Letter raising concerns about MP Eleni Petinos sent to Premier’s office

Secret documents released to NSW Parliament show Dominic Perrottet asked former Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos to stand down the same day his office recieved NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler’s resignation letter.

Secret emails have revealed a senior staffer in Premier Dominic Perrottet’s office was sent the resignation letter of the State’s building commissioner raising “concerns” about former Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos and a property developer the day she was sacked.

Mr Perrottet has maintained he removed Ms Petinos from the portfolio in response to staff bullying allegations – claims which she denies – and not as a result of the content of the letter penned by outgoing NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler.

As first revealed by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Chandler wrote how he was concerned about the relationship between Ms Petinos and Coronation Property Group after having “received a call from the Minister’s Office” shortly after he had imposed a draft stop work order at a site in western Sydney.

Former Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos was asked to step down. Picture: Supplied

Mr Perrottet sacked Ms Petinos on July 31, stating that he had “received information” that made him doubt the “environment” in Ms Petinos’ office was safe.

In parliament, Mr Perrotter said that “peripheral” issues about Ms Petinos’ dealings with the property firm that hired former deputy premier John Barilaro were not relevant while declaring how he did not personally read Mr Chandler’s letter it until the evening of August 9.

Eleni Petinos pictured during question time at NSW Parliament. Picture: NewsWire

Daily Telegraph July 28/7/22. A cleaner tries to clean an image of member for Miranda Eleni Petinos mp on her electoral office window .picture John Grainger

However, the State opposition seized on departmental documents released to state parliament today which include a July 31 “FYI” email from Customer Service NSW secretary Emma Hogan to Mr Perrottet’s chief-of-staff Bran Black containing Mr Chandler’s letter.

Ms Hogan subsequently handed the letter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) the following day.

NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns said the email showing Mr Perrottet’s chief-of-staff had been sent the letter raised questions about who knew what and when.

“For weeks we’ve been told there was no link between the government receiving the Building Commissioner’s resignation letter and the sacking of Eleni Petinos,” he said.

“However, new documents show the Premier’s most senior adviser received a copy of the Chandler letter from Secretary Emma Hogan on the same day the Premier sacked Eleni Petinos.”

The resignation of David Chandler was sent to the Premier’s office the same day Eleni Petinos was asked to step down. Picture: Tim Hunter

However, The Daily Telegraph has been told Mr Black only received the email containing Mr Chandler’s letter after it had briefing with Ms Hogan and Mr Perrottet during which the separate matter of “workplace safety” in Ms Petinos office was discussed.

At the end of the discussion, a source familiar with the matter said Ms Hogan then mentioned how she had received a letter from Mr Chandler and that it had been “dealt with appropriately”.

The source said Ms Hogan subsequently sent the “FYI” email with Mr Chandler’s letter attached to Mr Black as a follow-up to the discussion.

The letter was immaterial to the decision to stand Ms Petinos down, the source said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said that “peripheral” issues about Ms Petinos’ dealings with Coronation Property Group were not relevant to her being stood down. Picture: NewsWire

Ms Hogan subsequently handed the letter to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

In separate documents released as part of an SO52, an email from Mr Barilaro to Mr Chandler confirms a request for a meeting, stating Coronation wanted to “work with your team” to resolve the issue: “If it isn’t appropriate to contact you directly, please let me know.”

File notes from a meeting on May 2 between Mr Chandler and Mr Barilaro and taken by a departmental officer also show the pair discussed the stop work order.

“John Barilaro – want to discuss stop work order issued at Merrylands project,” a file note said.

“He believes Coronation is trying to do the right thing: he was helping to create executive team.”

The stop work order was lifted on July 4.

Ms Petinos has previously declared 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.

Asked today whether he was briefed about the letter before asking Ms Petinos to stand down, Mr Perrotter told repoters: “No”

He said he discussed matters “arising from that letter” with Ms Hogan the day after he arrived back from the trade mission.“The issue in relation to matters arising from that letter were peripheral to the discussion,” he said.