NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and his puppet master, Michael Photios, the lobbyist who controls the NSW government
Dominic Perrottet owes his position as NSW Premier to Michael Photios who runs the biggest lobbying firm in NSW, and possibly Australia, which has corruption written all over it but it’s something that the old media rarely raises except for a mention here and there. This is important considering the Queensland government is currently having major issues with alleged corruption in relation to lobbyists influencing the Queensland government.
Gladys Berejiklian announced her intention to resign as NSW Premier on the 1st of October 2021 which was the same day the NSW ICAC announced that it was investigating whether Berejiklian breached public trust or encouraged corrupt behaviour during her relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire.
On the 5th of October 2021 the Liberal Party elected Dominic Perrottet as NSW Premier and one of the key players making sure that happened was lobbyist Michael Photios.
Michael Photios was a state MP in the NSW parliament from 1988 to 1999 when he lost the seat of Ryde but has continued to have huge influence within the Liberal Party. Michael Photios was forced to resign as the leader of the Liberal Party’s left faction in 2017 because even the Liberal Party could not hide anymore how dodgy it was to have a lobbyist is such a senior position within the Liberal Party. It was reported at the time:
NSW Liberal powerbroker, boss and lobbyist Michael Photios has resigned as the leader of the party’s dominant left faction, surprising even his close allies. Mr Photios received a standing ovation for his more than a decade in a post that carries considerable formal influence over party policy and preselections.
The move also comes as the role of lobbyists within the party has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly Mr Photios and his firm, Premier State, which enjoys large, $20,000-plus monthly retainers from major corporate clients including Telstra, the Hotels Association and The Star casino.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott told the ABC last year that lobbyists had too much control. “If you are making money out of the people whose preselections you control or influence, there is obviously a potential for corruption,” Mr Abbott said. (Click here to read more)
But when it came to Dominic Perrottet’s election as NSW Premier Michael Photios showed that he still ran the NSW Liberal Party.
The SMH reported: “Moderate powerbroker and former Liberal Minister Michael Photios was understood to be garnering support within partyroom for Mr Perrottet” (Click here to read more) and “Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios had been working the phones over the weekend to ensure Perrottet was installed as premier.” (Click here to read more)
Michael Photios is Chairman of PremierNational, which Photios set up, that is a lobbying firm and it says this on their website:
https://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/2022/06/29/nsw-premier-dominic-perrottet-and-his-puppet-master-michael-photios-the-lobbyist-who-controls-the-nsw-government/