James O’Doherty: Number was up for Stuart Ayres

Dismissal seemed inevitable for Stuart Ayres after several admissions in the media forced the Premier’s hand, writes James O’Doherty.

Stuart Ayres was never going to survive the day.

Ayres’ own admissions to date had already provided evidence enough that the besieged – and now former – minister had questions to answer over his involvement in John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum New York trade role.

For weeks, Ayres had desperately professed he was at arm’s length from the process, while undermining his own position every time he fronted the cameras.

Despite maintaining he did not “influence” the appointment, Ayres this week admitted he had some “discussion and engagement” with Investment NSW boss Amy Brown on the recruitment process.

Ayres eventually conceded he should have told Barilaro not to apply for the job but only when his position had become terminal.

Stuart Ayres arrives at the new Allianz Stadium in Sydney to speak to media. Picture: David Swift

If Perrottet had not announced Ayres’ resignation at 9am on Wednesday, Investment NSW secretary Amy Brown’s evidence to a separate parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday would have finished the minister off by lunchtime.

“In my view, he was not arm’s length from the process,” Brown said of Ayres’ involvement.

Further, she recalled a conversation in which Ayres said Barilaro “would have some positive attributes” for the New York trade role.

She said that “carried some weight” with her.

Throughout the entire scandal, Ayres has insisted he acted appropriately. He continues to maintain that “no breach” of the Ministerial Code of Conduct occurred but said he decided to quit “to maintain the integrity of the cabinet”.

Perrottet’s staunch insistence on following the process he set up almost six weeks ago left him flat-footed and unable to properly respond to an increasingly farcical situation.

Dominic Perrottet announces Stuart Ayres has stood down. Picture: David Swift

He travelled halfway across the world on a major trade tour, standing from the sidelines as his embattled trade minister tried in vain to justify his continued role in the cabinet.

The entire saga has been severely damaging to the government and, by extension, Perrottet.

While there are no moves afoot for a challenge, the Premier cannot afford another scandal.

Multiple MPs were pointing accusatory fingers yesterday at infrastructure and cities minister Rob Stokes, who ran against Perrottet for the party leadership last year.

The chatter appeared to be baseless, with the pair taking time out for a friendly jog around the harbour yesterday.

But it is never good for a government when its own MPs start speculating about internal instability.

While no-one has told Perrottet directly that his position is in trouble, dismayed government MPs desperately need the government to get back on track.

There is a view is that the Premier only has a month or two to turn the ship around or he’ll face choppy waters.

Perrottet lost two ministers this week and the Premier has offered little explanation about exactly why they had to go.

In both matters, Perrottet insists he acted as soon as he had the information he needed to make a decision.

“I make decisions on what I believe is right, and I will always do that, no matter what the political cost to me, or to my government,” he said on Wednesday.

But in sticking to what he thought was right, Perrottet may end up paying the price.