Key facts
- Dallas McInerney, CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, testified that the Reformers, a conservative Christian Liberal faction, were "spectacularly unsuccessful" in their bid to control the NSW Liberal Party.
- McInerney admitted to being mostly supportive of the Reformers' goals and frequently communicated with members Christian Ellis, Robert Assaf, and Jean-Claude Perrottet.
- Catholic Schools NSW paid retainers to lobbying firms controlled by Reformers members, with allegations of kickbacks for political donations.
- McInerney, a member of the Liberal right faction, acknowledged having political ambitions and previously missing out on a Senate seat.
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) is investigating allegations of corruption within the Liberal Party, focusing on branch stacking and illegal political donations. Dallas McInerney, the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, testified that a conservative Christian Liberal faction known as the Reformers was "spectacularly unsuccessful" in its ambitions to take control of the NSW division of the Liberal Party.
McInerney, who was a member of the Liberal party until June 2024 and president of the Mittagong branch, admitted he was "mostly" supportive of the Reformers' goals and began speaking frequently with members Christian Ellis, Robert Assaf, and Jean-Claude Perrottet by 2020. He described their pursuit of conservative policies as a "calling" rather than a "passion."
Catholic Schools NSW, which receives nearly 80% of its funding from federal and state sources, paid monthly retainers to two lobbying firms controlled by Reformers members. Beckington, run by Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood, received $130,900 between August 2019 and August 2021, while JPG Advisory, run by Greenwood, received $135,000 between December 2021 and December 2023. Greenwood admitted to McInerney in October 2022 that he had stopped sending invoices.
McInerney, a factional ally of federal opposition leader Angus Taylor, also acknowledged having political ambitions and previously missing out on a Senate seat. He was read messages exchanged with Greenwood in March 2023 where he stated, "I know I’ve been fucked," and Greenwood responded, "Yeah it’s fucked, it’s fucked, it’s fucked."