NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres ‘grounded’ for skipping parliament

Stuart Ayres has been spoken to by the Premier after he skipped parliament for an AFL press conference.

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres. Picture: AAP

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres has been spoken to by Premier Gladys Berejiklian after he attended a GWS press conference on Wednesday, despite not being granted a “pair” by the government to excuse him from parliament.

Mr Ayres was refused a pair by government whip Adam Crouch, The Australian understands, after he requested one Tuesday in an attempt to attend a grand final lunch with Labor MP Greg Warren.

Ms Berejiklian’s office declined to comment but it is understood the premier was unhappy with Mr Ayres’ lack of discipline.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: AAP

One senior government source said Mr Ayres has been “grounded”.

Mr Ayres said on Thursday of his decision to miss parliament for the Giants function without permission: “I’d love to say I attended the lunch but I didn’t because I came back to parliament but I did do a press conference with Kevin Sheedy, the inaugural coach and Melissa Doyle, the number one ticket holder for the Giants.

“I’m more than happy to keep working with the parliamentary practice which has been in place for a couple of centuries.”

Ms Berejiklian only has a two-seat majority in the Legislative Assembly.

Labor and government sources have confirmed Mr Ayres and Labor MP Greg Warren were seeking the pair but Mr Ayres was not granted it and decided to go to the lunch regardless.

Mr Warren remained in parliament all day, on the understanding Mr Ayres had not been granted the pair.

The latest gaffe by Mr Ayres comes after two ministers have confirmed to The Australian that he has lobbied them to get the $810 million ANZ redevelopment deferred or cancelled, despite backing Premier Berejiklian during the election campaign on getting the stadium built. One minister has confirmed that Mr Ayres instead wanted the funding to go to building a stadium in his electorate of Penrith.

Mr Ayres did not deny he had lobbied fellow ministers to cancel or defer the ANZ Stadium project.

“Ah, the position on the government stadium policy is pretty clear. It hasn’t changed since the election … I don’t think I can add much more than that.”

Asked why he had invested such time into nobbling ANZ, Mr Ayres said: “I think I’ll just keep saying that the stadium policy hasn’t changed.”

The press conference with the GWS Giants held by Ms Berejiklian and Mr Ayres was delayed this morning, after Mr Ayres realised he had to attend a division.