Charles Perrottet wrote about a plan to damage a Liberal minister’s career following his brother’s accession to the New South Wales premiership in October 2021, stating “we execute the prick once party room is over”, a corruption inquiry has heard.
Anita Perrottet told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday she could not recall the meaning of messages exchanged between herself and husband Charles Perrottet in the days before Dominic Perrottet was elected premier by Liberal MPs following the resignation of Gladys Berejiklian.
As part of its inquiry into alleged corruption by people associated with the NSW Liberals, Icac is investigating whether between 2020 and 2023, figures including Charles Perrottet took prohibited political donations from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and his company Toplace, including for outcomes such as damaging the career of former Liberal police minister David Elliott.
Dominic Perrottet is not named as a person of interest in Icac’s investigation and is not accused of any wrongdoing. Charles Perrottet has previously denied any wrongdoing.
On Friday, counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer SC read out text messages between Charles and Anita Perrottet on 3 October 2021, two days before a party room vote saw Dominic Perrottet, a member of the Liberals’ conservative right faction, elected as premier under an agreement brokered with the moderate faction headed by Matt Kean.
Charles Perrottet wrote: “He [Dominic Perrottet] thanked me for everything, not just this weekend, but the last 20 years to get here. Apologised for the Elliott stuff.”
In a subsequent message, Anita Perrottet wrote: “Did Dom confirm that he isn’t going to give Elliott a ministry?”
“I didn’t ask,” Charles Perrottet wrote back. “That’s a call for tomorrow. I told him to turn his phone off and savour the moment with Helen, as tomorrow and Tuesday is going to be crucial in showing unity. We execute the prick as soon as party room is over.”
Under repeated questioning from Dwyer and presiding commissioner Fabian Gleeson, Anita Perrottet said she could not recall the messages, or what Charles might have meant by “the Elliott stuff” or whether the phrase “we execute the prick” referred to Elliott. She has repeatedly rejected the suggestion that her husband was the “muscle” in the Liberal conservative right faction or a “power broker” in the party.
Elliott, who was the police minister in the Berejiklian government, was subsequently moved to the transport portfolio in a reshuffle. Last week, Elliott told the inquiry he was targeted by Nassif due to his opposition to Toplace developments.
The inquiry has previously heard legally intercepted phone calls featuring Nassif in which he claimed he had “forced the boys” to get rid of Elliott’s seat of Baulkham Hills, and had sent “Castle Hill fucking hundreds of new members”. Elliott retired from politics before the March 2023 election after his seat was abolished and he could not find sufficient support from branches in Castle Hill.
Charles Perrottet, and Liberal operatives Christian Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood, allegedly anticipated receiving $2m to be distributed evenly between them from Nassif. The commission has heard Anita Perrottet allegedly received Charles’ share through invoices from her business Macquarie Consulting to lobbying companies Beckington, controlled by Ellis and Greenwood, and JPG advisory, controlled by Greenwood.
Earlier on Friday, Anita Perrottet, who said she was not aware of Nassif at the time outside of “media reports”, was shown an email sent in October 2020 from her company account to a lobbyist sharing a “detailed summary” of one of Nassif’s developments in Rosebery in inner Sydney, mentioning Nassif and Toplace multiple times.
In the email, signed “Many thanks, Anita”, she advised of “issues as the owners are looking to commence action against Jean [Nassif] for non-compliance due to not having the OC [occupation certificate] in place”.
Anita Perrottet, who was not employed by Toplace or Nassif, rejected the suggestion by counsel assisting Icac that the reason she could not remember the “detailed email” was because her husband had written and sent it.
Dwyer asked: “You’re not prepared to admit that because you don’t want to get your husband Charles in trouble for doing work for Jean Nassif or Toplace?”
“No, it’s because I am genuinely telling the truth and trying to assist the commission,” Anita Perrottet replied.
Charles Perrottet was expected to appear before the commission on Friday afternoon and Monday and Tuesday next week. Icac’s inquiry continues.
