Amy Brown steps down from NSW government role after hiring John Barilaro as New York trade envoy

A key figure involved in the “flawed” hiring process that landed former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro a $500,000 job has been sacked.

The NSW department boss who hired John Barilaro to be New York trade envoy has been sacked.

The state’s top public servant, Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter, said in a media statement on Monday that Amy Brown would no longer be the secretary of the Enterprise, Investment and Trade Department.

He pointed to a review into the hiring process that found Ms Brown had failed to follow the government’s ethics rule book when she neglected to tell a recruitment panel of discussions she was having about the job hunt with the then trade minister.

“It’s a privilege to hold a role as a senior leader in the NSW public service. With this, rightly, comes a high degree of accountability,” Mr Coutts-Trotter said.

“I acknowledge that dealing with the events of recent months, and doing so under such intense public scrutiny, has weighed heavily on Ms Brown.

“I want to thank her for her service.”

Amy Brown has left the NSW government. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA NewsWire

Ms Brown, who was formerly the Investment NSW chief executive, pre-empted Mr Coutts-Trotter’s statement with her own post to LinkedIn on Sunday where she announced her tenure was ending.

“As the CEO and Department Secretary, I have learned that leadership can, at times, be difficult,” she wrote.

“Courageous leadership is not always comfortable. But it is a necessary part of how the public service performs its professional role in support of responsible government.”

The review, by former public service commissioner Graeme Head, said Ms Brown had failed to tell the panel that Stuart Ayres had placed a name on a candidate shortlist, arranged a meeting with an applicant and discussed with her Mr Barilaro’s credentials.

Mr Coutts-Trotter told parliament earlier this month that he was considering firing Ms Brown after he formed a “preliminary view” that she hadn’t done her job properly.

“It relates to her performance in the role … then, of course, there are responsibilities as public servants under the code of ethics and conduct,” Mr Coutts-Trotter told budget estimates.

Ms Brown, who was on a month’s leave that would have expired on Monday, said any breach of the code was unintentional.

John Barilaro gave up the New York job. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA NewsWire

Mr Ayres stepped down as trade minister after the findings from the Head review, although a second review looking into whether he broke the ministerial code of conduct cleared him of that suspicion.

The two reviews stemming from the Barilaro hire has cost NSW taxpayers more than $100,000, it was revealed last week.

Mr Barilaro was the state’s trade minister when he helped create the New York trade role and was appointed to the plum job shortly after he left government.

He later gave up the job due to public outrage.

Ms Brown said she would look for a new role in the private sector.

“As for what’s next, I am exploring new opportunities in the private sector and hope to make an announcement about that soon,” she wrote in the LinkedIn post.

“I look forward to reconnecting with you all in due course.”

Mr Coutts-Trotter said the Greater Cities Commission chief executive Elizabeth Mildwater would become the acting secretary of the Enterprise, Investment and Trade Department, beginning Tuesday.

Originally published as Amy Brown steps down from NSW government role after hiring John Barilaro as New York trade envoy