STATE OF PLAY AUSTRALIA 2024: anti-corruption agencies with runs on the board & the new kid on the block

 With corruption perceived as thriving around the world and Australia showing a worsening corruption level with a 10 point change in the wrong direction since 2012, according to Transparency International, it would be nice to see some improvement on the horizon.

In its 2023 report it seems Australia is not showing any such improvement on CPI results in the previous 2022 report. Although in all fairness, on a global scale the nation is not ranked as a high range offender.

Nevertheless, on the Australian east coast alone, four states and one territory published reports on a combined 73 corruption/integrity investigations in the 18 months between 1 July 2022 and 31 December 2023. [See "BACKGROUND"]

So I'm hoping that the slow progress of the first seven months of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) only indicates a new anti-corruption agency finding its way and, next year the general public will begin to see at least a hint that some of its 13 current investigations are nearing conclusion. Most especially, I'm hoping that Commissioner Brereton publishes the results of all completed investigations which found corrupt conduct.

Because I can see no good reason why the misdeeds of federal public officials/public servants should be afforded a total secrecy not afforded to their state and local government counterparts or any ordinary citizen.

On 5 March 2024 NACC released its regular weekly update for the reporting period: 1 July 2023 to midnight Sunday, 3 March 2024.

Overview

The National Anti-Corruption Commission:

• has received 2594 referrals

• has 376 referrals currently under assessment including 13 under preliminary investigation

• is conducting 13 corruption investigations

• is overseeing or monitoring 25 investigations by other agencies

Referral and assessment

At the end of the reporting period, the Commission had:

• received 2594 referrals

• excluded 2009 referrals at the triage stage because they did not involve a Commonwealth public official or did not raise a corruption issue

• 160 referrals awaiting triage

• 216 triaged referrals under assessment including 13 under preliminary investigation

• assessed 233 referrals, in respect of which the Commission:

  • decided to take no further action in 213 cases. Typically, this is because the referral does not raise a corruption issue, or there are insufficient prospects of finding corrupt conduct, or the matter is already being adequately investigated by another agency, or a corruption investigation would not add value in the public interest.

  • referred 5 corruption issues to agencies for investigation or consideration.

  • decided to investigate 9 corruption issues itself.

  • decided to investigate 4 corruption issues jointly with another agency.

BACKGROUND

In New South Wales out of the five investigation reports published by Independent Commission Against Corrupt Conduct (NSW ICACC) in 2023, four found seriously corrupt conduct involving members of state parliament, elected local government officials, public authority employees or property developers. While in 2022 four out of five investigation reports published found seriously corrupt conduct involving members of state parliament, political lobbyists, public servants, legal practitioners or land council employees.

In 2022-23 the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) received 3,931 corruption complaints and assessed 3,686 corruption complaints. Finalising 39 corruption investigations, resulting in two criminal charges and seven recommendations for disciplinary action.

In 2022-23 the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) began 11 investigations and 18 preliminary inquiries into public sector corruption and police misconduct. It also completed 14 investigations and 12 preliminary inquiries, with 18 investigations and preliminary inquiries still in progress at the end of that financial year.

Also in 2022-23 the ACT Integrity Commission worked on 13 investigations, including two new investigations. It also referred 9 matters:

• six referrals to the Public Sector Standards Commissioner

• one referral to ACT Corrective Services

• one referral to ACT Health

• one referral to the Justice and Community

  Safety Directorate.

In 2023 the Tasmanian Integrity Commission released two reports on the potential for bias and conflict of interest in local government hiring practices.

Only 39 days remaining until the NSW state election and Liberal MP for Epping & Premier Dominic Perrottet's troubles are multiplying.

 

Perrottet's first problem of the month....

Audit Office of New South Wales, Bushfire recovery grants: Environment Industry Compliance Internal controls and governance Management and administration Service delivery, 2 February 2023, excerpts from report highlights.

