Despite the Transport Minister’s handling of the fiasco, which the government continues to blame on a long-running industrial dispute with the rail union, his Liberal colleagues say it will not claim his scalp.
Mr Elliott has fiercely insisted he only learnt the network had been shut down when he woke up on Monday morning, despite having an “inkling” of potential widespread disruption.
Under siege in parliament this week, a furious Mr Elliott cut a solitary figure with little support from his Coalition colleagues as he faced a barrage of jeers amid questions from the opposition.
From the other side of the chamber, “he looked like a wounded bull being attacked by a pack of hyenas,” said one Labor MP.
Defending his handling of the situation, Mr Elliott on Wednesday admitted shortcomings in communication between his office and the department in the hours that led up to the rail shutdown.
He said a decision was made without his knowledge between 10.45pm and 1am to shut down the train network.
“What is clear is that the communication between the Department and my office was not sufficiently precise,” he told question time.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said he expected his ministers to be available 24 hours a day. Credit:Brook Mitchell
However, a statement issued by Transport for NSW issued at 1.53am on Monday said it had been “clear at midnight” that the network would be shut down, casting doubt over who knew about the impending shutdown before it occurred.
Despite Mr Elliott’s reasoning, Liberal MPs remain divided as to whether he is the right man for the transport portfolio.
“He’s a known quantity when it comes to some bumpy moments in his portfolio responsibilities. He’s got a bit of a track record,” said one Liberal MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could speak freely on the issue.
“But I actually don’t think it’s a sackable offence. It’s more a mistake than a grievous error. People make mistakes. And given the reshuffle just happened, there is absolutely no appetite to make changes.”
Another government MP said there was no doubt the situation was difficult, “but if anyone can work their way through it, it’s David Elliott”.
“He’s a brawler,” they said. “Even though he’s brawled with the union, he has an ability to get on with people”.
However, others were less forgiving, with one colleague suggesting Mr Elliott was “the wrong person for the job” of transport minister, and clearly under pressure.
“He gives it away [in question time] when he goes completely red and sweats,” they said.
“It’s about stakeholder management, and he is not good at stakeholder management. It’s about ensuring industrial peace between now and the election.”
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