The fifth day of hearings into the appointment of John Barilaro to a plum US trade role will hear from his former chief of staff,Investment NSW managing director and the public service commissioner.
A senior bureaucrat was sent the selection panel report for Jenny West to share with Stuart Ayres just before he sent John Barilaro the job advertisement.
It gives me no pleasure at all to see a government in turmoil,even one that I didn’t vote for.
David Elliott and Matt Kean are emerging as the frontrunners to replace Stuart Ayres following the resignation of the NSW deputy Liberal leader.
The dumping of a minister should bring an end to a scandal paralysing a government,but Stuart Ayres’ departure is only the tip of the iceberg for the besieged Coalition.
It’s been a rough few months for Stuart Ayres and Marise Payne,once the NSW Liberals’ great power couple.
The jobs scandal paralysing the NSW government is widening beyond the John Barilaro appointment,with the newly revived agent-general role in London under the spotlight after the rolling crisis claims the scalp of senior minister Stuart Ayres.
Investment NSW boss Amy Brown on Wednesday said she was “nervous” when the former deputy premier emerged as the successful candidate,and took steps to inform Premier Dominic Perrottet.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Investment NSW boss Amy Brown say the New York trade role recruitment process that appointed John Barilaro was not at “arm’s length” from Stuart Ayres,who has now resigned as minister and deputy Liberal leader.
Investment NSW boss Amy Brown told an inquiry she was “nervous” about the government appointing John Barilaro to the US trade role,“because he had some history with the NSW government that may make it difficult for him to take up the role,without media and public controversy.”
NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres has resigned from cabinet and his role as deputy Liberal leader.