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This Senator Wants You To Know He's NOT Facing Jail Like His Namesake

Don't mix up your Ian Macdonalds.
Senator Ian Macdonald did NOT appear in a Sydney court today. He was in the Senate.
Alex Ellinghausen/Fairfax
Senator Ian Macdonald did NOT appear in a Sydney court today. He was in the Senate.

CANBERRA -- If they can, politicians from all sides want to run a mile from corruption in New South Wales politics.

The name of the now jailed Labor Minister Eddie Obeid has a certain smell about it.

Another former NSW Labor minister Ian Macdonald is facing jail time after being found guilty in Thursday of misconduct in public office. While Minister for primary industries and mineral resources, he issued a mining licence to a company run by friend and former union boss John Maitland, who has also been found guilty as an accessory.

Former #NSW#Labor minister Ian Macdonald found guilty of misconduct in public office: https://t.co/QGcdRVkbuh#NSWpol#AusPolpic.twitter.com/pLwEd5aaWC

— The New Daily (@TheNewDailyAu) March 30, 2017

The news out of NSW has led to a case of mistaken identity and subsequently one of the best political media releases since Labor's Anthony Albanese wrote the one word "good" on a 2015 missive marking the resignation of Sydney Airport Chairman, Max Moore-Wilton.

You see, there is another Ian Macdonald.

And the other one wants you all to know that while he is Ian Macdonald, he is not THAT Ian Macdonald.

In a release headed "Not the 'Good' Ian Macdonald," Queensland LNP Senator Ian Macdonald has decried the confusion that has followed him throughout his "long parliamentary career," including the "very first time" when the state Labor Ian Macdonald wanted to get "rid of the Australian flag".

So the federal Liberal Ian Macdonald has felt compelled to say this:

"To avoid any confusion, I want to make it very clear that whilst I am an ex-minister with the name Ian Macdonald, I am not a former Labor Minister, have never been a member of the Labor Party, and have never worked in the NSW Parliament and have never met Eddie Obeid," Senator Macdonald wrote.

"And whilst I don't have a lot of hair, any photo of a bald person is of someone else!

"Simply put, IT'S NOT ME!"

How the hon @GillianTriggs was disrespected & interrogated by Barry O'Sullivan & Ian Macdonald #disgustedhttps://t.co/kBC6V9GB9i

— ChilOut Revived (@ChilOutRevived) March 15, 2017

So next time you are Ian Macdonalding, make sure you have the right one. The Senator has been a staunch defender of politician's Life Gold Pass and a harsh critic of the President of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs.

He likes to interrupt during Senate hearings and often has something to say and debate on pretty much all things in the Senate, but he is not THAT Ian Macdonald.

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