Article: Half a million to employ a mate ...

[ozbob]

Telegraph --> Half a million to employ a mate Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian accused of misleading Parliament

TRANSPORT Minister Gladys Berejiklian has been accused of misleading parliament when questioned on spending $500,000 in taxpayer dollars to employ a former colleague for "strategic advice".

Jack Simos, a former staffer with Ms Berejiklian for former NSW Treasurer Peter Collins in the mid-1990s, has been paid between $10,000 and $25,000 a month over 18 months to work 15 hours a week providing advice and 'stakeholder management" to Transport for NSW.

His consulting firm, Conrad Capital, established with Richard McKinnon, who now lives in Los Angeles, was set up one month before he was hired by Ms Berejiklian to provide the advice.

Last month, when grilled in a budget estimates committee about the employment of Conrad Capital, Ms Berejiklian claimed Mr Simos was engaged by her department, Transport for NSW and "that contract was not issued by me".

But documents obtained by the upper house show that Ms Berejiklian's own chief of staff requested the Premier's department that the minister's office employ Mr Simos ...

[ozbob]

^ oh dear ...

Might be time to get someone who understands ticketing a bit better as well ...

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Train guru paid while running for US office

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Mind the gap: advisers trip up minister

[#Metro]

Is that all? A better story would be who is advising the current mob in George street...