Dominic Perrottet and John Barilaro ‘co-wrote job proposal’

John Barilaro went to NSW cabinet with a proposal, co-written with then treasurer Dominic Perrottet and former trade minister Stuart Ayres, to make the New York move happen.

John Barilaro’s former chief of staff Siobhan Hamblin. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Seven months after John Barilaro allegedly declared he would force the NSW government to move the state’s US trade office to New York as part of his plan to retire from politics, the former deputy premier went to cabinet with a proposal, co-written with then treasurer Dominic Perrottet and former trade minister Stuart Ayres, to make the move happen.

On Friday, Investment NSW managing director Kylie Bell told a parliamentary inquiry she believed the decision to move the state’s trade headquarters had been made by the government after the joint cabinet submission was approved.

“(The) proposal was presented to the government and the government endorsed that decision in November (2019),” said Ms Bell, and the decision had been made because New York was the US financial capital and close to Washington.

In evidence to the inquiry last month, Mr Barilaro’s former chief of staff Mark Connell said his former boss returned to the office after a meeting with Mr Perrottet and Mr Ayres in April 2019 saying the government would re-establish the state’s lucrative global trade envoy positions.

Mr Barilaro allegedly told Mr Connell he was “off to New York” and the trade commissioner position was the job to “get the f..k out of” NSW politics.

In his submission, Mr Connell wrote: “I responded and stated ‘our current office and staff are in California’. Mr Barilaro replied: ‘I’ll get them to put one in New York, that’s where I’m off to’.”

Mr Ayres was forced to resign from the ministry on Wednesday after an excerpt from an independent departmental review into the appointment found he had not been at “arm’s length” from the process.

Mr Barilaro will appear before the inquiry on Monday.

As part of the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the former Nationals’ leader’s appointment as the state’s $500,000-a-year New York-based trade envoy, Ms Bell said Kimberley Cole, the highest ranked second-round interview applicant, had her rating downgraded despite receiving a “glowing” reference.

Ms Bell could not explain why Ms Cole’s rating had been downgraded. In an updated selection panel report, Mr Barilaro was suddenly preferred candidate for the trade position after his interview panel rating was upgraded.

Mr Barilaro has since stood down from the role.

In earlier evidence, Mr Barilaro’s former chief of staff Siobhan Hamblin revealed her former boss had expressed interest in converting the trade roles from public service to ministerial appointments in June last year.

With the NSW government fixated on the state’s exit from lockdown in September last year, she could not explain why Mr Barilaro had sent a text to a senior adviser asking for a cabinet submission to be drafted urgently.