Get Involved - Parliament

Secretary of Transport for NSW

Published on: August 2023

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-133957

Secretary of Transport for NSW

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (11:51:16):

My question is directed to the Minister for Transport. In respect of the Transport secretary recruitment process, did the Minister ever declare a conflict of interest? If so, how, when and what was the conflict?

Ms JO HAYLEN (Summer HillMinister for Transport) (11:51:41):

— I thank the member for North Shore for her question. I have made all the necessary declarations that I am required to make to this Parliament as a member of Parliament, to the Premier as a Minister in his Government, and I have also declared, as I have made clear to this House multiple times, my ministerial diaries, as I am required to do under the Premier's requirements in the memorandum on the publication of ministerial diaries. I have made those disclosures. If we are going to go to conflicts of interest, I think what is relevant here is what those on the Opposition side of the House did in similar circumstances, because it made the member for Oatley rather uncomfortable.

Mr Mark Speakman:

Point of order—

The SPEAKER:

The Minister will resume her seat. I think I know what the point of order is and I know where I am going with it.

Mr Mark Speakman:

My point of order relates to Standing Order 129, direct relevance.

The SPEAKER:

I absolutely uphold that point of order at this stage. Minister, I cannot countenance a digression as far as where you appear to be going. I can see that the question can be answered quite concisely and quite quickly. The Minister has done a bit of a prelude, but the extension of the answer is straying too far from the question. I call the Minister back to the leave of the question.

Ms JO HAYLEN:

I have answered these questions multiple times. I have made very clear that I have declared, as I am required to do, any conflict of interest. I have done so. What is inconvenient to those opposite, however, is that this process is exactly what they did not do in office. We undertook a proper process run by the Department of Premier and Cabinet. In fact, candidates were interviewed by a panel of highly respected public servants, as I have explained—

Mr Mark Speakman:

Point of order: It was not a question about the whole process. It was a simple question about whether the Minister declared a conflict of interest. My point of order relates to Standing Order 129.

The SPEAKER:

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I uphold his point of order. I rule that the Minister has concluded her answer.