‘I don’t think Angus worked out’: Icac witness does not recall opposition leader making donations
Icac’s Operation Rosny has again returned to the question of federal opposition leader’s Angus Taylor knowledge and support for conservative right factional group the Reformers.
Reformers member Robert Assaf has been read a message from Catholic Schools chief executive, Dallas McInerney, which he screenshotted and sent to the Reformers group chat, in which McInerney wrote:
I have breakfast club with ministers this Thursday morning, who can I get an update from? Re SCD [state council delegate] progress in the last six to 12 months. I want to shake down Angus for 10k.
Assaf says he remembers the message, and he says he thinks the ministers included former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet and current NSW Liberal MP Anthony Roberts. Asked if the update McInerney requested was for the purpose of “shaking down” Taylor, he says: “I don’t know about that. I don’t think Angus ever went anywhere.”
Asked if Taylor made a donation, he says: “I don’t think Angus worked out … I don’t recall any minister ever giving us money.”
Taylor, Roberts and Perrottet are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Assaf is then read a message sent to the group by former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw in which he allegedly wrote:
Dallas has told me he got the commitment from Angus, the 15k injection plus a 3k monthly donation!
Assaf says he recalls the message but does not recall any donation being made by anyone in the Liberal party to the order of $15,000 and the monthly amount, “because it never happened … to my memory, like to my access of what I had access to, I never saw the money’.
Assaf concedes to counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC he did not have direct access to the account of former registered lobbyist Beckington, set up by the Reformers.
Dwyer: “So you don’t know whether or not additional money came into Beckington’s account, as injected by any other politicians, do you?”
Assaf: “I do not.”
Taylor, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, has today again denied he ever made payments to the group.
‘I don’t think Angus worked out’: Icac witness does not recall opposition leader making donations
Icac’s Operation Rosny has again returned to the question of federal opposition leader’s Angus Taylor knowledge and support for conservative right factional group the Reformers.
Reformers member Robert Assaf has been read a message from Catholic Schools chief executive, Dallas McInerney, which he screenshotted and sent to the Reformers group chat, in which McInerney wrote:
I have breakfast club with ministers this Thursday morning, who can I get an update from? Re SCD [state council delegate] progress in the last six to 12 months. I want to shake down Angus for 10k.
Assaf says he remembers the message, and he says he thinks the ministers included former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet and current NSW Liberal MP Anthony Roberts. Asked if the update McInerney requested was for the purpose of “shaking down” Taylor, he says: “I don’t know about that. I don’t think Angus ever went anywhere.”
Asked if Taylor made a donation, he says: “I don’t think Angus worked out … I don’t recall any minister ever giving us money.”
Taylor, Roberts and Perrottet are not accused of any wrongdoing.
Governor general Sam Mostyn on the ‘growing catastrophe’ in our democracy – Australian Politics podcast
Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia’s head of state, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she has observed a “woeful lack of understanding” among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia’s democracy – beginning with the constitution.
Mostyn speaks to our political editor, Tom McIlroy, at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the “growing catastrophe” that undermines democratic participation.
Penny Wong welcomes Trump’s Gaza peace announcement
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, welcomed the White House’s announcement that a peace plan for Gaza has been agreed, saying the Albanese government wanted to see the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory.
But Wong said Australia also wanted to see more detail about the US announcement.
The US president, Donald Trump, on Thursday announced an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. There was no immediate statement from Hamas or Israel on the agreement.
In a statement, Wong said Australia “wants to see the implementation of the Gaza peace plan, which has been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council”.
We have been clear that Hamas must disarm and play no role in the State of Palestine and we welcome any progress towards this outcome.
Wong went on to say there was still “a long road to recovery in Gaza, securing long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and building a successful Palestinian state that delivers for the Palestinian people”.
Australia continues to work with partners to respond to the devastating humanitarian situation in Gaza and to push for the free flow of aid. Together with our partners, Australia will continue to do what we can to contribute to a just and enduring two-state solution.
We thank the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye for their ongoing work to advance the agreement and look forward to receiving further detail on this announcement.
Calls for Labor MP Luke Gosling to stand down from special envoy role
Prominent politicians have called for Labor MP Luke Gosling to step down from his special envoy role after assault charges, Australian Associated Press reports.
The member for the Darwin-based seat of Solomon was charged on Thursday over allegations he assaulted the NT administrator, David Connolly, earlier in July.
Gosling, 54, has been charged with two counts of assault.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said he should stand aside from his role as special envoy for defence, veterans’ affairs and northern Australia until legal proceedings had concluded. Senator McKenzie told News 24:
It’s an important part of our democracy of keeping integrity within our Westminster system that the prime minister does do the right thing and stand Mr Gosling aside until his name is cleared or until the matter is dealt with in court.
Liberal senator James Paterson on Thursday also said he hoped Gosling would move aside.
