Toowoomba-born former Senator Claire Mary Moore has been banned from managing companies for four years after the collapse of two Gold Coast companies.
Ms Moore, who represented Queensland in the Senate for the ALP between 2002 and 2019, was a director of two Gold Coast-registered companies, Warwick Gold Holdings Pty Ltd and Impact Gold Ltd.
The two companies, which were both linked to Southport-based, two-time bankrupt mining spruiker David Catsoulis raised more than $44 million from investors before collapsing into liquidation in 2024.
Ms Moore had been appointed a director of both companies on July 18, 2023.
Both companies issued shares to raise funds for gold and precious metal mining operations in Papua New Guinea (Impact Gold) and Queensland (Warwick Gold).
When the companies entered liquidation, $44 million had been raised from around 400 shareholders.
The corporate watchdog ASIC found that Ms Moore failed to meet her obligations as a director because her management of the companies fell well below the standard expected.
Among ASIC’s findings was that Ms Moore:
- failed to take part in the management of the companies (including making relevant enquiries and identifying operational and financial risk) and, in so doing, failed to monitor and guide the companies,
- failed to ensure that Impact Gold (as a public company) complied with its obligation to maintain adequate financial records, and
- failed to help he liquidator by providing required information.
Ms Moore is now disqualified from managing corporations until December 17, 2029.
Ms Moore has the right to seek a review of ASIC’s decision by the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Ms Moore was born in Toowoomba in 1956. Her father Mick was a cattle buyer while her mother was known a local community activist. The family were regular figures in Toowoomba’s Catholic community.
Ms Moore finished high school at St Saviours College in Toowoomba before studying at at both the University of Queensland and the University of Southern Queensland. After university she started her career working with the Commonwealth Public Service before being elected to the Senate in the 2001 Federal election.