Government lawyer consoled overlooked candidate Jenny West in Barilaro New York trade commissioner gig

Jenny West was mistaken to think the NY trade commissioner gig that went to John Barilaro was ever fully hers, inquiry told.

The government lawyer who was involved in hiring NSW’s trade commissioner to New York says a public servant who was overlooked for the job was not “fully offered” the role before it was later given to former Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

Chris Carr is the general counsel for the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade but served as general counsel for Investment NSW between June 2021 and January 2022.

Mr Carr was grilled on contradictions between his evidence and that of Jenny West — the “preferred candidate” who was verbally offered the job before the government ordered Investment NSW to “unwind her contract”

Ms West claimed last week that Mr Carr was “horrified” by the situation but said he was expressing empathy with her situation and consoled her for losing the job.

”I was speaking with a colleague who was quite plainly in a situation where I felt the need to console her … I felt that it was open to me as a colleague, at a human level to give her a degree of comfort,” he said.

”I would have been saying words of comfort.”

Mr Carr said he had no doubt that Ms West “felt the finishing line was in sight”.

Chris Carr speaking to a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

”For somebody to be in a situation, having gone through all of that, and so close to the end you find out that it's suddenly getting to a point that it’s looking difficult, of course you relay your own experiences to that to offer some comfort.”

Despite agreeing that he consoled Ms West, Mr Carr argued that Ms West was not “fully offered” the plum position despite Ms West giving evidence that the head of Investment NSW sent her a text message congratulating her on the job.

“(Jenny West) stated that she was fully offered the job … That is not correct,” he told the inquiry in his opening statement.

Mr Carr argued that there were “unresolved” tax items in the appointment as late as September.

Jenny West gives evidence before the parliamentary committee. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

“My understanding is that Ms West was well advanced in the process, but not at the end of it.”

Ms West gave explosive evidence last week that she was told the job was a “present for someone” when her offer was rescinded.

By this point, Ms West said she already began researching colleges for her children and looking for rental accommodation in New York.

Under questioning from Labor’s Daniel Mookhey, Mr Carr said he spoke to a junior advisor in then Deputy Premier John Barilaro’s office on September 17 2021 about “highly technical questions” on how the trade roles could be converted from public service roles to cabinet appointments.