Source : Perth Now news
A powerbroking schools boss is set to give a third day’s evidence at a state corruption probe.
Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney will face the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry on Wednesday.
Catholic Schools NSW is embroiled in allegations that funds were funnelled to the NSW Liberal’s religious-right Reformers faction through sham consulting arrangements.
Last week, Mr McInerney was grilled over a consulting arrangement with the Beckington Group.
He denied payments to the group were to fund the Reformers but was pressed on whether the $130,000 spend over 2019 and 2021 elicited “tangible” results.
Commissioner Fabian Gleeson suggested the payments yielded hardly any particular deliverables.
Mr McInernery replied: “There were scheduled meetings in my diary… where this iterative process and due diligence took place”.
But counsel assisting Juliet Curtin said the retainers amounted to a sham, alleging no substantive services were rendered.
“What you’re doing here, Mr McInerney, is manufacturing an auditable paper trail,” she argued.
Mr McInerny also faced questions regarding dealings with Angus Taylor, after he was alleged to have sought financial support from the federal Liberal leader.
The schools boss agreed he sought assistance from Mr Taylor but rejected suggestions it was related to the NSW Reformers faction.
Mr Taylor denied making such a payment to Mr McInerney.
Mr McInerny stepped aside from the schools body at the beginning of the probe.
Liberal MP Eleni Petinos, currently on maternity leave, is then due to front the inquiry on Thursday.
The commission previously heard a taped phone call in which fugitive property developer Jean Nassif appeared to claim a role in a 2021 cabinet reshuffle that saw Ms Petinos take the Fair Trading portfolio.
Her 2022 chief of staff, Cassandra Lawry, is also slated to appear on Wednesday.
Former Liberal MP David Elliott is then expected to give evidence to the commission on Friday.
The inquiry was previously told of a salacious “David Elliott shit sheet” regarding the former police and transport minister.
