Jessica McSweeneyUpdated August 20, 2026 — 2:41pm,first published August 20, 2026 — 9:17amWelcome to our live coverageBy Jessica McSweeneyHello and welcome to another day of the ICAC’s Operation Rosny live hearings.I’m state political reporter Jessica McSweeney and along with the Herald’s team of senior writers, we’ll be bringing you all the news as it happens from inside the hearing.Today we’re hearing evidence from former fair trading minister Eleni Petinos and her former chief of staff Cassandra Lawry. Before then, let’s take a look at what we covered yesterday:Dallas McInerney wiped his phone and iPad with a factory reset the weekend before returning the devices to Catholic Schools NSW, he says, after his bank alerted him to an issue with security on his bank account. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, suggested it was a “transparent attempt to wipe evidence”, which McInerney denied.McInerney said he handed his devices back to Catholic Schools NSW because he understood it was unlikely he would be returning to work.Dwyer said investigators had struggled to find any substantive documentation of work done by Beckington or JPG Advisory, which the ICAC is investigating in connection with allegations Catholic Schools NSW money was funnelled into the pockets of Liberal Party factional operators. McInerney said most of the work was done in meetings or over the phone, which was “safer”.McInerney discussed Liberal Party matters and his own political ambitions with Jeremy Greenwood, who ran JPG Advisory.McInerney sent a draft position description and negotiated with Jean-Claude Perrottet about a job at Catholic Schools NSW, at least partly while Perrottet was avoiding a parliamentary inquiry by travelling to Fiji.You can watch the hearing live stream here. Latest Posts2.41pmPetinos quizzed on Liberal Party powerbrokersBy Jessica McSweeneyThe ICAC is hearing evidence about Eleni Petinos’ relationships with other Liberal figures mentioned today, including Charles Perrottet and Chris Spence.When the party was changing leadership after the resignation of Gladys Berejiklian, Petinos would speak regularly with Charles Perrottet about potential moderate votes to support his brother Dominic to take over the premiership.Petinos said while the executive and parliamentary arms of the party were separate, she wouldn’t be surprised if he spoke to his brother Dominic about ministerial appointments.She came to know Chris Spence when she worked at Liberal Party HQ, and remained close friends with him when she became a minister in the Perrottet government while he worked as chief of staff to Anthony Roberts.Petinos knew that Spence and Charles Perrottet had a “close working relationship” and were both in the right faction.2.23pmEleni Petinos begins evidenceBy Jessica McSweeneyEleni Petinos has been sworn in to give evidence and the commission has begun by outlining her political experience.Petinos has told the commission she was a member of the Young Liberals during university, when she considered herself a member of the right, but moved to the moderate faction about 2015.Liberal frontbencher Eleni Petinos at the ICAC on Thursday. ICACShe became friends “in a political sense” with Charles Perrottet during their time working as staffers at NSW Parliament. The pair also worked together on the state executive in the years before Petinos moved to the moderates.Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, is continuing to ask Petinos about her contact with Charles Perrottet.1.43pmWhy Perrottet dumped Petinos from frontbenchBy Jessica McSweeneyToday the public hearing has focused mostly on events that took place mid-2022 during Dominic Perrottet’s time as premier – so it’s worth a refresher on exactly what was happening in state politics at that time.The Perrottet government was under pressure after John Barilaro (deputy premier to Gladys Berejiklian who quit politics in December 2021) was appointed to a plush gig as trade commissioner to the US. Stuart Ayres, then minister for trade, was also under media scrutiny about his involvement with the appointment.Around the same time, Chris Spence, chief of staff to the then-planning minister Anthony Roberts, would show Cassandra Lawry, chief of staff to then minister for fair trading Eleni Petinos, a video of David Chandler which he indicated could help her if she wanted the then building commissioner gone, the commission heard.Chandler later resigned, and in his scathing letter outlined concerns he had about a friendly relationship between Petinos and Coronation Property. Barilaro was Coronation’s executive director.12.42pmLawry left Spence’s name out of ICAC letter because he ‘knows people’By Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry has been shown evidence she gave during a private hearing earlier this year, including her letter referring the David Chandler video to ICAC.In her letter, Lawry did not mention it was Chris Spence – then-chief of staff to government minister Anthony Roberts – who had shown her the video and passed on other false allegations against Chandler.In the prior evidence, Lawry was asked why she didn’t name Spence.“Chris knows people,” she said. “You don’t want to be … getting on the wrong side of certain people.”