‘Leave my family out of it’: Perrottet’s ultimatum after being grilled on brothers
A fed up NSW Premier has delivered an emotional spray after being grilled on his brothers’ absence from a probe into allegations of impropriety in the Hills Shire Council.
State Election
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Premier Dominic Perrottet has delivered a stunning ultimatum to the media and the Labor Party to “leave my family out of it” after being grilled on the absence of his brothers Jean Claude Perrottet and Charles Perrottet.
Mr Perrottet’s brothers are being ordered to front an upper house inquiry into alleged impropriety within the Hills Shire Council in relation to key local development.
“Leave my family out of it,” Mr Perrottet repeated several times when asked where his brothers were and why they was not attending the inquiry.
“Leave my family out of it, seriously, leave my family out of it. I’m here elected to represent the people of New South Wales.
“The Labor Party are playing smear games with my family. Ray Williams never raised issues with my siblings in the parliament. He did not. Leave my family out of it.”
An emotional Mr Perrottet also refused to be drawn into allegations against his brothers made in the upper house inquiry.
The inquiry has now hired a private firm to track down witnesses who have not co-operated.
Already it has heard two senior Liberal members, including Jean-Claude Perrottet, asked a Sydney businessman for $50,000 to unseat longtime Liberal MP, Alex Hawke in an alleged branch stacking attempt.
Appearing at the upper house inquiry earlier this week, Sydney businessman Frits Maré said the 10 to 15-minute meeting with Liberal powerbrokers Jean-Claude Perrottet and Christian Ellis took place in about 2019.
Jean-Claude and his brother Charles Perrottet, as well as Mr Ellis, have come under fire for ignoring summonses to present evidence.
The public hearings are investigating the “role and influence of developers” on councillors and MPs at the Hills Shire Council.
On Tuesday, committee chair and Greens upper house member Sue Higginson said “multiple attempts” had been made to summon Virginia Ellis, Christian Ellis, Jean-Claude Perrottet and Charles Perrottet, who is believed to be out of the state during the inquiry.
PLAYING POLITICS WITH PATIENTS
Meanwhile, Mr Perrottet also slammed the opposition for “playing politics with patients” after Labor leader Chris Minns backed calls for a royal commission into the state’s health funding.
Mr Perrottet said he had spoken to Victorian premier Dan Andrews about the issue and said the country’s premiers were united in tackling it through the National cabinet.
“I’ve spoken to Dan Andrews about this. We are completely on the same page. These matters will be worked through the National cabinet … what we need is more bulk billing GPs, not more lawyers and their fees — that’s what you get in a two year Royal Commission,” he said.
“Now what I would say to Chris Minns is don’t play politics with patients, what we are doing, all premiers across the country and chief ministers, is working through the national cabinet process to deal with these issues.”
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