NSW police investigate altercation between John Barilaro and camera operator on Sydney street

Police in New South Wales are investigating an altercation involving the state’s former deputy premier John Barilaro and a camera operator on the street in Sydney on Saturday night.

In a video posted to social media, Barilaro and the camera operator can be seen grabbing at each other before people stepped between them and Barilaro walked away. The short clip does not show what preceded the physical altercation, nor does it include the original audio.

NSW police on Monday confirmed they were investigating the incident that occurred outside a bar in Manly about 7.30pm on Saturday.

“Inquiries into the incident are ongoing and there is no further information at this stage,” a spokesperson said.

Barilaro appeared on 2GB on Monday morning to speak about the encounter.

“On Saturday night I went out with friends for a few drinks, for a pizza,” he said.

“To come out in the dark and to have a camera shoved in your face, a microphone in your face … I am a private citizen … All I did was push a camera out of my way. I did not manhandle an individual.”

He said he was not sure who the camera operator was working for.

“All I know was that you could see that bright light shining in my bloody face and people have a right to protect themselves,” he added.

Barilaro has been under intense scrutiny since he was appointed to a $500,000-a-year trade commissioner position based in New York City – now the subject of a NSW parliamentary inquiry.

The former deputy premier withdrew from the position last month, stating at the time that the role had become untenable due to media attention. He “maintained that I followed the process and look forward to the results of the review”.

Barilaro told 2GB he wanted the inquiry to call on him to give evidence so he could explain the trade commissioner recruitment process in the public arena, rather than giving interviews to the media.

“I’m available to turn up to an inquiry,” he said. “What occurred on Saturday night isn’t pleasant for me, or the cameraman, I will say that.”

He said the delay in calling him to give evidence was “why these things are happening”.

“This is why cameramen are chasing me down the street like I’m a criminal,” he said. “There are no criminal charges against me. I’ve done nothing wrong. Nothing wrong.”

Those conducting the inquiry have said they will call Barilaro but not until they have seen all the documentation behind his appointment.

Labor has moved to recall the NSW upper house for an urgent sitting this Friday in a bid to force the government to release key documents.

Given the Coalition does not hold a majority in the chamber, the request was expected to succeed.

Guardian Australia first reported in June how the New York trade role had been offered to public servant Jenny West in 2021 before being readvertised and Barilaro appointed to the role.

Last week, Barilaro’s former senior adviser provided an explosive submission to the inquiry, claiming his then-boss told him he would get the California office moved across the country because he wanted the job “when I get the fuck out of this place”.

In a submission, his former chief of staff Mark Connell told the inquiry he had a conversation with Barilaro in April 2019 in which the then deputy premier told him he was “off to New York”.

Barilaro described Connell’s submission as “fictitious” and “false”.