The latest tranche of government documents released under parliamentary order sheds further light on the behind-the-scenes work of bureaucrats managing the growing crisis,which continues to plague the Perrottet government.
Among the documents released on Wednesday are private text messages between Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown and the state’s most senior public servant,Michael Coutts-Trotter.
One text message sent by Brown to Coutts-Trotter,who heads the Department of Premier and Cabinet,states that Barilaro’s proposed appointment to the $500,000-a-year role had the support of Premier Dominic Perrottet and Deputy Premier Paul Toole.
“I’ve been told that Premier and DP are comfortable with the appointment of Barilaro as[commissioner] to the Americas and requested to get on with formalising the arrangements (which I’ll do),” Brown said in the message on May 6.
Barilaro was not formally announced as the US trade commissioner until June 17. The announcement sparked a backlash among his former ministerial colleagues,triggering an upper house inquiry into the appointment within days.
On June 20,Brown sent Coutts-Trotter another text message with a link to.
“This isn’t great,” Brown wrote in an accompanying text.
“No,but utterly predictable,” Coutts-Trotter said.
Brown replied:“We should talk it through ... Technically,it was my decision.”
Text messages between Investment NSW boss Amy Brown and the state’s most senior public servant Michael Coutts-Trotter have been revealed.Kate Geraghty/ Supplied
Brown has consistently maintained she was the final decision-maker in appointing Barilaro. However,she also told the ongoing upper house inquiry then-trade minister Stuart Ayres did not remain at arm’s length from the process.
The premier has also conceded the recruitment process.
Other documents released on Wednesday include emails between Department of Premier and Cabinet staffers,which suggest Graeme Head was required to hand over his report into the appointment to Coutts-Trotter by August 5.
Details of the contract for the report were contained in the documents,revealing the full cost to the NSW taxpayer would be more than $80,000,plus any expenses.
A DPC spokeswoman said Head requested and was granted an extension to deal with “a range of process issues”. She said the final report is expected imminently.
Perrottet on Tuesday said he expected to receive the final report shortly. He received a draft excerpt from the report last week,which raised concerns about whether Ayres breached the ministerial code of conduct..
A further inquiry will be conducted by high-profile barrister Bruce McClintock,SC,to probe Ayres’ involvement. Ayres has denied any wrongdoing and maintained he remained at arm’s length from the public service process.
Perrottet on Tuesday conceded he would have asked Barilaro not to apply for the plum post if he had his time again,adding that it was clear “the process was flawed”.
“What has struck me during this period of time has been the problematic process that occurred,” he said.
Barilaro will give a second day of evidence to the parliamentary inquiry on Friday.
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