‘Get rid of him’: ICAC hears details of smear campaign against NSW building commissioner

A senior political staffer to the then-NSW planning minister showed a colleague a video she could use to “get rid of” building commissioner David Chandler, a major corruption inquiry has heard.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption on Thursday heard the first details of a smear campaign against Chandler, including false claims that the outspoken public servant would take money in brown paper bags, had received a $10,000 deposit in his bank account, and shown favourable treatment to some companies.

The ICAC alleges the campaign was part of a co-ordinated effort by Nassif to undermine Chandler and prevent him from policing substandard building projects by his Toplace development firm.

After nearly a month investigating illegal donations claims, the ICAC has turned its focus towards a fresh set of allegations involving a $2 million bribe from Nassif to Liberal Party operatives Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet, the brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet.

The commission previously heard phone taps in which Nassif says he was promised Chandler would be removed from his role policing substandard developments across Sydney.

Cassandra Lawry, the chief of staff to the then-fair trading minister Eleni Petinos, gave evidence on Thursday about a meeting at the level nine garden of Parliament House in May 2022. At that meeting, Chris Spence, the chief of staff to the then-planning minister Anthony Roberts, showed Lawry a video which showed Chandler on a building site complaining about certification issues.

Asked what Spence said to Lawry after playing the video, Lawry replied: “I recall the wording being something along the lines of ‘if you want to get rid of him, this might help’.”

Petinos was responsible for the portfolio in which Chandler was employed.

Spence also showed Lawry 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.

Lawry told the ICAC on Thursday that she “started to wonder” what Spence’s true motivations were within a few days of that meeting.

She discussed the matter with another public servant and said “something doesn’t feel right about this”.

Asked by counsel assisting the commission Dr Peggy Dwyer, SC, whether she felt she was being set up, Lawry replied: “I did.”

Spence is a former MP who was forced to resign from the Liberal Party in 2014 during a previous inquiry codenamed Operation Spicer. Spence was later found to have been involved in a scheme to disguise political donations from banned donors.