NSW ICAC set to probe John Barilaro role on New York job

The senior bureaucrat originally offered the NSW government’s plum New York City trade commissioner posting was told by her superior the role would be ‘a present for someone’.

Jenny West, a former deputy secretary with Investment NSW, gives evidence before a NSW parliamentary committee in Sydney on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

The NSW corruption watchdog is expected to open an investigation into former deputy premier John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum New York trade posting, after the senior bureaucrat who was originally offered the position alleged her boss told her the role would be “a present for someone”.

The move comes just a week after The Australian revealed concerns among senior ministers in the Perrottet government that the scandal over the former Nationals leader appoint­ment would be referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In explosive evidence to a parliamentary inquiry on Monday, former senior public servant Jenny West revealed she had been told by Investment NSW head Amy Brown the appointment was being made as a political reward.

Ms West, a former deputy secretary with Investment NSW, said she had been verbally offered the $500,000-a-year trade posting before discovering she had been dumped in favour of a “political appointment” and sacked from her position on the same day.

After being “actively encouraged” to apply for the NY posting by Ms Brown and undertaking a seven-stage application process, Ms West said she was sent a text message on August 12 verbally ­offering her the role after her ­appointment was signed off by the then premier, Gladys Berejiklian on August 12.

Then treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Investment Minister Stuart Ayres had also been briefed on the appointment.

But on October 14, Ms Brown told Ms West her appointment as the NSW trade and investment commissioner to the Americas had been rescinded after a submission to cabinet – made by Mr Barilaro – changed the trade ­commissioner roles into “political ­appointments” rather than for public servants.

“Ms Brown said that the position, and this is a quote, ‘will be a present for someone’,” Ms West told the parliamentary committee.

She said Ms Brown then told her: “You are an extraordinary performer and I am upset that this has happened.”

Just 20 minutes after the ­exchange, Ms West emailed her lawyers a file note containing the allegations in the conversation.

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

“Amy: ‘I have spoken to Mr (Stuart) Ayres, who has taken over the deputy premier’s portfolio and he has confirmed that you will not be getting the Americas role. It will be a present for someone. There will not be a role in New York for you’,” the note read. Mr Ayres, however, rejected the allegations, labelling them “offensive”. The “clear and consistent” evidence from Ms Brown demonstrated that he did not influence the ­appointment, he said.

“I did not say the job was to be a ‘present’ for anyone and I find that idea to be offensive,” the minister said in a statement following the inquiry hearing.

Ms West also sought to correct “false” allegations made against her professional record, saying claims her relationship with ­Investment NSW had “deteriorated” and she had been absent from work without explanation were “untrue”.

“Ms Brown gave no details as to dates and I categorically deny such an allegation,” she said.

“I noticed that Miss Brown also suggested that I had mischaracterised some exchange between an unnamed person at Investment NSW and a prominent businessman. Like that prominent businessman, I have no idea what Ms Brown is talking about.”

During in-camera evidence provided to the parliamentary committee last week, Ms Brown outlined a list of grievances about Ms West’s performance as deputy secretary. But Ms West said that at no point during her application process were concerns about her tenure raised by anyone within the NSW government.

Alluding to another file note taken after a “walking meeting” with Ms Brown along Balmoral Beach, Ms West said her superior had warned her a separate submission made by Mr Barilaro to cabinet seeking to gain authority over appointments for the trade positions was preventing her contract offer from progressing.

Ms West lamented she had come into government to “make a difference” and believed she had delivered considerably over the preceding year “just to get my legs taken from underneath me”.

“How could he just change some things like that to put his mates in roles to help with the election?,” Ms West asked Ms Brown.