The federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, has been inadvertently drawn into an Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) hearing, with messages suggesting he was a potential donor to a conservative Liberal group under investigation for alleged breaches of NSW electoral laws. Taylor, who is not accused of wrongdoing, was named in a group chat among members of the Reformers, a sub-faction of the NSW Liberal party's right wing, during the commission's Operation Rosny on Tuesday.
Reformers' Activities and Alleged Donations
The Reformers group aimed to restore conservative values within the NSW Liberal party by recruiting members and taking over branches. Icac is investigating alleged undisclosed donations from fugitive developer Jean Nassif and others to fund these efforts. In a March 2021 message, Dallas McInerney, head of the Catholic Schools Association NSW and a Reformers supporter, allegedly stated he planned to "shake down Angus for $10,000" during a meeting in Canberra. Another message from Dylan Whitelaw, a former NSW Liberal parliamentary staffer and Reformers associate, allegedly read: "Dallas has told me he got the commitment from Angus the 15k injection plus a 3k monthly donation!" Whitelaw testified he did not recall sending the message or Taylor making a financial contribution.
Taylor's Response and Potential Implications
A statement from Taylor's spokesperson did not deny the payments: "The Leader is not a party to the matters before the commission, nor has he been approached. Donations and fundraising activities are declared in accordance with the rules and are a matter for the Party." Taylor does not appear as a donor on the NSW donation disclosure register for 2020-2023, and his federal donations register shows only a single $1,500 donation in 2010 to Malcolm Turnbull's campaign. If the payments were made, they could constitute undeclared political donations or breaches of donation caps under the NSW Electoral Funding Act, potentially causing significant internal party fallout if Taylor funded one side of a factional war.
Broader Investigation and Other Donors
Icac is also investigating other alleged donors, including Nassif (who allegedly paid $2 million to Reformers members Christian Ellis, Charles Perrottet, and Jeremy Greenwood), former hotelier Michael O'Hara ($165,000), and Catholic Schools NSW (over $250,000). Some funds were allegedly paid under sham arrangements to public relations firms controlled by Ellis and Greenwood. McInerney has stood down as Catholic Schools NSW CEO and is expected to testify later.
Whitelaw's Evidence and Catholic Schools NSW Role
Whitelaw testified that Catholic Schools NSW, a registered charity, employed young Reformers members, including himself as a data processor, but he spent much of his time on Reformers work. Robert Assaf, another key Reformer, was also employed there, with Whitelaw estimating Assaf spent 60% of his time on Reformer tasks. The inquiry will examine potential breaches of charities laws and politicisation of the education funding body, which administers nearly $4 billion in state and federal grants.
O'Hara, who became disillusioned by 2022, told the Reformers he would only pay recent invoices, adding: "I may as well support the Greens or Teals, as Dominic [Perrottet] was rolled on so many issues instead of prosecuting the principles I believed he stood for." The commission continues to probe whether contributions to the Reformers, which had no formal party status, are subject to NSW political donations laws.
