Angus Taylor named as potential donor to NSW Liberal ‘Reformers’ being investigated by Icac | Independent Commission Against Corruption

The federal opposition leader has been named as a potential donor to a conservative Liberal group currently being investigated by the New South Wales corruption watchdog. Angus Taylor himself is not accused of wrongdoing.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Tuesday held the second day of Operation Rosny hearings into corruption allegations against individuals associated with the NSW Liberal party.

Co-counsel Peggy Dwyer SC said in her opening statement on Monday the evidence would show how a group of young Liberal powerbrokers known as “Reformers” “solicited or accepted” donations from banned donors, including undeclared or in excess of limits, to recruit or renew members of the party.

Former NSW Liberal parliamentary staffer and Reform partner Dylan Whitelaw, who was not named in Icac’s allegations, gave evidence in Sydney on Tuesday.

During the hearing, Whitelaw was shown a screenshot of a message from Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney. The screenshot was posted by Reformers member Robert Assaf to a group chat that included Whitelaw in March 2021.

“I have a breakfast club with ministers this Thursday morning, who can I get information from? Re SCD [state council delegate] progress over the last six to 12 months. It was alleged that the message read out loud during the investigation said, “I want to defeat Angus for 10 thousand.”

When asked if “Angus” meant Angus Taylor, Whitelaw said: “I assume it was Angus Taylor.” Whitelaw said “SCD progress” referred to the Reformers’ plan to elect as many Conservative members as possible to the NSW Liberals’ state council.

Whitelaw was shown another message days later, where he allegedly wrote: “Dallas told me he got a commitment from Angus, 15k injections plus 3k monthly donations!” He said he didn’t remember sending the messages and didn’t remember Taylor making financial contributions to the Reformers.

“Potentially, Dallas had told me the wrong thing. I would be very surprised if Mr. Taylor made any financial contribution,” Whitelaw said.

The lawyer assisting Juliet Curtin asked whether the alleged donations “were, at least on this evidence, directed towards the work of the Reformers.”

Whitelaw replied: “I would draw that conclusion from the fact that the Reformers were in the group chat, but I have no memory of that.”

Asked earlier whether he believed Taylor was aware of the Reformers’ activities, he said: “I wouldn’t make a very detailed suggestion, but he was aware, yes.”

A spokesman for the federal Liberal leader said Taylor “is not party to the matters before the committee and has not been approached”.

“These issues should be allowed to run their course, free from political interference and comments. Therefore, the leader will not make sustained comments on any issue before the commission. Donations and fundraising activities are declared in accordance with the rules and are a matter for the party.”

In a statement According to the Sydney Morning Herald On July 2 McInerney, a factional ally of Taylor, said he had offered to step aside “to allow Catholic Schools of NSW to continue its important mission”.

Hotelier Michael O’Hara finished presenting evidence to the investigation on Tuesday morning. O’Hara, who is banned from making political donations due to her involvement in the liquor industry, allegedly paid $165,000 to the Reformers between 2018 and 2023.

“After what I heard yesterday and what I read in the newspapers… I am absolutely astonished and disgusted that this incident, about which I had no knowledge, had come to this point,” he said.

O’Hara admitted paying registered lobbyist Beckington, founded by Reformers member Christian Ellis, and a company controlled by Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former Liberal prime minister Dominic Perrottet, to support branch stacking efforts at Liberal branches in NSW under the guise of financial advice or consultancy services.

O’Hara was asked whether she had discussed her donations to the Reformers during phone calls and text messages with her former business partner, NSW shadow attorney general Damien Tudehope, in September 2021, following concerns about the group’s anti-vaccine stance.

“Records show that I spoke to him… I don’t remember the conversation,” he said. Asked whether the contact involved concerns about his support for the Reformers, O’Hara said: “It seems so, yes.”

The inquest heard O’Hara made his final payment to the Reformers in 2023 after he came to believe the NSW Liberals under Dominic Perrottet were “woke”.

In an email to Jean-Claude Perrottet, who had previously denied any wrongdoing, he is alleged to have written: “I might support the Greens or the Muds as Dominic works on so many issues rather than following the principles I believe he stands for.”

Revealing another message to Jean-Claude Perrottet, O’Hara told Icac that his criticism of Perrottet was: “Either he agrees with this woke nonsense.” [former treasurer] Matt Kean was either going on or he was too weak to keep him in line. In both cases he was losing; It showed that he had lost his spine.”

O’Hara told the inquiry: “[Scott] Federal leader Morrison also woke up and started exporting jobs abroad, first from Australia. “He also became weak.”

O’Hara said he has thought the Reformers’ plan was “disgusting” since he heard Dwyer’s opening statement. “I made a mistake supporting them because they clearly went off track,” he said.

Under cross-examination by her lawyer, Paul McGirr, O’Hara said she did not realize the payments she made to the Reformers at the time were political donations.

On Tuesday, current NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane, who was not an MP at the time of the allegations Icac is investigating, told 2GB the first day of hearings was “extremely disturbing to listen to”.

He said he stood by comments that Tudehope was “an honest man.” Tudehope, who has not been charged with any offence, gave up his posts as leader of the Liberals in the upper house and as shadow attorney general after being called as a witness during the investigation.

Icac’s hearings continue.