‘Uncomfortable listening’: Sloane played Nassif phone taps
Staying with Kellie Sloane’s 2GB interview, and the opposition leader has been played the phone taps obtained by the ICAC in which fugitive property developer Jean Nassif brags about his influence over the then Liberal state government.
Nassif tells an associate: “I’ve got my hand on the state government, and you’re gonna see changes, you’re gonna get – see DA approvals for me like, like every second week, one DA approved.”
In other excerpts played to yesterday’s hearing, Nassif said of then-building commissioner David Chandler “he knows his days are up because my boy … took the premiership”. Dominic Perrottet was premier at the time.
Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing.
“This is the antithesis of the values of the party that I lead, it’s the antithesis of my values,” Sloane said.
“But these are all allegations yet to be proven, and these were opening statements, this was conjecture. We don’t know whether this was a lot of boasting by some individuals who thought they had more influence, or whether there is something more to it. I cannot speculate on that.”
Welcome to today’s Operation Rosny live coverage
Thanks for joining us and welcome to day two of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s hearings into connections between fugitive property developer Jean Nassif, right-wing Liberal Party figures and Catholic Schools NSW.
Today’s hearing will begin at 10am, continuing with evidence from hotelier and donor to Liberal factional group “The Reformers”, Michael O’Hara.
Later today we’ll move on to evidence from Dylan Whitelaw, a one-time Liberal staffer who associated with many of the other persons of interest in this inquiry.
We’ll bring you all the updates here as they happen, but if you want to watch along the hearings are live-streamed here.
Opposition leader spoke to Petinos after ICAC mention
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has not asked Eleni Petinos to stand down from her frontbench after phone taps played to the ICAC revealed fugitive property developer Jean Nassif bragging about his influence over Petinos, and the Liberal Party.
Yesterday the hearing heard Nassif bragging about his influence on the then Liberal state government, including a claim the fair trading minister would be replaced with one of his “girls”.
Two months later Eleni Petinos was installed in the role by Dominic Perrottet in a cabinet reshuffle, and Nassif’s nemesis, then building commissioner David Chandler, offered his resignation after an investigation prompted by Petinos’ office.
The ICAC is investigating if Nassif’s prediction amounts to “an incidence of wishful thinking that serendipitously came to pass”, or if Petinos was given the role as a result of work Nassif paid Liberal figures to carry out.
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