What the report is about

The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLER) program was created after the 2019–20 bushfires, and commits $541.8 million to bushfire affected areas in New South Wales. It is co-funded by the Commonwealth and NSW governments.

This audit assessed how effectively the Department of Regional NSW (the department) and Resilience NSW administered rounds one and two of the BLER program….

What we found

The Department of Regional NSW did not effectively administer the Fast-Tracked stream of the BLER.

The administration process lacked integrity, given it did not have sufficiently detailed guidelines and the assessment process for projects lacked transparency and consistency.

At the request of the Deputy Premier's office, a $1 million threshold was applied, below which projects were not approved for funding….

This threshold resulted in a number of shortlisted projects in areas highly impacted by the bushfires being excluded, including all shortlisted projects located in Labor Party-held electorates….. [my yellow highlighting]

The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 February 2023:

The Perrottet government has handed the corruption watchdog a copy of a scathing investigation which found an intervention by the office of the then-deputy premier John Barilaro diverted funding for a $100 million bushfire recovery program away from Labor-held electorates.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet provided the report exposing serious transparency failures to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Friday morning, sidestepping NSW Labor leader Chris Minns who had earlier threatened to do the same.

A damning report by the auditor-general released on Thursday revealed that instead of following guidelines, the office of the then-NSW Nationals leader devised their own rules to fast-track money to areas hit by the 2019 Black Summer catastrophe – a switch that meant 96 per cent of projects funded were in Coalition-held seats.

Minns issued the former deputy premier a 24-hour ultimatum to explain the reasons behind the 2021 decision or have the matter referred to ICAC by Labor. The Labor leader’s office was drafting a letter to the ICAC on Friday afternoon…..

Perrottet's latest political headache....

IMAGE: ABC News, 11 February 2023

Jean-Claude Perrottet and Charles Perrottet (pictured) were called to appear before NSW Legislative Council Portfolio Committee No. 7 – Planning and Environment inquiry into "Allegations of impropriety against agents of the Hills Shire Council and property developers in the region".

Allegations of impropriety centre around a June 2022 statement made under parliamentary privilege by another Liberal MLA, Ray Williams, that senior members of the party & state executive received payment from a property developer to facilitate the selection of Liberal candidates at the December 2022 local government election who if elected would hold a favourable view of his development applications.

 

However, along with senior office holder in NSW Liberal Party and lobbyist Christian Ellis, Councillor Virginia Ellis (Lib) and property developer Jean Nassif, the Perrottet brothers (both NSW Liberal Party members) have failed to indicate attendance at the inquiry or acknowledge official summons.

While former The Hills Shire councillor Alan Haselden (Lib) appears to have walked back his previously expressed concerns.

Chair of Portfolio Committee No. 7 stated in an official 11 February media release: "This appears to be a calculated and coordinated attempt to avoid scrutiny by the NSW Parliament. The committee is extremely concerned by this behaviour and calls on these individuals to cooperate with the inquiry."

As the Inquiry is due to report to the NSW Parliament no later than 2 March 2023, just 23 days before the state election, in my opinion there is a strong suspicion that any failure of these persons to give evidence would possibly be part of a deliberate effort to forestall that report to Parliament.

Not a good look for the Premier.

Some people just don't retire gracefully from politics or public office

 

A retired politician, well-known by his ministerial policies and actions to communities in the Northern Rivers region, also took very early 'retirement' from his new positions as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas on 30 June 2022.

This does not signal that troubles are over for former NSW Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Industry and Trade, Nationals MP for Monaro, sometime invited 'guest' of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption & now formerly appointed NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (New York posting), John Domenic Barilaro.

