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.
Key points:
- The NSW Opposition compelled the government to make the resignation letter public within 24 hours
- Premier Dominic Perrottet revealed the letter had also been referred to ICAC
- The building commissioner worked closely with former cabinet minister Eleni Petinos
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.
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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