Icac witness compares Liberal factional fighting to Braveheart
Penry Buckley
Former Reformers member Robert Assaf has been detailing the origins of the hard right factional group, accused of illegal branch stacking efforts.
He has accepted that he and fellow Reformer Christian Ellis started the group in 2017, after forming a strong friendship while working together on the No campaign for the same-sex marriage plebiscite, but Assaf says he later made a concerted effort to leave the group in 2020.
Assaf says:
double quotation markWe had wild dreams of … kind of this idea, with 20-something-year-old guys dreaming big, and we thought if we can get this going, prove the concept, and hopefully we can build it out to many parties.
Questioned over a draft document sent by Ellis to him that details a plan to recruit 5,000 conservative Christian members to the party to take over control of the NSW division of the Liberal party, which had 4,000 members at the time, Assaf says the aims of the Reformers was “policy change” but says recruitment was “certainly part of the process”.
He says taking the model under which he himself was recruited, the group began to organise talks on conservative issues with the aim of signing up new members afterwards. Assaf says:
double quotation markMy observations at the time were, the right faction was like, I’m not sure if you’ve seen [Mel Gibson’s 1995 film] Braveheart, but like these warring kingdoms, and they would slaughter each other, and then every now and then they’d come together for a big fight, and that was how the right was. The left were a bit more well oiled.
Updated at 21.45 EDT
Key events
Jonathan Barrett
NAB home loan applications fall 15%
Home loan applications at National Australia Bank have dropped sharply amid subdued demand across the property sector, according to a business update published this morning.
NAB data shows that Australian home lending applications fell 15% over the June quarter during a period marked by rising mortgage repayments and less favourable tax settings for investors.
The drop in applications is in keeping with data released from the wider financial sector that suggests investor demand has slumped, while prospective owner-occupiers remain cautious.
The Reserve Bank has lifted rates three times this year. Changes to negative gearing and the treatment of capital gains announced in the May budget have also made properties less attractive to new investors.
Photograph: Hollie Adams/ReutersShare
Josh Taylor
Optus, communications minister respond to Acma court case
Optus has acknowledged the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) court case launched today over last year’s triple-zero outage we reported earlier.
The company said it is inappropriate to comment on the legal proceedings but said:
double quotation markOur focus remains on building a stronger and better Optus. We continue to invest in network resilience, strengthen our systems and processes, build and foster a culture of transparency and accountability, and improve the services our customers and communities rely on every day.
Separately, the communications minister, Anika Wells, said she welcomed the regulator’s decision.
double quotation markThese are serious alleged failures by Optus.
Australians rightly expect to reach triple zero when they need it most, and telcos are legally obligated to ensure that connection occurs.
ShareIcac witness compares Liberal factional fighting to BraveheartPenry Buckley
Former Reformers member Robert Assaf has been detailing the origins of the hard right factional group, accused of illegal branch stacking efforts.
He has accepted that he and fellow Reformer Christian Ellis started the group in 2017, after forming a strong friendship while working together on the No campaign for the same-sex marriage plebiscite, but Assaf says he later made a concerted effort to leave the group in 2020.
Assaf says:
double quotation markWe had wild dreams of … kind of this idea, with 20-something-year-old guys dreaming big, and we thought if we can get this going, prove the concept, and hopefully we can build it out to many parties.
Questioned over a draft document sent by Ellis to him that details a plan to recruit 5,000 conservative Christian members to the party to take over control of the NSW division of the Liberal party, which had 4,000 members at the time, Assaf says the aims of the Reformers was “policy change” but says recruitment was “certainly part of the process”.
He says taking the model under which he himself was recruited, the group began to organise talks on conservative issues with the aim of signing up new members afterwards. Assaf says:
double quotation markMy observations at the time were, the right faction was like, I’m not sure if you’ve seen [Mel Gibson’s 1995 film] Braveheart, but like these warring kingdoms, and they would slaughter each other, and then every now and then they’d come together for a big fight, and that was how the right was. The left were a bit more well oiled.
Updated at 21.45 EDT
Benita Kolovos
Victoria premier says he’s ‘very committed’ to public education
Carroll was also pressed about reports that he would order a review into the Suburban Rail Loop, a pet project of Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews, from whom he has vowed to chart a different direction.
The federal government’s May budget poured an extra $3.8bn into the first stage of the project – SRL East, which travels from Cheltenham to Box Hill, in Melbourne’s southeast – and the state has signed almost $15bn worth of construction contracts.
Asked whether he had spoken to the federal government about redirecting the funds it has given to the SRL into other projects, Carroll said he had not:
double quotation markI spoke with Anthony Albanese yesterday. We did not speak about this specific project. What I did talk to him about was education and how I’m fully committed to making sure Victoria remains educational state and that we do everything we can to invest in our future, which is our children.
