The professional and personal lives of Sydney’s self-described Pink Ladies have been examined in forensic detail for all to see.
Over the past five weeks, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has held a public inquiry into misconduct allegations against City of Parramatta former CEO Gail Connolly and other staff.
Her friends and senior council staff Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney were also subject to the corruption watchdog’s probe.
They were appointed to their roles within months of Ms Connolly taking over as head of the Western Sydney council in March 2023.
The three women face a range of allegations, including that they all subverted hiring processes to benefit themselves and their friends.
Separately, Ms Connolly and other staff are accused of undermining processes and misusing council systems to conduct electronic surveillance on staff and one councillor for personal advantage, to benefit friends and associates and for reprisal action.
Ms Thornton (left) and Ms Jones-Blayney (right) started at the city within months of Ms Connolly (centre) being appointed CEO. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)
The former CEO is alleged to have terminated staff in dishonest circumstances to benefit herself or others.
She is also accused of misusing public funds to facilitate the exit of council staff through deeds of release for personal advantage or to benefit others, and of disclosing confidential information to third parties.
The claims against the women led to the once-close friends and professional allies facing a public grilling about their conduct and produced surprising admissions.
Who are the Pink Ladies?
Central to the inquiry has been the relationships between Ms Connolly, Ms Thornton and Ms Jones-Blayney, who were core members of the self-described Pink Ladies.
The group included other women who worked in the local government sector across Sydney.
Pictured wearing personalised shirts, they would socialise at netball games, birthday parties and weekends away.
Roxanne Thornton, Angela Jones-Blayney and Gail Connolly were part of a group of women called the Pink Ladies. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)
Counsel assisting Joanna Davidson SC said the “close network” of women “formed part of the backdrop to key decisions later made at Parramatta”.
Texts, emails evidence of alleged misconduct
The Pink Ladies’ conversations were documented in thousands of WhatsApp group messages, with some put to the inquiry as evidence of the women allegedly manipulating hiring processes to their own benefit.
Ms Thornton was presented with emails and messages which showed she edited job applications and sent interview questions to three friends wanting to work at the council, including Ms Jones-Blayney.
Ms Thornton sent interview questions to Ms Jones-Blayney to help her prepare. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)
Ms Thornton said she was “very aware” her actions were “untoward”.
“I did it because I thought I wasn’t going to get caught,” she told the hearing.
Other messages revealed Ms Connolly copied Ms Thornton’s signature to quickly sign the CEO’s $500,000 per year contract, before a motion to rescind the offer could be presented to council.
In a text exchange between the pair, Ms Connolly told Ms Thornton: “Just wrote your signature.”
Ms Thornton replied: “F***, that’s pretty good.”
‘Psychologically unsafe’ workplace
Ms Connolly is alleged to have authorised chief technology officer John Crawford to conduct covert surveillance over people she regarded as threats, obstacles or disloyal shortly after she was appointed CEO.
Mr Crawford said the work could take up to 30 hours a week and involved accessing phone records, emails and teams messages of people like Parramatta councillor Kellie Darley.
The inquiry heard Cr Darley was in January 2024 a vocal opponent to the city’s proposed $1.15 million sponsorship of the Parramatta Eels rugby club, whereas Ms Connolly was a strong proponent of the partnership.
Mr Crawford describes the work environment at the time as “psychologically unsafe”. (ABC News: Warwick Ford)
“If Ms Connolly was reviewing Cr Darley’s email to survey her activities, this may demonstrate misuse of her position and a lack of impartiality, contrary to the code of conduct,” Ms Davidson told the inquiry.
Mr Crawford described the workplace at Parramatta as “psychologically unsafe”, saying he had “lost confidence in the moral compass of the organisation” by the time he left.
The inquiry heard Ms Connolly also authorised covert surveillance of staff member Sheree Gover, who made bullying complaints against Ms Thornton and Ms Jones-Blayney.
Ms Thornton describes Ms Connolly as a close friend. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)
The inquiry heard Ms Jones-Blayney subsequently accused Ms Gover of enlisting others to make complaints about her in an attempt to have her job terminated.
Ms Connolly told the inquiry she then authorised Mr Crawford to search Ms Gover’s email and teams messages to obtain evidence of the alleged coercion.
She rejected the suggestion the investigation was instead a reaction to Ms Gover’s complaints against Ms Jones-Blayney.
Misuse of funds
Much of Ms Connolly’s evidence has been in answer to allegations she and others misused public funds to facilitate the exit of council staff through deeds of release to the benefit of others.
One of those exits was HR boss Bernadette Cavanagh, who the inquiry heard was suspected to be a source involved in a media story raising concerns about Ms Connolly’s appointment as CEO.
Ms Connolly also believed Ms Cavanagh was involved in the proposed motion to rescind her employment offer.
Ms Connolly is alleged to have authorised covert surveillance on phone records, emails and teams messages. (ABC News: Simon Amery)
It was put to Ms Connolly that she offered Ms Cavanagh a redundancy because of this.
“Ms Cavanagh asked if she was going to be made redundant and I asked her whether she wanted to be made redundant. I did not offer it to her,” Ms Connolly said in response.
Councillors were told Ms Cavanagh had resigned, despite her redundancy payment of $350,000.
Ms Connolly told the inquiry she had not trusted council not to leak information about Ms Cavanagh’s reasons for exit.
She also offered to help with the inquiry’s recommendations.
“I’d be happy to sit with the commission and write a series of recommendations arising out of this inquiry about what should happen in terms of the councillor-staff interactions … the exact amount of detail they can have, that they’re entitled to have around employees,” she told the inquiry.
Emotions boil over
At times the women became emotional while giving evidence.
After four days before the inquiry, Ms Thornton hit back.
“I’ve admitted to everything, but this public shaming … you should all be f***ing ashamed of yourselves,” she said.
Ms Thornton describes the inquiry as a “public shaming”. (ABC News)
Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos was quick to offer breaks when Ms Connolly was overcome with emotion, while on other occasions he appeared to grow frustrated with witnesses’ answers to questions.
“Just listen to the question and answer the question, please,” he directed Ms Connolly at one point.
John Hatzistergos AM has been presiding over the inquiry. (Supplied: NSW ICAC)
The commissioner interrupted Ms Jones-Blayney on another occasion.
“No, that’s not an answer to the question you were asked. Just listen to the question and respond,” he told her.
Senior staff on paid leave
The inquiry was initially set down for four weeks, but will continue to hear evidence from Ms Connolly on Monday.
Commissioner Hatzistergos must consider whether any corrupt conduct findings can be made after the hearings conclude.
Ms Thornton and Ms Jones-Blayney are on paid leave from the City of Parramatta.
Ms Connolly has not worked for the local government since October 2025, and told the inquiry she was unemployed.