 

BACKGROUND

The Monthly, 29 June 2022: 

...It’s not looking good for former NSW deputy premier and trade minister John Barilaro, following a parliamentary hearing into how he was offered a $500,000-a-year US trade commissioner job that he created while in government. But nor is it looking good for Premier Dominic Perrottet, or the trade minister, Stuart Ayres, or for anyone involved in this whole sordid saga. (Admittedly, it never looked good to begin with, with incriminating details being uncovered by the day.) Giving testimony today, Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown, who was responsible for the process, confirmed that she had “verbally offered” the role to preferred candidate Jenny West in August last year – contradicting Perrottet, who has previously said no suitable candidate was found. But the offer was rescinded in October, Brown said, after she was instructed by Barilaro’s office to “unwind” it, because of a “government decision” to instead make such roles ministerial appointments. This came, it turns out, not long after his office had sought her advice on “the various mechanisms” by which such jobs could be appointed, including whether it could be a ministerial appointment, in a request that was clear came from the deputy PM himself. What on earth made Barilaro think he could get away with nobody noticing this paper trail?

There had been something fishy about Barilaro’s lucrative appointment from the moment it was announced – and not just because this is the politician who happily adopted the moniker John “Pork Barrel-aro”. (Perhaps it might now be “jobs for the Barilaros”.) It quickly became known that Barilaro got the job after it had already been offered to West, with that offer rescinded just days before the former Nats leader announced his resignation from parliament. Then there was the fact that Brown had told the external recruitment firm that the appointment would be henceforth handled as an “internal matter” the day before Barilaro announced his resignation, despite Perrottet and Ayres saying this week that the process was handled by the recruiting firm. Today’s inquiry also revealed that Brown got a “heads up” from new trade minister Ayres that Barilaro was going to apply (she didn’t get a “heads up” on any other candidate), and that she later informed Ayers that his former cabinet colleague had been shortlisted.....

It’s also not hard to see why Barilaro though t he might get away with this. As the AFR’s Tom Burton writes, “Along with pork-barrelling, ‘jobs for the boys’ has been one of the ugly stalwarts of modern public-sector life”, with public boards often filled with “friends” of the government of the day. And some jobs are simply described as “political appointments” (the previous federal government made more than 30 such appointments on its way out the door). This kind of corruption has become painfully normalised. But in this case, Barilaro has steamrolled someone else – an “excellent candidate”, according to Brown – who is now being painted as some kind of jilted lover, with Brown implying that the frustrated candidate refused to reapply. (It’s not clear whether West knew something we didn’t back in October last year, but honestly, can you blame her?) It was shameless of Barilaro to pull this one, thinking he could simply take a role that has already been assigned. But it was equally foolish of Perrottet to allow it to happen. People are paying attention, it seems, and there’s no doubt that ICAC is watching too. 

Media attention also continues with regard to other issues:

Icac queries grant made by John Barilaro to company linked to Angus Taylor’s family

Coalition MPs just cannot stay out of the headlines

Hot on the heels of the discovery of how many Coalition parliamentarians are involved in the dual citizenship disaster.... 

Prior to entering the South Australian Parliament in March 2014 the then Liberal  now Independent Member for Mount Gambier, Troy Bell, was a teacher, online wine purveyor, restaurateur and manager of the Independent Learning Centre at Mt. Gambier.

According to its website History page; The Independent Learning Centre (ILC) opened its doors in Mount Gambier in January 2007 as a co-operative pilot program between the State Government’s Department of Education and Children’s Services, the Federal Government FOCiS on Youth initiative, and, later, the Innovative Community Action Networks (ICAN) initiative.

Independent Commission Against Corruption South Australia:

PUBLIC STATEMENT BY THE HON. BRUCE LANDER QC INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONER AGAINST CORRUPTION

14 AUGUST 2017

Prosecution pending On Friday 11 August 2017, a public officer was charged with 20 counts of theft and six counts of dishonestly dealing with documents, being seven minor indictable offences and 19 major indictable offences, as a result of an investigation by my office. It will be alleged that the 43-year-old man from Mount Gambier dishonestly dealt with a substantial amount of public money. It will be further alleged that the public officer used documents known to be false, with the intention of claiming a benefit for himself. The alleged offending is said to have occurred between 9 July 2009 and 18 March 2013. The man has been summonsed to appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court at 10:30am on 22 August 2017.

