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NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres reflects on involvement in John Barilaro’s recruitment to lucrative New York role

NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres reflects on involvement in John Barilaro's recruitment to lucrative New York role

NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres has conceded that he should have advised former deputy premier John Barilaro not to apply for an overseas trade role.

Mr Ayres has told Nine Radio that Mr Barilaro’s application for Trade Commissioner to the Americas came too soon after he left parliament, and that he should have advised him not to apply for the role.

“If I had my time again, I would have said to him: ‘The time frame between the end of your parliamentary career and you applying for this job will be too politically sensitive and you should not consider doing the role’,” Mr Ayres said.

He accepted his job was on the line and he would be unable to continue as trade minister if the review found he acted improperly.

“I am confident that all of my actions have been in the best interests of the public and I think that’s what that review will show,” Mr Ayres said.

“If the [Graham] Head review shows that I have not done the right thing, then I don’t think my position would be tenable, but I don’t believe that’s the case.”

Mr Ayres has confirmed he texted a copy of the job advertisement to Mr Barilaro when it was first advertised after Mr Barilaro expressed an interest in the role.

But Mr Ayres has denied he had any role in Mr Barilaro’s subsequent appointment to the role.

“Of course, I undertake my own reflections on my course of action, but everything I’ve done as a minister has been about making sure we deliver the best outcomes for the people of New South Wales,” Mr Ayres said.

“I’ve always acted in the interests of the public.

“I’ve always undertaken my ministerial duties with the highest level of integrity and I’ve always wanted to make decisions in the best interests of the public.”

Mr Barilaro was announced as the successful candidate in June.

The position is based in New York and comes with a $500,000 salary package.

Mr Barilaro later withdrew from the position, saying it had become untenable.

Mr Ayres said Premier Dominic Perrottet had not asked him to stand aside over the matter but admitted it had been a “challenging” few weeks.

“[Mr Perrottet] has been really supportive through this whole exercise,” Mr Ayres said.

“He’s made it pretty clear that he’s put in place the independent review that’s been conducted by Graham Head, a former public service commissioner, and he wants to wait until that review’s completed and he’ll make his decisions after that.”

Deputy Premier and Nationals leader Paul Toole refused to comment directly on whether he supported Mr Ayres but said public confidence in ministers was critical.

“As the leader of the National Party and as the Deputy Premier I have very high standards and I have very clear expectations of my ministers,” he said.

“I expect them to be acting with honesty and integrity at all times.”

Leaked emails last week revealed Mr Ayres put forward a name to be added to a shortlist of candidates for the role, but he maintains that name was not John Barilaro’s.

Documents released yesterday revealed another candidate was recommended ahead of Mr Barilaro before he was later ranked higher.

Mr Perrottet said he was expecting the independent review into Mr Barilaro’s appointment “very shortly”.

Mr Perrottet initiated the review in late June and it has been conducted alongside a parliamentary inquiry.

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Australia

Another candidate recommended ahead of John Barilaro for US job, documents show

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro

New secret NSW government documents suggest another candidate was recommended ahead of John Barilaro, at some stage, during the recruitment process for a lucrative trade role based in New York.

There are discrepancies between two versions of the selection panel report, after four candidates on the shortlist for the Trade Commissioner to the Americas role were interviewed in March this year.

Mr Barilaro’s appointment has been put under the microscope for several weeks, and is the subject of two separate parliamentary probes.

He has since withdrawn from the $500,000-a-year position.

The reports were part of a tranche of documents released today to a parliamentary inquiry probing the appointment of Mr Barilaro to the high-paid US position.

In one version, the former deputy premier isn’t the recommended candidate.

“The panel came to the view that John Barilaro did have some of the relevant capabilities and experience for the role,” the report said.

“However he had not worked internationally in a role aligned to the experience expected for a high-level STIC candidate.”

It also raised concerns that “he would need to build a team without the business or departmental infrastructure he had previously”.

“His lack of business development networks would mean that he would have a considerable learning curve in this role.”

A table with several names and columns
In one of the documents, Mr Barilaro is ranked first.(Supplied)
A table with several names and columns
In another, an unnamed candidate scored higher.(Supplied)

The person recommended for the job has their name written on the documents.

They scored four exceeds in the selection process, while Mr Barilaro was rated two meets and two exceeds.

But his rating changed on the second report, on which he scored three exceeds and one meets.

The change to exceed was on the selection criteria for “manage and develop people”.

In this report, Mr Barilaro is the recommended candidate.

“While he has not lived internationally, he has successfully developed international businesses in both his roles in managing his own company in the private sector and in his capacity as Deputy Premier and Trade Minister for NSW,” the report said.

“He had a strong track record of building teams as well as operating in a dynamic environment.”

Jenny West wearing a pair of glasses
Jenny West claims the government reneged on offering her the job.(AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

These two reports have been released as part of dozens of documents that were handed over under a parliamentary order.

They were previously deemed secret, but after pressure from the Opposition the government agreed to make them public.

A parliamentary inquiry has previously been heard from former bureaucrat Jenny West, who was listed as the “successful candidate” on government documents in mid-2021.

Ms West told the inquiry that Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown then told her last October that she would no longer be offered the job because it “would be a present for someone”.

“[Ms Brown said] ‘I have spoken to Minister [Stuart] Ayres who has taken over the deputy premier’s portfolio and he has confirmed that you will not be getting the Americas role. It will be a present for someone’,” Ms West claimed.

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Categories
Australia

Liberals deputy leader Stuart Ayres defends actions over US trade appointment

a man talking

NSW deputy Liberals leader Stuart Ayres has defended his actions over the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a lucrative trade role in New York.

Mr Ayres has been under increasing pressure after documents released publicly to the parliament called into question his involvement in the recruitment process and whether he misled parliament.

The Premier is standing by Mr Ayres, who accompanied him on an overseas trade trip in his role as Trade Minister.

Mr Ayres maintains the recruitment process was conducted at arm’s length from government, and released a lengthy statement backing his actions on his Facebook page late yesterday.

He said he and Mr Barilaro were not close friends and he described his actions as being driven by his desire to “put the people of NSW first”.

“While I respected Mr Barilaro in his role as deputy premier, leader of the National Party and his passionate (and at times excessive) advocacy of regional NSW, I don’t think we ever called each other close friends,” he said.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro
John Barilaro will appear before the inquiry into his appointment next week. (AAP: Joel Carrett)

“In fact, I can’t think of one time in the 11 years we were both in parliament together that we shared a meal or a beer together outside of a work function.

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