‘Inconvenient for the public’: ICAC witness has no memory of Catholic Schools NSW work

Lobbyist and one-time political staffer Jeremy Greenwood says he has no idea what work was done for Catholic Schools NSW despite his consultancy firm sending multiple invoices to the education body.

Greenwood repeatedly told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday that he could not remember what work was carried out despite being shown near identical monthly invoices for $6600 for “digital proposal, strategic communications, and strategic counsel”.

The commission heard Greenwood’s consultancy firm Beckington, which he set up with fellow Liberal operative Christian Ellis, sent the invoices to Catholic Schools NSW, including one in July 2019 worth $16,000.

That invoice was forwarded to Catholic Schools NSW’s boss Dallas McInerney’s Hotmail address, with a list of apparent services provided, including a digital proposal, a strategic communications proposal and a sign-on fee.

Greenwood’s name was on the invoice, but he said he could not remember any details about it.

After pressing Greenwood several times, counsel assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, asked him: “Who can brief this commission, given your absence of memory, as to what work was actually done by way of digital proposal, strategic communications proposal, or strategic counsel?”

Greenwood suggested she ask former Catholic Schools NSW staffer James Tudehope or Ellis.

“Well conveniently Mr Tudehope is in New Zealand and Mr Ellis is in the United Kingdom,” Dwyer said.

Greenwood said that was inconvenient, to which Dwyer shot back: “Inconvenient to the public trying to work why this money is being committed on a monthly basis.”

Earlier in his evidence, Greenwood said he had an interest in conservative causes, in particular abortion, but was not a member of the Reformers and later felt the right-wing Catholic group turned “toxic”.

Greenwood appeared before the ICAC as it continues its probe into allegations of illegal political donations and links between fugitive developer Jean Nassif and Liberal operatives.

He told the commission he was interested in conservative social issues but less so in factional stoushes involving the Liberals and at no point considered himself a member of the Reformers despite being supportive of their work.

Greenwood was working for Nationals senator Matt Canavan when his friends Ellis and Robert Assaf started ramping up their recruitment efforts for the Catholic faction of the Liberals, he told the commission.

While he was interested in the work of the Reformers, Greenwood said in 2018 he was “all about the Nationals” rather than Liberal Party matters.

“Most of the engagement I have with these guys would have been at a pub, or I’ve been dragged into a group chat,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood said while his boss Canavan spoke at a Reformers event, he mostly sat outside.

He would have been interested in policy talks organised by the Reformers, including one featuring former broadcaster Alan Jones, but was not involved in recruitment activities.

Greenwood said he eventually began urging his friends to end their involvement with the factional group.

He told the commission he felt the Reformers “became so toxic” that he wanted his friends to stop.

“I was supportive of their cause up until a point when it was negatively impacting me,” Greenwood said.

He said the Reformers had started to cause him “a lot of grief professionally”.

At the start of his evidence, Greenwood was asked about friendships he had with other key figures linked to the Reformers, including the Perrottet brothers Dominic, Charles and Jean-Claude.

Factional powerbroker Charles and Jean-Claude are persons of interest in this inquiry, but the former premier Dominic is not involved nor is he accused of any wrongdoing. Greenwood also said Ellis was one of his good friends and Ellis had been best man at his wedding.

The commission heard Greenwood visited Ellis in June in Britain, where Ellis had relocated in January and had “caught up” with him on four occasions.

Dwyer told the commission in her opening statement that Ellis “has declined to give oral evidence to this public inquiry, during which he would be subject to cross-examination”.

“He cites family responsibilities and the different time zone. The commission has proposed methods to accommodate his evidence by video link at acceptable times, and we await a further response from his legal representatives,” she said in her opening statement.

Greenwood told the commission on Monday Ellis told him he wants to give evidence, but has not told him of any plans to return to Australia.

The inquiry continues.

Newspaper

‘Inconvenient for the public’: ICAC witness has no memory of Catholic Schools NSW work

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