Perrottet hauls in Liberal Party’s state director to examine Hills Shire Council allegations
The premier reveals the Liberal Party is now investigating why senior party operatives, including his own brother, moved to dump sitting Hills Shire Council in favour of hand-picked candidates.
State Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from State Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has hauled in the Liberal Party’s state director to examine allegations made against a series of party operatives including his own brother.
Mr Perrottet has revealed that the Liberal Party is now investigating why senior party operatives moved to dump sitting Hills Shire Council in favour of hand-picked candidates.
The move comes after allegations of branch stacking were raised in a parliamentary inquiry examining the influence of developers in the council.
Labor Leader Chris Minns on Friday called for the Hills Shire Council to be suspended, and for a new inquiry to be launched after the election.
Mr Perrottet said the Liberal Party is examining allegations made in the course of the parliamentary inquiry.
“I’m aware that the state director of the party … (is) looking at them as we speak,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Anyone who has done anything wrong in relation to the matters that you have raised, they will have the book thrown at them,” Mr Perrottet told 2GB’s Ray Hadley.
On Thursday, a Riverina councillor detailed an alleged branch stacking operation undertaken by a Liberal powerbroker, who had been unable to be found despite a statewide manhunt currently being conducted by a NSW parliamentary committee.
Edward River councillor Shirlee Burge told an inquiry into allegations of impropriety against agents of the Hills Shire Council and property developers in the region that Liberal powerbroker Christian Ellis and his faction “took over” the Deniliquin branch of the Liberal Party, NCA NewsWire reported.
Ms Burge told the inquiry about an influx of “new and unusual members” which occurred in 2021 which resulted in multiple long-time members being expelled or threatened with expulsion.
Ms Burge said that in a meeting with Mr Ellis in 2021, he also indicated he had “connections” to the then-NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, as well as to an unnamed brother, who could help him assist Ms Burge in establishing a new hospital for the area.
“He mentioned he was connected to the Treasurer’s brother and could achieve this via that avenue. I was sceptical,” Ms Burge said.
The inquiry previously heard Mr Ellis and the brother of NSW Premier, Jean-Claude Perrottet, approached another Liberal Party member, Frits Mare, for $50,000 to unseat federal Liberal MP Alex Hawke in 2019. Mr Frits claimed the funds would be used in an alleged branch stacking operation to fund call centres to appeal to members who would be “sympathetic” to the operation.
Mr Ellis and his mother, Hills Shire Councillor Virginia Ellis, have been unable to be located by the upper house committee, despite a statewide search by professional process servers.
When asked for the potential location of Mr Ellis, Ms Burge told the inquiry she believed he was on his large property near Deniliquin. She also mentioned a reported sighting in which Mr Ellis was potentially seen driving a vehicle linked to him, while “wearing a ski mask”.
“The location of his property Bernina backs on to the beautiful red gum forest of the Barmah-Millewa. It’s a large area; people could disappear in there forever if they wanted to,” she told the inquiry.
Ms Burge said Mr Ellis had revealed aspirations to run as a Federal member for Farrer, in the state’s southwest, which has been held by Liberal member Sussan Ley since 2001.
“I suggested he contact the current member and follow them around for 12 months, learning the ropes and getting to know the electorate,” she said.
“He refused and said, I quote: ‘I want it now, I’m not waiting.’
“I also asked him why he didn’t run for state politics and he said: ‘I’m not interested.’”
Ms Burge also referenced an “intimidating” phone call which she received from the Secretary of the Deniliquin branch, in which she was threatened with expulsion. She said the person was “aligned” with Mr Ellis.
The final hearing into the Hills Shire council is coming to a close, as all parliamentary inquiries must finish before NSW parliament is dissolved on Friday.
‘Appalling’: Fury over plan to hike rates by 40 per cent
A Sydney councillor says the bureaucrats should slash their $159m wage bill before slugging residents with an average rates increase of $673 per year.
$600 million development to transform Central Coast ‘eyesore’
More than 500 new apartments will be built on a Central Coast site after developer ALAND was given the green light to transform a long-time eyesore. Read all the details here.