![\"Penry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785987494_256_Penry_Buckley.png\")
Penry Buckley<\/p>\nPenry Buckley<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t know\u2019: Jean-Claude Perrottet uncertain on why he was receiving $5,000 monthly sums, inquiry hears<\/p>\n
Returning to the NSW Icac\u2019s Operation Rosny, Jean-Claude Perrottet has been questioned about his time after his departure from the ministerial office of Damien Tudehope.<\/p>\n
Jean-Claude Perrottet has frequently answered \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d to questioning from counsel assisting, Juliet Curtin today.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Jean-Claude Perrottet was working a day job at Medallion Finance, which he says gave him a base salary of $55,000.<\/p>\n
Curtin shows him invoices for four monthly payments of $5,000, and one payment of $5,500 to registered lobbying company Beckington, set up by Reformer Christian Ellis. Asked about the \u201csubstantial injections of cash into your account\u201d, Jean-Claude Perrottet says:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI\u2019m honestly trying to do my best here. I honestly don\u2019t recall why I might have done some work for them \u2026<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know. I mean, it could have been for work. I mean, maybe, maybe Christian owed me money. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Disability advocates warn billions of NDIS funding is flowing overseas<\/p>\n A Senate inquiry examining the NDIS reforms has been told the NDIS funding model has seen billions of taxpayer dollars flow into the profit of overseas companies, while leaving disabled Australians under-resourced.<\/p>\n People with Disability\u2019s Sam Connor, who got a $1 NDIS plan a few weeks ago, said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe waste that goes towards occupational therapists is ridiculous. I was born disabled. When I was told by the NDIA I had to hire a wheelchair. That means you have to have a lease agreement; there are only two places here that do that.<\/p>\n She said huge companies, many based overseas, have \u201choovered\u201d up smaller players in the disability market and now dominate \u2013 sending profits overseas.<\/p>\n double quotation markThey\u2019ve aggressively rolled up NDIS care and equipment providers \u2026. $5 billion is being syphoned offshore as profit rather than being reinvested in care.<\/p>\n Analysis from Spinal Life has previously revealed $20bn of NDIS funding is flowing to providers owned by overseas private equity firms, delivering a 25% profit margin, or $5bn.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Victorian cult inquiry refers itself to information commissioner after it accidentally shares email address of anonymous survivors<\/p>\n A Victorian parliamentary committee investigating \u201ccults and organised fringe groups\u201d has referred itself to the state information commissioner after accidentally sending the email addresses of anonymous survivors who made submissions to current members of those groups and to journalists.<\/p>\n Last week the committee tabled its final report in parliament and emailed hundreds of recipients shortly after to inform them it had been published. However, they erroneously left the recipients\u2019 email addresses visible<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recipients included whistleblowers who trusted their anonymity would be maintained even as they spoke out about their experiences.<\/p>\n In an email this afternoon, the committee chair, Labor MP Ella George, said the clerk of the legislative assembly voluntarily reported the disclosure of private information to the office of the Victorian information commissioner on behalf of the committee. She said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe committee continues to take this matter very seriously. Work is ongoing to review the circumstances of the incident and to strengthen processes to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future.<\/p>\n George said the committee has also arranged a free counselling support service for those affected until Sunday.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.21 EDT<\/p>\n Records smashed as Australian share market pushes higher<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s share market has soared to record heights for a second straight day, shrugging off a weak US session as gold stocks shine, AAP reports.<\/p>\n The S&P\/ASX200 gained 50.2 points by midday, up 0.56%, to 9.279.5, as the broader All Ordinaries advanced 53.9 points, or 0.57%, to 9.459.3.<\/p>\n The top-200 hit a fresh intraday record of 9,296.7 in early trade and was on track to top Wednesday\u2019s record close.<\/p>\n The exchange shrugged off a weak Wall Street session and dips across indices in Japan and South Korea as chip stocks sold off, while Australian mining stocks continued to rally on hopes of an imminent US-Iran peace deal.