Opposition Leader Angus Taylor named in day two of NSW ICAC probe

Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor donated thousands of dollars and made an ongoing commitment to fund a right-wing Liberal Party movement seeking to bolster conservative and Christian voices, Whats App messages revealed during an anti-corruption inquiry allege.

The eight-week public probe before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption kicked off on Monday.

It will primarily examine the relationship between fugitive property developer Jean Nassif – including donations allegedly made in pursuit of “damage to the political career of” Liberal MP David Elliott and the removal of Building Commissioner David Chandler – a right-wing group of Liberal Party members known as “the reformers”, and Catholic Schools NSW former chief executive Dallas McInerney, who has since stood aside.

It will also examine whether the brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, Jean-Claude Perrottet, as well as Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Robert Assaf, solicited or accepted political donations, including from prohibited donors, for the recruitment and/or renewal of Liberal Party members.

The men were involved in what they self-described as “the reformers”, the hearing was told – a manifestoed group dedicated to boosting the number of conservative-aligned members in the NSW Liberal Party and, in turn, shifting the party’s positions writ large.

Eight weeks of explosive hearings into alleged corruption at the highest levels of the NSW Liberal Party are set to begin, even as two central figures in the probe remain beyond investigators’ reach.

On Tuesday, SES Acting Deputy Zone Commander, former Catholic Schools NSW employee, and former Liberal Party member Dylan Whitelaw gave evidence about his involvement with the group.

Mr Whitelaw, who was self-represented, told the hearing he had joined the Liberal Party in high school, but had since let his membership lapse.

He had at one point in time been involved with the reformers and had engagement with figures in the probe, including Jean-Claude Perrottet, Mr Ellis, and Mr McInerney.

He was not aware, however, of any involvement by Charles Perrottet in the reformers.

Mr Whitelaw told the hearing Mr Assaf had told him the reformers’ objective was “restoring good government through conservative politics or conservative policy”.

However, he said he could not recall how – in a WhatsApp group chat with Mr Ellis, Mr Assaf, and Jean-Claude Perrottet – the reformers would obtain funding.

Mr Whitelaw went on to describe the “realm”, the governing body of the NSW Liberal Party’s right, which included figures such as Mr Taylor and One Nation turncoat Tina McQueen, who died last month.

Later, Mr Whitelaw was grilled over a script he prepared for the reformers and whether it was used by Mr McInerney in a conversation with Mr Taylor.

The hearing was told Mr Whitelaw on March 11, 2021 sent a message in which he told the group chat that “Dallas has told me he got commitment from Angus for the $15k injection plus a $3k monthly donation!”

Mr Whitelaw said he did not recall Mr Taylor making a contribution, and “potentially Dallas had told me something that was incorrect”.

“I’d be very surprised if Mr Taylor made any financial contributions,” he said.

Mr Whitelaw said he would “draw the conclusion” that the funds were to support the reformers but said he did not “have a recollection around them”.

He went on to state he could not recall “off the top of my head” if Mr Taylor had provided assistance in other ways.

However, counsel assisting Juliet Curtin said Mr Whitelaw had “personally obtained Mr Taylor’s assistance” in speaking at an event in Goulburn that he had organised.

In a message to the reformers’ group chat, he said “FYI Angus Taylor locked in for an event in Goulburn, will confirm a date for it tomorrow. Hopefully the beginning of our work in the southern country”.

Mr Whitelaw said he had no recollection of the event.

The hearing was told he was responsible for the Hume electorate, while other members of the reformers were assigned to other areas.

Mr Taylor is not accused of any wrongdoing.

‘Absolutely astounded’

Earlier, hotelier Michael O’Hara – who is accused of making donations for the recruitment and/or renewal of Liberal Party members through Paslibdan Pty Ltd despite being a prohibited donor – continued his evidence.

Mr O’Hara told the hearing he only learnt of where the alleged efforts of Mr Ellis and Jean-Claude Perrottet ended up from evidence on Monday and in the media.

“I am absolutely astounded by where it all ended up, which I had absolutely no knowledge of,” he said.

