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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Anne Davies

How the ‘Braveheart’ tribe of young Liberals descended from the Hills only to have their kilts lifted by Icac

Dylan Whitelaw, Michael O'Hara and Robert Assaf stand in front of ICAC branding
From left: former Liberal staffer Dylan Whitelaw; hotelier Michael O’Hara; and Robert Assaf, who referred to the Reformers’ mission as their ‘cause’. Composite: Guardian Design/AAP

“A cult” is how former NSW MP David Elliott described the Reformers, the secretive sub-faction of the NSW Liberals at the centre of the sensational Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation, which has just completed its first week of hearings.

Akin to a Scottish tribe from the movie, Braveheart, was how one of the Reformers, Robert Assaf, described it, telling Icac the group sometimes slaughtered their fellow rightwingers in the Liberal party but came together for the big fights.

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