<\/p>\n The Australian dollar is buying US70.57 cents, up from US70.49 cents on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.02 EDT<\/p>\n Greens question return of some welfare payment cancellations<\/p>\n In response to some payment cancellations being turned back on, the Greens\u2019 spokesperson on social services, senator Penny Allman-Payne, has said there is nothing in the secretary\u2019s statement that gives confidence to the system now running lawfully.<\/p>\n She said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThere was nothing about improving DEWR\u2019s capacity to monitor providers\u2019 misconduct. They told the ombudsman that they had an \u2018app\u2019 for that, which turned out to be a new dashboard on their existing system. There is no mention of any improved capacities in this regard anywhere.<\/p>\n Providers use threats of payment suspensions and cancellations to force people to comply, in some cases to bolster the provider\u2019s incentive payment.<\/p>\n double quotation markIf these sanctions are resumed, the providers will be administering them. How can Minister Rishworth or her department trust these providers to do the right thing when they are financially incentivised to do otherwise? The TCF appears fundamentally at odds with lawful and fair decision-making.<\/p>\n The minister and the department\u2019s failure to communicate these matters in a timely, effective or comprehensible fashion is characteristic of all the worst Robodebt-style governance.<\/p>\n Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.01 EDT<\/p>\n Welfare cancellations back on, but some question legality of system<\/p>\n There is big news for jobseekers this week, with the government announcing it will be slowly turning back on payment cancellations.<\/p>\n Many of you will remember that payment cancellations are currently switched off because the Targeted Compliance Framework \u2013 the automated system that runs mutual obligations \u2013 has been paused since January last year after the government found it was working illegally.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Simon Duggan PSM, secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, announced that from 26 October the system will start suspending and cancelling payments for a refusal or failure to accept an offer of suitable work and a failure to \u201creconnect\u201d with a provider within four weeks.<\/p>\n He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markResuming these decisions on 26 October 2026 is contingent on successful completion of assurance activity and system testing to ensure the necessary IT changes, improved guidance for decision-makers and additional safeguards to ensure decision-making under these provisions align with the law.<\/p>\n The department has a responsibility to ensure the systems we administer are operating within the law as enacted by the Australian parliament, and this is an important step in returning the TCF system to lawful operation.<\/p>\n Two other types of cancellations, those relating to persistent MO failures and work refusal failures, will still be turned off as the government works to ensure they are overseen by a human who can make a legal decision.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear exactly how many people had their payments illegally cancelled but, speaking at Senate estimates earlier this year, representatives for DEWR said the number of illegal cancellations, where people were not given enough time to reconnect to a job provider after missing a compulsory activity as part of their mutual obligations, was in \u201cthe vicinity\u201d of 300,000.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.39 EDT<\/p>\n Late former Liberal party<\/a> vice-president Teena McQueen may have made payments to the Reformers, inquiry hears<\/p>\n Icac\u2019s Operation Rosny has heard about the ways in which the late former Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen may have supported conservative factional group the Reformers.<\/p>\n McQueen, who served as the federal Liberal party vice-president from 2017 to 2023, died in June this year after battling severe sickness. McQueen, known for her conservative commentary and long-term membership of the Liberal party, had defected to One Nation in May.<\/p>\n Teena McQueen, pictured in 2019. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/AAP<\/p>\n Previously, Reformers associate Dylan Whitelaw said McQueen would \u201cpay for a bar tab\u201d for Reformers events. Reformer Robert Assaf told the inquiry had provided a venue for training sessions, and a call centre for recruitment. \u201cI think \u2026 we used Teena McQueen\u2019s boardroom, God rest her soul,\u201d Assaf said.<\/p>\n Today, Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet has been read messages between Reformers which suggest McQueen may have also donated $500 directly to the group via the Catholic Schools NSW chief executive, Dallas McInerney, who has been named in Icac\u2019s allegations. Perrottet says he does not know if McQueen donated to the group.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.36 EDT<\/p>\n Federal parliamentary inquiry focusing on racism in sports and media The federal parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is continuing this week, with hearings held in Melbourne.