Labor MP Luke Gosling, right, with Anthony Albanese in 2023. Photograph: AAP
The attorney general, Michelle Rowland, would not be drawn on whether her colleague should move aside from his role. She told Channel Nine:
As you can appreciate, because the matter is before the court, I’m limited in what I can say.
The commentary around this matter needs to be handled very seriously.
In a statement after his arrest, he said: ‘These are ridiculous allegations that I categorically deny”.
I’ve had no dealings with the administrator since congratulating him following the announcement of his appointment late last year.
Gosling’s lawyer, Marty Aust, on Thursday said the charges were “completely and utterly denied and will be contested”.
Ben Carroll appoints new head of Department of Premier and Cabinet
The new Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, has announced the appointment of Chris Barrett to head the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The move means the current department secretary, Jeremi Moule, will leave the role. Moule was appointed by former premier Daniel Andrews during the Covid-19 pandemic and retained by his successor, Jacinta Allan, when she became leader in September 2023.
Barrett is currently secretary of the Department of Treasury and Finance and will step down from that position to take up the new role. Carroll said Barrett would begin at the DPC on Monday, adding: “I look forward to working with him to deliver a new direction for Victoria.”
Barret’s appointment is another sign of the shift underway under Carroll’s leadership. As we wrote this morning, Carroll is a member of Labor’s right – and is the MP from the faction to lead the party in Victoria since 2010.
His leadership is expected to place a greater emphasis on economic management and fiscal restraint, and the decision to appoint the state’s Treasury chief to lead the DPC reinforces this.
More here on the factional shift under way in Victoria:
AFP says Pauline Hanson’s remarks about Muslims ‘do not meet the threshold’ for offences of hate speech laws
The Australian Federal Police said senator Pauline Hanson’s remarks earlier this year about Muslims “do not meet the threshold for relevant offences” of hate speech laws.
The AFP said in February it had received reported concerns about Hanson’s remarks after the senator asked on Sky News: “You say, ‘Well, there’s good Muslims out there.’ How can you tell me there are good Muslims?”
AFP officials said this morning it received several complaints following Hanson’s appearance on Sky. But, a spokesperson said:
The AFP has determined the comments do not meet the threshold for relevant offences, including within the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026.
Reformers member tells Icac hearing he used factional funds to pay for bucks night
Penry Buckley
Returning to the NSW Icac’s Operation Rosny, Reformers member Robert Assaf is being quizzed over funding arrangements for the group.
In an often tense exchange with counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC he has been asked about the decision to move alleged payments to the Reformers from a bank account in the group’s name to Beckington, a registered lobbyist set up by the Reformers.
Assaf says the arrangement was to create “to the maximum benefit from a tax perspective because I think … we weren’t a registered charity, so it’s not tax deductible to donate to the Reformers bank account”.
Dwyer says: “That’s an explanation that you thought of overnight. Is that right?”
Assaf has also admitted to temporarily using payments to the Reformers to fund his or another Reformers’ bucks night. In a WhatsApp exchange in August 2020, Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet wrote “Rob has the bucks cash coming back”.
Asked what this means, Assaf says:
I think you recall I referred to us being immature and young, using the account as an advance on our personal expenditure. This was one of those moments where we, I think, we had booked a venue for either my buck’s or [Reformer Christian Ellis’] buck’s. It required an upfront payment. I think it was cancelled maybe because of Covid, one of them, so it was waiting for it to get reimbursed.
Robert Assaf, left, leaves the inquiry yesterday. Photograph: Damian Shaw/AAP
Taylor refused to answer multiple questions about Reformers payments, saying he won’t give ‘running commentary’
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, is speaking in Western Australia.
He declined to answer any questions about any donations to the Reformers, a group of hard-right Liberal operatives that plotted to take over the party from the inside.
No payment was made. I’m not going to give a running commentary on this … I have answered your questions and I answered the question several days ago. If you have another question I am happy to take it.
Dominic Perrottet’s brother to appear before Icac next week
Penry Buckley
Icac has also revealed the list of witnesses for next week. The first witness on Monday will be NSW upper house Liberal Damien Tudehope, whose name has come up frequently in hearings so far.
Many of the Reformers worked as staffers in Tudehope’s office, and Tudehope gave frequent talks at Reformers recruitment events. His former business partner Michael O’Hara, who the inquiry heard is alleged to have made illegal donations, was the inquiry’s first witness but has disputed whether his payments to the Reformers counted as political donations.
Tudehope, who has stood aside from his shadow cabinet roles during the inquiry, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Next week’s witnesses also include Reformers members Jean-Claude Perrottet and Jeremy Greenwood. Yesterday the inquiry heard that Jean-Claude, the younger brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet, allegedly paid for memberships as part of branch-stacking efforts, forbidden under Liberal party rules. Dominic Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing. Jean-Claude has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Also appearing next week is businessman Frits Maré, a key witness at a 2023 parliamentary inquiry that preceded Icac’s inquiry. At that inquiry, Maré described being asked by members of the Reformers to contribute $50,000 to an operation to unseat Alex Hawke, the Liberal federal MP for Mitchell.