ICAC hearings pull opposition leader's team into spotlight amid looming election

Opposition leader Kellie Sloane faces mounting pressure as ICAC summons two of her shadow ministers and a senior colleague to testify in the Operation Rosny probe.

Kellie Sloane, the opposition leader, entered parliament after leaving her role as CEO of Life Education Australia and winning the Vaucluse seat in 2023. While she argues that the Operation Rosny allegations stem from a period before her political career, ICAC has called several of her senior figures to the stand. Former shadow attorney-general Damien Tudehope will give evidence about a 2018 barbecue he hosted for the Reformers, a right-wing Liberal sub-faction, and will be questioned on his knowledge of prohibited donations.

Shadow industry minister Eleni Petinos is not accused of wrongdoing, but the commission is probing a 2021 phone call from fugitive developer Jean Nassif who boasted of influencing the removal of building commissioner David Chandler, a move later linked to Petinos’s office. Additionally, shadow planning minister Chris Rath has been criticized for allegedly warning a person about a parliamentary summons. The series of testimonies comes as the Coalition trails in polls, while Premier Chris Minns of Labor refrains from exploiting the scandal for political gain.