Former minister denies knowing donations breached NSW laws

Former NSW Liberal minister Damien Tudehope has denied any knowledge that donations from his friend, hotelier Michael O'Hara, could have violated state electoral funding laws. Appearing before the state's corruption inquiry, codenamed Operation Rosny, Tudehope stated he did not consider the payments made by O'Hara, identified as a prohibited donor, to be political donations.

Tudehope, who resigned from the opposition frontbench last month, is not accused of wrongdoing. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating whether O'Hara made undeclared political donations that exceeded legal caps. Evidence presented to the inquiry suggests O'Hara used a company, Paslibdan Pty Ltd, to channel these donations, disguising them as consultancy fees to bolster conservative membership within the Liberal Party.

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If you think for one moment ... that I would expose Michael O'Hara to a circumstance where he would have to give evidence in this commission the way that he had to give evidence last week, if you think that I would expose a friend of mine to that level of scrutiny that he was exposed to 83 years of age with stage three for cancer. Do you think that I would have done that in circumstances where I knew that he would be a prohibited donor, for the purposes of the Electoral Funding Act? Not on your life.

Describing a decades-long friendship and political alliance with O'Hara, Tudehope explained he introduced him to the NSW Reformers, a conservative faction within the Liberal Party. He expressed surprise upon learning O'Hara had donated tens of thousands of dollars. When questioned by Counsel Assisting Peggy Dwyer SC, Tudehope affirmed his support for electoral funding laws but maintained he did not believe O'Hara's payments constituted political donations under the act. He insisted he would never have exposed a friend to the scrutiny of the commission if he had known O'Hara was a prohibited donor.

Assistant Commissioner Fabian Gleeson SC suggested the conduct could be described as "concealment." Tudehope responded, "Well, illegal concealment. Call it what you like." He also stated he would have been surprised by allegations of sham invoices, as there would have been "no reason to cover" lawful donations.

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Well, illegal concealment. Call it what you like.