Dominic Perrottet and wife beam as dumped premier’s brother Jean-Claude marries bride in Sydney
Former NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet has attended his younger brother’s wedding in Sydney just weeks after the groom avoided appearing at an anti-corruption inquiry.
Jean-Claude Perrottet, 26, was married on Monday in the presence of family and friends in the Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Mosman.
Dominic Perrottet arrived just in time for the ceremony with his wife Helen and their children, including one-year-old girl Celeste Grace, who looked content as she was carried in Mr. Perrottet’s arms.
Dressed in a sassy tuxedo, Mr. Perrottet himself comes from a large family as one of 12 siblings and walked to church with younger brother Ollie and his wife Julie.
Jean-Claude, who went to high school in Maryland in the United States, works as a private client advisor for Medallion Financial Group, but has also been heavily involved in NSW politics.
Ex-Minister of NSW Dominic Perrottet attended his younger brother Jean-Claude’s wedding to his radiant wife Helen and their children in Sydney on Monday (pictured)
Dominic Perrottet on her way to the ceremony in Mosman with Helen and his sister-in-law Julie Perrottet (pictured in green dress), who is married to his brother Ollie
The gorgeous bride arrived in a white Mercedes-Benz convertible with a dazzling bridal bouquet (pictured)
The couple married in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the Catholic Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Mosman on Monday afternoon
The proud groom Jean-Claude Perrottet (left) and his groomsmen including brother Ollie (second from left)
Jean-Claude was a policy adviser to former Liberal Finance Minister Damian Tudehope and has been Secretary of the NSW Young Liberals since 2021.
He was summoned earlier this year to appear at a corruption inquiry into a beleaguered town council in northwestern Sydney where he served.
The NSW corruption watchdog also raided the homes of former and current Liberal MPs associated with the council in early April – including another Perrottet brother, Charles, who was also seen outside the church on Monday, as part of its investigation .
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) raids followed last year’s use of parliamentary privilege by NSW state Liberal MP Ray Williams to allege that members of Hills Shire Council were being paid to install councilors who would support planning applications that had been submitted by the controversial Lebanese property developer Jean Nassif, a director of Toplace.
Those allegations led to a parliamentary inquiry held earlier this year, in which professional process officers were called in to search for both the former Prime Minister’s brothers, Jean-Claude and Charles, without success.
Charles has been living in Victoria since 2021 and was therefore unable to appear at the NSW inquiry.
He sent a letter declining the invitation to appear, saying he ‘would not take part in the Labour/Greens circus’.
Jean-Claude could not be located by the private company who hunted for him 2000 km around Sydney and southern NSW and it was later revealed that he had traveled abroad when the investigation was conducted.
The 26-year-old groom (pictured right with his brother Charles on the left) is heavily involved in NSW politics himself and is the secretary of the NSW Young Liberals
Despite a few April showers, the couple beamed as Jean-Claude escorted his beautiful bride out of the church under a white umbrella after the ceremony (pictured)
Glamorous guests arrive for the wedding Monday afternoon (pictured)
The bridal party outside the church (pictured) wore matching sparkly dresses
He was located by a news crew in March on a quiet street in a Sydney suburb.
Dressed in a green polo shirt, khaki shorts and brown sand shoes, he appeared shocked when approached by a 9News reporter who asked, “Where have you been?”
“I’ve been abroad,” Mr. Perrottet replied.
That was also his simple answer to why he didn’t appear at the inquiry and said, “As I said in my statement, I was abroad.”
However, he had no answer to the question ‘Why did you try to dodge it?’
The investigation ended ahead of the March state election without subpoenaing either of Perrottet’s brothers.
The election was won by Labour.
The party then indicated it would support a new parliamentary inquiry into the Hills Shire Council’s affairs.
But that investigation will not take place because ICAC is already investigating, said the new Prime Minister Chris Minns.
“A public inquiry, while one is already being conducted by ICAC, was problematic for obvious reasons,” he told reporters.
Guests arriving for the black-tie affair are expected to party at the reception until Monday night
One attendee seemed eager to take off his bow tie after the ceremony as the reception festivities began
The happy couple were driven out of the ceremony in the same Mercedes convertible the bride arrived in (pictured)
It is unknown where the couple plans to honeymoon as Mr Perrottet has recently returned from an overseas trip.
The sparkling diamond ring was visible on the bride’s hand as the newlyweds waved goodbye to the guests as they were expelled from the church
Dominic Perrottet previously dismissed the inquiry as a political hit led by NSW Labor ahead of the state election.
“The Labor Party is playing slander games with my family,” he said.
Local government minister Ron Hoenig said he was also “looking closely” at steps to ensure that Hills Shire taxpayers can be assured of the integrity of their council.
“The minister is looking closely at that particular issue and we realize that we have a responsibility to the taxpayers of that municipality, that they have confidence in that administration’s decision-making processes,” Mr Minns said.
During the parliamentary inquiry held before the election, the ex-premier’s brother, Jean-Claude, and Hillshire councilor Christian Ellis were heard asking for $50,000 to secure a federal seat to support incumbent Liberal MP Alex Hawke to usurp.
The inquiry also heard allegations that Deputy Federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley was targeted by Mr Ellis when he attempted to branch her seat from Farrer.
Those allegations were referred to the ICAC by the former prime minister.