Key facts
- NSW Premier Chris Minns stated his government would not take political advantage of the ICAC hearings into the Liberal party.
- The government released the Sackar review into hate speech laws but decided not to implement its key recommendation.
- Damien Tudehope, Liberal leader in the upper house, is facing uncertainty over his future after admitting to leaking a confidential parliamentary report.
- Legal advice was released stating that findings against Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling were unfounded.
- Premier Minns used parliamentary speeches to reference Liberal figures involved in the ICAC inquiry and criticize an amendment for opposition staff increases.
During the initial week of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) Operation Rosny hearings, which are investigating allegations against individuals associated with the New South Wales Liberal party, NSW Premier Chris Minns adopted a stance of neutrality, stating there would be "no gloating or taking political advantage." He emphasized the importance of the process for improving political integrity.
However, the Labor government has concurrently released several significant documents, a move described by some as "taking out the trash" and strategically burying them amidst the ICAC revelations. These releases occurred during the second week of the hearings, which are expected to last at least eight weeks.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Michael Daley tabled the long-awaited Sackar review into hate speech laws. The government subsequently announced it would not implement the report's key recommendation to expand the offense to other protected attributes. This decision came as Liberal leader in the upper house, Damien Tudehope, testified before ICAC regarding his past talks and admitted to leaking a confidential parliamentary report, casting doubt on his future in his shadow cabinet role.
On Wednesday, amidst ongoing ICAC testimony and questions about the Bondi Junction attack response, Daley also tabled legal advice that refuted findings of dishonesty against Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling. This advice countered a committee report that had found Dowling lied under oath regarding her office's involvement in pitching a story to a radio station.
Premier Minns has, however, made several public statements referencing the Liberal party's troubles during the ICAC inquiry. He used parliamentary speeches to mention Tudehope and another Liberal frontbencher, Chris Rath, who also faced scrutiny over a separate parliamentary inquiry matter. Minns also criticized an amendment that would increase the number of political staffers for opposition offices, linking it to the ICAC's concerns about political staff being used for internal party purposes.
Despite the government's actions, Minns acknowledged that the ICAC inquiry might not necessarily benefit his party significantly, expressing concern that voters might turn to third parties if they perceive all major parties as being under scrutiny.