Testimony at a fiery budget estimates hearing has revealed a communications breakdown between NSW transpoxjmtzywrt bureaucrats and the Transport Minister in the lead-up to last Monday’s train shutdown that left scores of Sydneysiders stranded at stations.
Transport secretary Rob Sharp told the hearing on Friday morning that there was a protocol in place that said he wasn’t allowed to call Minister David Elliott directly.
Mr Elliott had been in the job for 53 days at the time and had never met Mr Sharp in person.
The minister was asleep when bureaucrats made the decision to shut down Sydney trains and only found out through social media at 4am on the Monday, he told the hearing.
The standstill caused widespread confusion among commuters and was estimated by the government to have cost at least $33m.
Mr Elliott told the hearing that the outcome wouldn’t have been any different even if he was aware of the plan to shut down the network.
“The decision … to actually go ahead with the shutdown was made on the back of a risk assessment,” Mr Elliott said.
“If the safety assessment had been ignored … and if indeed I had overruled anybody and there had been some sort of an accident or some sort of tragedy on the railway network … well, then I think I would be before a coroner’s court, not before you.”
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has previously claimed that trains could have run safely despite plans for limited industrial action.
The union is in talks with the government over a new enterprise agreement and has made demands about pay, hygiene and a commitment no rail or bus lines will be lost due to future privatisation of services.
Friday’s hearing got heated at times with opposition MPs and the minister shouting over each other.
Mr Elliott at one point threatened to not answer any questions from Labor MP Daniel Mookhey other than on notice after being repeatedly interrupted.
