NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton's office has been described as a "toxic environment" with contempt for bureaucrats in a complaint sent to the Premier's office.
The Herald can also reveal there has been a high turnover of staff in the office, with 16 people leaving in the past 18 months, according to official staff lists.
The complaint, seen by the Herald, was sent to the Premier's chief of staff, Sarah Cruickshank, by a former senior adviser and chief of staff who worked in Ms Upton's office until late last year.
Gabrielle Upton's office has had a high staff turnover.
Paul Terrett, a policy adviser and public servant, complained to Ms Cruickshank about the "stress and pressure of working in such a toxic environment".
"As you may be aware, I have held the positions as a chief of staff and senior adviser since 2011 for various ministers and am fully aware of the pressures and expectations that face staff in a minister’s office," Mr Terrett wrote.
"Using my experience as a gauge, the unacceptable and lack of professionalism needed to deliver the government’s policies was glaringly lacking in the Minister's office."
Mr Terrett said staff were routinely asked to work long hours, correspondence for the public and MPs was chronically delayed and senior bureaucrats were often "treated with contempt".
A number of former staff were interviewed last October and November by the Department of Premier and Cabinet as part of an investigation into the allegations levelled by Mr Terrett.
The Department declined to comment, and said the issue was “an internal staffing matter”.
When contacted by the Herald, Mr Terrett said he did not want to comment on the complaint.
In a statement, Ms Upton said: "The claims are false and I absolutely reject them. I work very hard on behalf of the NSW Government and so do my staff. I value their efforts and commitment."
The Herald has also spoken to several former staff members, with one describing Ms Upton as "paralysed by indecision" and an "ineffective communicator" who only took the advice of her chief of staff Kevin Wilde.
"Departmental briefs sat on her desk for months and months without her even looking at them," a former staff member said. "Nothing ever got done."
A senior government source said Ms Upton, a lawyer and the former deputy chancellor of the University of NSW, was an "underperformer" who should not be in cabinet.
"I hate even saying this but she is only on the frontbench because she is a woman," the source said.
Several sources have said that they would expect Gladys Berejikilian to overhaul her frontbench if she wins in March and it is widely expected that Ms Upton would be dumped from cabinet.
One government source said: "If we win, the premier will have much more say over her cabinet without the factional influences and there is no doubt there will be a shake-up and Gabrielle won't survive."
Ms Upton’s office, which has 12 employees, has had 16 people leave in the past 18 months, according to four official staff lists dated between March 2017 and August this year.
Only two members of staff, Mr Wilde and her private secretary Makaela O’Rourke, have remained in the office since March last year, the lists show.
While it is understood some of those staff were on secondment from various departments and have since returned, a number have moved to other Liberal offices.
That includes Georgina Williams, a Parliamentary liaison officer who now works for Adam Marshall; David Tricca, employed in the office of federal MP Jason Falinski; Michael Cox, who is now with the Business Council of Australia; and Christian Dunk, the policy director who now works for Energy Minister Don Harwin.
Ms Upton's office said there had been "six ministerial staff changes" since April 2016.
Several sources have also confirmed that Ms Upton has had 13 ministerial drivers during the past four years. Her office denied this and said it was only four drivers since 2014, despite previously confirming to News Corp that she had seven drivers between 2013 and 2015.
A senior Liberal source said Ms Berejiklian would need to replace Ms Upton in cabinet with a female, with upper house MP Natalie Ward and Holsworthy MP Melanie Gibbons possible contenders.
One senior minister said Ms Upton was "the weakest performer in the cabinet".
"Gabrielle cannot make decisions about anything," the minister said.
LOCALLY
Gabrielle Upton ineffectually deals with dangerous intersection at WELLINGTON ST AND BONDI RD BONDI BY WAY OF EXAMPLE ! SOUTH HEAD'S PRESERVATION FROM DEVELOPERS ...Double Bay Redevelopment - no say for local residents because nobbled Local Government Approvals system ......LACK OF RESOURCING OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND ROSE BAY COLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS IN ELECTORATE FULL UP .........................the list is endless AND FINALLY CROWDED BUSES!
Posted February 6, 2019 by Mitch Hitch & filed under Bondi View.
By Allison Hore
The electoral district of Vaucluse is made up of Watsons Bay, Vaucluse, Rose Bay, Dover Heights, Bondi Beach, Bellevue Hill, Point Piper, Double Bay, Darling Point, most of Woollahra and some parts of Bondi.
Socio-economically, the area is very well off, according to the 2016 census. The median weekly household income in the area is $2,456 compared to the NSW average of $1,486. It is only second to the North Shore in terms of percentage of households with a weekly income of over $2,500.
With almost half of Vaucluse locals using cars as their primary form of transport, according to the 2016 census, traffic congestion and over-development are key concerns for people in the area.