ABC News, 17 August 2017:

State Liberal MP for Mount Gambier Troy Bell has resigned from the party after being charged with stealing a substantial amount of taxpayers' money.

Liberal Party state director Sascha Meldrum confirmed she had received and accepted Mr Bell's resignation on Thursday.

The first-term MP intends to remain in Parliament and has released a statement saying he is "innocent of these allegations of theft and dishonesty and will defend them in court".

Last week, Mr Bell was charged with 20 counts of theft and six counts of dishonestly dealing with documents.

He's due to appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court next Tuesday.

It will be alleged Mr Bell dishonestly dealt with a substantial sum of public money, and that he used documents known to be false, with the intention of claiming a benefit for himself.

The alleged offences are said to have occurred between July 9, 2009 and March 18, 2013, prior to his time in Parliament.

The former teacher ran an Independent Learning Centre in Mount Gambier before his election in 2014.

Mr Bell confirmed in a statement he had been "charged with a number of offences" and he denied any wrong doing.

ABC News, 18 August 2017:

Liberal leader Steven Marshall has come under fire for his party's response to the controversy engulfing Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell, who is facing criminal charges and has resigned from the party after an anti-corruption investigation.

It was revealed today Bell's decision, which has thrown Liberal preselection in the seat in South Australia's south-east into turmoil, followed a probe by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) Bruce Lander.

Bell will appear in court on Tuesday to face charges including 20 counts of theft that allegedly occurred over four years, before he became an MP.

"It will be alleged that the 43-year-old man from Mount Gambier dishonestly dealt with a substantial amount of public money," Mr Lander said in a statement.

"It will be further alleged that the public officer used documents known to be false, with the intention of claiming a benefit for himself."

The former teacher ran an Independent Learning Centre in Mount Gambier before his election in 2014, but is maintaining his innocence and vowing to fight the charges.

Labor is calling on Bell to immediately resign from Parliament and force a by-election, but he has committed to remaining as an independent.

He today spoke publicly about the matter for the first time, and is refusing to rule out contesting the next election.

"That's too early to determine. This has taken a very heavy toll on my family and my staff," he said.

The Advertiser, 18 August 2017:

CHARGED MP Troy Bell did not tell the Liberal Party he was the subject of an internal Education Department inquiry before his alleged crimes were referred to ICAC for investigation.

Sources told The Advertiser that Mr Bell — who is facing 26 criminal charges and has quit the Liberal Party — was aware of an investigation into financial irregularities at the learning facility he managed at Mt Gambier as early as April last year.

Mr Bell on Friday refused to comment on this, stating that his lawyer had advised him not to response to further questions.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said his office had not been advised of any internal investigation into Mr Bell and he first became aware of the ICAC inquiry on Sunday when told by Mr Bell.

As the political storm over the scandal deepened, Premier Jay Weatherill said Mr Bell should resign from Parliament immediately and he attacked Mr Marshall’s leadership on the issue, citing his silence, lack of decisive action and backing for Mr Bell to remain in parliament.

The Trouble With Water: not a good look for the National Party of Australia

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0

On 1 June 2017 former NSW Minister for Natural Resources, Lands and Water (23 April 2014 - 2 April 2015) and current Nationals MP for Barwon, Kevin Humphries, announced that he will retire at the next state election in March 2019.

In the wake of the 24 July ABC “Four Corners” revelations of large-scale water theft under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Humphries has been referred to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) by the Labor Opposition.

Hot on the heels of this program came another announcement on 31 July 2017.

Former NSW Minister for Primary Industries (3 April 2011 - 2 April 2015) with responsibility for lands & water and current Nationals MP for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson, announced her retirement effective mid to late August 2017.

Hodgkinson denies any connection between her sudden retirement and those Four Corners revelations.

