Wednesday, October 28, 2020
A former NSW auditor-general has warned that the shredding of documents related to $250 million in council grants was likely to be unlawful and should end Gladys Berejiklian's leadership.
Tony Harris, who has also served as a senior Commonwealth public servant, said he was confident the Premier's office breached the State Records Act when it destroyed paper and digital records.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is loved by voters but there are still calls for her to resign.CREDIT:NICK MOIR
"The role that the Premier's office had in the shredding of documents is good reason for her departure, she should resign," he said.
NSW Labor is also arguing that the shredding of documents breached the act and has referred Ms Berejiklian to the NSW Police Commissioner for investigation.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
OPINION
GOVERNMENT GRANTS
Maguire aside, the Premier's steadfast command has been shredded
A spokeswoman for the Premier said: "The Premier’s Office complies with its obligations under the State Records Act.”
Mr Harris said while there had been no "persuasive reason" for Ms Berejiklian's resignation on the back of revelations of her relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire, "enough is way too much".
"I allege that the shredding those documents is unlawful, and so when you package everything up together, it's time for her to go," he said.
A senior policy officer from Ms Berejiklian's office told a parliamentary committee on Friday that she provided briefing notes to the Premier with a list of projects – one of them involving $90 million for Hornsby Shire Council – and later shredded the documents.
Sarah Lau said she gave Ms Berejiklian a "working advice note" and the Premier indicated "on that note that she was comfortable" with the projects.
When asked where the note was, Ms Lau responded: "I then disposed of those working advice notes that I had used to prepare that final record". The final record was an email.
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