John Barilaro withdraws from New York trade role due to ‘media attention’

John Barilaro has stood down from a $500,000-a-year New York trade job to which he was controversially appointed.

A day after the first sitting of an upper house inquiry into the appointment, Barilaro announced late on Thursday that he was withdrawing from the job, saying his position had become untenable after intense media scrutiny.

“I’m withdrawing from the position of STIC [senior trade and investment commissioner] for the Americas,” he said in a statement.

“It is clear that my taking up this role is now not tenable with the amount of media attention this appointment has gained.

“I believe my appointment will continue to be a distraction and not allow this important role to achieve what it was designed to do, and thus my decision.

“I have always maintained that I followed the process and look forward to the results of the review.”

Barilaro’s appointment has created headlines since it was announced a fortnight ago, prompting two separate inquiries into how it occurred.

In a statement following the announcement, Amy Brown, the chief executive of Investment NSW, said Barilaro had “notified me that he is withdrawing from the role of Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas, effective immediately”.

“I request that his privacy be respected at this time,” she said.

“Investment NSW is assisting the Department of Premier and Cabinet and NSW Legislative Council Inquiry in reviews of the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Americas recruitment process, and as such it is not appropriate to make any further comment.”

Chris Minns, the opposition leader, released a statement shortly after saying that “serious concerns” remained about the process behind the appointment.

“It’s telling that the premier didn’t sack John Barilaro, he walked,” Minns said.

“Mr Barilaro should never have been appointed to this job in the first place.

“Serious concerns remain about how he got the job and the parliamentary inquiry will continue to pursue those.”

On Thursday morning, the NSW transport minister, David Elliott, had broken ranks and called for Barilaro to “do the honourable thing” and quit of his own accord.

“My very, very strong view is that he shouldn’t be going to New York and I’m pretty sure that that’s the view of the majority of people in this state,” Elliott said.

Shortly afterwards, Stuart Ayres, who took over as trade minister after Barilaro announced his resignation from parliament in October 2021, told media he “had some concerns” when the former deputy premier contacted him in December to ask about the trade job.

“He contacted me via text message late last year, indicating that he was interested in it,” Ayres said, in his first comments on the saga outside parliament since Barilaro was announced in the job a fortnight ago.

“I made it very clear to him that we were continuing with the existing process [and] I informed him that they would be publicly advertised and he, like any other private citizen, will be able to apply.”

Asked about Elliott’s comments, Ayres, who oversees the department that made the appointment, Investment NSW, gave the clearest signal yet that the saga had become an unwelcome headache for the government.

“That is an option for John Barilaro to consider,” he said. “Unfortunately, I do not have the capacity to direct [Investment NSW CEO] Amy Brown as the employer of this role on what to do.

“She has to come to that conclusion herself, or John can make the decision that he no longer wants to do the job that he’s been selected for.”

At Wednesday’s inquiry hearing, Brown told the inquiry that another candidate – businesswoman and former public servant Jenny West – was offered the role in August, but that the offer was rescinded after she received instructions to make the trade commissioner jobs ministerial appointments.

She was informed of that “government decision” by Barilaro’s office. Only a few days later the former deputy premier announced his resignation and Ayres took over the portfolio.

Ayres then decided to keep the jobs “at arm’s length from politicians” by allowing for them to remain as public service appointments.

The inquiry on Wednesday heard that prior to the “government decision” to make the roles ministerial appointments, Brown had been asked by staff in Barilaro’s office for advice on how that could be done.

She was told during the same meeting that the deputy premier “wanted to know”.

Timeline John Barilaro’s NY appointment Show

4 December 2019

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro announces plans to establish six trade commissioners in cities including Tokyo, New York and London.

18 May 2021

A shortlist of four names is prepared for the New York-based trade job.

6 July 2021

Interviews are conducted with the four candidates, including Jenny West, who is identified as meeting or exceeding all of the job criteria.

16 July 2021

The first of the six positions, based in Tokyo, is announced by Barilaro after being signed off on by cabinet.

4 August 2021

An internal update states that a preferred candidate has been identified for the New York job. The Guardian understands that candidate was West.

6 August 2021

Staff within Investment NSW prepare a brief for then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet, including the selection panel’s final report for the New York job.

23 August 2021

Kylie Bell, the executive director of trade at Investment NSW, asks a colleague to “get started” on the “media release shells” for the New York job.

23 September 2021

An email stating that a draft contract for the New York position is in the “final stage” of being written is sent, but the email has a line struck through it, suggesting West is no longer the preferred candidate.

3 October 2021

Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown tells recruiter NGS Global to stop their search as the New York job would now be handled as an “internal matter”.

4 October 2021

John Barilaro announces that he plans to resign from parliament, citing the toll of public life.

13 October 2021

An internal HR email states a “preferred candidate” has been identified for the New York position.

17 December 2021

The New York position is readvertised in the Australian Financial Review.

31 December 2021

Barilaro finishes as the Member for Monaro

30 April 2022

Deputy Liberal Party leader and trade minister Stuart Ayres informs Perrottet of Barilaro’s selection for the position.

17 June 2022

Barilaro’s selection is publicly announced.

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