Eyebrows are being raised over the New England businessman’s gift of free rent for the deputy PM and his new partner

Is it appropriate for Barnaby Joyce to accept free rent from a prominent businessman in his electorate – particularly one who’s been at the centre of local political intrigue?

That question is ricocheting around Armidale following revelations that Greg Maguire, the millionaire businessman who owns the Powerhouse Hotel in Armidale and numerous businesses in Tamworth, is providing the deputy prime minister and his new partner and former media adviser, Vikki Campion, with a free townhouse.

Maguire has found himself connected with not one but two local political controversies in the past 20 years.

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In the past, he was a prominent backer of the local independents Tony Windsor and Richard Torbay, who held federal and state seats centred on Armidale. But the relationship with Windsor soured and in recent years Maguire’s allegiance appears have swung firmly to the Nationals.

Joyce acknowledged in opaque terms the free housing under “gifts” in his pecuniary interest register filed in early January, after he was re-elected to the seat of New England last December.



“Post election residual of six-month tenancy on Armidale premises” is all the entry reads. There is no disclosure about who is providing the gift, where it is, or what it is worth – an estimated $14,000.

Two of the three townhouses in the boutique block of three are owned by Finkpine Pty Ltd, one of Maguire’s companies.

It’s no doubt got Joyce out of a tight spot, after he acknowledged in December he had separated from his wife of 24 years and was forced to find new accommodation in Armidale where he was facing a byelection prompted by revelations of his New Zealand dual citizenship.

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But Maguire comes with some history.

In March 2013 Maguire dined with the independent state MP Richard Torbay, who had sensationally announced he was joining the Nationals and would run against the federal member and independent Tony Windsor, who was running for a second term.



What was said at the dinner remains a mystery. But after the dinner Torbay rang the state director of the Nationals, Ben Franklin, and then flew to Sydney to meet him.

Whatever was said by Torbay was regarded as so serious that it prompted Franklin to refer it to the Independent Commission Against Corruption and drop Torbay as the candidate.

Maguire told Fairfax at the time that Torbay offered no clue about what he was about to do only hours after they had a meal together. “We were catching up as mates,” Maguire said. “He was very confident that things were going very well. I had no indication whatsoever.”

Two weeks later, Icac officers executed a search warrant at Torbay’s home. But to date there has been no public hearings or adverse findings by Icac. Torbay did not return calls.

Maguire’s friction with Tony Windsor – the man Torbay and Maguire hoped to unseat – goes back even further.

The two had been friends and Maguire had backed his political campaigns in the 1990s but the friendship soured over an equine centre and efforts to win $6m in federal funding for it.

According to sensational allegations made by Windsor in parliament in 2004, Maguire had offered a bribe to Windsor in the form of a diplomatic role in return for him giving up being an independent.

Windsor claimed that Maguire had said he was acting on behalf of the National party leader at the time, John Anderson, and the senator Sandy Macdonald.

Both men deny any wrongdoing and the director of public prosecutions found no evidence that Maguire conspired with any other person to make an offer to Windsor.

At a Senate inquiry into the affair, one of Windsor’s staff, Stephen Hall, gave evidence that Maguire had said he was making the offer on behalf of both men.

But Maguire insisted he was acting on his own behalf, although he acknowledged that the offer to Windsor had come four days after an hour-long meeting with Anderson and Macdonald.

“I said to him that, look, go and talk to John Anderson, talk to anyone. That was the end of the conversation,” he said.

Under questioning he elaborated that Windsor was to talk to Anderson about “rolling over to one of the political parties” and leaving parliament.

Maguire also gave evidence that he no longer regarded Windsor as a worthwhile representative for New England. It was clear the falling out was irrevocable.

But it was Joyce who put an end to Windsor’s political career, when he moved from the Senate to run as the Nationals’ 2013 election candidate in New England, where he grew up.

Windor decided not to contest the 2013 election, but returned to the political fray in 2016 to recontest the seat unsuccessfully.

Maguire declined to comment.