Members of Liberal group received ‘kickbacks’ from lobbying company’s Catholic Schools NSW contract, Icac hears
Summary
An inquiry in New South Wales, Australia, heard that members of a conservative group within the Liberal party allegedly received payments linked to a contract with Catholic Schools NSW. The payments may have been used to support the group’s efforts to increase membership within the party through a process called branch stacking.Key Facts
- The investigation is conducted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) in New South Wales.
- Consultant Jeremy Greenwood gave evidence about payments related to Catholic Schools NSW, which oversees over 600 schools.
- The payments were made to lobbying firms controlled by Greenwood and allegedly involved members of a faction called the Reformers.
- The Reformers sought more conservative policies on issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia.
- Branch stacking is a practice of recruiting or renewing party members to influence party decisions; it is not illegal but is under investigation for illegal donations.
- Two Reformers members, Jean-Claude Perrottet and Robert Assaf, reportedly received payments described as “kickbacks” from the lobbying firm’s contract with Catholic Schools NSW.
- Payments to Perrottet occurred despite no consulting work being done, and there were mentions of “fake invoices.”
- The inquiry also heard that a portion of the schools’ funding comes from government sources, totaling about $3.8 billion in 2024.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
