Public servant dubbed ‘final decision-maker’ in John Barilaro’s New York job called to appear before Parliamentary inquiry
The public servant at the centre of the firestorm over the appointment of NSW ex-deputy premier John Barilaro to a trade role in New York has been called to appear before a state parliamentary inquiry.
NSW
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The senior public servant whom Premier Dominic Perrottet declared had been the “final decision-maker” in appointing former deputy premier John Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year trade job in New York will be called to appear before a state parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.
Mr Perrottet told state parliament how Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown was responsible for hiring Mr Barilaro over businesswoman Jenny West, who had previously been identified as the preferred candidate for the job.
It can now be revealed the NSW Upper House inquiry set up to examine the controversial appointment was to have issued its subpoenas to witnesses today, including to Ms Brown who is understood to be the sole witness on Wednesday.
As the department boss, Ms Brown reported directly to Mr Barilaro up until his resignation in October.
Ms Brown took on top departmental job in March last year, receiving $570,000 after a pay bump request by then premier Gladys Berejiklian was approved by the NSW Remuneration Tribunal.
In approving the request, the Tribunal report noted how Ms Berejiklian had noted Ms Brown’s “strong record of accomplishment in delivering complex projects”.
The pay increase boosted Ms Brown’s salary from what had been the Band 3 salary range of $345,551 to $487,0505 for the role.
As revealed by The Daily Telegraph this year, Ms Brown received another pay bump after Premier Dominic Perrottet lodged a separate request with the Remuneration Tribunal on February 16 this year to increase her salary from $570,000 to $614,000.
In making the request to the Tribunal – which was approved – Mr Perrottet noted how Ms Brown had been appointed to the role of secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade on January 31.
He said it was appropriate that Ms Brown’s salary be amended to match that of other department secretaries.
“In determining the appropriate remuneration the Tribunal had regard to the role and responsibilities, and Ms Brown’ extensive experience working in senior roles in the State public sector and private sector,” the Tribunal report said.
“Ms Brown was previously the CEO of Investment NSW.
“Prior to that role she was the Deputy Secretary and head of the Strategy and Delivery Group in the Department of Premier and Cabinet. In accordance with the Premier’s recommendation the Tribunal determines that Ms Brown in the role of Secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade shall receive $614,000 per annum effective from her date of appointment.”
Ms Brown was dragged into the escalating controversy over the plum appointment of her former boss after it emerged she had been on the interview panel that had appointed the ex-Nationals leader only months after he ceased to be her boss.
It has been revealed the appointment followed a previous round of recruitment last year which had identified two candidates, including Ms West.
That process was aborted, with the job readvertised in December.
Mr Perrottet has also ordered a separate review into the appointment with Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter, while also declaring the findings would be made public.
Seizing on the controversy on Saturday, State opposition leader Chris Minns said the appointment failed to pass “the sniff test”.
“And the Premier’s suggestion that he’ll conduct a review into Mr Barilaro’s appointment. Look, a review is something that you give a movie, we need an inquiry, we need to understand exactly how Mr. Barilaro was appointed to this position,” he told reporters.
“It’s never been explained how you can have a situation where the NSW Government can create a position, the Minister responsible for creating that position that eventually gets appointed to that job, and no one can explain to any of us how it happened.”
“The NSW Government expects everybody in this state the taxpayers, everybody to believe with a straight face that they conducted a global search to find out who was the best person to represent NSW, and it was John Barilaro all along. It doesn’t pass the sniff test.”
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