Later, he likened donating to the reformers to running a hotel.

“I never interfere in the day-to-day operation when you’ve got good people, good managers, they run it,” he said.

“I thought they were good people … since, after hearing what happened, what you went through yesterday … it was disgusting.

“But, anyway … I made a mistake supporting them because they went off the track”.

However, pressed on possible use of the encrypted messaging app Signal for communications with Jean-Claude Perrottet, Mr O’Hara became exasperated, stating: “You don’t realise … I’m getting, I probably have 20 or 30 or 50 phone calls a day. I’ll probably get 100 emails. I was a very busy person.

“I was giving money to this. Go ahead and do what you’re supposed to be doing. And, I forget about it.

“I didn’t anticipate it ending up in a corruption inquiry.”

Mr O’Hara – who is not accused of any wrongdoing – admitted to donating to the so-called reformers in 2020 to Mr Ellis through Mr Greenwood’s now-deregistered lobbying firm Beckington Group and Paslibdan Pty Ltd, of which Mr O’Hara is director.

However, he remained adamant on Tuesday he could not recall whose idea it was to provide the donations – which were not declared – in such a way.

Under cross examination, Mr O’Hara said he was “not party to the detail” of how the reformers were recruiting to the party.

ICAC does not make findings of criminal conduct. Instead, following the hearing, individuals may be referred to the NSW Director of Public Prosecution.

Catholic Schools NSW is not accused of being aware of Mr McInerney’s alleged conduct.

Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing – nor are any persons named accused of the stated conduct, only that the allegations have been made.

Split with reformers

The hearing was told Robert Assaf texted Mr O’Hara on July 11, 2018 “good news – the NSW reformers have officially taken their first branch”.

“Coffs Harbour branch is now out,” the text said, counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC told the hearing, describing it as evidence that Mr O’Hara was kept up-to-date of the reformer’s work.

Mr O’Hara said he did recall the exchange.

However, the hearing was told Mr O’Hara stopped making payments to Mr Ellis for the reformers because of the stance of members of the party’s right on the Covid vaccine mandate – in particular, Tanya Davies, then-state member for Mulgoa.

In a September 7, 2021 email to Mr Ellis at his Beckington address, and which cc-ed in NSW Liberal upper house leader Damien Tudehope, Mr O’Hara said: “We are in rigid lockdown. Kids are suffering and who knows the long term effect”, the hearing was told.

“There is already a significant increase in suicides of our young, parents and families are suffering again, we haven’t seen the long-term consequences. Businesses and families are having intolerable strain.

“The quickest and probably the only logical out for relaxation of restrictions and restoration of freedom is vaccinations.

“I cannot support while you are indirectly, actively working against that outcome.”

The hearing was also told of a split between Mr O’Hara and then-Premier Dominic Perrottet of his more liberal policies.

“(Then-Prime Minister Scott) Morrison, the federal leader, had also gone woke … their woke agenda, its finished. It’s finished them,” he told the hearing.

Mr O’Hara admitted under questioning it was likely he had spoken to Mr Tudehope, a former colleague and friend, about his withdrawing support for the reformers, but did not recall the conversation.

Eight-week probe

Mr O’Hara, an 83-year-old cancer patient and regular donor to conservative, Christian political movements, donated $25,000 to the so-called reformers – an amount over the threshold requiring that it be declared, the hearing was told on Monday.

“It seems a bit blasé, but there’s only one way to get the Liberal Party back on track, and that’s to help people who are doing the right thing,” he said.

Questioned about a 2020 payment to Mr Ellis, Mr O’Hara said he was not donating to the Liberal Party, but now “knew on the definitions of what I’ve been given and what I’ve written coming here” that he was.

“I was donating to people to get my point of view across. Call it a consultant, call it a marketing, call it whatever you like. But I wasn’t … there’s no way I would have given a cent to the Liberal Party,” he said.

Between November 30, 2020 and August 5, 2021, Paslibdan made nine payments of $5000 under the settings, the hearing was told.

Mr O’Hara agreed that if the donation was made to the Liberal Party it would have breached both the prohibited donor provisions and the donation cap.