Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig’s justification for allegedly pressuring his most senior public servant to accelerate a tribunal matter involving a Labor mayor is at odds with evidence he provided to a parliamentary committee just six weeks earlier.

Hoenig on Tuesday appeared to confirm allegations first revealed in the Herald that he pressured Brett Whitworth, the Office of Local Government deputy secretary, on five separate occasions to accelerate a submission to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) concerning former Bayside mayor Bill Saravinovski.

In confidential evidence to a parliamentary committee, Whitworth said Hoenig approached him after meetings, pushing him to accelerate the submission to NCAT. On the first two occasions, according to his evidence, t

See Full Page