Disgraced former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid has been stripped of his Order of Australia (OAM) days before he is due to make a court appearance in relation to an ICAC investigation.
The former NSW minister has been at the centre of several investigations and found corrupt by the corruption watchdog on a number of occasions.
"It is notified for general information that the Governor-General has cancelled the award of the medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division made to Edward Moses Obeid," a government gazette said.
It comes days after Obeid, and fellow corrupt former Labor minister Joe Tripodi, were stripped of their "honourable" titles by NSW Governor David Hurley.
Liberal MP Gareth Ward, who had written to General Hurley asking Obeid be stripped of his Order of Australia awarded more than 30 years ago, said Obeid no longer deserved the honour.
"If you've been found to be corrupt, you should not be able to hold titles like The Honourable when clearly you are not and you shouldn't be part of an Order of Australia which is reserved for our very best," he told AAP.
Just five people have now been stripped of an OAM.
They include corrupt former Western Australia premier Brian Burke, fraudulent businessman Alan Bond and former judge Marcus Einfeld - all of whom have served jail time.
Obeid is facing prosecution for alleged misconduct in public office over the extension of leases for family owned businesses in Sydney's Circular Quay.
He was served with a court attendance notice last month in relation to ICAC's Operation Cyrus, which was completed in June.
Obeid's former ministerial ally, fellow ex-Labor MP Ian Macdonald, is also being prosecuted for misconduct in public office over his handling of a lucrative mining licence at Doyles Creek in the Hunter Valley.
Both are due to face a Sydney court on December 18.
Former union boss John Maitland, whose company was granted a NSW Hunter Valley coal exploration licence by Mr Macdonald, has also been stripped of his OAM.
Mr Maitland is being prosecuted for two counts of being an accessory before the fact to misconduct in public office in relation to aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring the commission of the two offences by Mr Macdonald.
He is also facing the more serious charge of giving false and misleading evidence before the ICAC.
