Investment NSW,which has been at the centre of the trade saga,has since been abolished as a standalone agency and collapsed into the Department of Enterprise,Investment and Trade.

TheHerald revealed previously that Cartwright sent a frank text message to then-trade minister Stuart Ayres in March to dispute his package due to the cost of living in London,lamenting that school fees were “twice that of Knox[Grammar School]” which his children attend.

“All other AGs and Fed Govt execs have rent,car and school fees covered by their govt,” he wrote on March 23 before listing entitlements for comparable representatives from other Australian states.

Grilled on the text message on Thursday,recently appointed Trade Minister Alister Henskens said it was not appropriate for him to comment because he was not the minister at the time of the negotiations.

Opposition treasury spokesman Daniel Mookhey asked Henskens to justify the tax bill the state was shouldering on Cartwright’s behalf,given it was “more than the salary of a fifth-year nurse”.

Henskens said he needed to seek full advice on the matter before he gave an opinion.

Cartwright is the only overseas trade commissioner who has his rent paid instead of a cost-of-living allowance.

The minister is also awaiting the findings of a second review into expenses incurred by the agent-general,totalling $85,000 between February and June this year.

Henskens took on the trade portfolio after Ayres was forced to resign over his role in the appointment of Barilaro. Ayres has denied any wrongdoing in the process,while Barilaro withdrew from the job.

The controversy sparked two separate inquiries. One remains ongoing while the other,by former public service commissioner Graeme Head,questioned the integrity of the recruitment process and raised concerns about possible failures of ethical conduct.

Henskens said no attempt had been made to fill the US trade post vacated by Barilaro,given the fallout over the appointment.

“I would suggest that the publicity has been unhelpful with regard to filling that position,” Henskens said,adding that he would take advice about the appropriate time to start recruiting.

Barilaro and Cartwright could be among witnesses to front the ongoing parliamentary inquiry probing the trade posts when it resumes for another two hearings this month. If requested,Cartwright would probably appear via video link from London.

Hundreds of pages of government correspondence about Cartwright’s appointment will also be made public after an independent arbiter ruled against the government’s claims of privilege.

Mookhey said the decision was a win for the public.

“The people of NSW have the right to see these documents. We are paying a small fortune to the UK Agent-General. We should at least see how his salary package was negotiated.”

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