Mike Newman finishes as NSW Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner in Japan
Mike Newman is the latest Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to leave his role after Premier Chris Minns scrapped the overseas trade roles.
NSW
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Business leaders have launched a fresh salvo against the Minns government over its decision to axe a series of senior trade roles overseas, after NSW’s man in North Asia announced his time was up.
Mike Newman, who had been serving as the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to Japan and Korea, announced on LinkedIn on Tuesday that he had finished in the role.
He had been contracted to the role for three years, after being appointed by former Deputy Premier and Trade Minister John Barilaro.
The Telegraph understands Mr Newman left his post a few months before his contract was due to expire in July, when his role will cease to exist.
Mr Newman was one of a number of trade envoys tasked with spruiking NSW overseas.
The roles were drawn into scandal after John Barilaro was appointed to the New York trade role, with the Minns government pledging from Opposition to scrap the appointments.
Mr Barilaro was subject to a bruising parliamentary inquiry after he was appointed to the role despite initially being the second-ranked candidate.
Independent reviews of the saga later cleared Mr Barilaro and others involved of any wrongdoing.
Mr Newman said that serving as the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner “has been an enormous privilege and one I will remember with great fondness”.
He said his office was “pivotal” in NSW “cementing hydrogen partnerships with the Tokyo & Fukuoka governments,” and “instrumental in originating the large-scale energy partnerships” including at the Port of Newcastle.
His announcement that his time was up was met with a fresh round of criticism for Premier Chris Minns from business leaders, who believe the trade roles are crucial to keep attracting investment to NSW.
“This is not a good outcome for NSW or the Hunter,” Committee for the Hunter chief executive Alice Thompson commented.
“Other states we compete with for business, investment and talent sustain strong, senior-level presence in global markets,” she said, adding that NSW had been “M.I.A.” internationally before the senior trade roles were established.
Committee for Sydney CEO Eamon Waterford congratulated Mr Newman on a “job well done,” and former Minister Stuart Ayres said NSW was “poorer” for not having Mr Newman “in team NSW anymore”.
Lobbyist and former Western Sydney University Pro Chancellor Christopher Brown blamed the controversy around Mr Barilaro’s appointment to the New York trade role for Mr Newman’s departure.
The Minns government has argued the well-paid Senior Trade Commissioner roles are a waste of money, and has committed to replacing the trade envoys with more junior public servants.
Last year, NSW’s man in London Stephen Cartwright quit his post a year early, after being embroiled in a “jobs-for-mates” saga.
The former NSW Business Chamber CEO was earning a $600,000 salary to spruik NSW’s interests in the UK.
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