June 18, 2026 — 5:00am
The release of secret parliamentary evidence has revealed that Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig has been accused of lying under oath by one of his own top public servants.
The allegation was contained in the transcript of a closed-door parliamentary inquiry published after Brett Whitworth – the deputy secretary of the Office of Local Government (OLG) – requested his evidence be released.
Whitworth said he was “shocked but not surprised” to hear Hoenig explicitly deny discussing the Bayside preselection with him during budget estimates in September. Whitworth says they discussed the matter several times.
The inquiry was examining the end of Bill Saravinovski’s 40-year career as Bayside mayor, councillor and Labor powerbroker after he was referred to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). The release of Whitworth’s evidence once again places Hoenig’s involvement in the Saravinovski matter under the spotlight.
