Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements took private jet, ICAC hears

Jamie Clements took many flights with Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo on Melbourne’s Crown casino jet, ICAC hears.

Jamie Clements leaves the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) public inquiry on Monday. Picture: AAP

Former NSW Labor boss Jamie Clements took many flights with billionaire Chinese property developer and gambling “high roller’’ Huang Xiangmo aboard the private jet of Melbourne’s Crown casino, a corruption inquiry has heard.

Tim Xu, who was Mr Huang’s personal assistant for 3 1/2 years, told the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday that Mr Clements accepted Mr Huang’s invitation to fly to Melbourne for meetings and entertainment including the Australian Open tennis.

The close association that developed between Mr Clements and Mr Huang, including private jet flights, was explored during reconvened hearings of an ICAC investigation into allegations an illegal $100,000 donation to the NSW ALP from Mr Huang was later covered up.

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Mr Huang now lives in Hong Kong after losing its Australian residency visa in December because of ASIO advice to the Morrison government that he was a foreign interference risk aligned with China’s Communist Party leadership.

He has declined ICAC’s request assist its investigation with evidence via videolink from Hong Kong, but has issued statements denying he gave political donations in breach of electoral laws and dismissing suggestions he might be an agent of influence for Beijing.

Mr Clements, who attended the ICAC proceedings on Monday and looked on as Mr Xu gave evidence, later confirmed outside the Sydney hearing room that he took one trip with Mr Huang’s on the Crown Casino private jet in July 2015 when he was party secretary.

He said the flight, at Mr Huang’s request, flew out of Sydney’s Mascot airport for Melbourne and its purpose was “relationship building”.

Mr Clements told The Australian he accepted invitations to join Mr Huang on the Crown private jet on numerous other occasions as well – but he said these flights occurred after he left his position as NSW Labor Party secretary in January 2016 and started working for the property developer as an adviser earning more than $600,000 over three years.

The first Clements private jet excursion in July 2015 occurred four months after Mr Huang is alleged to have walked into the then NSW Labor general secretary’s office in Sydney’s Sussex Street and personally handed him an Aldi bag filled with $100,000 cash.

ICAC has heard previously that the cash was intended for Labor campaigning in the March state election, despite a legal ban on property developers giving funds to parties in NSW. Property developers can legally give money to parties for federal elections.

Mr Clements has denied ever receiving a bag with $100,000 cash from Mr Huang.

But it has been confirmed that two lots of $50,000 cash were banked in the accounts of NSW Labor and its regional entity Country Labor a month after a Chinese Friends of Labor dinner in Sydney’s Chinatown. Mr Huang is alleged to have handed over cash, or agreed to do so, at this dinner.

In earlier ICAC evidence, Mr Clements agreed he did personally ask for and accept $10,000 cash from the property developer some months after the March dinner to help a union official with his election campaign.

Mr Clements, who was forced out of his party secretary’s position in January 2016 over a scandal involving sexual harassment allegations, has also admitted he accepted $35,000 cash from Mr Huang in a wine box in August 2015 when he was in “difficulties” and about to lose his job over sexual harassment allegations. He has said he spent these funds on legal bills and other personal items.

ICAC’s counsel assisting Scott Robertson questioned Mr Xu on Monday about Mr Huang’s “pattern” in cultivating people such as Mr Clements.

The former personal assistant and translator for Mr Huang, who arrived in Australia in 2012 to expand his Yuhu property development company and speaks no English, said it was common for Mr Huang to offer assistance to people such as Mr Clements and expect something in return.

Mr Xu agreed with ICAC commissioner Peter Hall QC that it was a “big ask” when Mr Huang requested that Mr Clements use his influence as NSW party secretary to get Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to sign a formal business partnership agreement for his state with a visiting Chinese delegation.

He agreed Mr Clements agreed to “give it a go” and “make it happen” but the Victorian premier did not sign any such agreement.

Mr Xu said he became increasingly “uncomfortable” about Mr Huang’s methods in expecting return favours after assistance offered, so much so that he decided to quit after 3 ½ years as personal assistant.

According to Mr Xu, he “learned about things” from newspaper articles about Mr Huang that he did not know while working for the property developer.

These included Mr Huang paying legal bills for ex-NSW Labor boss and senator Sam Dastyari, and Mr Dastyari’s subsequent “personal views” effectively condoning Chinese government policies at odds with the government’s and Labor’s own.

Asked if he thought Mr Huang’s methods were “unethical”, Mr Xu agreed. He claimed Mr Huang did not understand that practices tolerated in China were not appropriate in Australia.

Mr Xu agreed at one point of questioning from Mr Robertson that it was “possible” an envelope Mr Huang gave to Mr Clements in his NSW Labor office during one meeting in 2015 contained cash – but he said he did not see any money.

He said he learned afterwards the wine box Mr Huang gave Mr Clements at Mr Huang’s Mosman mansion in August 2015 had contained cash because the former Labor boss told him.

The ICAC investigation into the $100,000 donation held seven weeks of public hearings earlier this year. It has reconvened this week for further evidence from Mr Xu and others such as former NSW Labor MP Ernest Wong.

Mr Wong was accused in earlier ICAC hearings of pressuring low-paid waiters at the Emperor’s Garden restaurant to declare in signed statements that they were the donors of large sums to the NSW ALP and not Mr Huang. All restaurant staff and others involved have since confirmed they donated nothing.