With Premier Mike Baird stating as far back as April that he could not attend the August gala night, Parliamentary Secretary for Western Sydney Ray Williams was set to be the Premier’s representative.
And that is when it went pear-shaped. Apparently, the organising committee, which includes WSABE hosts Parramatta Chamber of Commerce, stated they only wanted the Premier at the event - or at least a Minister.
When told that was not possible, the committee was then prepared to accept Mr Williams - but he says he had been told by the Premier’s office to remove the event from his diary.
“By then, I had another commitment but I would have loved to have represented the Premier at WSABEs, which I have always supported and attended,” Mr Williams told WSBA.
“I would not refuse an invitation to be part of WSABEs. I love the awards and their support for businesses in western Sydney.”
With Parramatta Liberal MP Geoff Lee also otherwise engaged, the absence of any official State Government presence was noted by attendees.
WSABE award nights are usually attended either by the Premier or representative.
Federal Labor MP Julie Owens was able to shine on the night, telling the audience of about 500 upbeat business people that she loved doing most of her business in her local area.
WSABE patron Alan Cadman admitted that “things could have been handled better” in securing a representative of the Premier.
“There was fault on both sides, no-one is really to blame,” Mr Cadman said. “We need to have better communications next year, but we still have a good relationship with the government. It is all about planning it earlier.”
Despite the absence of a state leader, The Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence shone on leaders from a diverse range of businesses in the greater west.
With 16 categories, the awards are judged after self-nomination, based on strict criteria, unlike business awards that are voted on by customers.
The glittering awards night was held in WaterView in Bicentennial Park on August 14 and was hosted by Dwayne Jeffries from Hope Media.
