Former council boss wanted to “get rid of” staff
Looted City of Parramatta boss Gail Connolly said there were “only a few more council workers to save and we’re going to get burned” while the Pink Ladies were “playing the long game”, according to a text message released by the anti-corruption inquiry.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s public inquiry on Monday heard messages revealing Connolly and senior staffers Angela Jones-Blayney and Roxanne Thornton discussed cutting key staff from the western Sydney council. This included a message Jones-Blayney sent to Thornton about employees, which read: “All those assholes didn’t do anything.”
Jones-Blayney, the council’s executive director of city engagement and experience, gave evidence on her third day as a witness at the council’s public inquiry.
The ICAC is investigating Connolly, Jones-Blayney and Thornton as part of Operation Navarra over a range of allegations, including that they deliberately subverted recruitment and promotion processes within the council to benefit friends and colleagues. The trio were part of a group calling themselves the “Pink Ladies”.
The commission saw text messages sent from Connolly to Jones-Blayney in September 2023 about plans to “get rid” of some staff, a month after Jones-Blayney started working at the council.
“The Pink Ladies are playing the long game – that’s how we’ll achieve success [Ryde councillor Roy Maggio] Finally. Parramatta is already better for having you and Roxy [Thornton]”The text has been read.
“Today’s ET meeting was the best we’ve had so far because it involved some camaraderie and some laughter. We’ve got a few more to save and we’ll be burned. Keep up the good work, Ang.”
Jones-Blayney later sent a message to Thornton in October: “It’ll all come out next week and move quickly, but as I told you today, I’ll be walking around that floor with my head held high because all those scumbags did nothing”.
Jones-Blayney said the message was about a new interim structure she would announce later that month; This included the appointment of Michelle Carter, a former colleague of Jones-Blayney from Ryde Council and fellow Pink Lady. The inquest was previously told Carter played a key role in writing the position description for a new role in the City of Parramatta and was subsequently appointed directly.
Parramatta’s ‘Eastwick Witches’
The ICAC also heard that in November 2023, Connolly sent a message to Thornton and Jones-Blayney saying “some of the early content in the Sheree emails referred to the two of you as the Witches of Eastwick”. The 1987 horror-comedy film stars Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon as three witches.
“[Not] I’m pretty sure I’m the third witch!!” Connolly said.
The inquest previously heard that a former employee was at the time. Governor of ShereeFollowing a series of complaints to Stopline, the City of Parramatta reporting system, ‘s emails and Teams messages began to be monitored by administrators at the council, with Connolly’s approval. Jones-Blayney believed that the complaints about him and Thornton were orchestrated by Gover as part of a wider campaign to have Jones-Blayney’s contract terminated by forcing other employees to also make complaints.
Connolly then sent another message to the group chat telling Jones-Blayney she should be Cher, Thornton was Pfeiffer and she hoped to be Sarandon.
“This is the best!!” Thornton wrote.
“We love it,” Jones-Blayney replied.
“I love Susan Sarandon.!!” Connolly was sent back. Thornton’s text message four minutes later read: “Sheree and Shannon [Kliendienst, a former council employee] can f—- right away”.
Counsel assisting Joanna Davidson, SC, asked Jones-Blayney if she was offended by being called the “Eastwick Witches”.
“Not in this context,” he said. “I said I loved being Cher.”
The investigation into Gover then moved towards finding evidence that he had used inappropriate language in Teams messages to other staff, the inquest heard. Davidson asked Jones-Blayney, who had previously referred to his own team as “incompetent idiots” and “crooks” in a series of text messages seen early in the investigation, whether it was appropriate for Gover to be investigated in light of Jones-Blayney’s own choice of language.
“I think those are two very different things,” Jones-Blayney said. “I’m not making excuses for the language I use on my personal phone, but I think a council device involving multiple staff and managers is a bit different.”
The investigation will continue on Wednesday.
Ellie Busby is a Parramatta reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
