Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has engaged in a heated dispute with Labor MPs during an investigation investigating his appointment to a lucrative $500,000 New York position.
There were heated raised voices on both sides over the timing of his departure from the NSW Parliament and when the Liberal-National cabinet addressed a proposal to modify the nomination procedure for the job.
Labor MPs said Mr Barilaro was aware of former Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation ahead of time since he was examined in private by the Independent Commission Against Corruption on September 10, 2021.
‘I will completely dispute that nasty term and slander,’ Mr Barilaro added.
‘Which portion of it is disgusting?’ he was questioned. ‘You’re making me out to be crooked,’ he said.
Mr. Barilaro subsequently said that he was “the victim, not the culprit.”
‘It does appear like the cabinet recommendation was put up hastily because you knew that at some time (Ms Berejiklian) was going to have to quit,’ Labor’s Daniel Mookhey said, referring to the request to amend the selection procedure for the role Mr Barilaro would ultimately obtain.
‘If your account of events is correct, Mr Barilaro, we must conclude that you are one of the luckiest men in NSW politics.’
‘Actually, (I’m) the unluckiest guy in NSW politics, I’d say, because of that sequence of events,’ Mr Barilaro said.
‘I must be the most powerful guy in NSW… to get a whole cabinet to ratify something they didn’t agree with.’
Amy Brown, the CEO of Investment NSW, reappeared in the afternoon to give evidence for the third time, and was questioned about her agency’s hiring of Mr Barilaro’s girlfriend and former colleague Jennifer Lugsdin. Ms Brown said that Ms Lugsdin was employed via a contractor and would begin working for Investment NSW on August 16, 2021.
She was questioned about what Mr Barilaro told to her regarding Ms Lugsdin.
‘He stated there was a senior media advisor in his office seeking for new possibilities [and] that he’d heard via the grapevine that we were expanding our media and communications team,’ she responded.
‘I told him that was likely the case, and she was free to… apply for opportunities.’
Ms Brown noted that Mr Barilaro made no comments regarding his personal or professional connection with Ms Lugsdin.
Mr Barilaro previously said that he did not recall when the chat with Ms Brown occurred, but that he was not in a relationship with Ms Lugsdin at the time.
‘I was not in a relationship with her when I was deputy prime minister or trade minister,’ he said.
Ms Brown said that Investment NSW requested a conflict of interest disclosure from Ms Lugsdin in December 2021, after media stories about her connection with Mr Barilaro.
‘But we don’t have any records of it occurring.’ Most likely because we ended her work with us on December 22nd, which was just a few days later,’ she said. Labor MP Penny Sharpe said the opposition would present proof that Ms Lugsdin was engaged in media releases promoting the New York trade job when Mr Barilaro arrives on Friday.
‘We’re indicating that we’ll be spending more time on this… which is how (Mr Barilaro) learned about the position,’ she said.
‘Someone with whom you are in a relationship… was plainly aware of the different procedures linked with the advertisement and the nature of this post.’
Ms Brown subsequently said that the chief of staff of then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet advised him to consider offering a ‘private sector scale remuneration’ to a candidate for the London agent-general role.
She said that she spoke with the employee about pay talks for the London position, for which the candidate expected $800,000.
‘I believe the original reason for my phone call was that a wage that high for any public service post is ludicrous,’ Ms Brown said.
Ms Brown claimed she was pushed to consider paying more money despite the fact that she was not entitled to give someone that high a wage under the government sector employment legislation.
‘They basically urged me to keep the significance of the work and the potential in mind, and that if we wanted to attract someone of high ability, we needed to give a private sector size wage,’ she said.
Mr Barilaro previously said that he took the decision to retire on the first weekend of October 2021, after Ms Berejiklian’s resignation as state premier.
‘As I have said, if the events of (that day) had not occurred, I would have remained for who knows how long… Some of my colleagues urged him not to resign,’ he said.
He continued, “I simply couldn’t take it anymore, emotionally and psychologically,” on the day he quit.
Labor MP John Graham then alluded to a letter served on Mr Barilaro in a court action in which he said that he had already decided to resign.
The implication was that Mr. Barilaro knew he was leaving the parliament while still in government but did not inform his colleagues.
The Liberal-National cabinet addressed a request to modify the nomination procedure for international trade jobs around the same period.
