Public Service Association (PSA) member and Ministerial Driver Mohammed Nazmul Huda has won his legal battle to retain his job after the NSW Industrial Relations Commission rejected the case brought against him by the Premier’s Department.

Huda, 60, faced termination following allegations that he had improperly disclosed confidential information about former transport minister Jo Haylen’s use of a ministerial vehicle, including a controversial trip to a Hunter Valley winery.

The January 2025 trip involved Huda driving Haylen, Housing Minister Rose Jackson and four other passengers from Caves Beach to the Hunter Valley before returning them later that day. The trip was conducted within official rules, but details later emerged publicly and contributed to political controversy surrounding Haylen, who resigned from Cabinet in February 2025.

The Premier’s Department subsequently levelled 12 misconduct allegations against Huda, including claims that he had disclosed official information to journalists, failed to comply with media-contact requirements and mishandled departmental vehicle records. An external investigation substantiated eight of the allegations, prompting the department to begin termination proceedings.

Huda denied being the source of the media reports and challenged the proposed dismissal before the Industrial Relations Commission.

Senior Commissioner Nichola Constant found there was insufficient evidence to establish that Huda had deliberately leaked the information to journalists. Evidence before the commission showed that knowledge of the Hunter Valley trip extended beyond Huda before the first media reports were published.

Constant also considered a telephone conversation between Huda and a journalist and other communications relied upon by the department, but concluded they did not establish that he had disclosed confidential information.

The commissioner ruled that the proposed dismissal was “harsh, unjust and unreasonable”, finding that the department had not established the principal allegations supporting the termination.

The PSA welcomed the decision, while the Premier’s Department said it was reviewing the commission’s ruling.

Huda’s case highlights the employment and confidentiality obligations faced by ministerial drivers, whose roles require access to sensitive information and close contact with government officials.