‘Did you send that report?’ The Icac bombshell that came late for Damien Tudehope
Former Liberal finance minister Damien Tudehope was questioned by Icac counsel assisting, Peggy Dwyer, on Tuesday about his involvement with the Reformers, a shadowy group at the centre of Icac's Operation Rosny. Tudehope was shown an email he sent in February 2023, attac…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Damien Tudehope, former Liberal finance minister, was questioned by Icac about his involvement with the Reformers, a group at the centre of Operation Rosny. He was shown an email he sent in February 2023, attaching a leaked draft parliamentary report.
Imagine you're a politician, and you're in charge of making sure the rules are fair for everyone. But then you find out that some people are breaking the rules to get ahead. That's what happened with Damien Tudehope, a politician in Australia. He was asked questions about whether he helped some people break the rules, and he got in trouble for it. It's like if you were in charge of making sure everyone follows the rules at school, but then you found out that some kids were cheating to get better grades.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
Damien Tudehope's examination before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) has probably imperilled his parliamentary career. The bombshell came in the last five minutes of his examination, when he was shown an email he sent in February 2023, attaching a leaked draft parliamentary report into branch stacking in the Hills area by the Reformers, the shadowy group at the centre of Icac's Operation Rosny.
Tudehope visibly tensed when asked if he had sent the report in draft to Mr Greenwood, one of the group's leaders. He agreed that using invoices to public relations firms to channel payments was 'concealment' as the commissioner, Fabian Gleeson, phrased it.
The questioning of Tudehope raises questions about his involvement with the Reformers and the donations they are alleged to have taken to fund their branch takeover activities. This has significant implications for the Liberal party and the integrity of the electoral process.
Why Cursor?
Tudehope's close friend and former law partner Michael O'Hara, who became a successful hotelier, became a major donor to the Reformers, giving $165,000 to a number of entities after introductions at a function at Tudehope's home where the News Corp columnist Miranda Devine was the speaker.
Tudehope agreed he might have introduced Ellis to O'Hara, but denied he had encouraged illegal donations. He said he would not have exposed his friend to the level of scrutiny he was exposed to, 83 years of age with stage three/four cancer, in circumstances where he knew he would be a prohibited donor for the purposes of the Electoral Funding Act.
The Road Ahead
The other major backer of the Reformers was Catholic Schools NSW, and here Tudehope has several connections. He was friends with the CEO, Dallas McInerney, also a powerful key figure in the right, while his son James worked in communications at Catholic Schools NSW.
Icac heard on Wednesday that at a Sunday lunch, James Tudehope told his father he was being pressured to pay an invoice from Ellis. He was 'very agitated' because he didn't think they were getting value for money, Damien Tudehope said. Tudehope said he recommended his son take it up with McInerney, his boss.
Key points
- Damien Tudehope was questioned by Icac about his involvement with the Reformers, a group at the centre of Operation Rosny.
- He was shown an email he sent in February 2023, attaching a leaked draft parliamentary report into branch stacking in the Hills area.
- Tudehope agreed that using invoices to public relations firms to channel payments was 'concealment' as the commissioner, Fabian Gleeson, phrased it.
- The questioning of Tudehope raises questions about his involvement with the Reformers and the donations they are alleged to have taken to fund their branch takeover activities.
If the investigation into Damien Tudehope's involvement with the Reformers leads to a full understanding of the extent of the branch stacking and the donations involved, it could lead to a more transparent and fair electoral process in Australia.
If the investigation into Damien Tudehope's involvement with the Reformers does not lead to a full understanding of the extent of the branch stacking and the donations involved, it could lead to a continued lack of transparency and fairness in the electoral process in Australia.
