Mark Speakman
SW Liberals Leader
Leader of the Opposition
Jo Haylen has made the right call to resign as Transport Minister. But make no mistake—this wasn't Chris Minns taking decisive action. This was three days of weak leadership, excuses and political protection before Ms Haylen finally fell on her sword.
For three days, Chris Minns had opportunity after opportunity to sack his Transport Minister. The evidence was there and kept mounting. The repeated use of taxpayer-funded vehicles that no fair and reasonable person would accept was clear. But instead of acting, Chris Minns stalled, deflected, and hoped the problem would go away.
This is because Jo Haylen isn't just any minister—she's was one of Chris Minns' key Left faction allies. The Premier wanted her in Cabinet to keep his own job secure. Even when the facts were undeniable, even when new revelations kept emerging, he refused to act.
Jo Haylen also proudly declared, 'I'm incredibly proud that we've managed to make public transport exciting again.' Well, commuters don't find cancelled trains and transport chaos very exciting.
Under her watch:
- Against professional advice, she hand-picked a Labor donor and mate of both hers and Chris Minns to run Transport for NSW.
- She had a taxpayer-funded department liaison officer doing political work in her office.
- She oversaw a train network meltdown with over 1,200 services cancelled in a single day – a record.
- She used her ministerial car and driver in a way that no fair-minded and reasonable person would accept.
To clarify, the Minns Labor Government inherited a transport system transformed by the former Liberals and Nationals Government — including world-class infrastructure like the Metro. But instead of embracing innovation, Labor insisted on putting drivers on driverless trains, all to keep their union mates happy. This was after 16 years of Labor doing nothing for NSW.
While Jo Haylen has gone for the time being, what about Rose Jackson? Instead, stories appeared that said "a senior government source" claimed she had no idea it was her birthday celebrations to protect Ms Jackson while her friend took the fall. Chris Minns had taken no action on Ms Jackson because he relies on her to bring him left faction support.
The Premier had three days to show leadership. Three days to take action. Three days to prove that standards matter. Instead, he failed. Jo Haylen may be gone for the moment, but the rot inside the Minns Labor Government runs much deep.
