The parliamentary inquiry was established after a string of revelations emerged including that Haylen’s office had intervened to ensure Murray,once former premier Morris Iemma’s chief of staff,progressed through the recruitment process.
During Thursday’s hearing,Murray said that he and his wife,Davina Langton,had paid $500 for tickets to a Labor Party fundraising dinner at NSW Parliament,and another $200 for a raffle night to support Minns’ campaign.
The figures are in addition to the $750 Murray and Langton donated to Haylen’s election campaign last year.
Peter Duncan – the acting Secretary of the Department of Premier,and one of the three evaluation panel members as part of the recruitment – said the donations to her campaign had not been declared by Haylen.
“In a process like that,if that was declared to me,I would refer to for advice,particularly legal advice,” he said.
Murray,a former executive at construction giant Laing O’Rourke,said he had not disclosed the contributions in the recruitment process as he did not consider them material to it.