NSW Minister for insurance regulator married to insurance industry peak body

The Premier has lashed out at questions about whether the minister responsible for NSW’s insurance regulator has a conflict of interest because she is married to a top insurance industry lobbyist.

Exclusive: Premier Chris Minns has lashed out at questions about whether the minister responsible for NSW’s insurance regulator has a conflict of interest because she is married to a top insurance industry lobbyist.

“Decisions have been made to manage conflicts of interest between both Minister Houssos and a family member,” Mr Minns said when asked about revelations in The Daily Telegraph on Friday.

Mr Minns insisted Finance Minister Courtney Houssos – who has responsibility for the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) — has managed perceptions of a potential conflict of interest due to her husband, George Houssos, who is a senior manager of government and stakeholder relations at the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA).

“The steps that she’s taken are responsible. I’m not going to ask her to ask her partner to quit his job in 2023,” he said, in a heated exchange with a journalist about the Telegraph story.

“I think the question is wrong. And no, I’m not going to ask her to step down from a role. I’m not going to ask her to ask her partner to quit his job,” Mr Minns said.

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos and her husband George.

Mr Minns comments come a day after the Telegraph revealed Ms Courtney had been forced to take extraordinary measures to avoid potential conflicts of interest due to her husband’s role.

A spokesman for Ms Houssos said appropriate arrangements have been put in place to prevent any conflict of interest, but failed to detail what those arrangements are.

Ms Houssos was sworn in as Minister on April 5. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Among its responsibilities, SIRA regulates motor accidents CTP insurance, workers compensation insurance and the home building compensation scheme in NSW.

The ICA is one of SIRA’s main lobbyists and stakeholders.

The relationship has raised questions over whether Ms Houssos has done enough to avoid any potential conflict of interest in her ministerial responsibilities.

“It’s a bit of a problem in terms of perception when the regulator is in such a close relationship with the regulated,” Liberal Treasury spokesman Damien Tudehope said.

It comes after Ms Houssos attended the Insurance Council’s annual dinner last week.

“She may in fact have created appropriate structures to manage it but perceptions are everything in relation to conflicts of interest and when you have such a close relationship we are entitled to think there is a significant conflict of interest which much be avoided.”

He said Ms Houssos should disclose what action she had taken to ensure she is following the rules.

A spokesman for Ms Houssos on Thursday insisted that the Minister has moved to ensure everything is above board.

“The Minister has previously disclosed her husband’s position with the ICA under the Ministerial Code,” a spokesman said.

 ”Arrangements have been put in place to manage any actual or perceived conflict of interest which may arise as a result,” he said.

“The Minister has assiduously sought to manage any perceived, potential or actual conflicts in line with her Ministerial obligations.”

Mr Houssos was removed from managing ICA’s relationship with the NSW government on April 18.

Both parties said that last week’s annual dinner was the first time Ms Houssos had met with the ICA.

“Discussion was general in nature and did not cover specific government policy initiatives,” the ICA spokeswoman said.

In a statement, the ICA said Mr Houssos had been banned from lobbying the NSW government, with that responsibility given to another senior manager.

“Under the protocol guidelines, Nico Louw, also a Senior Manager Government and Stakeholder Relations, is responsible for engagement and management of the relationship between the ICA and the NSW Government,” a spokeswoman said.

“The Insurance Council takes probity very seriously and has put measures in place to avoid actual or perceived conflicts between personal and professional interests.”