source : the age
Sacked City of Parramatta boss Gail Connolly said there were only a few more council staff to “get rid of and we will be on fire” as the “Pink Ladies play the long game”, according to text messages aired at an anti-corruption inquiry.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption’s public inquiry on Monday heard messages revealing Connolly and high-ranking staffers Angela Jones-Blayney and Roxanne Thornton discussed removing key staff from the western Sydney council. It included a message from Jones-Blayney sent to Thornton about employees that read: “all those f—ers did nothing”.
Jones-Blayney, the council’s executive director of city engagement and experience, provided evidence on her third day as a witness at the public inquiry into the council.
Under Operation Navarra, the ICAC is investigating Connolly, Jones-Blayney and Thornton over a series of allegations, including that they intentionally subverted recruitment and promotion processes within the council in order to benefit friends and associates. The trio were part of a group that referred to themselves as the “Pink Ladies”.
The commission saw text messages sent from Connolly to Jones-Blayney in September 2023, a month after the latter commenced employment at the council, about plans to “get rid of” some staff.
“Pink Ladies play the long game – that’s how we will get [Ryde councillor Roy Maggio] in the end. Parramatta is already better for having you and Roxy [Thornton],” the text read.
“Today’s ET meeting was the best we have had yet because it involved some friendliness and some laughs. Only a few more to get rid of and we will be on fire. Keep doing you Ang.”
Jones-Blayney later sent a text to Thornton in October: “it’s all going to unfold next week and will go to s— fast, but as I said to you today, I’m going to walk around that floor with my head held high, because all those f—ers did nothing”.
Jones-Blayney said the message was regarding a new interim structure she would announce later that month, which included the appointment of Michelle Carter, a former colleague of Jones-Blayney’s from Ryde Council and a fellow Pink Lady. The inquiry was previously told that Carter played a significant role in writing the position description for a new role at City of Parramatta, to which she was then directly appointed.
Parramatta’s ‘Witches of Eastwick’
The ICAC also heard that in November 2023, Connolly sent a text to Thornton and Jones-Blayney telling them that “some of the early content in the Sheree emails refers to you two as the Witches of Eastwick”. The 1987 horror-comedy film features Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon in the lead roles as three witches.
“[Not] sure if I am the third witch!!” Connolly said.
The inquiry has previously heard that at the time, former employee Sheree Gover’s emails and Teams messages were being surveilled by executives at the council under Connolly’s approval, following a series of complaints made to Stopline, a City of Parramatta whistleblowing system. Jones-Blayney believed the complaints, which were about her and Thornton, had been orchestrated by Gover as part of a broader campaign to have Jones-Blayney’s contract terminated by coercing other employees to also file complaints.
Connolly then sent another message to the group chat telling Jones-Blayney she must be Cher, Thornton was Pfeiffer and that she was hoping to be Sarandon.
“That’s the best!!” Thornton wrote.
“We love it,” Jones-Blayney replied.
“I love Susan Sarandon. !!” Connolly sent back. A message sent by Thornton four minutes later read: “Sheree and Shannon [Kliendienst, a former council employee] can f— right off”.
Counsel assisting Joanna Davidson, SC, asked Jones-Blayney if she was offended by being called “the Witches of Eastwick”.
“Not in that context,” she said. “I said I liked being Cher.”
The inquiry heard that the investigation into Gover later pivoted towards finding evidence she used inappropriate language in Teams messages to other staff members. Davidson asked Jones-Blayney, who previously referred to her own team as “incompetent idiots” and “f—ers” in a series of text messages seen earlier in the inquiry, if she thought it was appropriate that Gover be investigated in light of Jones-Blayney’s own choice of language.
“I think they’re two very different things,” Jones-Blayney said. “I’m not making excuses for the language that I’ve used on my personal phone, but I think a council device that involves multiple staff and managers is slightly different.”
The inquiry will resume on Wednesday.
Ellie Busby is a Parramatta reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
