.^[2][6][7] Obeid, who joined the Labor Party in 1972, was expelled from the party in May 2013 for bringing the party into disrepute.^[1]

A series of three investigative hearings by the Independent Commission Against Corruption between 2012 and 2014 into the conduct of Obeid and others found that Obeid acted in a corrupt manner in relation to cafe leases at Circular Quay and that he misused his position as a Member of Parliament to benefit his family's financial interests in both Direct Health Solutions and in water licences over the family's Bylong Valley farm. In June 2014, the Commission recommended the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consider prosecuting Obeid for the offence of misconduct in public office over his attempts to influence bureaucrats and Labor colleagues to benefit his family.^[8][9][10] In 2013, the DPP announced that it would be prosecuting Obeid for misconduct in public office,^[11][12] and a criminal trial in the Supreme Court of New South Wales began in February 2016. Obeid pleaded not guilty;^[13] however, a jury found Obeid guilty of misconduct in public office. He was sentenced to five years in jail with a non-parole period of three years.^{[14][15][16][17][18][19]} In separate proceedings, Obeid, together with one of his sons, Moses, and former Labor minister, Ian Macdonald, were charged with conspiracy for Macdonald to conduct misconduct in public office and grant a mining lease over the Obeid’s family farm at Bylong. In July 2021, all three were found guilty; and on 21 October Obeid was sentenced to seven years in gaol, with a non-parole period of five years and three months. Obeid, Moses Obeid, and Macdonald, lodged an appeal against their conviction, which was dismissed in October 2023.^[20]