The wedding photo which exposes Jo Haylen, Josh Murray truth

Despite Jo Haylen last week declaring she and Josh Murray are just “professional acquaintances,” The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the Transport Minister was on Mr Murray’s table at a wedding seven years ago.

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen is still under fire. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Transport Minister Jo Haylen and her hand-picked department boss Josh Murray first met at a 2016 wedding, when one of Premier Chris Minns’ best mates tied the knot in Byron Bay.

Despite Ms Haylen last week declaring she and the Transport Department Secretary are just “professional acquaintances,” The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the Minister was on Mr Murray’s table at the wedding of former Labor Adviser Damian Kassabgi.

The Byron wedding was a who’s who of Labor identities, including then-Senator Sam Dastyari and former NSW General Secretary Jamie Clements.

Despite Ms Haylen’s claim that she only knows Mr Murray “professionally,” the Transport Secretary last week told a parliamentary inquiry that he was “sure” they would have met at “some mutual social occasions”.

Jo Haylen (left in circle) and Josh Murray (right in circle) at a wedding in Byron Bay in 2016.

He said that he was first introduced to Ms Haylen “about seven years ago at a mutual friend’s wedding”.

In a statement, a spokesman for Ms Haylen agreed that, “to the best of her recollection,” the wedding was the first time they had met.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen declined an invitation to appear at the parliamentary inquiry into the scandal. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Documents seen by The Telegraph last week revealed that Josh Murray, who was appointed transport secretary in July, donated $500 to Ms Haylen’s campaign in September last year.

A second $250 donation, understood to be from Mr Murray’s wife, was sent through to Ms Haylen’s campaign in October.

Last week Ms Haylen refused to front a parliamentary inquiry to explain — under oath — why she hand-picked Mr Murray to run Transport for NSW

Documents tabled to parliament revealed Ms Haylen’s chief of staff had texted Mr Murray, a former staffer for then-Premier Morris Iemma, to advise him applications were open for the role.

NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray donated $500 to Ms Haylen’s campaign in September last year. Picture: John Appleyard

Emails also revealed Ms Haylen’s office recommended Mr Murray be interviewed for the role, despite a $125,000 recruitment process already being underway.

Mr Murray was only added to the shortlist of candidates considered by an independent panel after Ms Haylen’s chief of staff pushed for him to be interviewed.

Earlier this month Ms Haylen denied accusations she lied about how the state’s Transport boss was recruited. She said her chief of staff Scott Gartrell “did not tell the independent panel who to interview”.

But the bombshell government documents revealed Mr Gartrell said “Josh Murray should be interviewed” for the $588,250 job as Transport for NSW Secretary.