Anti-corruption body alleges $2 million paid to Liberal-linked operatives
The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the state's anti-corruption watchdog, has alleged that a group of rightwing Liberal operatives known as the Reformers was paid $2 million by property developer Jean Nassif to advance his interests, according to The Guardian.
The allegations come from an ICAC inquiry codenamed Rosny, which examined the Reformers. Most of the group were former staff members of Liberal politicians. Among the operatives named was Charles Perrottet, the brother of Dominic Perrottet, who was NSW treasurer at the time.
Charles Perrottet has denied taking payments from Jean Nassif for political outcomes. Dominic Perrottet is not a person of interest in the inquiry and is not accused of wrongdoing.
Nassif fled to Lebanon after the collapse of his company, Toplace, which left hundreds of buyers with substandard buildings. The inquiry's focus is the payments and the lobbying work ICAC says they were for, not the collapse itself.
Lobbying is the practice of seeking to influence government decisions on behalf of a client. Only one of the operatives involved in the Rosny inquiry was a registered lobbyist, meaning subject to rules requiring them to disclose their clients and keep records. The rest were not registered under those rules.
The NSW Labor government has introduced a bill aimed at clarifying the obligations of third-party lobbyists, meaning people who lobby for clients rather than for themselves. Some commentators describe such lobbyists as guns for hire. The bill has passed the lower house of the state parliament.
If it becomes law, the bill would formally establish the NSW Electoral Commission as the regulator of third-party lobbyists. The commission would have powers to audit compliance with the Lobbying of Government Officials Act, the state's lobbying law, and with the lobbyists' code of conduct.
ICAC recommended the creation of a separate lobbying commissioner five years before November 2026. The government's proposal instead gives the regulatory role to the Electoral Commission.
