10.07amAnonymous email sent to councillors warned CEO was restructuring without mandateBy Anthony Segaert and Cindy YinToday’s hearing has begun with Gail Connolly giving evidence about the departure of former senior staff member Nicole Carnegie – then city strategy director – who was offered a deed of release (an agreement made between staff and the council upon a departure) by Connolly.Connolly wanted to amalgamate Carnegie’s directorate with planning and merge her role with another employee, which effectively made her job redundant.Counsel Assisting, Joanna Davidson SC, asks Connolly whether there had been any consultation prior to her redundancy, as legislation requires consultation with councillors if a restructure of council occurs.Connolly says the discussion to “pick and drop” was done between HR boss Brendan Clifton and another staff member, and that she “wasn’t involved in the mechanics of how they would transition over”.A short while after Carnegie sent a farewell email to her colleagues, Parramatta councillors were sent an anonymous email from an account called “Parramatta Observer”, alleging the chief executive was making “organisational changes without your mandate” (councillors generally need to have approval of major changes to council structures). The email was shared with Connolly by councillor Michelle Garrard. 9.44amConnolly has arrivedBy Anthony SegaertGail Connolly has arrived. The commission was planning to start the hearing early today, at 9.30am, in a bid to get through the evidence a bit more speedily.And we’re starting now. As a reminder, you can follow the ICAC’s livestream here.Gail Connolly walks to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.Sam Mooy9.33amWhere we’re up toBy Anthony SegaertAs a reminder, the commission is examining allegations about Gail Connolly, the former chief executive of the City of Parramatta Council, and two council staff: Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney.The commission has seen hundreds of WhatsApp and text messages exchanged between the trio and a broader group of friends who called themselves the Pink Ops, or Pink Ladies. They were all women who met while working at Ryde Council.ICAC is investigating Gail Connolly, Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney.SMHThe inquiry has heard evidence that they worked together to subvert recruitment practices and get each other jobs at the City of Parramatta.It is further examining whether Connolly misused public funds and council information, disclosed confidential information to third parties for her own benefit, and whether she spied on council staff and an elected official.The hearing is due to begin at 9.30am today.9.28amWhen will this end?By Anthony SegaertIf you’ve been following the inquiry closely, you will have noticed that it was meant to have finished a week ago. But after a few days off earlier this week, the inquiry resumed yesterday with the sacked City of Parramatta chief executive Gail Connolly giving evidence for a third day. And at the end of yesterday’s hearing, with Counsel Assisting’s questioning of Connolly not appearing to end anytime soon, and with legal representatives of all sides unsure about their schedule for next week, Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos announced the inquiry would sit from Monday next week until whenever is needed to get through everything. There’s one hard deadline the commission will need to meet, though: the following Monday is when its next public inquiry, into the University of Wollongong, is due to commence. 9.21amGood morningBy Anthony Segaert and Cindy YinGood morning. It’s day 21 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s public inquiry into the City of Parramatta.Tired? Lost in the details? Fear not – we’ll bring you the latest twists and turns, and make sense of them, until this inquiry ends.1 of 1