'Not on your life': Ex-NSW minister quizzed over friend's donation

Ex-NSW Liberal minister Damien Tudehope has denied knowledge of potential breaches of electoral funding laws involving donations from his close friend and hotelier Michael O'Hara. During testimony before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry, codenamed Operation Rosny, Tudehope stated he did not believe the payments made by O'Hara constituted political donations. The inquiry is investigating whether these donations, which allegedly came through a company named Paslibdan Pty Ltd, violated electoral funding regulations by exceeding allowable limits and failing to be properly declared. Tudehope, who recently left the opposition frontbench following his summons as a witness in the inquiry, described his relationship with O'Hara as a long-standing friendship and political alliance. He acknowledged introducing O'Hara to members of the right-wing Liberal Party faction known as the NSW Reformers, a conservative Christian group linked to several key figures under investigation. Despite supporting the Reformers' stance on social issues, Tudehope expressed surprise upon learning of the magnitude of O'Hara’s financial contributions. During cross-examination by Counsel Assisting Peggy Dwyer SC, Tudehope emphasized his adherence to electoral funding laws and reiterated that he did not perceive O'Hara’s payments as political donations. He strongly denied any intention to place O'Hara in a legally precarious position, stating emphatically, “If you think for one moment... that I would expose Michael O'Hara to a circumstance where he would have to give evidence in this commission the way that he had to give evidence last week, if you think that I would expose a friend of mine to that level of scrutiny that he was exposed to 83 years of age with stage three for cancer, do you think that I would have done that in circumstances where I knew that he would be a prohibited donor, for the purposes of the Electoral Funding Act? Not on your life.” Tudehope further dismissed suggestions that he orchestrated efforts to conceal the nature of the donations. When Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC proposed that the actions might be characterized as "illegal concealment," Tudehope responded with a firm denial. He also refuted allegations that he influenced members of the Reformers, including Jean-Claude Perrottet, to increase recruitment in Sydney’s Hills district. The inquiry also delved into the employment history of Christian Ellis, who worked briefly in Tudehope’s parliamentary office in 2019 before his termination. Tudehope admitted that media reports connecting Ellis and Perrottet to alleged branch-stacking activities likely led to Ellis’s departure. When questioned about whether this situation prompted his office to dismiss Ellis, Tudehope concurred, acknowledging it as a probable contributing factor. In addition to Tudehope, Jean-Claude Perrottet, the brother of former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, is anticipated to appear before the inquiry. The investigation continues to explore the extent of financial support provided by O'Hara, whose status as a prohibited donor stems from his extensive involvement in the hospitality sector and ownership interests in multiple venues across New South Wales. The inquiry is set to hear more details regarding the alleged use of sham invoices to obscure the true nature of these transactions, which remain central to the ongoing probe into potential violations of electoral funding laws.