Transport minister Jo Haylen says she won’t resign over revelations the former Labor staffer she hand-picked for the $588,250-a-year NSW transport secretary role donated to her election campaign before being appointed.
On Monday, the Herald revealed Josh Murray, once former premier Morris Iemma’s chief of staff, donated $500 to Haylen’s election campaign in September last year. His wife, former Labor staffer Davina Langton, donated $250 in October.
Josh Murray made political donations to NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen less than a year before she appointed him as the state’s new transport secretary.Credit: Jessica Hromas; LinkedIn
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB on Tuesday morning, Haylen said she was not required to disclose the two separate donations under NSW law, and she had been “really honest and open”.
Murray’s donations were two tickets purchased to an election fundraiser for her campaign, Haylen said, saying the claim she had given the highly remunerated position to the former Laing O’Rourke executive for the donations was ludicrous.
“So to say that … somehow, I would give a very important senior public service job because someone … gave me a $500 donation is completely absurd. That beggars belief,” she said.
“I want to make it very clear that it would be absurd to make a connection between buying a couple of tickets for a fundraiser six months out from an election, and a very important senior public service job.”
Asked if she would resign over the scandal, Haylen replied: “No”.
“I’m here answering your questions, and I’ll answer many questions after this, I’m sure,” she said.
“They’re tickets to a fundraising dinner. Let’s be honest here. And we’ve been very upfront about this throughout the process. The fact is, I’ve made the declarations I need to make,” she said.