John Barilaro slams Labor for ‘harassment’

Former deputy premier John Barilaro has slammed Labor for cynically preventing him from clearing his name and contributing to his ‘harassment’.

John Barilaro in a tussle with a videographer.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has slammed Labor for cynically preventing him from clearing his name and contributing to his “harassment”, after a video of an altercation between the former Nationals leader and a TV cameraman sparked a NSW police investigation.

A brief video shows Mr Bari­laro reacting angrily to a Seven Network cameraman who confronted him as he left the Garfish Manly on the Esplanade, in Sydney’s northern beaches, on Saturday night.

In his first interview since the saga over his appointment to the $500,000-a-year US trade commissioner posting, Mr Barilaro said the camera and microphone had been “shoved in (his) face” after he left the Manly bar, while his friends had been “pushed and barged out of the way”.

Mr Barilaro said he had chosen to break his silence to tell Labor to “stop playing games”, calling on NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns and opposition Legislative Council leader Penny Sharpe to let him give evidence at the upper house inquiry into his appointment, saying they were responsible for the “intrusion and harassment”.

“I’m a private citizen. I left politics last year … and yet the way I’m being treated – the way I’m being harassed, the intrusion into my life – doesn’t just affect me, it affects more people: family, friends, everybody around me,” Mr Barilaro told Sydney radio 2GB.

“All I did was push a camera out of my way. I did not manhandle an individual.”

Mr Barilaro said his appointment to the state’s New York trade posting was all above board, and there had been a “couple of coincidences” as to when submissions went before cabinet and the timing of his resignation.

“But now’s your chance. I’m calling out today. I’m available to turn to an inquiry hearing this week to tell my side of the story.

“And let’s do that before this gets even uglier.”

A senior source at Seven defended the decision to approach Mr Barilaro, saying “enormous questions” needed to be answered and his claims of being a private citizen were undermined by his ongoing profile in public life.

“Pretending not to be a public figure is farcical. He is the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, possibly an ICAC investigation, significant public and political comment and he (has) recently departed from the job (of) deputy premier,” they said.

“He’s very much in it, and to say otherwise is ridiculous.

“He wants the opportunity to answer, he wants to appear before the inquiry, he rang into the radio station this morning to have his say, he was given an opportunity the other night and decided to lash out instead.”

In a statement, NSW police told The Australian: “Officers attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command are investigating an incident that occurred about 7.30pm on Saturday, 23 July, 2022, outside a bar in Manly.

“Inquiries into the incident are ongoing and there is no further information at this stage.”