NSW Building commissioner David Chandler tears up in estimates

Building Commissioner David Chandler has broke down in tears during a budget estimates hearing after being probed about his working relationship with former MP Eleni Petinos.

Building Commissioner David Chandler broke down in tears following a day of questioning over his decision to resign from his job, which he later backflipped on, as MPs probed his working relationship with former small business minister Eleni Petinos.

“This has been a really challenging time. My team...we’re currently rebuilding, they are an amazing team, what these people have achieved in three years is unbelievable,” Mr Chandler told budget estimates as he choked back tears.

“I just want to call them out and say they’re the best you can get.”

It comes as sacked former minister Ms Petinos offered to resign days before she was dumped from cabinet, following bullying allegations raised in News Corp newspapers.

Premier Dominic Perrottet also denied to budget estimates that he was aware as far back as April of issues involving Ms Petinos, then the small business Minister.

NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler. Picture: Toby Zerna

He did however reveal he had directed Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello – the senior Minister in their cluster of portfolios – to “speak to” Ms Petinos about the relationship between her office and the customer service department in the weeks before he sacked her.

“Matters in relation to the office had been brought to my attention prior to that (July 31 sacking but) not in a substantive way … that there were concerns between the ministerial office and the department,” Mr Perrottet said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet during budget estimates. Picture: Nikki Short

“I raised that with Customer Service Minister (Victor Dominello) and asked him to speak to the Minister (Petinos).”

The stories involving bullying allegations, which Ms Petinos has denied, were published in The Daily Telegraph and The Australian shortly before the Premier returned from a trade trip to Asia.

Mr Perrottet said he did not meet with the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Customer Service, Emma Hogan, until Sunday July 31.

He sacked Ms Petinos later that day.

Eleni Petinos announces new measures for women‘s safety ahead of this year’s NSW Budget. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Mr Perrottet told estimates he made the move after she offered to resign.

“When I was on the trade mission, and there was a story that was in the newspaper in relation to those allegations. I had a call with her. And she said during the phone call, you know, would it help you if I would resign,” he said.

“There was no basis for her to do that. There was simply a report in the newspaper. I returned, I made my own inquiries and my own decision.”

It came as budget estimates also heard that concerns about Ms Petinos were raised with her department just four months after she was sworn into the portfolio.

Department of Customer Service secretary Emma Hogan has told a parliamentary committee that she “became aware of some instances” regarding Ms Petinos’ behaviour in “April”.

Ms Hogan said concerns were raised about “respectful behaviour in meetings” and “some cultural concerns … about working in (Ms Petinos’) office”.

Concerns were raised about Ms Petinos’ behaviour just four months after she was sworn in.

“There were a couple of issues that occurred that my staff had raised with me,” Ms Hogan said.

“I was made aware of a couple of instances. I took it upon myself to raise some of those instances with the former Minister in early May,” she said.

The “issues” did not result in formal complaints.

Ms Hogan said some departmental staff did not want to be seconded to Ms Petinos’ office.

Ms Petinos also raised her own concerns.

“I think on occasion, it was considered that we perhaps hadn’t put the right skill set or right person in there. So I would say that was two-way,” Ms Hogan said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet sacked Ms Petinos from the Ministry on July 31, acknowledging “members of the public service did not feel comfortable” working in her office.

Mr Perrottet said that he sought further information from Ms Hogan following an anonymous complaint alleging Ms Petinos bullied a Ministerial staffer.

“She took me through a range of issues, and I formed the view that if there was any possibility at all, that there was an unsafe workplace, that I had to take action,” he said.

The Daily Telegraph later revealed that Ms Petinos met with a building developer linked with former Deputy Premier John Barilaro just weeks before a building ban was lifted on one of its properties.

Building Commissioner David Chandler later resigned, citing a “problematic” relationship with the Minister in his ­resignation letter, which was forwarded to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Mr Perrottet last month said issues raised in the letter were “peripheral” to his decision to sack Ms Petinos.