‘You have got to go’: former NSW minister tells Icac ‘something strange at play’ when she was sacked by Perrottet

Eleni Petinos tells inquiry her sacking as a minister in Dominic Perrottet’s government was potentially motivated by her reluctance to get rid of the building commissioner Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The former New South Wales fair trading minister Eleni Petinos has given evidence at a corruption inquiry that she may have been used by fellow Liberals to try to get rid of the building commissioner David Chandler, recounting numerous attempts in 2022 to persuade her he was “dodgy” and should be sacked. She has also told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) inquiry that her subsequent sacking as a minister in the Dominic Perrottet government in July 2022 – allegedly for bullying staff – was unfair and potentially motivated by her reluctance to sack the building commissioner. “Have you come to suspect that you … you or your office through [your chief of staff] was being in effect used to try to get rid of Mr Chandler?” the counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer SC asked. “Subsequently, yes,” Petinos replied. “I thought there was something very strange at play for Dominic to take the action that he did so swiftly or so coldly