Questioning then turned to the ongoing pay dispute between the government and public school teachers – who have gone on strike twice in recent months. Asked whether he would consider bringing forward the long-promised Gonski education reforms – which would see the state government provide public schools 75% of the Schooling Resource Standard – in an effort to resolve the matter, Carroll said:
double quotation markI am very committed to public education. I fought very hard to make sure our Gonski school reforms are delivered, I’ve been working very closely with Jason Clare. I made it clear to the prime minister, when he’s back in Melbourne as soon as possible, I want to sit down with him and talk about education.
Asked whether he had any additional levers as premier he could pull to resolve the dispute, he said he had already “pulled every lever we had”. Last month 49% of Australian Education Union members voted to accept the deal, while 51% rejected it.
Carroll said:
double quotation markThis was a very close vote. This was a significant improvement on the deal that the union had already agreed to in principle. So we are close, and I’ll continue to have an open door policy with … the union movement to get this resolved.
ShareBenita Kolovos
New Victoria premier to make ‘sensible’ changes to work from home laws
The new Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, says he backs his predecessor Jacinta Allan’s plan to legislate a right to work from home two days a week – but that “sensible” changes to the bill would be considered.
Carroll, sworn in as premier on Tuesday, vowed to improve the Victorian government’s relationship with the business community, which Allan infuriated when she announced her plan to give Victorians who can work from home the legal right to do so two days a week, and then expanded it to include small businesses, part time employees and casuals.
The bill is expected to pass the lower house by the end of today and will then go to the upper house, where it is expected to be debated during the next parliamentary sitting week, beginning 11 August.
Speaking from the Essendon tram depot this morning, where the first new G Class tram hit the network, Carroll said he was open to amending the bill:
double quotation markI want to be crystal clear. Work from home does work for families, and now it will go through that parliamentary process, and we will consider any that is sensible.
Pressed on whether he still backed legilsating the right to work from home two days a week, he said:
double quotation markThat is the plan, and that has been what was introduced before. Sensible changes will always come up in any debate, and like any other debate, they will be considered.
SharePenry Buckley
Member of hard-right Liberal factional group describes ‘icky feeling’ about getting involved in politics
Peggy Dwyer, counsel assisting the NSW Icac, has been questioning former hard-right factional group Reformers member Robert Assaf about how he got involved in the NSW Liberal party.
The Reformers allegedly took on illegal donations to recruit or renew members to the party, to advance conservative policies on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
Assaf, who joined the party as a Young Liberal in 2015, has described a “baptism of fire from a factional sense” when he joined, amid a split between those in the right of the party. He says his membership form was taken off him with the branch left blank, because he was perceived to be in the hard right of the party, but he later was allowed to join the Lane Cove branch. He subsequently rose to become president of the Willoughby Young Liberals.
Assaf says:
double quotation markIt took a bit of convincing for me to join the Libs, partly because I cared more about the faith and values and certain policies and … I just always had a bit of an icky feeling about politics and faction, you know, games and political stuff.
He says he was later convinced to join after attending talks on conservative policies, including by NSW Liberal upper house member Damien Tudehope at the University of Sydney Liberal Club.
double quotation markThe way it would work at that point for that club, and the way they ran that the faction at the time, was they have these social events and you know talks and then afterwards, after the talk’s over, they may make you feel special and introduce you to Damien and give you the handshake and make you feel you know, young kid being shown some love by a politician.
Tudehope is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Updated at 21.26 EDT
Penry Buckley
First witness from Liberal factional group the Reformers appears before NSW Icac
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (Icac) Operation Rosny hearings have resumed this morning, with the first witness from the hard-right Liberal faction group the Reformers, Robert Assaf, appearing before the commission.
Icac is investigating the allegation that Liberal figures including Assaf solicited or accepted illegal donations to recruit or renew members to the party – a practice known as “branch stacking”. The group wanted more conservative policies on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
Assaf, 30, who went to an independent Catholic school with two of the Reformers, Jeremy Greenwood and Jean-Claude Perrottet, spent a year in the Catholic seminary, but later worked in federal parliament for various ministers, senators and MPs, including Tony Abbott. He later worked in communications for Catholic Schools NSW and Greyhound Racing NSW.
Assaf appears after two days of evidence from former Liberal staffer and Catholic Schools NSW employee, Dylan Whitelaw, who was associated with the group but has not been named in allegations against the Reformers.
Whitelaw’s evidence include the allegation that it was a “running joke” between him and Assaf that the latter spent most of his time at Catholic Schools NSW on factional Liberal work. Whitelaw said it was his “guess” Assaf spent 60% of his time on factional work and 40% on Catholic Schools NSW work.
Dylan Whitelaw leaves during a break in proceedings at the Icac Operation Rosny hearings in Sydney on Tuesday. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAPShare
Updated at 21.01 EDT
Bird flu detected in Victoria, with 13 more suspected cases in South Australia
Lisa Cox
The number of suspected deadly bird flu cases continues to grow in South Australia, with 13 more in greater crested terns, the state government said.
Five of the new suspected H5N1 cases are at Seal Bay at Kangaroo Island, home to a population of endangered Australian sea lions.
Victoria has also confirmed its first case of the disease in a greater crested tern – a common local seabird – found at Portland.