Residents raise congestion issues
Residents in Rose Bay have expressed their concern about proposed developments in the area, including a proposal to turn two car parks into a community centre, apartments and a retail complex. Residents believe these developments will only serve to exacerbate congestion issues.
“Rose Bay is full when you consider the traffic and congestion issues, local state primary and secondary schools are full, there is a shortage of preschools, and parks are fully utilised,” Bruce Bland, president of the Rose Bay Residents Association, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
In 2016, the population density of Vaucluse was around 3,421 people per square kilometer compared to Newtown’s 8,166 people per square kilometer. It is the 13th most densely populated district in NSW.
Another worry for people in Vaucluse is water quality. Until Sydney Water’s $86 million plan to divert raw sewage into the Bondi Wastewater Treatment plant takes effect, it is released into the seawater near the Vaucluse coast. Federal member for Wentworth Dr Kerryn Phelps expressed her concern over water quality in the area to incumbent minister Gabrielle Upton.
“It’s very disturbing to me to see that water quality here at Rose Bay beach is consistently rated as poor. We need to see urgent action from government in the way we use and manage stormwater runoff in Sydney,” she said in a video message sent to the Wentworth Courier.
Status: Very safe Liberal seat
The Liberal party has held the seat of Vaucluse since the 1940s when the party was formed. In the last election, Gabrielle Upton won 65% of the primary vote and 73% of the vote on a two-candidate preferred basis. In the past three state elections, the Greens party has polled more successfully than the Labor party, receiving 18% of the primary vote compared to Labor’s 12%.
Despite being a safe seat after former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stepped down, there was a significant swing against the Liberal party. In last year’s by-election in Wentworth, Dr Kerryn Phelps took out the win. It will be interesting to see if this swing translates from the federal stage to state.
Key candidates
Gabrielle Upton (Liberal)
Gabrielle Upton is the incumbent member for Vaucluse and a front-bench member of the NSW Government, having held the seat of Vaucluse since 2011. Since 2017, she has been Minister for Environment, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Heritage. Before her retirement, she held the role of NSW Attorney General in Mike Baird’s government. She was the first woman to have been appointed this role.
Upton grew up in the Eastern suburbs and before going into politics she worked as a banking and finance lawyer before being admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia.
Lenore Kulakauskas (Labor)
Lenore Kulakauskas is new to the race for the NSW Government, replacing last year’s candidate Gloria Nicol. She describes herself as a “local community activist” and is the convener of the Waverly Council committee for the Bondi Beach precinct and a committee member of the residents’ group “Rescue Bondi”.
Kulakauskas is also local to the area. She grew up in Clovelly and moved to Bondi where she has lived for 30 years. She has spearheaded several community campaigns including to save Bondi Pavilion and Bondi Beach Post Office and to stop the opening of a 24/7 bottle shop. She also organised campaigns to stop the amalgamation of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick Councils.
Megan McEwin (Greens)
This is the second time Megan McEwin has run in the seat of Vaucluse. She is a Councillor in the Woollahra Municipal Council, representing the Cooper Ward. During her time as a Councillor she has campaigned for more cycleways, playgrounds and youth facilities. She has also advocated for solar panels and the transition to clean energy.
McEwin was born in Tamworth and grew up in Gippsland in Victoria, though she has lived in Edgecliff for the past 15 years. She is a former telecommunications executive and previously managed the company responsible for all of Australia’s 1300/1800 phone numbers.
Miriam Guttman-Jones
Miriam Guttman-Jones will also be entering the race for Vaucluse as an independent. She isn’t new to local politics, between 2008 and 2017 she served on Waverly council as the only independent councillor. In this time, she was also deputy mayor for a year.
She decided to put her foot in the race because she thinks the seat has been taken for granted by both major parties.
“Vaucluse and Wentworth have been impossible for the Liberals to lose and for Labor to win,” she explains.
“Because of this, the seat of Vaucluse could be safely ignored by both Labor and Liberals so that they could turn their attention to the more marginal seats.
Ms Guttman-Jones describes herself as a “true local”, having lived in the area since she was 5 years old. Before entering politics She worked as a nurse and has had many years of experience working in community health and in management as director of nursing in a local private clinic.
LOCALLY
Gabrielle Upton ineffectually deals with dangerous intersection at WELLINGTON ST AND BONDI RD BONDI BY WAY OF EXAMPLE ! SOUTH HEAD'S PRESERVATION FROM DEVELOPERS ...Double Bay Redevelopment - no say for local residents because nobbled Local Government Approvals system ......LACK OF RESOURCING OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND ROSE BAY COLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS IN ELECTORATE FULL UP .........................the list is endless AND FINALLY CROWDED BUSES!