Chris Minns urges former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay to stay, following her resignation from parliament

According to sources, NSW Labor leader Chris Minns angrily hung up the phone on McKay, as he urges the MP to stay given ‘precarious’ Covid-19 climate.

Former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay said her time in lockdown had provided an opportunity to “reflect and consider my future”. Picture: AAP

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns angrily hung up the phone on Strathfield MP Jodi McKay as she attempted to tell him she was resigning from parliament this morning, according to multiple sources briefed on the discussion.

Mr Minns later issued a statement praising Ms McKay’s contributions to the labour movement and urged her to reconsider her decision given the “precarious nature of the Covid recovery”.

But The Australian has learned that Mr Minns was angered by Ms McKay’s decision and made no mention during their short phone call of his desire for her to remain in politics.

Picture: Supplied

In an account of events described to The Australian, Ms McKay allegedly called Mr Minns after first informing the Speaker of the NSW Parliament of her decision to resign on Sunday morning.

Having then informed Mr Minns that she would be exiting politics, Mr Minns allegedly responded: “Thanks for letting me know. Goodbye,” and abruptly ended the call.

Ms McKay declined to comment when contacted and Mr Minns has been contacted for comment. It is understood that Mr Minns later sent a text message to Ms McKay with a request that she reconsider the matter.

A source briefed on the matter said it was a “bit rich” for the opposition leader to ask Ms McKay to reconsider her resignation without having put it to her directly.

“He undermines her for two years and when she rings to inform him she’s resigning, he hangs up, then tells the world he wants her to stay,” a Labor source said.

“The former premier (Gladys Berejiklian) had to resign because she had to face a corruption inquiry — the Labor leader isn’t asking her (Gladys) to reconsider, perhaps he should extend the same courtesy to his predecessor.”

A spokesman for Mr Minns said: “It was a short and polite conversation where the Leader thanked Ms McKay for letting him know and he wished her all the best.”

A source disputed Mr Minns account, saying no well wishes were provided to Ms McKay.

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns urged Strathfield MP Jodi McKay her to reconsider her decision given the “precarious nature of the Covid recovery”. Picture: AAP

McKay’s resignation from parliament will force a by-election in her Sydney seat, a decision made just months after stepping aside from the party’s leadership due to what she described as a campaign of instability caused by colleagues.
Ms McKay informed the Speaker of the NSW parliament of her intention to resign on Sunday morning, saying her time in lockdown had provided an opportunity to “reflect and consider my future”.

I make this decision with a heavy heart, but it’s time to move on. pic.twitter.com/TLaNs92MYu

— Jodi McKay (@JodiMcKayMP) October 17, 2021

Her exit will add to a slew of by-elections slated to occur in NSW since the resignation of former premier Gladys Berejiklian earlier this month. A by-election is expected in Ms Berejiklian’s seat of Willoughby, as well as in the seats of Monaro, Bega and Holsworthy.

“It was an honour to be the first ever NSW Labor leader democratically elected by Party members,” Ms McKay said in a statement. “As Leader, I championed internal reform to rebuild trust in our Party and make it more accountable.”

She said her career highlights included working with multicultural and faith-based communities, as well as her efforts to rebuild the party’s relationship with rural and regional NSW. This was to “show that Labor was not simply a party of the city”, she said.

Ms McKay was elected to parliament between 2007 and 2011, serving as a Minister in the Rees and Keneally governments before the party was voted out of office after 16 years in power.

She returned in 2015 as the member for Strathfield, later winning a ballot for the Labor leadership in 2019 against Kogarah MP Chris Minns.

She stepped down from the role in May, citing persistent undermining by Labor colleagues in the wake of a by-election loss in the seat of Upper Hunter, billed as a crucial test of her leadership by some detractors.

Her supporters said the by-election should never have been viewed as a litmus test of her leadership because NSW Labor had historically never won the seat.

“There has to be a future where there is no destabilising of the party’s leader from within,” she said at the time.

Ms McKay’s resignation statement on Sunday did not mention the events leading up to her resignation as party leader, although she said she had witnessed “the best and worst in NSW politics” over the last 15 years.

“I have always been true to myself and my principles and have stood up for what is right, regardless of the consequences,” she said. “I value integrity in public life - it’s something I have demonstrated in my role each and every day. I hope that is a legacy I leave our party and NSW politics.”