A senior New South Wales transport official who was in contact with the minister David Elliott’s office on the night before the sensational shutdown of the state’s rail system has been placed on “directed leave” a day before she was to appear at a parliamentary hearing.
Megan Bourke-O’Neil, NSW Transport’s deputy secretary for greater Sydney, had been due to answer questions at a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday about contact she had with Elliott’s office in the hours before last week’s shutdown.
However on Tuesday the transport secretary, Rob Sharp, told the hearing that he had placed her on “directed leave” for three weeks. Sharp refused to answer questions about why she had been directed to take leave, calling such questions “inappropriate”. He confirmed in answer to questions that there was no intention to sack Bourke-O’Neil.
Sharp said he sought advice, adhering with department guidelines, before placing Bourke-O’Neil on leave.
The state’s entire rail system ground to a halt after a long-running industrial dispute between the rail workers’ union and the government led to staff being “locked out”.
While Elliott initially blamed the shutdown on a strike and accused the Rail, Tram and Bus Union of “terrorist-like activity”, he later told parliament that the decision to close the network had been taken by by Sydney Trains chief executive, Matthew Longland, who said ongoing industrial action meant the network could not be operated safely. .
Elliott has insisted he first became aware of the network’s closure on Monday, after he went to bed sometime between 11.10pm and 12am on Sunday.
However last week, NSW Labor leader Chris Minns, under parliamentary privilege, cast doubt on the minister’s version of events, reading to parliament from a text message he said was between Elliot’s chief of staff and a senior transport official at 10.43pm which said the minister had been “briefed” and was “happy with our position”.
It’s understood that Bourke-O’Neil was the senior official . Elliott has insisted in parliament that he was only warned of “significant interruptions” and not a wider shutdown. However he conceded that NSW Transport believed it had fulfilled its obligation to inform the minister.
MPs were informed late on Monday that Bourke-O’Neil would not appear at Tuesday’s hearing.
Asked by Labor’s shadow roads minister, John Graham, whether the leave would take up the entire budget estimates hearing, Sharp responded: “It goes past the estimates period.”
Metropolitan roads minister, Natalie Ward, said she understood Ms Bourke-O’Neil was “very capable” and did not believe she was at risk of being fired.
Labor’s shadow treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, labelled the decision to place Bourke-O’Neil on leave “extraordinary”.
A press conference with Elliott was cancelled at late notice on Tuesday due to the weather.