The hearing, which is being conducted in the NSW Parliament, has devolved into a yelling battle.
Mr. Barilaro said that resigning had always been his goal, and he was making that public.
His court statement made no mention of a deadline, just that he will quit before the next election.
‘What you’re implying is that I advocated for changing these positions to benefit myself today.
‘I was modifying these duties depending on leadership meetings and requests from various MPs and ministers,’ Mr Barilaro said.
‘For me, it wasn’t about a cabinet submission.’
Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, who chairs the probe, asked Mr Barilaro whether he could “understand why the public is dubious about this entire process?”
‘I completely understand. That’s why I’m here today, willingly, to explain the procedure,’ he said.
‘It was an impartial, public service procedure.’ You are not disqualified because you were once a member of parliament.’
‘I’m the victim, not the perpetrator,’ Mr Barilaro remarked.
‘What went wrong?’ I was given a position, and I accepted it… I can’t tell you what happened behind closed doors since I wasn’t there.’
Mr Barilaro kicked off the afternoon portion of the investigation by disclosing that former Premier Barry O’Farrell is the enigmatic third referee listed on his job application.
Mr. Barilaro told the investigation that he wished he had “never applied” for the position.
‘I dispute any accusation of misconduct,’ says John Barilaro in his opening testimony to the NSW Parliament investigation investigating the function of the New York trade commissioner. Refute the claim that I invented the role for myself.
‘I dispute any claim that I sought preferential treatment during the public service job application process, in which an impartial panel selected me as the chosen candidate based on merit.’
‘We’ve heard from long-serving, professional senior public employees that I was a credible and competent candidate with many qualities to bring to this crucial post for the people of our wonderful state.’
‘As a result, my credentials and application were publicly mocked, which is nothing short of an invasion of my privacy.’
‘Let me be clear about something. As a private individual, I applied for a position in the public sector. Nothing prevented me from doing so.
‘I followed the same procedure that others were given.
‘I had multiple interviews, psychometric tests, and police background checks.’ I was given a job. I accepted the position. I then resigned from this position.
‘Since that time, I’ve been living in what can only be characterized as a personal hell, unfair and unjust.’
‘I am excited to present my case to this committee today.’
Mr Barilaro was adamant about not naming the individual just before the committee stopped for lunch, despite the fact that his other two referees were senior public servant Gary Barnes and Australia’s US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos.
However, after contacting Mr. O’Farrell during the break, he was able to expose his identity when the investigation began.
Mr. O’Farrell, according to Mr. Barilaro, was “one of the reasons I went into politics.” He was an inspiration and a close friend,’ he added.
‘I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to have met some wonderful people.
‘Mr O’Farrell was aware of, and is aware of, my competence and talents.’ I asked him since he’s been a supporter and a friend.’
During the morning session, Mr. Barilaro said, “If I knew what I know today, I would never have applied.” I wouldn’t have gone to that s**t show if I had known what I know now.’
Mr Barilaro said that this was due to “severe trauma I have endured in the last six to seven weeks.”
He then said that he ‘had no extra knowledge that every other applicant wouldn’t have received’ while applying for the position.
‘I deny the claim that I utilized knowledge that no one else had.’
When Labor MPs pressured Mr Barilaro to identify the third referee in his application for the New York position, there was a heated argument.
It had previously been revealed that his other two referees were Gary Barnes, secretary of the Department of Regional NSW, and Arthur Sinodinos, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States.
Mr Mookhey said that it was a legal matter.
‘You got the job because your referee was quite influential… ‘The signed final report makes it very apparent that your references were a very significant aspect,’ he stated.
Ms Faehrmann informed Mr Barilaro that he may be required to respond to the question in the future.
He answered that he would check with the referee over the lunch break to see whether that individual is okay with being identified.
Mr Mookhey inquired as to whether Mr Barnes, whom Mr Barilaro had promoted to his job, was doing him a favor in return.
Mr Barilaro called it a “slur on an apolitical public worker” who is “honest (and) trustworthy.”
Mr Barilaro said in his opening remarks that the upper house probe is “an inquiry to cleanse my character.”
He said that being a former MP did not deprive him of his “basic right” to a presumption of innocence.
‘I dispute any claim that I sought preferential treatment during the public service employment process, when an impartial panel chose me as the preferred candidate based on merit,’ he added. Mr Barilaro said that he had ‘endured what can only be defined as a personal hell, unfair and unjust’ as a result of the incident, which also included three high-ranking female employees.
