NSW councils
ICAC Operation Navarra as it happened: Ousted Parramatta Council CEO Gail Connolly breaks down again as she tells ICAC she sent anonymous email
Gail Connolly is accused of spying on staff and a councillor and misusing council information, processes and public money. Follow live.
- Ellie Busby and Anthony Segaert
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ICAC Operation Navarra as it happened: Ousted Parramatta Council CEO Gail Connolly gives evidence, breaks down
The ICAC is investigating whether Connolly subverted recruitment processes to benefit her friends and whether she spied on staff and a councillor.
- Anthony Segaert, Ellie Busby and Michael Ruffles
Former Parramatta council boss pressured staffer to resign, ICAC hears
Ex-CEO Gail Connolly pressured a staffer to leave over critical messages and declared she never put her own complaints “in writing”, the inquiry heard.
- Ellie Busby
‘Idiot’, ‘monster’, ‘witch’: Serial pest Andrew Thaler’s latest day in court did not go well
To most people, a three-hour grilling before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission would be something to fear. Not so for a sweary, problematic councillor.
- Bevan Shields
‘I liked being Cher’: Parramatta council staff on being labelled the ‘Witches of Eastwick’
Texts from former council boss Gail Connolly reveal she wanted to “get rid of” staff and that the “Pink Ladies play the long game”, the ICAC has heard.
- Ellie Busby
‘Not Granny Smith stuff’: Parramatta Council CEO helped edit friend’s resume then hired her, ICAC hears
Angela Jones-Blayney spent a second day in the witness box, this time explaining why she had deleted texts with interview questions in them.
- Ellie Busby
‘Stack it with our good people’: Text messages show Parramatta’s Pink Ladies plotted to bring staff to council, ICAC hears
A council executive sent derisive messages to the former chief executive about employees, months before either of them were hired.
- Ellie Busby
Former council boss asked execs to identify potential job for niece, ICAC told
A council executive gave a blunt warning to the former chief executive during the recruitment process of her niece.
- Ellie Busby
Former council boss exhibited ‘paranoia’ about information leaking, ICAC hears
A former employee has told the corruption watchdog he was asked to search for any emails from a councillor sent to a Herald reporter.
- Ellie Busby
Dead rabbit used to stall Parramatta council worker’s exit, ICAC hears
A witness has told the corruption watchdog that he believed the former council boss considered him as “potentially a threat”.
- Ellie Busby