However it should be noted that it was on the joint watch of Humphries and Hodgkinson that the position of NSW Water Commissioner responsible for the overall management of the State’s surface water and groundwater resources was axed and the NSW Office of Water was reformed as part of the Dept. of Primary Industry maintaining overall responsibility for accepting and assessing applications to change water access licences and operating the Water Access Licence Register.

High volume water theft appears to have become easier on the watch of these two National Party politicians.

All that would be needed for a trifecta of retiring state politicians associated with water resource policy would be for the current NSW Minister for Primary Industry, Minister for Regional Water and Nationals MLC, Niall Blair, to announce an unexpected desire to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

Any further scandal surrounding the management water resources in the NSW section of the Murray-Darling Basin and this may well be a distinct possibility - or even more media coverage like this perhaps?

The Daily Telegraph, 2 August 2017:

A NATIONALS minister is pushing Cabinet colleagues to change irrigation laws to retrospectively justify a decision by his department to give a major political donor and cotton farmer more rights over the precious Barwon-Darling River.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair is behind a push to alter an element of the Barwon-Darling Water Sharing Plan.

It comes after his department in 2016 overruled what it called “minor” error in the law to grant extra irrigation rights to Brewarrina cotton farmer Peter Harris.

A department briefing, seen by The Daily Telegraph, said the error was impacting on “some users wishing to trade between river sections covered by the plan”.

The briefing was written shortly after Mr Harris was given extra rights.

Mr Harris gave $10,000 to the National Party prior to the 2011 election in combined personal donations and those made by his company.

Its understood an internal Coalition fight has broken out between Mr Blair and current Water Minister Gabrielle Upton , who is resisting the changes. The revelations come as several inquiries have been launched into the alleged water theft on an industrial scale of precious resources across the basin…….

The Daily Telegraph has obtained another document showing that the retiring Ms Hodgkinson changed the water sharing plan to benefit irrigators after lobbying. She was water minister at the time.

In a 2012 letter to lobbyist and cotton farmer Ian Cole, Ms Hodgkinson wrote: “Following consideration of a number of WSP (water sharing plan) matter raised with me, I ­requested the Office of Water to make several amendments which I believe now present a fair and equitable outcome for all.”

The Minister for the Environment and Liberal MP for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton's obvious reluctance may be due to her appreciation of a change in wind direction within the national electorate on the subject of Murray-Darling Basin water allocations.

The present Deputy Prime Minister and Australian Water Minister, Barnaby Joyce, is also in a somewhat precarious position – less to do with his manifest inadequacy as a federal minister and more to do with his stated motives for seeking to add the water ministry to his portfolio responsibilities.

Cartoonist David Rowe at Financial Review

NSW Berejiklian Coalition Government has decided that a new group will be added to those already receiving under-the-table largesse from corrupt developers

If the investigative history of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) since its inception in 1988 (as well as the existence of the Pecuniary Interest & Disciplinary Tribunal) wasn’t proof enough that everyone from ministers of the Crown, members of parliament, judicial officers, public servants, local government councillors and council administrative staff, are capable of being corrupted by rapacious developers, the Berejiklian Coalition Government has decided to increase the field for the convenience of their bagmen by adding yet another layer to the development consent process.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 May 2017:

Councils are set to be stripped of the power to determine development applications above a certain value in a governance shake-up that will mandate the use of independent planning panels across most of NSW….

Draft changes to the Planning Act released by then planning minister Rob Stokes in January proposed empowering the minister to order a council to use an independent panel for development applications in certain circumstances…..

it is understood new Planning Minister Anthony Roberts believes that mandating Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels (IHAPs) is an important probity measure.

The panels, which are optional at present, are used by large councils, including Parramatta and Liverpool.

Fairfax Media understands Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Mr Roberts are considering the change alongside a suite of housing affordability measures to go to cabinet this week.

The final shape of the independent panels has yet to be decided but it is likely they would operate in a similar fashion to the existing IHAPs.

