Former Investment NSW deputy secretary Jenny West to give evidence on Barilaro US trade post

The woman who was offered the New York trade ambassador post only to have it ripped away and given to John Barilaro has spoken of her ‘distress’ and fears for her career.

The woman offered the New York trade ambassador post only to have it ripped away and given to John Barilaro has spoken of her “distress” and fears for her career.

Former Investment NSW deputy secretary Jenny West has indicated she will tell her side of the story to the state parliamentary inquiry into the controversial appointment.

This will include going through what is potentially an explosive 45-page dossier that she sent to Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter after she was told she no longer had the job.

The former deputy premier has now stepped aside.

Ms West will appear before the committee on July 11 after rescheduling from what had been a Wednesday hearing.

John Barilaro (left) and Jenny West, who had originally been offered the US trade ambassador role based in New York.

And in a sign her evidence is likely to be damning, the Westpac “women of influence” winner has requested her appearance be held in private.

The Sunday Telegraph has been told that Ms West made a written request for an in-camera hearing, given the “distress” the saga has already caused her “and my family”, and the “short-term and long-term implications for my career”.

Despite the distress, Ms West said she was willing to appear.

The evidence of Ms West will be crucial in establishing how much interference — and by whom — was involved in what had begun as a public service appointment.

Trade Minister Stuart Ayres, Mr Barilaro and Premier Dominic Perrottet have each declared proper processes were followed.

Along with going through her dossier to Mr Coutts-Trotter — which is believed to relay her concerns about the appointment process and has triggered a separate external inquiry by consultant Graeme Head — Ms West is also ­expected to address some of the ­evidence given to the committee by Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown.

Ms Brown, the first witness to appear before the Upper House inquiry, had declared she was directed to stop the recruitment process of Ms West “due to a change in government policy”.

Ms Brown, who had initially congratulated Ms West on being offered the role, told the hearing how the successful candidate became “extremely upset” after she was told the offer was retracted.

Ms West is among several bureaucrats the committee is expected to take evidence from before potentially issuing subpoenas to Mr Barilaro, Mr Ayres and the Premier.

It is understood the committee has also approached Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade general counsel Chris Carr on the changing goalposts for the senior trade and investment commissioners.

In an email dated September 21, Mr Carr wrote that a request had been made “to consider whether there are alternative methods that STICs (senior trade and investment commissioners) could be employed”.

The scandal has been a gift to Labor after the positivity of the NSW Budget.

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