Labor staffer sacked over ‘dirt file’ as Jodi McKay faces leadership pressure

A NSW Labor employee has been fired after circulating a “dirt dossier” to undermine Jodi McKay’s potential leadership rivals.

A Labor staffer who circulated a “dirt file” on shadow transport spokesman Chris Minns has been sacked, Jodi McKay has confirmed.

Mr Minns resigned from the opposition role and Ms McKay’s frontbench this morning after a dossier was distributed to journalists by Deputy Leader Yasmin Catley’s office on Monday.

The file included a list of which candidates Labor MPs voted for in the 2019 leadership ballot. It also highlighted previously reported references to Mr Minns in a 2019 Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry, and his ties to former General Secretary Jamie Clements.

Both Labor Leader Jodi McKay and Ms Catley denied prior knowledge of the document but this morning Ms McKay confirmed the employee was fired last night.

Jodi McKay on Wednesday. Picture: John Grainger

“It was completely and utterly inappropriate, and last night he lost his job, which is the appropriate thing to do,” she told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“I’ve always said that where there is misconduct or misbehaviour I will make the tough decisions, and that is what the deputy leader did last night.”

She reiterated again this morning that she had no prior knowledge of the document.

Ms McKay added that she was surprised she had now lost her shadow treasurer Walt Secord and now shadow transport spokesman Mr Minns.

“This came out of a by-election. It was a by-election we were never, ever, going to win. It is a seat we haven’t held for 90 years,” she said.

However Ms McKay is confident she will remain as the Labor leader.

“If someone has support that is greater than mine, if someone believes that they have the support of the parties to do this, then I will always put the party first,” she said.

“But the fact is, with great respect to Chris, he doesn’t have that. ”