Many people watching the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings in Sydney over the past two months have come to admire the forensic questioning of the counsel assisting the inquiry, Peggy Dwyer SC.
asserted
people → watch → inquiry
As she set out the complicated allegations in detail on the opening day in July, Dwyer emphasised the central role of electoral donations laws, observing: “Money in politics, as in other spheres of life, has the potential to corrupt.”
asserted
Money → set → potential
As the commission detailed allegations of blackmail by Labor councillors in Sydney’s inner west, you could have been forgiven for thinking the whole show was a bit of a, well, damp squib.
uncertain
show → detail → squib
It began with the promise of allegations that senior New South Wales Liberal politicians supported the branch-stacking efforts of a factional group of young conservative Christians known as the Reformers.
asserted
politicians → begin → Reformers
But it concluded without a major scalp, disappointing those Icac watchers expecting another spectacle like the premiership-ending appearances of Gladys Berejiklian, Barry O’Farrell and Nick Greiner.
asserted
it → conclude → Berejiklian
Anthony Whealy KC, the chair of the Centre for Public Integrity and a former Icac assistant commissioner, says the measure of an inquiry’s success does not have “anything to do with resignations”.
asserted
measure → say → resignations
The impact of Rosny – and its three main allegations that Whealy likens to a “three-tentacled octopus” – will be twofold.
asserted
Whealy → liken → octopus
“We will get a series of definitive rulings on what is a political donation … [in] a carefully considered report that draws all these strands together,” he says.
asserted
he → get → strands
And, second, and most importantly, he says, “this will have all played out in public”.
asserted
this → say → public
When it comes to political donations, Icac was investigating whether the Reformers took prohibited or undeclared donations to support branch stacking.
asserted
Reformers → come → stacking
They planned to recruit 5,000 Christian conservatives “and thereby take control of the NSW division of the Liberal party”.
asserted
They → plan → party
They wanted to deliver more conservative policies on abortion, euthanasia, marriage equality and climate change.
asserted
They → want → abortion
The anti-corruption watchdog examined whether three Liberal figures took $2m in donations from property developer Jean Nassif to support branch stacking, damage the career of the then Liberal minister David Elliott and remove the building commissioner David Chandler.
asserted
figures → examine → commissioner
Some of those named in the allegations stated payments for factional work do not count as donations to a political party.
asserted
payments → name → party
In response to a recent parliamentary question about whether payments to factional groups inside parties were donations, the NSW Electoral Commission said it would not comment on matters referred to Rosny.
asserted
it → say → Rosny
Over two days, Nassif raged against allegations of corruption – as well as Elliott and Chandler.
asserted
Nassif → rag → corruption
He claimed he had left Australia to receive “an international award for number one businessman from [an] Arabic background” and would return after he had collected “a beautiful legal team who are willing to fight politicians – to clear my name”.
asserted
who → claim → name
But, he told the patient Dwyer, he would not come back to be “killed by the mafia boys”.
asserted
he → tell → boys
Whealy describes Nassif’s appearance as the “theatre of the absurd”.
asserted
Whealy → describe → absurd
It is his opinion that most of the fugitive developer’s evidence will not be accepted by the commission.
asserted
most → accept → commission
The transparency advocate says “20 years ago” public hearings could expose witnesses to embarrassing media coverage before any findings of corruption were made or criminal prosecutions recommended.
uncertain
prosecutions → say → corruption
These days the rules of procedural fairness are “very carefully observed”, he says, such as making it very clear when someone is not the subject of any Icac allegations.
asserted
someone → observe → allegations
Still, Whealy’s take does not appease those who were tangentially caught up in proceedings.
asserted
who → appease → proceedings
One senior Liberal complained of the frequent “name-dropping” of politicians not subject to allegations.
asserted
Liberal → complain → allegations
The federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, faced frequent questions from reporters outside Icac about a messages revealed during the early days of Rosny about a plan to “shake down Angus for 10K”.
asserted
leader → face → K
Taylor, who is not accused of wrongdoing, was forced to repeatedly deny making payments to the Reformers.
asserted
who → accuse → Reformers
He declined to provide a “running commentary” on matters before Icac.
asserted
He → decline → Icac
The person who sent the “shake down Angus” message, Taylor’s factional ally, Dallas McInerney, lost his job as the chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, days after he admitted performing a factory reset on his iPhone.
asserted
he → send → iPhone
He had potentially wiped critical evidence after receiving a security alert from his bank.
asserted
He → wipe → bank
Damien Tudehope, whose upper house seat will be contested at next year’s NSW election, was not named in Icac’s allegations.
asserted
seat → contest → allegations
He has been referred to the parliamentary privileges committee after he admitted to leaking a confidential draft report from a 2023 parliamentary inquiry to Liberal factional figure Jeremy Greenwood.
asserted
he → refer → Greenwood
He remains stood aside as the Liberals’ upper house leader and shadow attorney general.
asserted
He → stand → leader
Charles Perrottet, a person of interest in the Nassif drama, has taken leave of absence from his role as head of strategy at BP during the inquiry.
asserted
Perrottet → take → inquiry
Other witnesses have cited the strain on their lives in the four years since the then premier Dominic Perrottet referred allegations in a June 2022 parliamentary speech to the watchdog.
asserted
premier → cite → watchdog
The former premier’s name has been dropped more than most.
asserted
name → drop → most
He appeared in messages as “Dom” and in phone taps of Nassif as “my boy” and “my best friend”.
asserted
He → appear → boy
Two of his 11 siblings, Charles and Jean-Claude, and his sister-in-law Anita appeared before the inquiry.
asserted
Two → appear → inquiry
Anita Perrottet, who was not named in Icac’s allegations, rejected the suggestion she had lied to the commission to cover illegal donations to her husband.
asserted
she → name → husband
The presiding commissioner, Fabian Gleeson SC, stated explicitly for the record in week six that Dominic Perrottet was not a person of interest – ending speculation the former premier, who now lives and works in the US, could make a surprise appearance.
uncertain
who → preside → appearance
Whealy says Dominic Perrottet retains a “sparkling reputation”.
asserted
Perrottet → say → reputation
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