NSW ICAC Operation Cavill: former NSW Liberal MP for Gladesville & former Ryde Mayor committal hearing on charges of blackmail and misconduct in public office

The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 October 2016:

A former Liberal state MP and Sydney mayor will face court on Monday to determine if he should be committed to stand trial for blackmail and misconduct in public office.

Ivan Petch was Ryde mayor when, in 2012, a controversial redevelopment of the Ryde Civic Centre triggered a series of flash points that later became the subject of a two-week hearing by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Mr Petch now faces a range of charges arising from the inquiry, including two counts of blackmail, misconduct in public office and giving false or misleading evidence to ICAC.

Mr Petch lashed out at the corruption watchdog last week for having "discoloured" his "whole career in one fell swoop".

"I have spent 37 years serving the people and, in that time, I have always acted in the interests of the community," he said. "I have stood by them all the way through."

After losing his state seat of Gladesville in the 1995 election to Labor's John Watkins by the narrow margin of 250 votes, Mr Petch became an independent councillor who went on to serve six terms as Ryde mayor.

However, in 2013, ICAC investigated Mr Petch over the alleged release of confidential council information "on many occasions for various reasons" but most notably to "undermine" council employees such as the former general manager John Neish.

During the inquiry, a phone tap was played of Mr Petch threatening to "destroy" Mr Neish. It emerged that, a short time later, sensitive material was leaked in a bid to discredit the council's head, after he refused to delay a high-rise residential redevelopment plan for council's ageing civic centre.

Mr Petch, who is charged with one count of misconduct in public office for allegedly releasing that material, has also been charged with "being an accessory before the fact of a count of blackmail" in relation to the alleged threat, for which property developer John Goubran is also facing a blackmail charge.

Mr Petch is also facing a separate charge of blackmail for allegedly attempting to improperly influence Mr Neish's acting replacement Danielle Dickson after her predecessor quit.

The then mayor allegedly threatened Ms Dickson that councillors, including himself, would block her application for the permanent position if she failed to resolve an ongoing Supreme Court costs dispute in their favour.

Mr Petch's three-day committal hearing will be heard in Sydney Local Court by Deputy Chief Magistrate Jane Mottley.

BACKGROUND

NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC):

Ryde City Council – allegations concerning the City of Ryde Mayor, Councillor Ivan Petch (Operation Cavill)

The ICAC investigated a number of allegations involving the former Mayor of the City of Ryde, Ivan Petch, and others, including the alleged release of confidential council information by Mr Petch on many occasions for various reasons, including in an attempt to undermine council employees, such as the former General Manager, Mr John Neish.

In its report on the investigation, made public on 30 June 2014, the Commission makes corrupt conduct findings against Mr Petch, John Goubran and Richard Henricus. The Commission is of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with respect to the prosecution of Mr Petch, Mr Goubran, Anthony Stavrinos, John Booth and Mr Henricus for various offences.

The ICAC is of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the DPP also with respect to the prosecution of Mr Petch, councillors Justin Li, Jeffrey Salvestro-Martin, Terry Perram and former councillor Victor Tagg for offences under the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981 in relation to advertising published in The Weekly Times in August and September 2012. The Commission also recommends that the Office of Local Government gives consideration to disciplinary action against Mr Petch, with a view to his dismissal…..

Recommendations for prosecutions…..

The ICAC is of the opinion that the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions should be obtained with respect to the prosecution of the following persons:

Ivan Petch

* The common law offence of misconduct in public office in relation to his handling of the discovery of adult material on Mr Neish's computer and his attempts to leak the material to the media.

* Five offences of giving false or misleading evidence pursuant to section 87 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 relating to the discovery of adult material on John Neish's computer.

* The common law offence of misconduct in public office in relation to his release of confidential advice from the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, and also internal Council emails concerning planning approvals.

* Making an unwarranted demand with menaces with the intention of influencing the exercise of a public duty pursuant to section 249K of the Crimes Act 1900 in relation to the approach to Danielle Dickson.

