Jo Haylen denies lying about hiring Transport for NSW boss Josh Murray
The ICAC warned NSW Cabinet not to interfere in decisions based on ‘merit-based criteria’ two days before it was revealed the Transport Minister gave a plum job to the candidate ranked second by an independent panel.
NSW
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NSW cabinet ministers have been explicitly warned about overturning decisions based on “merit-based criteria” and told that interfering in an independent process is “likely to attract criticism”.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos delivered the warning to a Cabinet meeting on Monday, days before it was revealed Transport Minister Jo Haylen gave the top job at Transport for NSW to a second-ranked candidate as determined by an independent evaluation panel.
Ms Haylen has now denied accusations she lied about how the state’s Transport boss was recruited, in an escalation of the scandal surrounding former Labor staffer Josh Murray’s appointment to the role.
Ms Haylen on Thursday said her chief of staff Scott Gartrell “did not tell the independent panel who to interview”.
However, documents tabled to parliament on Wednesday reveal Mr Gartrell said “Josh Murray should be interviewed” for the $588,250 job as Transport for NSW Secretary. Ms Haylen said Mr Gartrell “was asked for input … on an initial list of candidates”.
Opposition roads spokeswoman Natalie Ward accused Ms Haylen of telling a “blatant lie”.
“Every time the minister opens her mouth the story changes,” Ms Ward said. “Her statement today that her chief of staff did not tell the panel who to interview is a blatant lie.”
Ms Haylen said her chief of staff was “making a suggestion” on who should be interviewed for the job but “it was not up to him”.
Mr Murray was one of two candidates put forward to the minister after a “merit-based” process was conducted to find the best candidate.
An evaluation panel found Mr Murray was “very suitable” for the job. However, he was ranked behind a Transport bureaucrat who was considered to be “highly suitable”.
Mr Gartrell pushed for Mr Murray to be interviewed after sending him the job listing after it was advertised.
The Daily Telegraph revealed on Thursday that the two men exchanged texts about the job during the recruitment process, including after Mr Murray applied for the job.
Premier Chris Minns rejected comparisons between Mr Murray’s appointment and the appointment of former Nationals leader John Barilaro to a plum New York trade role last year.
He said Mr Murray would be “the right person for the job”.
“At the end of the day the proof will be in the pudding for all of us, so we’re asking people to give Mr Murray the chance to do this complicated job,” he said.
Mr Hatzistergos and ICAC staff met Cabinet ministers on Tuesday “to discuss their obligations under the NSW Ministerial Code of Conduct,” an ICAC spokeswoman said.
Ministers were also given an “annotated copy of the ministerial code”, which included warnings about interfering in independent processes.
When Mr Murray’s appointment was announced, the government said the recruitment process was conducted by the Acting Premier’s Department Secretary “in consultation with the Minister”.
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