ICAC Operation Rosny LIVE updates: Catholic Schools NSW CEO Dallas McInerney returns to give evidence

8.26amAnalysis: Dallas McInerney’s first week in the witness boxBy Bevan ShieldsFor all that is said about Dallas McInerney – and a lot is said from both haters and boosters – nobody has ever called him an idiot. In his dual roles as Catholic Schools NSW chief executive and Liberal Party powerbroker, McInerney has proved a formidable, ruthless and highly intelligent tactician.What the state’s corruption watchdog is wondering, though, is whether he has been too clever by half. At its simplest, the Independent Commission Against Corruption believes he has abused his position at Catholic Schools NSW and potentially broken donation laws by directing hundreds of thousands of dollars towards a conservative Christian branch-stacking operation. The schools body was also a cushy landing pad for political mates who needed jobs.By mixing business with political pleasure he has found himself in the spotlight, rather than the shadows where he prefers to operate. McInerney’s appearance before the ICAC is a body blow for a man who has had more influence over the education of millions of Catholic school students than any other person for a decade.McInerney will return to the witness box on Wednesday for a fresh set of questions. His two days of evidence last week featured plenty of embarrassing moments and curiously vague answers. But the ICAC is yet to produce a smoking gun that definitively proves he orchestrated or knew of the scheme. Based on what we know, prosecutors may be far from convinced that this is a slam-dunk case of electoral fraud.8.22amWho is giving evidence this weekBy Jessica McSweeneyAfter a four day break the ICAC returns today with a final day of evidence from Catholic Schools NSW CEO Dallas McInerney, who has denied any wrongdoing. Tomorrow the commission will move on to evidence from former fair trading minister Eleni Petinos and her former chief of staff Cassandra Lawry. The commission previously heard phone taps in which Jean Nassif claimed to have significant influence over the previous Coalition government, and bragged that the fair trading portfolio would be taken over by one of his “girls”. Eleni Petinos remains on the opposition frontbench. Rhett WymanPetinos would take over the position shortly after that phone call in a cabinet reshuffle. By July 2022, one of Nassif’s enemies David Chandler resigned as NSW building commissioner after an investigation into his conduct ordered by Petinos’ office.Petinos is not a person of interest in this inquiry. On Friday former Baulkham Hills MP David Elliott will give evidence. He is not accused of wrongdoing – the commission is investigating if Liberal Party apparatchiks worked to damage Elliott’s political career at the behest of Nassif. The commission previously heard evidence that the Reformers, the factional group working to stack branches with religious conservatives, had developed a “shit-sheet” with damaging rumours and stories about Elliott. 8.11amWhat we covered last weekBy Jessica McSweeneyHello and welcome to another week of public hearings in the ICAC’s Operation Rosny, investigating allegedly unlawful political donations from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and Catholic Schools NSW, among others, to support Liberal branch stacking activities. I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney, and along with a team of the Herald’s senior writers, we’ll be bringing you all the news as it happens from the hearing room. Today Catholic Schools NSW CEO Dallas McInerney returns for a third day of evidence. Before we jump in, lets recap what we covered last week: Jeremy Greenwood, a key figure in this inquiry, paid for his friend Jean-Claude Perrottet to flee to Fiji during a 2023 parliamentary inquiry into illegal donations in the Hills Shire. Perrottet, Greenwood, Christian Ellis and others went to extraordinary lengths to avoid being summonsed to appear before that inquiry, including hiring private security. Dallas McInerney has repeatedly denied consultancy contracts he held with Beckington and later JPG advisory, both companies linked to persons of interest in the inquiry, were to support Liberal Party branch stacking. He said the contracts were for genuine government relations work. He denied ever asking Angus Taylor for donations to support the Reformers, the factional group involving Ellis and Jean-Claude Perrottet, despite texts from Reformers indicating he secured Taylor’s backing. Taylor has denied ever making payments.The commission made a rare public plea for key person of interest Christian Ellis to make himself available to the ICAC. Jeremy Greenwood passed on a message from his friend indicating he did want to cooperate, but counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said offers had been made to support a video link with Ellis in the UK but the ICAC has not heard back. “If Mr Ellis is listening, the commission waits for his response,” presiding commissioner Fabian Gleeson, SC, said. 1 of 1