NSW loses yet another minister amid FT chaos

NSW Cabinet has lost its third current or former Fair Trading Minister in as many weeks with the announcement that Victor Dominello is to quit politics at the next election.

News of his impending retirement for health reasons could not come at a worse time for the NSW Liberal government with his former (and current caretaker) department Fair Trading in chaos following the resignation of two commissioners and the sacking of its minister.

Meanwhile the state government is dealing with the fall-out from scandals over former deputy premier John Barilaro’s appointment as trade ambassador to New York, shocking revelations in a report into sexual harassment and bullying in parliament and the scathing assessment of the government’s performance during recent floods.

Mr Dominello, acting Fair Trading minister following the sacking of Eleni Petinos, and a previous incumbent in the role, is stepping down at the next election to deal with a family health issue.

No doubt the additional challenge of having to step back into the Fair Trading and Small Business roles following the sacking of Eleni Petinos, as well as keep his own Customer Service and Digital Government ministries going,  is eased by the fact that he has done the Fair Trading job before and, in fact, set up many of the structures that are in place now.

Mr Dominello has recently been heading up the NSW government’s Services and Digital department but, as Fair Trading Minister, was instrumental in wrangling the current strata Act onto the statute books back in 2015-16.

His more recent achievements have included the development of the state’s digital driving licence and strata information hub.

“I have made the difficult decision to retire from politics,” he said in a press release yesterday. “A family health issue emerged in mid-2019 which has since deteriorated. Accordingly, I will not contest the next election in March 2023.

“I look forward to serving in the Cabinet until 25 March 2023 and will continue to put my heart and soul into delivering on the State’s digital transformation agenda. 

“We have worked across all agencies of government to fundamentally transform service delivery in NSW, making things easier and saving time for the people of the State. 

“We created a world-first Department of Customer Service and led a significant evolution of Service NSW, both of which played a critical role during the pandemic and recent natural disasters. 

“With the introduction of the Digital Driver Licence, the ServiceNSW app, QR check-ins, Dine & Discover vouchers and numerous other features we have seen an incredible era of digital transformation and uplift across NSW in which we have led the nation and, on occasion, the world.

“Better still, we have laid the foundations for a successful future in the digital era.

“I intend on seeing through a number of important projects over the next seven months including the roll out of the digital birth certificate, the education wallet, verifiable credentials and eConveyancing reform.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet led the tributes to one of his youngest yet most experienced ministers.

“Throughout his 14 years in the NSW Parliament, Victor has worked tirelessly for the people of our State,” he said.

“As a minister since 2011, Victor helped lead the NSW Government into the digital age, making it easier for people to access Government services, as well as delivering nation-leading initiatives such as the Digital Driver Licence.

“He has also overseen the transformation of Service NSW, which has fundamentally changed the way people interact with the NSW Government, and helped them access support and save time and money.

“On behalf of the NSW Government and the NSW Liberal Party, I thank Victor for his significant contribution to public life and our state,” he said. “I wish Victor and his family all the very best for the future.”