Catholic Schools chief says Reformers failed to seize control of NSW Liberals

During a hearing before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney labeled the Reformers—a network of Christian Liberal power brokers—as "spectacularly unsuccessful" in their bid to control the NSW Liberal Party. He said he first learned of their recruitment events in late 2018-19 and was "mostly" supportive of their conservative agenda, though he never believed their strategy would work.

ICAC is examining whether McInerney authorized donations from the governing bodies of 600 Catholic schools to fund alleged branch-stacking by the group. Records show Catholic Schools paid $130,900 to Beckington and $135,000 to JPG Advisory, both run by Reformers affiliates. McInerney, a longtime ally of federal opposition leader Angus Taylor and member of the Liberal right faction, confirmed regular communication with Reformers leaders Christian Ellis, Robert Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet, and disclosed a 2021 message suggesting a "shake down" of Taylor for $10,000. The probe also touched on his missed opportunity to fill the late Senator Jim Molan’s Senate seat and his recent resignation from the Liberal Party and Mittagong branch presidency.