Premier Minns failing on his election promises – “a fresh start”… “to govern for everyone in NSW” Really?

September 11, 2024

When Chris Minns won the New South Wales election for Labor on 25th March 2023, in his victory speech he promised “a fresh start” and that “we will govern for everyone in New South Wales“. [Read that speech – see end of article]

Really? Everyone? What about the thousands of small business owners across NSW currently being extorted by a NSW Government agency within the Minns Ministry, since the election?

Labor’s promise slogan on the red wall behind: “A FRESH START FOR NSW”

We have been contacted by one NSW micro business owner, an eligible grant recipient of the 2021 COVID-19 Micro Business Grant offered by the NSW Government and paid by the agency Service NSW through 2021.

Disturbingly, that grant recipient is one of many ordinary micro business owners who has been subsequently hounded and intimidated by anonymous debt collectors (using their first names only) claiming to be representing Service NSW and demanding the grant money be refunded in full.

This grant recipient is distressed and has complained to the CEO of Service NSW Greg Wells Minns about the threatening tone of the correspondence received from various Service NSW debt collectors, but to no avail.

The response received from yet another anonymous ‘first namer only‘ debt collector was a further threat of an “Independent Internal Review“…

Here’s the actual response then received from Service NSW (redacted). It is typical of many such ultimatum notices by Service NSW anonymous ‘first namers only’ emailed to NSW micro business owners across the state as part of the grant pandemic compensation clawback agenda:

Dear XXXXXXXX

We refer to your Dispute dated XXXXXXXX of the decision made on the application for Micro Business Support Grant 2021 for XXXXXXXXXXX on XXXXXXXX 2021 by Service NSW.

We acknowledge receipt of your dispute.

We will commence an Independent Internal Review and will notify you with the outcome of that review within 28 calendar days from the date of this email. If we require any clarification from you regarding the information provided, then we will contact you within this timeframe. All action will be suspended on your file until this review has been completed.

Your Dispute involves conducting an Independent Internal Review which involves reviewing the information and evidence provided in your initial application and consideration of any new and additional information / evidence which you have provided with your request for an Independent Internal Review. If you have any additional information or evidence that you would like to be considered in this independent internal review, please provide via return email within 5 business days.

Please be advised that the outcome of your Dispute will be final and there will be no further avenue for review by Service NSW.

Please wait until the 28 calendar days from the date of this email has expired before you contact us for information regarding your review.

Sincerely
Ellen
Customer Payments Support
Service NSW
T 13 77 88

We note the authoritarian tone of the correspondence.

So, failing any reply from CEO Greg Wells, this grant recipient wrote a letter of complaint right up to the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns. It was sent Registered Post to the Premier’s official office postal address:

The Hon. Chris Minns
GPO Box 5341
SYDNEY NSW 2001

After all this is the current official NSW Parliamentary website for Chris Minns:

SOURCE: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/profiles/minns_christopher-john.aspx

The outcome of that post? Well, the letter was marked return to sender “RTS” with the postal address angrily crossed out as follows…

Note the Australia Post receipt kept by the business owner.

Are Minns’ minders at play here? It all smells of politics.

Steve at Nature Trail recalls the same RTS response to his first formal letter of complaint to Service NSW CEO Greg Wells on 6th February 2024. The letter had also been sent by Registered Post.

Steve’s second attempt seemed to have got through, but it wasn’t Wells who later responded, but an offsider.

So what’s happened to Chris Minns election promises of “a fresh start” and that “we will govern for everyone in New South Wales“? Minns Labor may well claim to have inherited a record $187.5 billion in debt from the previous incumbent LNP government. That is no justification for the Minns Ministry to sic pit-bull type debt collectors upon innocent mum and dad micro businesses to extort some fabricated bureaucratic fantasy that the pandemic grant compensation can be re-imagined as a debt.

How is Minns any different to the previous incumbent Premier Dominic Perrottet?