* Offences of accepting an indirect campaign contribution pursuant to section 96E of the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981 in relation to advertising published in The Weekly Times on 1, 7, 15, and 22 August 2012, and also 29 August and 5 September 2012.

Full report here.

Liberal Party of Australia going into the 2016 federal election campaign with tattered petticoats

On 31 March 2016 The Australian revealed the names of political donors that the Liberal Party of Australia had been attempting to deny to the Australian Electoral Commission.

It is noted that property developers are banned from making donations to political parties standing for election in New South Wales.

It is noted that the Free Enterprise Foundation donated $75,000 to the NSW division of the Liberal Party in 2013-14, $225,00 to the federal division of the Liberal Party in 2012-13, $1,250,000 to the federal division in 2013-14 and another $100,000 to the federal division in 2014-15.

Those donors with a red asterisk beside their names are known to have been mentioned (or their representatives gave evidence) during NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption “Operation Spicer” hearings.

This is the list of those names as published, with my annotations:

Donations to the Free Enterprise Foundation ahead of the NSW 2011 state election

Date, donor, amount

5/11/10: Renlyn Bell Investments *, $9,900 – part-owned by Sydney property developer Garry Bonaccorso through G & R Bonaccorso Family Trust.

5/11/10: DP Smith Enterprises *, $10,000 – involved in building & development.

5/11/10: E & B Pastoral P/L *, $500 – co-owner of industrial units.

5/11/10: Walker Pearse P/L *, $500 – Central Coast business consultant, former interest in retirement village.

5/11/10: PJC Holdings P/L *, $2,000 – said to be a company connected with Arthur Maroon of Beraci Pty Ltd, a housing construction company.

5/11/10: Belside P/L *, $10,000 – directors Sam Maroon and Joe Becharra.

5/11/10: ANZ Real Estate Consultants *, $5000

5/11/10: Naletran P/L *, $3000

18/11/10: Myall Coast Health *, $500 – currently owned by Ochre Health Group.

18/11/10: Australbricks *, $5000

6/12/10: Big Country Developments *, $9900 – NSW property development company operating since 1958, sole director Peter Heskey.

6/12/10: Anthony Shepherd *, $1500 - chairman of then Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Commission of Audit.

9/12/10: TSM Projects P/L *, $750 – property development.

9/12/10: Precinct 8C Wadalba Lobby Group *, $4000 – group of land owners pushing to have their Wadalba land re-zoned for subdivision.

9/12/10: Threshold Developments P/L *, $2000 – March 2013 land rezoned at Wadalba by NSW Coalition Government.

9/12/10: Everitt & Everitt Executive Super, $750

13/12/10: Tesrol Group Projects P/L, $1499 – land developers possibly belonging to the Tesrol Group of Companies.

13/12/10: Tesrol Bridge St P/L, $1499 - possibly belonging to the Tesrol Group of Companies.

13/12/10: Seasonsrage P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Smeaton Grange P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Rumerone P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Lorset P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Kirkstall P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Epivision P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Dribonn P/L, $1499

13/12/10: Tesrol P/L, $1499 – Tesrol Group of Companies comprising property development and joinery businesses.

14/12/10: Jilliby Stage 2 Land Owners Action Group *, $4000 – 2013 NSW Coalition Government attitude to development in Wyong Valley said to soften.

14/12/10: Holland Fine Art & Cars P/L , $10,000 – In 2013-2014 as a co-defendant the company was successfully sued over sale of forged artwork.

16/12/10: Transnational Storage P/L *, $12,500 – a Tuggerah NSW business.

16/12/10: Boardwalk Resources P/L *, $53,000 – then an unlisted mining exploration and development company with coal exploration assets in NSW & Qld subject to investigation during NSW ICAC. Operation Spicer

16/12/10: Sunbeat Bissap P/L, $10,000 – Chinese global trader of juice, tea and jellies.

