Australia's corruption watchdog has heard that senior politicians within the New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party lent their support to a group of young conservative operatives aiming to shift the party's ideological direction. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commenced its 'Operation Rosny' hearings on Monday, investigating claims of corruption linked to the NSW Liberal Party.
The inquiry is specifically probing three core allegations, including that Liberal figures solicited or accepted donations – some from prohibited donors, undeclared, or exceeding legal caps – to fund the recruitment and renewal of party members, a practice commonly referred to as 'branch stacking'. Counsel assisting the commission, Peggy Dwyer SC, identified a central group of young Liberal staffers and lobbyists, calling themselves the 'Reformers', who were at the heart of these efforts. This group reportedly included lobbyist Christian Ellis, consultant Robert Assaf, and Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former Liberal premier Dominic Perrottet.
Ms Dwyer stated that evidence would demonstrate how several senior NSW Liberal Party politicians actively supported the Reformers. This support allegedly manifested through speaking at their events and otherwise facilitating their work in recruiting and renewing party memberships. Recruitment functions hosted by the group featured prominent guests such as former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, broadcaster Alan Jones, and Dallas McInerney, chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, all of whom addressed attendees on conservative and/or religious topics. It is important to note that Mr Abbott, Mr Jones, and Senator Matt Canavan (in whose office Christian Ellis previously worked) are not accused of any wrongdoing.
A document created when Ellis was a staffer for federal Nationals senator Matt Canavan outlined the Reformers' mission as 'taking back our nation through good government'. The plan reportedly involved recruiting 5,000 Christian conservatives to join NSW Liberal party branches, with the ultimate goal of gaining control of the NSW division of the Liberal Party. Ms Dwyer alleged that these ambitions extended to ensuring that all winnable seats in state elections were held by members of the party's conservative faction, and controlling significant majorities on the party's state executive and state council.
While branch stacking itself is not inherently corrupt, Ms Dwyer emphasised that the issue arises when funds originate from prohibited political donations, exceed legal caps, or come from a prohibited donor. The commission will investigate whether companies, including the former registered lobbying firm Beckington (established by Jeremy Greenwood and Christian Ellis), were utilised to collect illegal donations for these branch-stacking activities. Allegations include donations from hotelier Michael O’Hara’s company, Paslibdan Pty Ltd, a prohibited donor, and payments from Catholic Schools NSW, reportedly arranged and approved by Dallas McInerney. Ms Dwyer suggested that 'purported payments of retainers for which no substantive services were provided' from Catholic Schools NSW to Beckington 'amounted to a sham', though she clarified that Catholic Schools NSW as an organisation or its board members are not implicated as being aware of any wrongdoing.