Before Mr Barilaro was handed the high level trade post in New York, a senior public worker was promised it.
On Monday, he told the investigation that he got interested in the New York position last November, after announcing his intention to retire from parliament but before leaving.
Mr Barilaro claimed he conveyed his interest in the role to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet in late November in a “passing statement.”
‘He kept checking in on me, and on one of those times I mentioned it… I said I’d be interested.’ He said nothing more than “go for it.”
Mr. Barilaro said that he was unaware about the empty position in New York at the time. ‘I only mentioned the possibility and notion of a trading role.’
The incident involving Mr Barilaro’s selection to a New York trade position drew in three high-flying female executives and wrecked a relationship between two of them.
Amy Brown, the Investment NSW executive in charge of recruiting for the role, told a parliamentary committee looking into the recruitment process that the experience had been ‘confusing’ and ‘disheartening.’
Kimberley Cole, a highly successful entrepreneur, and Jenny West, a former friend of Ms Brown’s, have both been cast in the political drama.
Both lost out to former NSW deputy premier Mr Barilaro for the New York position, despite Ms West receiving a communication from Ms Brown, replete with champagne and Statue of Liberty emojis, saying she had the job before it was taken away in 2021.
Ms Cole was the favored choice following interviews, but she failed to convince then-trade minister Stuart Ayres after being allowed just 12 minutes to talk with him via video connection.
Mr. Barilaro ultimately got the position after signing a contract in June but resigned last month due to public outrage.
He said he had no idea Jenny West was the winning applicant in the first round of hiring last year.
‘I had no idea Jenny West had been given the post.’ ‘I just discovered out through these processes,’ he said.
Mr Barilaro was questioned about why he signed a brief naming Ms West as the winning candidate.
“That has a digital signature on it, but not my real signature,” he said.
‘I would not say it on oath if I didn’t feel it was true.’
He described himself as a “huge admirer” of Ms West.
This will be made very apparent on this forum.
‘She was a strong professional, a good public servant, and someone who performed an excellent job in that capacity for me.’
The now-cancelled position of Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas has resulted in two months of bad news for the NSW Liberal-National Coalition government, and it has already cost one minister his job.
Mr. Ayres, the former deputy Liberal leader, resigned last Wednesday after a draft investigation into the issue revealed that he may have violated the ministerial code of conduct.
At a long news conference last week, a stressed-out NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said that Mr Ayres’ “intention to quit follows a briefing I got from the Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary yesterday afternoon.”
‘I later addressed the points mentioned in that briefing with Mr Ayres,’ Mr Perrottet added.
He went on to say that the draft report “raised questions about whether Mr Ayres had complied with the ministerial code of conduct.”
‘When I brought these issues to Mr Ayres’ attention, he offered his resignation from the government as well as his position as deputy leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party,’ Mr Perrottet added.
‘An inquiry will now be launched to examine if Mr Ayres violated the ministerial code of conduct.’
The Premier implied that Mr Ayres had no option but to quit, saying,’very simply, I made my judgment based on the facts that I got.’
Mr Barilaro said that he ‘genuinely felt’ Mr Ayres had done nothing to assist him.
‘I don’t believe he was going to go to bat for me, and I feel he’s made that clear,’ he added.
Mr Ayres was the second NSW politician to be killed in four days.
Mr Perrottet fired NSW Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos amid claims of bullying.
Ms Petinos was accused of calling a staff member “ret**ded” and “dumb,” which she categorically rejected.
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption also concluded former minister John Sidoti participated in’serious fraudulent conduct’ over family-owned properties, capping off a bad month for the Liberal-National Coalition.
In addition, owing to a police inquiry, Kiama MP Gareth Ward resigned from the cabinet and went to the crossbench.
Ward was accused in March with sexual abuse against a man and a 17-year-old kid.
The nomination of former NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader Mr Barilaro to a US trade role earlier this year has escalated the government’s controversy.
Mr Barilaro and his new girlfriend were seen on tape lunging at camera crews after being approached outside a club on Sydney’s northern beaches late last month, indicating that the stress of the situation was getting to him.
He got into a fight with two cameramen after being approached on a night out, and authorities are now looking into the highly public brawl.