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.

Obeid married Judith in 1965, is now father of nine children and a grandfather of 31 grandchildren.

Obeid, who joined the Labor Party in 1972, was expelled from the party in May 2013 for bringing the party into disrepute.

At age 29 in 1972, Obeid joined the Labor Party.

In 1973, Obeid together with business partners, purchased an interest in the recently established Arabic press, El-Telegraph Newspaper, with Obeid later buying out his business partners.

Obeid has since sold his stake and is, "no longer the publisher of that paper".

Prior to entering parliament, Obeid held a range of voluntary roles that included a Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (1980–1982), a part-time Commissioner of the Ethnic Affairs Commission (1981–1985), a vice-president of the Ethnic Press Association of Australia (1981–1986), a director of the Western Suburbs Hospital Board (sic) (1983–1986), on the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation of New South Wales (1985–1988), the lead of the Australian-Lebanese hostage negotiation mission to Iraq (December 1990), and was the patron of the Australian Lebanese Christian Federation.

Elected to the Legislative Council in 1991 to replace Jack Hallam, despite a brief carriage of junior ministerial responsibilities in the second Carr ministry, Obeid's main contribution to parliament has been through Committee representation and his ability to manipulate factional numbers and votes.

At the time of his resignation from the Council, Obeid claimed that his most satisfying moment in politics was to assist in the passage of legislation to help building sub-contractors.

His term in parliament was dogged by controversy, including:

A large number of the allegations against Obeid were generated by Fairfax Media's, Sydney Morning Herald.

Media reports claimed that Obeid had purchased a property in Clovelly for A$875,000 in 1991 and the following day sold the property to the New South Wales Department of Housing for A$1.1 million.

The Herald also claimed that two companies associated with Obeid have had debts of $AUD5 million written off by various banks.

It was also alleged that the Obeid family trust secured a loan from the Colonial State Bank for A$18 million.

These allegations arose at the same time as The Herald alleged that Obeid had attempted to solicit a A$1 million payment in return for promising NSW Government support for the Canterbury Bulldogs League Club's A$800 million Oasis housing development in south-western Sydney.

As a result of these allegations, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) conducted an inquiry and found that there was no evidence that any donation was made to the Labor Party in relation to the project.

The Commission made a finding that Obeid had never solicited a donation and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

He was the Minister for Fisheries and the Minister for Mineral Resources from 1999–2003.

In September 2002, The Sydney Morning Herald alleged that Obeid was one of NSW's richest members of parliament.

In 2003, following Obeid's decision to not seek re-election to the fourth Carr ministry, he was quoted as saying:

"[…] my decision will ensure that Government is not distracted by the campaign of innuendo, vilification and unsubstantiated allegation launched against me by The Sydney Morning Herald. This campaign shows no sign of abating and until my defamation action against the Herald is resolved in the courts, any work I did as a minister could be overshadowed."

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.

During his parliamentary career, Obeid was considered by many to be a "power broker" 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.

It was reported that Obeid might retire at the 2011 state election, prior to the expiry of his term; however, he waited until the election was concluded.

Announcing his decision to retire from the Legislative Council on 10 May 2011, Obeid issued a statement that his granddaughter, Gisele, was diagnosed with cancer tumours in her kidneys in November 2010 and that, despite an operation and extensive chemotherapy, recent scans suggest some of the tumours remain.

He said: "My wife and I need to spend all our time supporting our son Moses and his wife Nikki through this difficult time."

Walt Secord, the former chief of staff to the former Premier, Kristina Keneally was nominated by Labor to fill the casual vacancy.

Initially working as a taxi driver and then property developer, the source of Obeid's initial wealth and business is not clear.

However, it is known that Obeid, together with his two brothers, inherited their father's estate that comprised land and houses in Lebanon.

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 2013, the DPP announced that it would be prosecuting Obeid for misconduct in public office, and a criminal trial in the Supreme Court of New South Wales began in February 2016.

Obeid pleaded not guilty; 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.

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.

Obeid was born in the village of Matrite (sometimes called Metrit or Mitrit), a village in Northern Lebanon with a Maronite Catholic majority, in Lebanon.

At age 6, he migrated to Australia with his family and they settled in Redfern, growing up in a terrace house.

A dual LebaneseAustralian citizen, of Lebanese Maronite Catholic faith, Obeid was an altar boy, sold newspapers from a street corner, and collected deposits on soft drink bottles.

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.