Upper house to hold inquiry into Barilaro’s plum New York appointment

The NSW upper house will hold an inquiry into a plum New York posting handed to former deputy premier John Barilaro, amid outrage from Liberal MPs at Premier Dominic Perrottet’s captain’s pick.

Barilaro was appointed as the $500,000-a-year-senior trade and investment commissioner to the Americas late on Friday, in a move that has infuriated Perrottet’s colleagues, including ministers.

A parliamentary inquiry will be held into Dominic Perrottet’s appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a US trade role.Credit: Rhett Wyman

The position, which did not go to cabinet, was created by Barilaro when he was trade minister.

Several ministers have confirmed to the Herald that the position was not considered by cabinet, with two insisting that had it been presented to ministers, they would have blocked the appointment.

Backbenchers are also furious at the move, with one describing it as “appointments for mates”.

However, Perrottet has defended the appointment, saying that Barilaro emerged as the best candidate from a global recruitment process, at a cost to the government of $18,150.

“It doesn’t come as any surprise to me that the independent process that occurred that he was by far the most outstanding candidate and was recommended by that panel to the government,” Perrottet said on Saturday.

“I’m sure he will do a brilliant job, not only because he would probably help with the architecture of setting up Global NSW, but his strong advocacy for regional NSW and for our state because of the economic portfolios that he’s held.”

The former NSW Nationals leader threatened to blow up the Coalition in September 2020 over a koala planning policy. The issue was resolved, and Barilaro did not follow through with his threats to take his party to the crossbench, but tensions remained between the Liberals and Nationals.

Barilaro resigned from parliament in December, telling reporters that public life had “taken a toll”.

Earlier this month, Barilaro was awarded $715,000 in his high-profile defamation case against Google after a judge found he was subjected to a “relentless and vicious campaign” of cyberbullying that led him to resign from politics prematurely.

Barilaro sued the internet giant, which owns YouTube, and political commentator Jordan Shanks in the Federal Court last year over two videos published on the Friendlyjordies channel in 2020 accusing him of corruption.

Labor and crossbenchers will establish the upper house inquiry when parliament returns this week, and will examine the process around Barilaro’s appointment.

It will look at who else applied for the position, which ministers provided feedback and whether any conflicts of interest arose with public servants, given Barilaro oversaw the decision to set up six trade commission posts.

The inquiry will also consider calling Barilaro to give evidence.

As well as a $450,000 salary, excluding superannuation, the senior trade commissioner positions also attract a $112,950 annual cost of living allowance as well relocation costs. There are also business flights to return home twice a year, according to documents provided to the upper house.

Labor leader Chris Minns said Barilaro’s appointment “represents everything that is wrong with the NSW Liberals and Nationals after 11 years in government”.

“This is Dominic Perrottet’s captain’s pick and he will be held accountable,” Minns said.

“How can you get appointed to a high-paying trade commissioner job - a job set up by John Barilaro before he left office - without that going to cabinet?”

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