<\/p>\n The inquiry has heard harrowing evidence from sportspeople, including community-controlled sporting groups and Olympian boxer Marissa Williamson Pohlman, the first Indigenous female boxer to represent Australia and competed in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.<\/p>\n Williamson Pohlman, a Ngarrindjeri woman, told the inquiry there was widespread racism, sexism and violence in the sport, saying there was a lack of support, and made allegations of inappropriate behaviour and assaults \u2013 urging an inquiry into Boxing Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there needs to be an independent investigation on that organisation and there\u2019s something terrible going on there.\u201d Williamson Pohlman told the inquiry.<\/p>\n \u201cAll these athletes come from the school of hard knocks. So the racism, the sexism, the misogyny, the homophobia, and just the violence is rife in those places. It\u2019s in the organisation too.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.34 EDT<\/p>\n Pauline Hanson details who she wants to remove from the country under mass deportation push<\/p>\n One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was interviewed on Sky News a moment ago, where she detailed more about her plans for a mass deportation of some 75,000 people she says have overstayed their visas.<\/p>\n She said she wasn\u2019t concerned about those who she is targeting with the move, and was focused on Australians:<\/p>\n double quotation markI don\u2019t care. My concern is for those Australians that can\u2019t get a roof over their head and a decent standard of living and way of life \u2026<\/p>\n When asked who she would target if in government, Hanson had this to say:<\/p>\n double quotation markThey had a contract to come out here for only a certain period of time. That was a visa that was given to them. They\u2019ve overstayed.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not against migration \u2026 never have been. But we\u2019ve got to bring in people who are going to make the country prosperous, that they have something to offer, that they want to be Australians \u2026<\/p>\n We don\u2019t need any more Uber drivers, nail technicians, dog walkers. These people, gone, stop all that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.55 EDT<\/p>\n Police official says suspected murder-suicide in outback Queensland town confronting for officers and small community<\/p>\n Matthew Vanderbyl, the southern region assistant commissioner for Queensland police, said police responding to a suspected murder-suicide in an outback town overnight were confronted with a \u201cterrible\u201d scene.<\/p>\n Vanderbyl said the investigation was still in its very early stages, with officials still heading to the remote town of Charleville, and couldn\u2019t provide much information about the pair\u2019s relationship or circumstances of the deaths.<\/p>\n But he said the region was a small, tight-knit community:<\/p>\n double quotation markThese types of events affect communities badly, let alone small communities. It will be something that will have a tragic impact on the wider community of Charleville and the police, friends and relatives of the deceased, who our thoughts remain with today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>SpaceX share slump leaves Gina Rinehart with $283m loss on paper Gina Rinehart has lost an estimated $283m on paper as Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX company slumps in value.<\/p>\n SpaceX shares fell overnight to US$108.27, 19.8% below its price of US$135 when it listed on share markets. It is now valued at US$1.4tn. Musk, its founder, was briefly the world\u2019s first trillionaire but is now worth US$693.7bn, according to Forbes.<\/p>\n The company had released financial results<\/a> showing strong revenue growth but capital spending on AI development was particularly high. Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG, said the report had unsettled investors.<\/p>\n Rinehart\u2019s company, Hancock Prospecting, took a stake in SpaceX at its share market debut<\/a>. It has republished articles on its website reporting it bought over US$1bn worth<\/a>. Wednesday\u2019s price fall implies the company has lost about US$200m (A$283m) on paper.<\/p>\n A Hancock Prospecting spokesperson said the company was still invested in SpaceX but did not directly answer when asked whether it had sold or bought more shares since its initial investment. A spokesperson said Hancock was a \u201clong-term investor\u201d with a diverse portfolio and a particular focus on companies with \u201coutstanding leadership\u201d. They added:<\/p>\n double quotation markOur investment in SpaceX reflects our confidence in Elon Musk, an exceptional and brilliant person, and SpaceX\u2019s execution under his leadership, as well as in Elon Musk\u2019s proven ability to use science for the betterment of mankind.<\/p>\n SpaceX\u2019s share price is at risk of falling further tonight. Early investors and company insiders may rush to cash out when they gain permission to sell their shares in the company, after a lockup period expires on Thursday, US time.