Public servant who reported to John Barilaro on job panel for his New York trade role

The chief executive of Investment NSW was on the interview panel that appointed former deputy premier John Barilaro to a plum trade job, only months after he ceased to be her boss.

Mr Barilaro has been appointed the state’s new trade commissioner to the US to be based in New York.

The role comes with a salary package topping $500,000.

But controversy has surrounded the appointment and it has been revealed a previous round of recruitment last year identified two highly rated candidates.

Despite that, the job was readvertised in December and Mr Barilaro was appointed last week.

Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown reported to John Barilaro when he was trade minister. (Supplied: Investment NSW )

In NSW parliament, Trade Minister Stuart Ayres said Mr Barilaro applied for the role as a private citizen and he had not solicited his application.

“Mr Barilaro was shortlisted for interview by [recruitment firm] NGS Global,” he said. 

“The interview panel consisted of the CEO of Investment NSW, the NSW Public Service Commissioner, Investment NSW Managing Director Trade and Investment and an independent external panel member.”

As trade minister, Mr Barilaro had been one of the ministers Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown reported to.

He announced his resignation from politics in October.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Investment NSW said there was no conflict of interest.

“At the completion of the recruitment process including interviews, due diligence, reference and background checks, Mr Barilaro was ranked highest and recommended for the role,” the statement said.

“No conflict of interest precluded the Investment CEO from making this appointment.”

A motion supporting the opposition’s call to delay Mr Barilaro’s appointment until a parliamentary inquiry reports back, was passed in the upper house yesterday.

Labor’s leader in the upper house, Penny Sharpe, said she expects that inquiry will take “weeks, not months” to report back.

The motion is not binding, but has ratcheted up pressure on the government to delay Mr Barilaro’s start in this new job.

During Question Time, Premier Dominic Perrottet said Mr Barilaro’s employment had already been formalised.

“It would not be lawful for me as Premier to intervene in any step of the process,” he said.