Ian Macdonald (New South Wales politician)

Ian Michael Macdonald (born 7 March 1949) is a former Australian politician and currently undergoing court proceedings and was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1988 to 2010 representing the Labor Party. Between 2003 and 2010, Macdonald held a range of ministerial responsibilities in the Carr, Iemma, Rees, and Keneally ministries.^[2] Macdonald, who joined the Labor Party in 1972, had his membership of the party terminated in 2013 for bringing the party into disrepute.^[1]

After the Independent Commission Against Corruption found that he acted in a corrupt manner,^[3] Macdonald was charged with the offence of misconduct in public office for corruptly issuing lucrative mining licences at Doyles Creek in the Hunter Valley,^[4][5] found guilty by a Supreme Court jury in March 2017,^[6] and sentenced in June 2017 for a period of ten years, with a minimum custodial period of seven years.^[7][8][9] Macdonald appealed against the verdict and, on 25 February 2019, his conviction was quashed by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal who ordered a retrial. He was granted bail and released from custody on the same day.^[10][11][12] In July 2021 Macdonald was found guilty of misconduct in public office on separate charges relating to the granting of a lucrative coal-exploration licence over Cherrydale Park, in the Bylong Valley, owned by the family of Eddie Obeid.^[13][14][15]