Eleni Petinos – Michmutters

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Australia

Former NSW building commissioner David Chandler’s resignation letter referred to ICAC

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The resignation letter of the former NSW building commissioner has been referred to the state’s corruption watchdog following questions about why he abruptly quit last month.

Pressure has been building on the NSW government to make David Chandler’s letter public after reports he may have resigned because of a strained relationship with former fair trading minister Eleni Petinos.

Ms Petinos was sacked from the NSW ministry last month over bullying allegations, which she denies.

Premier Dominic Perrottet today revealed in parliament that Mr Chandler’s resignation letter had been referred to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Mr Perrottet was pressed during question time about whether the former commissioner’s resignation had anything to do with Ms Petinos.

“Do you stand by your statements of yesterday that the sacking of [Ms Petinos] had nothing to do with the resignation of David Chandler?” Opposition Leader Chris Minns asked.

“Yes,” Mr Perrottet answered.

Since Mr Chandler quit last month, citing the need for a “reset”, the Opposition has been calling for his resignation letter to be made public.

a woman standing behind microphones
Eleni Petinos was sacked over bullying allegations.(ABCNews)

Today Labor successfully moved a motion in the upper house to compel the government to produce the letter within 24 hours.

Yesterday Mr Perrottet said he had not read the letter, but now he says he has.

“I have read the resignation letter from David Chandler to the DCS (Department of Customer Service) Secretary Emma Hogan.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, the letter was provided to the ICAC for information.

“I understand the letter is to be provided to the upper house tomorrow.”

The Premier was also pressed on when he learned that the letter had been referred to the ICAC.

“Late last night,” Mr Perrottet replied.

Labor’s move to compel the government to release the document comes after it was revealed Ms Petinos met with a property developer linked to former deputy premier John Barilaro earlier this year.

After the two meetings on June 2 and June 21, a building ban affecting the developer, Coronation Property, was lifted.

Ms Petinos said the lifting of that ban had nothing to do with her and would have been a decision made by Mr Chandler.

Mr Chandler was appointed as the state’s first building commissioner by former premier Gladys Berejiklian in 2019 to clean up the building industry.

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Australia

Barilaro’s meeting with sacked minister in spotlight amid questions about Western Sydney development

A composite of two headshots, with the man on the left in a navy suit and the woman on the right speaking to media

It’s been revealed former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro met with then fair trading minister Eleni Petinos weeks before a building ban was lifted for the developer for whom he has been working since leaving parliament.

The meeting with Ms Petinos — who was sacked from cabinet last month — threatens to cause further headaches for the New South Wales government amid the ongoing inquiry into Mr Barilaro’s appointment to a lucrative US trade job.

After resigning from politics in October 2021, Mr Barilaro took a job with Sydney-based developer Coronation Property.

At the time, the company’s Merrylands Road development had been hit with a stop-work order.

On June 2 and June 21, 2022, former Small Business and Fair Trading Minister Ms Petinos met with Coronation Property representatives, with Mr Barilaro present at the latter meeting.

The stop-work order was then lifted on July 4, 2022.

The revelations come after Ms Petinos filed notes in her ministerial diary about the meetings.

Mr Barilaro said the function on June 21 was to celebrate his appointment as the state’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner (STIC) to the Americas, which he later drew from.

The recruitment process for that role is now at the center of a parliamentary inquiry.

“I attended a social engagement with the former minister to celebrate my appointment to the STIC Americas job,” Mr Barilaro said in a statement.

“I was no longer an employee of Coronation.

“I did not meet with the minister during my time with Coronation.”

Ms Petinos says the revocation of the stop-work order had nothing to do with her and was a decision made by the Office of the Building Commissioner.

“The issuing and revocation of stop-work orders is a matter for the Building Commissioner, not the minister,” she said.

New South Wales Building Commissioner David Chandler abruptly quit in late July, telling the public he thought the time was right for a “reset”.

The state opposition now wants to see Mr Chandler’s resignation letter after reports his relationship with Ms Petinos had soured.

Debate on a motion to compel the government to hand over a copy of the letter is expected on Wednesday.

Ms Petinos was sacked from her ministerial appointment last month over bullying allegations, which she denies.

Yesterday, Premier Dominic Perrottet was pressed about the fresh revelations concerning Mr Barilaro.

“Premier, what action will you take to investigate revelations … that John Barilaro met with the [then-]Minister for Fair Trading while representing his then employer, Coronation Group, after Mr Barilaro told the parliamentary inquiry yesterday that no such meeting occurred?” Labor MP Sophie Cotsis asked in parliament.

Mr Perrottet replied that he would seek the “requisite advice”.

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Categories
Australia

NSW Minister Eleni Petinos sacked by Premier Dominic Perrottet after anonymous complaint by staffer

a woman standing behind microphones

The New South Wales Minister for Small Business and Fair Trading, Eleni Petinos, has been sacked, plunging the State Government further into crisis.

The Premier has dumped the Miranda MP from state cabinet, a day after returning from an overseas trade trip.

On Friday, it was revealed an anonymous complaint had been made by a staffer from Ms Petinos’ office, reportedly alleging bullying.

The Minister denied any wrongdoing, releasing a statement saying “I reject any allegations of improper conduct”.

Speaking from India, the Premier confirmed an investigation had taken place into the complaint but he was satisfied with the outcome.

The Premier now says her position has become untenable.

a man wearing glasses standing outdoors talking
Mr Perrottet says Ms Petinos’ service as a NSW minister will end with immediate effect.(abcnews)

“Today I spoke with the Minister for Small Business and Fair Trading Eleni Petinos after some further matters concerning her were brought to my attention,” the Premier said in a statement.

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