“He’s been a member of parliament himself. He knows more powerful people than I know.”Lawry said there wasn’t a specific person she was worried about, but more a general impression she had that Spence was well-connected.Lawry has finished her evidence for the day and the commission will now break until 2pm, returning with Eleni Petinos.12.25pmLawry suspects she was used, Petinos ‘thrown under the bus’By Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry says she feels she was used by others in their goal to remove David Chandler from office while she was working for the state government.Lawry said she hadn’t discussed this with her former boss Eleni Petinos, but has now come to the view that she was used by others who had motivations against Chandler.NSW premier Dominic Perrottet sacked minister Eleni Petinos following bullying allegations.Rhett Wyman, Oscar Colman“When Ms Petinos was removed from her position as minister, I thought the reason was very convenient, and I was surprised at the time, and certainly then having been involved in this investigation for quite a few years now, it’s become clear,” Lawry said.Petinos was sacked by then-premier Dominic Perrottet in July 2022 after allegations of bullying. Lawry says she felt the sacking was unfair and that the bullying allegations were unfounded.Lawry said she felt Petinos was “thrown under the bus” to distract from issues plaguing other ministers, including Stuart Ayres. Ayres was under pressure after appointing former deputy premier John Barilaro as trade commissioner to the US, a significant scandal for the former Coalition government.12.07pmLawry asked about leaked Chandler videoBy Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry is being asked now about her movements after being contacted by a journalist who had obtained a video of David Chandler that Lawry had previously been shown by Chris Spence.In the video, Chandler complains about building certifiers – which Spence had previously shown Lawry and said it would help if she wanted to “get rid” of the then-building commissioner.Lawry said she told the department secretary Emma Hogan after she received questions from a journalist asking about the video, but did not tell Hogan that she had already been shown the video by Spence.There was a swift investigation by Hogan which found “nothing to see here”, Lawry said.11.24am‘Something doesn’t feel right’: Lawry felt ‘set up’By Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry has told the commission that she began to worry she was being set up after being shown a video of then-building commissioner David Chandler.The video showed Chandler on a building site complaining about certification issues. Christopher Spence, then-chief of staff to Anthony Roberts, had shown Lawry the video after she had complained about her workload and “personality clash” with Chandler.Cassandra Lawry gives evidence on Thursday. ICACLawry told the ICAC she didn’t think Spence had a particular motive when showing her the video, but she began to wonder in the days after.She sought out Kate Boyd, who was head of legal for the department of premier and cabinet, for advice.10.57am‘If you want to get rid of him, this might help’By Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry has told the ICAC that Christopher Spence showed her a potentially damaging video of David Chandler that could help her “get rid” of the then-building commissioner.Lawry is recalling a catchup she had with Spence, who was then chief of staff to Anthony Roberts, at NSW Parliament when she was confiding in Spence how she felt stressed by the workload of her job, which included working with Chandler.Spence then showed Lawry a video that would be damaging to Chandler.“I recall the wording being something along the lines of ‘if you want to get rid of him, this might help’,” Lawry said.Spence also showed her text messages that purported to show evidence of a bank account that would show Chandler taking money.Lawry said she had spoken with the department secretary Emma Hogan about rumours she had heard that Chandler was open to bribes, and Hogan assured her they were false rumours.10.47am‘Money in brown paper bags’: Lawry on unfounded building commission rumoursBy Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry has told the commission about unfounded rumours that swirled about former building commissioner David Chandler, including that he would be open to bribes.Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, has asked Lawry about her frosty relationship with Chandler, which she would complain about to Chris Spence, then chief of staff to Anthony Roberts. Dwyer asked Lawry to explain what rumours she heard about Chandler.Former Building Commissioner David Chandler.Kate Geraghty“That he was taking money, that you could give him money in brown paper bags, that his son – who I believe was a CEO or owner of a construction company – was getting, I suppose, special preferential treatment,” Lawry said.Lawry told the commission there was a “personality clash” with Chandler.Lawry said she and Chandler would disagree on some issues, and said about her boss Eleni Petinos: “I wouldn’t classify them as friends, but at the same time, I think she respected his position and his experience.”An example of a disagreement included Chandler wanting to brief the opposition and the crossbench about a report, while Lawry wanted him to wait until she could speak to the minister. He then rang the department secretary to complain, Lawry said.10.37amLawry asked about relationships at parliamentBy Jessica McSweeneyCassandra Lawry is being asked about her time working for Eleni Petinos, including her interactions with former building commissioner David Chandler and another chief of staff, Christopher Spence. Spence worked for Anthony Roberts, who along with Petinos was also a minister in Dominic Perrottet’s government. Cassandra Lawry arrives at the ICAC on Thursday. Sitthixay DitthavongThe ICAC is investigating allegations Liberal Party figures solicited and received illegal donations from Jean Nassif to support their factional work, in exchange for pursuing Nassif’s goals – which allegedly included removing Chandler from his role. In her opening statement to the commission, counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer, SC, said she expected evidence will show Charles Perrottet’s efforts in relation to Chandler’s removal extended to seeking out the help of Petinos and Spence. Lawry told Dwyer on Thursday that when she and Petinos first met with Chandler they had a friendly exchange where he mentioned the possibility of his retirement. “He said that he’s getting old, and if us girls wanted him to go off and retire, just let him know,” Lawry said. 1 of 2