Barilaro takes taxpayer funded trips to US just months after having sights set on New York

John Barilaro went on taxpayer funded official trips costing tens of thousands of dollars to Missouri and California just months after he allegedly said he would “get” the New York plum posting.

John Barilaro went on taxpayer funded trade mission to the United States just months after he is alleged to have told then-Chief of Staff that he would “get” the government to set up a plum posting in New York that he could take up when he got “the f*ck” out of politics.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that taxpayers spent almost $88,000 on two official trips Mr Barilaro took to the USA since 2018, including a $53,000 trip to Missouri and California in August 2019.

Mr Barilaro was accompanied on the 2019 trip by his then Chief of Staff Mark Connell, and a senior public servant Gary Barnes.

The trip, to promote NSW’s agtech, defence and aerospace, and technology export capabilities, came just months after Mr Barilaro is alleged to have said that an overseas NSW Government posting would be the job for him when he left politics.

Mr Connell claimed that in April 2019, after a meeting regarding a London Agent General role, Mr Barilaro expressed an interest in taking up a trade position when he got “the f*ck” out of politics.

Former Deputy Premier John Barilaro is seen leaving the Federal Court in Sydney in June. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“I don’t want to go to London, f*ck that, I’m off to New York,” Mr Connell claims Mr Barilaro said.

Mr Barilaro denies he made the remarks.

Jenny West gives evidence before a parliamentary committee on Monday at state parliament. West was offered and then later denied a lucrative trade posting in NYC in favour of former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro. Picture: Nikki Short

The total estimated travel cost for Mr Barilaro and Mr Connell for the 2019 trip amounted to approximately $33,192, according to Department of Premier and Cabinet disclosures.

Government officials’ travel costs added an extra $20,447 to the bill for a total of more than $53,000.

Mr Barilaro told The Telegraph that the trip was “public knowledge”.

“That’s my job, I was Trade Minister,” he said.

John Barilaro went on taxpayer funded holidays to US after he is alleged to have told then-Chief of Staff that he would “get” the government to set up a plum posting in New York. Picture: Gaye Gerard.

“Also I went to China and Vietnam. And if it wasn’t for Covid, I would have travelled to more of our trading destinations,” he said.

His schedule included companies Bayer, Boeing, Uber, Google, Facebook, and government officials.

While Mr Barilaro did not visit New York on the 2019 trip, he did visit New York State in a similar taxpayer funded trip in 2017 costing $34,000.

Mr Barilaro previously refuted the statements from his former Chief of Staff.

“The conversation (Mr Connell) has recalled is fictitious, false and only serves as a reminder as to why we had to part ways,” Mr Barilaro said in a statement.

The NSW Government has so far failed to comply with an order of parliament to produce documents to an inquiry into Mr Barilaro’s appointment to New York.

From Tokyo, Premier Dominic Perrottet said those documents “should be” released.

“All documents (should be) provided as quickly as possible,” he said.