The Sauce: Stuart Ayres to be grilled by inquiry on US trade post

The $500k-a-year US trade commissioner position awarded to John Barilaro continues to plague the Liberals, with Trade Minister Stuart Ayres set to be grilled over the hiring process.

Trade Minister Stuart Ayres is set to be grilled over whether — and from whom — he obtained permission to defy a cabinet decision for the now-infamous New York trade role to be decided via ministerial appointment.

But with Labor and the crossbench keen to drag out the crisis enveloping the Perrottet government over the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to the $500,000-a-year gig, it may be some weeks yet before the senior frontbencher appears to give his evidence — and it could also be before Budget Estimates rather than the Upper House inquiry that is under way.

As for Barilaro, there has been no invitation to the former Nationals leader to appear before the inquiry in the near future — unlike Ayres who has been approached by the committee for his availability.

The lack of an approach to “Bara” has infuriated government MPs and Barilaro himself, because he is desperate to tell his side of the story, including refuting the sensational allegations of his former chief-of-staff Mark Connell about seeking to snag a post in New York.

Connell last week tabled a statement alleging his old boss had declared — after a meeting in April 2019 with then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Ayres about the creation of overseas trade posts — how that was the job he wanted when “I get the f … out of this place”.

Enterprise, Investment and Trade Minister Stuart Ayres. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

Nationals MP Wes Fang, who is single-handedly cross-examining the witnesses for the Coalition, on Saturday fired off a letter to Labor leader Chris Minns, accusing his MPs of playing dirty.

Mr Fang pointed out the rules of parliamentary committee hearings, which state that where a witness gives evidence “that may seriously damage the reputation of a person or body”, the committee may give that person the opportunity to respond in writing “or at a hearing”.

While Barilaro has been invited to produce a statement, he wants to exercise his right to appear in person — and with one of the selection panel members who was involved in his appointment.

“This inquiry isn’t a kangaroo court and shouldn’t be treated as such by Labor members who only seem to want to hear from public servants who they can bully and intimidate, or disgruntled people with an axe to grind,” Fang said.

“Labor appear to have taken their playbook straight from Putin, as they aren’t interested in hearing from people who do not agree with them.”

Labor MPs told The Sauce that Barilaro will be called — just not yet.

Former deputy premier John Barilaro has withdrawn from the role. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Simon Dallinger

As for Ayres, The Sauce has been told by two separate government sources that the cabinet decision to revert the selection process from ministerial appointments to public service appointments was not approved by strategy cabinet, as has been claimed.

If this is the case, the question for Ayres will be: Who gave him permission to revert the process back to a public service appointment?

As we await the answer, the Upper House committee is assembling its next round of witnesses, which will include members of Ayres’ office and also NSW Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade secretary Amy Brown, who will be recalled in light of the evidence given by former public servant Jenny West, who reckons she was offered the NY gig first.

The Perrottet government has been seriously wounded by this saga — the next few weeks will determine if it’s terminal (and for whom).

SEAT SWAP

A Liberal source appears to have confirmed talks of a plot by moderate MPs to try to swap seats ahead of the next state election to overcome preselection fights as a result of boundary changes.

The source reckons discussions took place by left-wing Liberals last Sunday of the proposed seat swap which involves Treasurer Matt Kean moving from his Hornsby electorate to the seat of Wahroonga (currently called Ku-ring-gai).

Is Matt Kean on the move? Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard.

Ku-ring-gai MP Alister Henskens would then move into the seat of Davidson held by speaker Jonathan O’Dea, with unsuccessful federal candidate Maria Kovacic to run for Hornsby.

While the potential seat swap has been largely motivated by the boundary changes, one source says the plan is also designed to stop Liberal Matt Cross, a former electorate officer for Gladys Berejiklian, from having a shot at Davidson.

There are also mutterings that Upper House MP Natalie Ward has been approached to move to the Lower House, meaning another body will have to be shafted.

The source claimed Pittwater was an electorate she might be interested in, although, as of Saturday, Cities Minister Rob Stokes was still the sitting MP.

However, given the concerns over whether Willoughby MP Tim James can hold on to his seat given the narrow margin he won it by, that seat may be an option for Ward.

Should James be accommodated in the Upper House, there are any number of arguably expendable MPs that could be bumped to make way for the right-winger.

BIG PAY BUMP

We all know the cost of living has gone up, but so have the pay cheques of staff working for Perrottet government ministers.

The latest figures supplied to the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet reveal eight ministers had a staff member being paid between $262,951 and $354,201 — and that was of December last year.

In the first six months of last year, there were no staff being paid at this salary level, also known as MS7.

The top staff salary in the first six months of last year was $262,950.

The ministers with MS7 staff include Premier Dominic Perrottet, Deputy Premier Paul Toole, Trade Minister Stuart Ayres, Treasurer Matt Kean, Attorney-General Mark Speakman, Cities Minister Rob Stokes, Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello and Planning Minister Anthony Roberts.

Nice work if you can get it.

SPOTTED

Former prime minister Scott Morrison walking near NSW Liberal Party HQ –
was he popping in to discuss his future?

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