The Premier's Brother, a Property Developer, and a Text About 'Executing' a Minister
NSW's corruption watchdog has heard that Charles Perrottet, the brother of former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet, texted his wife about plans to damage a Liberal minister's career days before Dominic became premier. On 3 October 2021, Charles Perrottet wrote: 'we execute the prick once party room is over' (The Guardian).
The Independent Commission Against Corruption, or ICAC, is the body that investigates corruption in NSW public life. At a public hearing called Operation Rosny on 28 August 2026, counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer SC read out the text exchange between Charles Perrottet and his wife Anita Perrottet. The texts were sent two days before Liberal MPs voted to make Dominic Perrottet premier. Anita had asked 'Did Dom confirm that he isn't going to give Elliott a ministry?', to which Charles replied it was a call for the next day and that they would 'execute the prick as soon as party room is over' (The Guardian).
Under questioning from Dr Dwyer and presiding Commissioner Fabian Gleeson, Anita Perrottet said she could not recall the text messages. She also said she could not remember what Charles meant by 'the Elliott stuff' or whether 'we execute the prick' referred to Elliott. She repeatedly rejected suggestions her husband was the 'muscle' in the Liberal Party's right faction or a 'power broker' — someone who pulls strings behind the scenes (The Guardian).
In another text message tendered to the inquiry, Charles Perrottet wrote that Dominic Perrottet 'thanked me for everything, not just this weekend, but the last 20 years to get here. Apologised for the Elliott stuff.' Dominic Perrottet is not named as a person of interest in ICAC's investigation and is not accused of any wrongdoing. Charles Perrottet has previously denied any wrongdoing (The Guardian).
ICAC is investigating whether, between 2020 and 2023, people including Charles Perrottet took political donations that are banned under NSW law from property developer Jean Nassif and his company Toplace. Some of those donations, the commission is examining, may have been connected to efforts to damage Elliott's career. David Elliott was police minister in the Berejiklian government before being moved to the transport portfolio in a reshuffle. He told the inquiry he was targeted by Nassif because he opposed Toplace developments. He retired from politics before the March 2023 NSW election after his seat was abolished and he could not get enough support from local party branches in Castle Hill (The Guardian).
The inquiry heard legally intercepted phone calls in which Nassif claimed he had 'forced the boys' to get rid of Elliott's seat of Baulkham Hills and had sent 'Castle Hill fucking hundreds of new members' — an apparent reference to stacking local party branches with supporters to swing preselection results (The Guardian).
Operation Rosny is examining allegations that people including a Perrottet family member solicited or accepted political donations (ICAC). The public inquiry started on 27 July 2026, with its opening address on 28 July 2026 (ICAC). The 27 July transcript records the inquiry will explore evidence that Nassif paid funds to the people named in the allegations, and that an arrangement Charles Perrottet reached with the right faction was instrumental in Elliott losing his seat (ICAC).
Charles Perrottet and Liberal operatives Christian Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood allegedly expected to receive $2 million from Nassif, split evenly between them. The commission heard that Anita Perrottet allegedly received Charles Perrottet's share through invoices from her business Macquarie Consulting to lobbying companies Beckington, controlled by Ellis and Greenwood, and JPG Advisory, controlled by Greenwood (The Guardian).
Earlier hearings have filled in more of the picture. The 24 August transcript records a witness saying Charles Perrottet was 'not a fan' of Elliott (ICAC). The 11 August transcript records questioning about asking someone called Mr Whitelaw to prepare a document with bullet points to discredit Elliott (ICAC). The public exhibit list includes a phone record showing a call from Perrottet to David Elliott on 21 August 2026 (ICAC).
The broader context here is the collision between developer interests and factional power in NSW Liberal politics, a recurring feature of the state's anti-corruption landscape. What Operation Rosny is testing is whether the factional machinery that elevated a premier was simultaneously used to make money and to destroy a minister's career on behalf of a property developer. The $2 million allegedly expected by three operatives, routed through lobbying companies and a consulting business, is the financial trail the commission is trying to connect to the factional manoeuvring.
For the Perrottet family, the distinction between Dominic, who is cleared of involvement, and Charles, whose texts and alleged financial arrangements are now on the public record, is doing heavy lifting. Anita Perrottet's insistence that her husband was neither factional 'muscle' nor 'power broker' sits awkwardly against texts where he discusses ending a minister's career while the Premier-to-be's thanks and apology are fresh in the conversation. The claim of no recollection is a standard defence in ICAC hearings, but it rarely survives sustained examination when the documentary evidence is this specific. Whether that firewall holds is a question the remaining days of the public inquiry will pressure.
