Christian Ellis, a former Liberal staffer who has avoided appearing before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption by living in England, has broken his public silence to condemn allegations made against him by fellow Liberal MP Ray Williams as an abuse of parliamentary privilege. In a five-page letter to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Greg Piper, Ellis said Williams’ accusations were defamatory and made for political purposes without supporting evidence.
The letter is the first time Ellis has spoken publicly about the allegations, which were first aired in June 2022. The ICAC’s Operation Rosny inquiry examined claims that Ellis sought to influence a Liberal preselection process in the Hills Shire Council to install councillors favourable to developer Jean Nassif, who fled to Lebanon in 2022. The inquiry heard evidence that Ellis may have hidden in a forest in early 2023 to evade process servers before moving to the UK with his family in early 2026.
In his letter, Ellis said Williams falsely accused him of corrupting the preselection, noting that Toplace pursued a state-led planning process for the development in question, meaning the council was not involved in the approval. He said the ICAC had found no evidence that candidates were chosen because they would be favourable to Nassif’s interests.
“I have not responded to Mr Williams’ allegations until now because I believe a private citizen should not be expected to answer any charge unless it is brought with evidence and in a proper forum. My silence should not be taken as an admission,” Ellis wrote.
He said he was responding now because Williams, as he approaches retirement, had described his speech as an act of courage. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, it was a gross abuse of the privileges afford to him as a parliamentarian,” he wrote.
Williams questioned why Ellis has not provided evidence if he is innocent. “Why didn’t he show up to the parliamentary inquiry or ICAC if that’s the case? If he’s innocent come home and put the record straight,” Williams said.
Ellis, a former staffer to Nationals leader Matt Canavan and NSW Liberal minister Damien Tudehope, was expelled from the Liberal Party in August 2023. He rejected Williams’ characterisation of himself as a whistleblower, saying a whistleblower has evidence, which Williams lacks.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case highlights the tension between parliamentary privilege and the right of individuals to respond to allegations made in parliament.
- It underscores the limitations of anti-corruption bodies in compelling witnesses who live outside Australia.
- The outcome will affect public confidence in the integrity of Liberal Party preselection processes in NSW.
Background
The ICAC’s Operation Rosny inquiry examined allegations that Liberal Party preselection processes were influenced to benefit developer Jean Nassif. Christian Ellis, a former staffer to Matt Canavan and Damien Tudehope, was a central figure. He avoided a summons by hiding in a forest and later moved to the UK in early 2026. He was expelled from the Liberal Party in 2023.
Key Perspectives
Christian Ellis: Says Ray Williams abused parliamentary privilege by making defamatory allegations without evidence, and that the ICAC found no support for the claims. He rejects Williams’ self-description as a whistleblower.
Ray Williams: Questions why Ellis has not appeared before the parliamentary inquiry or ICAC to give evidence; says if he is innocent he should return to Australia.
What to Watch
- Whether the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly takes any action on Ellis’s letter.
- Whether Ellis ever returns to Australia or cooperates with the ICAC.
- Potential defamation proceedings by Ellis against Williams.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says Christian Ellis, a fugitive Liberal ICAC witness, has broken his silence and condemned a colleague’s allegations as an abuse of privilege.WA Today - Latest News: “A fugitive Liberal apparatchik has used his first public comments about a blockbuster anti-corruption inquiry to condemn a former party colleague who made serious allegations against him under parliamentary privilege, saying the accusations are a gross abuse of privilege and defamatory.”
- SupportedThe summary says Ellis accused Ray Williams of making accusations without evidence and for political purposes.WA Today - Latest News: “Williams had not done “because there was no evidence”.”
- SupportedThe summary says Williams asked Ellis to come home and put the record straight.WA Today - Latest News: ““If he’s innocent come home and put the record straight,” Williams said.”
- SupportedEllis sent a five-page letter to Legislative Assembly Speaker Greg Piper.WA Today - Latest News: “delivered the broadside against Liberal backbencher Ray Williams in a five-page letter to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Greg Piper.”
- SupportedThe letter was the first time Ellis had spoken publicly about allegations first aired in June 2022.WA Today - Latest News: “The letter is the first time Ellis has spoken publicly about the allegations first aired in June 2022.”
- SupportedEllis was living in England to avoid appearing before ICAC, and had moved to the UK with his family in early 2026.WA Today - Latest News: “Christian Ellis, a staffer turned lobbyist who has spent the past few years living in England, which has enabled him to avoid appearing before the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption inquiry”
- SupportedThe inquiry heard evidence Ellis may have hidden in a forest in early 2023 to evade process servers.WA Today - Latest News: “The inquiry previously heard evidence Ellis may have been spent weeks hiding in a forest behind his Deniliquin home in early 2023 to evade process servers”
- SupportedEllis said Toplace used a state-led planning process for the development, so Hills Shire Council was not involved in its approval.WA Today - Latest News: “Ellis noted Toplace pursued a state-led planning process for the development in question, meaning Hills Shire Council was not involved in the approval.”
- Partly supportedEllis said ICAC found no evidence that candidates were chosen because they would favour Nassif’s interests.WA Today - Latest News: “He also said the ICAC had investigated Williams claim and found “no evidence” that the candidates endorsed by the Liberal Party were chosen because they would be favourable to Nassif’s interests.”
- SupportedEllis wrote that he had not responded before because a private citizen should not have to answer a charge without evidence and in a proper forum, and that his silence was not an admission.WA Today - Latest News: ““I have not responded to Mr Williams’ allegations until now because I believe a private citizen should not be expected to answer any charge unless it is brought with evidence and in a proper forum. My silence should not be taken as an admission,””
- SupportedEllis wrote, “Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, it was a gross abuse of the privileges afford to him as a parliamentarian.”WA Today - Latest News: “Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, it was a gross abuse of the privileges afford to him as a parliamentarian.”
- SupportedEllis rejected Williams’ description of him as a whistleblower, saying a whistleblower has evidence and Williams does not.WA Today - Latest News: ““A whistleblower has evidence. None of these things can be said about Mr Williams,” he wrote.”