Chris Minns has announced sweeping changes to the New South Wales public service less than a month after he led Labor to victory at the election, which he says are needed to support the state through major challenges including significant budgetary woes.
It comes as the Liberals set a date to resolve their ongoing leadership vacuum next week, and as the date of the return of parliament remains uncertain due to factors including the coronation of King Charles and the delayed construction works in NSW parliament.
The premier has scrapped the “cluster” government model, will split the Department of Premier and Cabinet in two and announced the departure of a number of high-profile public servants including the transport secretary, Rob Sharp, and education secretary, Georgina Harrisson.
The treasury secretary, Paul Grimes, will be temporarily replaced by current DPC head Michael Coutts-Trotter, who Minns said was the best person to help the new treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, ahead of the June budget.
“There are major challenges in that department,” Minns warned.
“We’ve detailed different aspects of education and transport over the last week, but I have to tell you and, in effect, warn the people of NSW, there’s much more to talk about when it comes to Treasury and the budget situation.”
He said it remained unclear exactly what the current debt position for the state was and Mookhey would have more to say in coming days.
On Thursday, the premier announced a whole-scale review of part of the Sydney metro network, saying it needed “rescuing”.
The deputy premier and education minister, Prue Car, earlier in the week announced a review of a number of department policies as she attempts to improve educational outcomes for NSW students.
Coutts-Trotter will be replaced in the powerful DPC by Peter Duncan, who will lead the splitting of the department into two separate entities that will report to the premier.
The existing Department of Premier and Cabinet will be dissolved on 1 July and replaced by the Cabinet Office and a new premier’s department.
The premier said the cluster model “hasn’t been delivering good decision-making”.
“It’s effectively lumped a lot of big government departments together and told them to sort out their differences, and in reality, I don’t think that you can replace cabinet government,” he said.
“These decisions can’t be deferred to a lower level. They need to be elevated … but that means establishing the Cabinet Office to get it done.”
Minns indicated each of the outgoing secretaries would be entitled to payouts of about $400,000 and they would each be replaced temporarily before a “merit-based” selection process could occur.
Almost three weeks after the state election, it remains unclear when parliament will resume and the Liberal party still does not have a leader.
The former premier Dominic Perrottet announced on Thursday there would be a party room vote next Friday to settle on a leader after he stepped down from the top job on election night.
The former planning minister Anthony Roberts is the only MP to formally announce his plan to run, but it is expected former attorney general Mark Speakman will also contest the role.
Speakman is said to be weighing a move to federal politics via a run in former prime minister Scott Morrison’s seat of Cook.
Minns on Friday would not rule out the parliament having to return in another space due to construction work in NSW parliament.
“We are seeking advice on a couple of matters in relation to parliament. Firstly, the question of whether the building will be ready … and whether the chambers will be completed as well,” he said.
“May is the answer, but location and timing is to be determined.”
The premier has not ruled out further changes to the top levels of the public service in coming months.
