🚨Gratuitous news🚨 After 3.5 years, today will be my last day at The Australian. Excited to announce I'll be joining the @smh's stellar state politics team, starting on July 17. Until then, I'll be in Asia avoiding Sydney's frigid winter.

🇦🇺 Minister Accused Od Mayor Meddling ▫A top bureaucrat has told a parliamentary inquiry he was approached five times by the local government minister to speed up a matter involving a controversial former mayor. Ron Hoenig denies the allegations ▫Max Maddison #frontpagestoday

🇦🇺 Short Cut For Tradies To Qualify ▫Out the back of a Haymarket suit shop, you can get your tradie qualification without sitting a test ▫@maxmaddison @h_alexander #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

🇦🇺 Silicosis Spike Sparks Probe Of M6 Firm ▫A 32-year-old has been diagnosed with a deadly disease. So have a dozen of his colleagues ▫@maxmaddison #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

🇦🇺 End Of The Line ▫Haylen, one of Premier Chris Minns’ closest allies in parliament, will step down from the ministry after a string of revelations surrounding her use of ministerial vehicles ▫@mmcgowan @maxmaddison @AlexSmithSMH #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh

🇦🇺 40 Percent Of Building Defect Notices Defied ▫Four in 10 rectification orders issued by the regulator this year have not been complied with. The new building commissioner doesn’t think there’s a compliance problem ▫@maxmaddison #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

🇦🇺 Sydney Housing Density Wobble ▫Policy that allows apartments of up to six storeys to be built near transport hubs will be pared back, meaning Greater Sydney is likely to miss its housing target by some margin ▫@maxmaddison #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

🇦🇺 Labor Splashes Out $6b On State Workers ▫As high-stakes pay negotiations continue with nurses and rail workers, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has defended extra spending on public servants ▫@MattWadeSMH @maxmaddison #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

🇦🇺 Shutdown Of Rail Is Chaos For Millions ▫Sydney trains to shut down from Thursday to Sunday, disrupting millions of commuters ▫@maxmaddison @Mattonews & Cindy Yin #frontpagestoday #Australia @smh 🇦🇺

Wrote out some feelings about Sydney, a place that will always be home. Thanks to everyone who helped me out over the past three years; keep the faith. Going on leave for a couple of months

Something in the water at the E-Scooter inquiry this morning. NSW Parliament has no equal example #4556

One of Sydney’s top restaurant groups has been hit with claims it pushed female staff out of the company after reporting sexual assaults, encouraged staff to have sex with customers and discriminated against women as it built up a hospitality empire that now spans six venues.

Statement:

Breaking: The NSW Electoral Commission has rejected the Liberal's claim it breached regulations, the second failed effort to try and reopen nominations for the local government elections

The NSW Liberal Party claim the Electoral Commission breached regulation and once again threatens legal action if the request to reopen nominations is knocked back https://t.co/X8qeFfipJJ

President Don Harwin has invited Shields to an urgent meeting of state executive at 830pm tonight "This will also be an opportunity to discuss what further action is required".

All aboard: Sydney’s mega metro rail line cleared for opening

Senior Liberal sources telling me state director Richard Shields has no plans to resign at this stage. Opposition leader Mark Speakman publicly called on him to fall on his sword this morning

NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman has told Peter Dutton, Liberal President Don Harwin and Richard Shields the state director’s position is untenable. Comes after an unprecedented bungle on Wednesday saw the party fail to submit council nominations in a dozen LGAs

It went on to say: "We are also waiting for the final confirmation from the Commission that there were partial nominations for the following Council areas" • Georges River • North Sydney • Penrith • Canterbury Bankstown • Maitland

So Liberal HQ has sent out a circular confirming a number of "likely" LGAs: •Northern Beaches •Lane Cove •Shoalhaven •Wollongong •Campbelltown •Camden •Blue Mountains