A greater crested tern. Photograph: imageBROKER/David & Micha Sheldon/Getty Images/imageBROKER RF
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Graeme Cooke, said:
double quotation markWe need Victorians to avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife, record what they see and report it. Early reporting gives us the best chance to reduce the impacts of the disease.
The remaining eight South Australian birds were detected in Robe. The SA government said CSIRO had also confirmed another positive infection in a giant petrel.
It follows Wednesday’s announcement of a suspected 11 cases in greater crested terns, including one at Seal Bay, where on-beach tours have temporarily been paused.
An SA government spokesperson said they expected to have the CSIRO results for all 24 terns in coming days:
double quotation markSouth Australians are encouraged to continue being vigilant in reporting sick and dead birds and other wildlife.
Updated at 20.54 EDT
Teenage girl dies in Victorian prison
Sarah Collard
An 18-year-old woman has died in custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, with authorities saying the state coroner is investigating the circumstances of the teenager’s death.
Corrections Victoria issued a statement on Tuesday in response to her death.
double quotation markWe recognise that all deaths in custody have an impact on family members, friends and those working within the corrections system, as well as victims of crime.
All deaths in custody are reported to the coroner’s court of Victoria, which formally determines the cause of death.
The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls’s Tabitha Lean said her death was a “tragedy” and urged greater support and trauma-informed care for vulnerable incarcerated individuals.
double quotation markAn 18-year-old should be planning her future, not dying in prison. She was still a teenager. Her death should shock the conscience of every Australian. Every death in custody should propel this nation to act.
Never has the call for decarceration been louder or more urgent. We cannot continue to accept prisons as the default response to the complex social and health issues faced by women and girls. This tragedy must be a turning point.
Updated at 20.44 EDT
Acma takes Optus to court over triple-zero outageJosh Taylor
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) has taken Optus to court over the September 2025 triple-zero outage.
A network firewall upgrade blocked emergency service calls for Optus customers in South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of New South Wales, with more than 600 calls not able to connect in the 13 hours it was offline last year.
Two deaths were linked to the outage, with people unable to connect to triple zero.
The regulator announced on Thursday it had launched action in the federal court alleging Optus had breached two separate legal obligations on 1,005 occasions. Acma alleges that Optus failed to give end-users who made emergency calls access to the emergency call service, and to ensure emergency calls were carried to the relevant termination point.
The Acma chair, Nerida O’Loughlin, said:
double quotation markAustralians rightly expect that when they call triple zero, their call will connect. The circumstances of this outage meant that did not reliably occur, leaving people unable to connect to potentially life-saving services.
Giving access to the emergency call service is not optional, it is a fundamental legal obligation and the most important public safety responsibility telecommunications providers have.
Optus could face penalties of up to $250,000 per contravention.
Optus has been approached for comment.
Photograph: Hollie Adams/ReutersShare
Updated at 20.53 EDT
Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling arrested over alleged assault
Josh Butler
Luke Gosling, the federal member for Solomon, has been arrested this morning over an alleged assault earlier this month, Northern Territory police said in a statement.
“The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested the 54-year-old federal member for Solomon in relation to an alleged assault on the Administrator of the Northern Territory,” police said, adding:
double quotation markIt is alleged the incident occurred at a public event on Saturday 18 July 2026 involving the 54-year-old and the Administrator of the Northern Territory.
Investigations began last week and police arrested the 54-year-old earlier this morning and he remains in custody.
A police spokesperson said Gosling had not yet been charged.
Police said it related to an alleged incident regarding the NT’s administrator, David Connolly. Gosling has previously denied having any altercation with Connolly, and NT media reported Gosling as previously calling the claims “ridiculous allegations that I categorically deny”.
The Guardian has reached out to Gosling’s office for further comment.
Luke Gosling. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/APShare
Updated at 20.29 EDT
Tom McIlroy
Taylor runs dead on Icac questions
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, has dodged questions about the NSW Liberal party and an inquiry under way by the state’s corruption watchdog.
Taylor, who is not accused of wrongdoing, was on Tuesday mentioned in Icac proceedings when Dylan Whitelaw, a former NSW Liberal parliamentary staffer and associate of the internal party group calling themselves the Reformers, gave evidence.
During the hearing, Whitelaw was shown a screenshot of a message from the Catholic Schools NSW chief executive, Dallas McInerney. It suggested he was going to “shake down Angus for 10k”.
The group wanted more conservative policies on same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
Angus Taylor. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Asked this morning in Queensland if he had ever given money to Catholic Schools NSW, Taylor avoided answering, repeating his same lines from Wednesday.
“I’ve answered these questions yesterday. I’m not going to give a running commentary on it,” Taylor said.
Taylor told media on Wednesday that no payments were made but did not answer further questions.
Guardian Australia asked Taylor on Wednesday if he had ever given money to Catholic Schools NSW. A spokesman did not directly answer the question, saying instead: “The Leader will not be providing a running commentary on any matters before the commission.”
“You can ask the question 100 times,” Taylor said in Logan this morning. “I’ll give you the same answer.”
Updated at 20.23 EDT