August 24, 2026 — 12:24pmFollow the hearings liveFormer NSW Liberal MP and ministerial staffer Chris Spence has described a party operative and key member of the Reformers Dylan Whitelaw as “one of the most untrustworthy, lying individuals” he has ever met.Spence told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday that Whitelaw, who was employed in former planning minister Anthony’s Roberts’ office in early 2022 when Spence was chief of staff, had unauthorised meetings with developers when he was a junior staffer.Chris Spence gives evidence at the ICAC.ICACSpence, who was the MP for The Entrance between 2011 and 2015, said Whitelaw regularly “gaslit” the office and would “disappear” without any explanations.He told the commission it later emerged Whitelaw was meeting with developers alone, which was banned by the office. Spence also said he suspected Whitelaw stole documents from the office, although he had no proof of this.Whitelaw, who was the second witness to appear before the ICAC inquiry codenamed Operation Rosny, was employed in Roberts’ office after a stint at Catholic Schools NSW straight from school. He also was hired by lobby firm Beckington, set up by two Liberal operatives Christian Ellis and Jeremy Greenwood.Ellis and Greenwood are persons of interest in this inquiry.Asked for his view on Whitelaw, Spence said: “He is one of the most untrustworthy, lying individuals I have ever met.” Whitelaw left Roberts’ office after several months and set up his own advisory firm.Counsel assisting Juliet Curtin also pressed Spence on his relationship with Charles Perrottet, another person of interest in Operation Rosny who will provide evidence this week.Spence said he and Charles had a friendly relationship and agreed that Charles, a brother of former premier Dominic, had influence in the Liberal Party.“He was respected, very well respected, and intelligent,” Spence said.“He was quite good at strategy, so I guess he sort of just developed that sort of role and that I guess acknowledgement of those around that he was, you know, he was very good.”Curtin asked Spence if he still considered Charles Perrottet a friend, and after hesitating, Spence told the ICAC he had not spoken to his friend in at least two years.“I guess we’re going to find out today,” Spence said.The commission has heard Charles was considered by some as a conduit to his brother Dominic. Spence said Charles would at times become frustrated when others in the party would contact him when they couldn’t get hold of Dominic when he became premier.“Others would ring and complain and complain and complain, and Charlie would get frustrated not only at them, but also the fact that he just sometimes couldn’t talk to his brother,” Spence said.Spence said Charles would vent to him about the Coalition government and its “silly” decisions, and although he had been living in Melbourne for many years, where he works for BP, there was a view that Charles would return to NSW to pursue a political career.Alexandra Smith is a senior writer and former state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.Jessica McSweeney is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald covering state politics and urban affairs.Connect via email.From our partners