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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Anne Davies

‘Shame is the punishment’: as Icac delves into the shadowy Reformers, ‘whales’ are coming to the surface

From left to right: Dylan Whitelaw, Angus Taylor, Christian Ellis, Rob Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet, who have all either appeared before or been mentioned at Icac
From left: Dylan Whitelaw, Angus Taylor, Christian Ellis, Rob Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet, who have either appeared before or been mentioned at Icac. Composite: Guardian design/AAP

“I think they are whale hunting. We just don’t know yet which whale they will hit,” one Liberal insider said after the end of the second week of hearings before the New South Wales Independent Commission against Corruption.

The corruption watchdog is inquiring into allegations a group of young Liberals, known as the Reformers, took illegal donations – including from Catholic Schools NSW, a hotelier, and a fugitive property developer, Jean Nassif – in order to fund branch stacking. The Reformers were intent on gaining control of the Liberal party and ultimately delivering more conservative policies on abortion, euthanasia, marriage equality and climate change.

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