<\/p>\n A billboard of SpaceX is pictured on the day of SpaceX\u2019s initial public offering. Photograph: Jeenah Moon\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.59 EDT<\/p>\n Unprecedented images may explain one of greatest mysteries of the sun<\/p>\n Golden bands and swirling vortices have been spotted on the sun in the most detailed images ever captured of the turbulent surface of our home star.<\/p>\n Astronomers observed the sun with the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii, the world\u2019s most powerful solar telescope, and saw new features smaller than 20km (12 miles) across in a magnetically active region close to a sun spot.<\/p>\n The unprecedented pictures show processes on the surface that are likely to explain the decades-long mystery of why the corona, the sun\u2019s outer atmosphere, is millions of degrees hotter than its surface.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n Icac resumes as factional ally of Angus Taylor due to appear next week<\/p>\n The NSW Icac\u2019s Operation Rosny hearings into corruption in the NSW Liberal party<\/a> have resumed this morning, with Reformer Jean-Claude Perrottet, the younger brother of former premier, Dominic Perrottet, giving evidence again.<\/p>\n Yesterday, he admitted he occasionally paid<\/a> for memberships of people he was signing up to the Liberal party, which the inquiry has heard is against party rules. Branch stacking is not itself illegal, but the group is under investigation for allegedly soliciting or accepting illegal donations as part of branch-stacking efforts. Jean-Claude Perrottet has previously denied any wrongdoing, while Dominic Perrottet has not been named in any allegations by Icac.<\/p>\n Jean-Claude Perrottet arrives at the Icac hearing in Sydney on Thursday. Photograph: George Chan\/AAP<\/p>\n Icac has also announced next week\u2019s witnesses. They include Jeremy Greenwood, who was originally scheduled to appear this week.<\/p>\n He has been named in two allegations. The corruption watchdog is examining a second allegation that between 2020 and 2023, Liberal figures including Greenwood solicited or accepted donations from fugitive property developer Jean Nassif and his company, Toplace in exchange for the pursuit of outcomes sought by Nassif.<\/p>\n Also expected to appear on Wednesday and Thursday next week is Catholic Schools NSW chief executive, Dallas McInerney. Icac is investigating the allegation that illegal donations were made by the schools governing body, arranged and approved by McInerney.<\/p>\n Last week the inquiry heard a message sent by McInerney, who is a factional ally of federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, to Reformer advising of a plan to \u201cshake down Angus for 10K\u201d. Taylor has not been named in Icac\u2019s allegations and has denied he ever made payments to the Reformers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.30 EDT<\/p>\n Man and pregnant woman found dead in outback Queensland home in apparent murder-suicide<\/p>\n A sad update from our earlier post:<\/p>\n A pregnant woman and a man have been found dead at a home in the outback Queensland town of Charleville, in an apparent murder-suicide after a protracted overnight standoff with police.<\/p>\n Several streets in the remote town, 600km west of Toowoomba, were locked down by police on Wednesday evening after officers arrived at the property on King Street after reports of \u201ca serious assault\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ed Husic looking forward to returning to full duties \u2018shortly\u2019<\/p>\n We have more from Ed Husic\u2019s office following news he was injured in a car crash <\/a>this week. Husic\u2019s team wrote on Instagram:<\/p>\n double quotation markMr Husic thanked the doctors, nurses and paramedics at Westmead Hospital for providing him with outstanding care and thanked his family and friends for their support, especially during his hospital stay.<\/p>\n He said he looked forward to returning to full parliamentary duties shortly and assured constituents his electorate team would continue to support the people of Chifley in the meantime.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n![\"Cait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cait_Kelly.png\")
Cait Kelly<\/p>\n![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785987495_826_Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\nCait Kelly<\/p>\nCait Kelly<\/p>\nPenry Buckley<\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Sarah_Collard.png\")
Sarah Collard<\/p>\n![\"Luca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785987496_435_Luca_Ittimani.png\")
Luca Ittimani<\/p>\n![\"Ian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ian_Sample,_L.png\")
Ian Sample<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/The_most_high-res_image_of_the_sun--581a13e1-f4aa-457b-b649-fef09018a0fe-1.0.0000000.jpg\")
The most high-res image of the sunShare<\/a>Penry Buckley<\/p>\n![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785987498_161_Ben_Smee_v2.png\")
Ben Smee<\/p>\n