16/12/10: Adaptive P/L, $500

16/12/10: T & R Pridham, $500

16/12/10: Adaptive P/L, $800

16/12/10: Aline Pumps Sales & Service *, $1490

16/12/10: JR & JM Pridham, $1500

16/12/10: SFH P/L ATF Stead Family Trust, $600

16/12/10: SFH P/L ATF Stead Family Trust, $375

16/12/10: SFH P/L ATF Stead Family Trust, $500

16/12/10: PR & GA Monks, $1000

16/12/10: RA & EJ Kennard, $1500

16/12/10: T & GM Pridham, $500

16/12/10: JS & SJ Lindqvist, $50

16/12/10: DG Firth & MJ Firth, $1490

16/12/10: DJ & CR Kennard, $1500

16/12/10: Jerry & Debbie Kennard, $1500

16/12/10: KJ & SE Truswell, $1200

16/12/10: Allsteel Products P/L, $1499

16/12/10: EJ & JG Fooks, $1000

16/12/10: BD & RG Gooden, $1499

16/12/10: JP & DR Monks, $1490

16/12/10: Interspan Industries P/L, $1490

16/12/10: The Advance Precision Trust, $1499

16/12/10: NJ & PG Kennard, $750

16/12/10: NJ & PG Kennard, $750

16/12/10: Fooks P/L, $1499

16/12/10: Fooks P/L, $1499

16/12/10: Fooks P/L, $1499

16/12/10: Weltson P/L, $5000

17/12/10: Petra Civil P/L, $2000

17/12/10: Elmslea Land Developments *, $20,000 – wanted land rezoned to expand Elmslea Village, proposal still being progressed by local council in 2015.

17/12/10: Swift Exhaust, $1499

17/12/10: A & SA Davis, $1450

17/12/10: The Heaney Family Trust, $1499

17/12/10: CJ & JR Shore, $1499

17/12/10: Fleetwood Urban P/L, $1499

17/12/10: Windsor Farm Equipment, $1499

17/12/10: Printban P/L *, $10,000 – a property lessor company on the NSW Central Coast associated with Tim Gunasinghe, general manager/ director of Commercialhq a commercial property development company located on the NSW Central Coast specializing in commercial office accommodation, retail shopping centres, specialized retail and commercial development.

20/12/10: Town & Country Lands P/L, $10,000 - lawn and garden service company.

20/12/10: Soul Pattinson *, $50,000 – Washington H. Soul Pattinson has a property investment portfolio, which at the time of this donation had cross-shareholdings with Brickworks since 1969. Soul Pattinson donated $50,000 dollars to the federal division of the Liberal Party in 2012-13.

20/12/10: Brickworks *, $125,000 – brick manufacturing business & property developer through its Land and Development Group. Donated $100,000 to the NSW division of the Liberal Party in 2013-14. and 21/12/10: Westfield Limited *, $150,000 – previously Westfield Development Corporation Limited and now Scentre Limited, a large international property development company registered in NSW. Westfield Limited donated $150,000 to the federal division of the Liberal Party in 2012-13.

22/12/10: Walker Group Holdings *, $100,000 – part of a large property development group established in 1964 and headquartered in Sydney NSW. The Walker Group donated $20,000 to the NSW division of the Liberal Party in 2013-14 and $100,000 to the federal division of the Liberal Party in 2012-13.

Total: $680,214

FEDERAL LIBERAL PARTY DONATIONS

Donations to the Free Enterprise Foundation

Date, donor, amount

28/07/10: Meriton Premier Apartments *, $25,000

29/07/10: Brickworks *, $50,000 – donated $150,000 to federal division Liberal Party in 2012-13.

5/8/10: Xiang Rong (Aust) Inv Group P/L *, $20,000

19/08/10: Crown International Holdings *, $10,000

19/08/10: Vaste Developments P/L, $3000

8/9/10: Lin Mingchi, $5000

Total: $113,000