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The NSW government has suspended parliament five days earlier than planned in a move that will prevent the opposition from conducting further hearings into claims of impropriety involving Liberal Party members before next month's state election.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman gazetted the move on Thursday, proroguing both houses of parliament from next Monday and likely pushing the government into caretaker mode five days early.
The move means the committee trying to find three Liberal members, including Premier Dominic Perrottet's brother Jean-Claude, will be unable to sit next week, and the opposition will also be unable to table its final report into the John Barilaro trade posting scandal.
READ MORE: Statewide search for NSW premier's brother and two other Liberals
Jean-Claude Perrottet, as well as party powerbroker Christian Ellis and his mum, Hills Shire Councillor Virginia Ellis, were all called as witnesses to the inquiry three weeks ago but are yet to appear, leading the committee to hire private investigators to track the trio down.
The premier has labelled the investigation a "political smear job".
Parliament was prorogued in 2011 by Kristina Kennealy's then-Labor government ahead of that year's state election, a move heavily criticised by the Liberals at the time.
Source: 9News
