Nepo babies and exclusive clubs: the ties binding young Liberals with the conservative Catholic ecosystem

Icac hearings delve into links between Catholic Schools NSW and the Reformers, a shadowy group of rightwing Liberal operatives Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The right are fond of criticising elites: inner-city elites, Canberra elites, university elites, public service elites. Just ask the federal Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, and the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, who regularly rail against elites. But those on the right have their own exclusive clubs, as we have gleaned during the first three weeks of hearings in Operation Rosny at the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption. This week we’ve heard evidence about the payments made by Catholic Schools NSW to key figures and companies associated with the Reformers, a shadowy group of NSW Liberal operatives who made it their “cause” to turn the Liberal party back towards conservative policies on abortion, gender, same-sex marriage and euthanasia by taking over branches within the party. Icac is looking into allegations that payments made to the Reformers from Catholic Schools and others were illegal donations because they were used for political purposes, exceeded the donation caps and