On Monday 27 July 2026, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) launched public hearings for Operation Rosny, a major probe into whether figures tied to the NSW Liberal Party solicited and accepted unlawful donations to fund branch-stacking operations. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC delivered the opening statement at the commission's Sydney premises, outlining alleged prohibited-donor payments, sham consultancy arrangements, and coordinated factional recruitment across the party's moderate and conservative wings. The inquiry is set to run for eight weeks, with livestreamed proceedings resuming on Tuesday 28 July at 10 am AEST.

Branch-stacking is the practice of recruiting large numbers of members into a political party's local branches — often through improper means — to shift the balance of power in internal preselection votes. It is illegal in NSW when funded by prohibited donations or carried out through deceptive arrangements.

The Three Core Allegations

Operation Rosny centres on three principal allegations. The first is that Liberal figures solicited or accepted donations from prohibited donors — individuals or entities banned from giving to political parties under NSW electoral law — in amounts exceeding legal caps or entirely undeclared, to finance branch-stacking. The second focuses on whether corporate vehicles were used to channel those funds. The third examines whether senior Liberal politicians enabled the effort by lending their public profiles and institutional access to the factional group at the centre of the inquiry.

The "Reformers" and Their Network

That group, known as the "Reformers," was anchored by lobbyist Christian Ellis, consultant Robert Assaf, and Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former Liberal premier Dominic Perrottet. According to Dwyer's opening statement, the Reformers cultivated a bloc of Christian conservative members to shift the balance of power within the NSW division. A document originating from Ellis's time in Senator Matt Canavan's office proposed recruiting 5,000 Christian conservatives into NSW Liberal branches with the aim of taking control of the division. Lobbyist Jeremy Greenwood allegedly facilitated the Reformers' receipt of funds, acting as a financial conduit for the network's activities.

Corporate Entities Under Scrutiny

The commission is examining several corporate entities. Beckington, a company set up by Greenwood and Ellis, is alleged to have collected illegal donations toward branch-stacking efforts. Catholic Schools NSW became Beckington's first client, with CEO Dallas McInerney allegedly arranging and approving the payments. Dwyer told the hearing that the retainers paid by Catholic Schools NSW to Beckington were a "sham," with no substantive services provided in return. Catholic Schools NSW paid $130,900 to Beckington over two years, followed by $135,000 to Greenwood's company JPG Advisory between 2021 and 2023. JPG Advisory remains active on both the federal and NSW lobbyist registers.

Hotelier Michael O'Hara, a prohibited donor under NSW electoral law, allegedly had his company Paslibdan Pty Ltd make donations on his behalf, circumventing the restrictions that bar certain categories of donors from contributing to political parties in New South Wales.

High-Profile Figures and Recruitment Events

The Reformers hosted recruitment functions featuring high-profile guest speakers, including former prime minister Tony Abbott, broadcaster Alan Jones, and Dallas McInerney, addressing conservative and religious issues. Senior NSW Liberal politicians supported the Reformers by speaking at their events and facilitating branch recruitment and renewal work. Tony Abbott, Alan Jones, and Matt Canavan are not accused of any wrongdoing in Operation Rosny.

Beyond the donation and branch-stacking allegations, Operation Rosny also investigates fugitive property developer Jean Nassif's links to political powerbrokers and local councils. Five NSW Liberal MPs supported a factional deal now at the centre of the corruption probe. Former NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams warned then-premier Gladys Berejiklian via text messages about a looming scandal that became Operation Rosny.

McInerney stood aside from his role as CEO of Catholic Schools NSW on 2 July 2026 after being named in connection with the ICAC probe. The commission had issued its public notice about Operation Rosny on 1 July 2026, categorising the investigation under the Electoral Funding Act with a status of "Current."

The Broader Context

The breadth of Operation Rosny is striking. It touches multiple nodes at once: a factional recruitment network built around religious conservative mobilisation, a set of corporate vehicles allegedly functioning as pass-throughs for prohibited donations, the involvement of a registered lobbyist whose company remains active on government influence registers, and a property developer whose political connections extend to local government. The fact that the commission's counsel assisting used her opening statement to characterise the Catholic Schools NSW payments as sham retainers signals that the evidentiary focus will rest heavily on whether genuine services were rendered, or whether the consultancy arrangements served as laundering mechanisms for political donations.

For the NSW Liberal Party, Operation Rosny arrives after the division has already weathered multiple ICAC exposures. The naming of Jean-Claude Perrottet, sibling of a recent premier, and the alleged involvement of sitting MPs in facilitating the Reformers' factional work will test the party's internal disciplinary mechanisms. Eight weeks of public hearings, with witnesses testifying under oath and cross-examination by counsel, will surface documentary evidence and testimony that may extend beyond the three formal allegations into broader questions about governance and compliance culture within the party's state apparatus. The proceedings are being livestreamed, ensuring public visibility of evidence as it is presented.