Dominic Perrottet may have misled parliament over John Barilaro appointment, new evidence suggests
Documents show Dominic Perrottet was aware a former senior bureaucrat had been verbally offered the state’s plum NY trade commissioner posting.
Documents have revealed NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet was aware former senior bureaucrat Jenny West had been verbally offered the state’s plum NY trade commissioner posting, contradicting what he told parliament in June.
A fresh cache of documents, obtained as part of the NSW parliamentary inquiry into how former deputy premier John Barilaro was appointed as the state’s $500,000-a-year US trade commissioner, revealed a briefing note sent to Mr Perrottet’s office.
In the briefing note sent by Investment NSW, the then treasurer was informed a “full recruitment process” for the senior trade & investment commissioner Americas position has been undertaken and a “successful candidate identified”.
In the recommendations and actions section, the note says: “the selection of Ms Jenny West as the successful candidate for the STIC – Americas.”
“Investment NSW will liaise with the Treasurer’s office to offer a meeting between the Treasurer and Ms West to discuss priorities for international trade and investment for NSW, prior to her relocation to New York,” the document said.
The evidence appears to contradict what Mr Perrottet told the Legislative Assembly on June 22, saying: “I met with the Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade this morning and I was advised the following; here are the facts. The first recruitment process did not identify a suitable candidate. As such, a second recruitment process was undertaken.”
However, another briefing note sent to then Investment Minister Stuart Ayres, signed and approved on August 17 last year, notes Ms West was the successful candidate, which also conflicts with evidence he provided to parliament on the same day.
“It is important to recognise that at the end of the first round of recruitment there was no suitable candidate identified,” Mr Ayres said.
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