Secret tape recordings and ‘sham’ payments: the Liberals’ internal ideological war laid bare

The NSW anti-corruption watchdog has begun a public inquiry into allegations of branch stacking, illegal donations, and interference with preselections

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If you ever thought branch stacking was a harmless game played by young, ambitious political operatives seeking to advance within the party, think again.

On Monday, on the first day of the corruption watchdog’s inquiry into operation Rosny, an investigation into allegations of “possible offences under the Electoral Funding Act”, we heard boasts on secret tape recordings from a developer that he had “my hands on the state government” and he had “fucked” the career of a state politician by “taking his seat”. As for the state’s building commissioner, David Chandler, who was a thorn in the developer’s side, he was going to “fuck him sideways”.