Eleni Petinos

Eleni Petinos
MP
Minister for Small Business
In office
21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) – 31 July 2022
PremierDominic Perrottet
Preceded byDamien Tudehope (as Minister for Finance and Small Business
Succeeded byVictor Dominello
Minister for Fair Trading
In office
21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) – 31 July 2022
PremierDominic Perrottet
Preceded byKevin Anderson
(as Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation)
Succeeded byVictor Dominello
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Miranda
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 March 2015
Preceded byBarry Collier
Personal details
Born1985 or 1986 (age 38–39)[1]
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal Party
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales

Eleni Marie Petinos is an Australian state politician in New South Wales. She served as the Minister for Small Business and the Minister for Fair Trading in the Perrottet ministry from December 2021 until her Ministry was ceased on 31 July 2022 by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet after allegations of her mistreatment and bullying of staff came to light.[2] Petinos was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Miranda for the Liberal Party at the 2015 New South Wales state election.

Petinos is currently a member of Mark Speakman's Shadow Ministry, serving as Shadow Minister for Finance, and Shadow Minister for Sport.

Petinos graduated from the University of New South Wales with a bachelor of jurisprudence, bachelor of laws and a graduate diploma of legal practice.[3] Before her election to parliament, Petinos was a tax lawyer, a member of the Liberal Party state executive and an adviser to Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.[4] She was a member of the Liberal right faction when pre-selected,[5] but switched to the moderates faction after the 2015 election, encouraged by her mentor, Sutherland Shire councillor Kent Johns. As a result, ahead of the next state election, she initially faced a preselection challenge supported by the right faction, which was not successful.[6]

Petinos was the chair of the Legislative Assembly Committee on Transport and Infrastructure between April 2017 and March 2019. She was a parliamentary secretary for transport and roads from April 2019 until December 2021.[7] In December 2021, Petinos was sworn in as the Minister for Small Business and as the Minister for Fair Trading in the Perrottet ministry,[2] serving as a minister for seven months prior to her dismissal. She denied engaging in bullying but apologised if her behaviour caused offence or discomfort, and indicated her intention to stay on in politics as a state member of parliament despite the controversy that led to her sacking.[8]

The claims made against her included that she had "relentlessly bullied" ministerial staff, calling some "retarded" and "stupid" and hyperbolically threatened to "kill" them.[9] Media reports suggested the premier's decision was prompted by similar bullying complaints levelled against the then minister from within the public service.[10]

After Petinos' ousting, media reports suggested some government MP's thought the premier had acted too hastily in removing her, given the allegations against her were unproven and that she denied the claims. They suggested Petinos was a victim of the fact the government was under pressure over unrelated scandals and that she would ordinarily have been given greater protection. The Labor opposition contrasted the haste involved in Petinos' removal with the Premier's initial reluctance to take action against Stuart Ayres.[11]

After her dismissal from the Ministry, claims emerged that the NSW Building Commissioner had resigned because of a "problematic" relationship with Petinos.[12] The New South Wales Legislative Council is investigating the circumstances of then Minister Petinos meeting with a construction company which was employing former deputy premier John Barilaro and had been the subject of stop-work orders made by the Building Commissioner. Petinos has denied suggestions she interfered with the issuing of the orders. It is anticipated the Commissioner's secret letter would be released as part of the Legislative Council examination of the issue.[13]

Petinos had earlier been involved in other controversies relating to personal conduct, including claims she had an affair with a Liberal parliamentary colleague Matt Kean and had vomited in the back of then deputy premier John Barilaro's chauffeured government car after a rugby league state of origin match.[14] She subsequently paid for the costs of cleaning the ministerial car.[15]

  1. ^ Needham, Kirsty (12 October 2014). "Eleni Petinos to contest Miranda for Liberals". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ^ a b "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Eleni Petinos Liberal biography". NSW Liberal party. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ^ "NSW Election 2015 – Miranda". ABC News. March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  5. ^ Trembath, Murray (5 September 2015). "Factional divisions exposed in Liberal Party". Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  6. ^ Trembath, Murray (21 December 2018). "Miranda MP Eleni Petinos challenged by 'male' barrister for Liberal Party preselection". Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Ms Eleni Marie PETINOS, MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  8. ^ Raper, Ashleigh (31 July 2022). "NSW Minister Eleni Petinos sacked by Premier Dominic Perrottet after anonymous complaint by staffer". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  9. ^ Maddison, Max (31 July 2022). "Dominic Perrottet sacks NSW Small Business Minister Eleni Petinos over alleged bullying". The Australian. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  10. ^ O'Doherty, James; Leeming, Lachlan (1 August 2022). "Why Small Business and Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos was dumped from cabinet". News Corp Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  11. ^ Leeming, Lachlan (3 August 2022). "To sack or save: Dominic Perrottet under fire over treatment of Eleni Petinos compared to Stuart Ayres". Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  12. ^ Silmalis, Linda (7 August 2022). "Building Commissioner cited issues with ex-minister Eleni Petinos in resignation letter". Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  13. ^ Rabe, Tom (9 August 2022). "NSW building commissioner's resignation letter set to be made public". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  14. ^ "NSW Minister caught 'sexting' fellow MP by girlfriend". www.9news.com.au. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  15. ^ Godfrey, Miles (11 July 2017). "Drivers fear Barfgate probe into vomit leaker after MP Eleni Petinos' Origin spew". Retrieved 1 August 2022.