John Barilaro was not the best candidate for New York trade job: inquiry

A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry has heard the former Deputy Premier was not the best candidate for the lucrative trade posting in New York for which he was selected soon after quitting politics.

It’s the seventh hearing of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro to a prominent US trade commissioner role with a hefty paycheck of $500,000 a year.

Since it began in June, the inquiry has expanded its examination to include all the senior trade and investment commissioner roles after concerns were raised about London agent-general Stephen Cartwright’s appointment.

On Thursday, the inquiry heard from Dr Marianne Broadbent, the lead search consultant employed by the NSW Government, and Warwick Smith, who sat as an independent on the selection panels for the roles.

Regarding the selection of Mr Barilaro to the plum New York post, both speakers agreed the former Deputy Premier was not the best candidate for the job.

Dr Broadbent told the inquiry the other candidate for the New York role, Kimberley Cole, had been considered a stronger candidate than John Barilaro due to her international experience.

When she submitted a report to that effect, she was asked to amend it by Investment NSW boss Amy Brown to show Mr Barilaro as the front runner.

“(She asked) could I please change the (ranking) order to reflect that and also ensure that I include comments that Mr Barilaro had strong references,” Dr Broadbent said.

“It was one of the rare occasions when I was later advised that (the report) didn’t necessarily reflect the conclusion the panel reached.”

The inquiry heard the panel selected Mr Barilaro after reviewing his high-profile preferences, who included former Liberal NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and former Liberal MP and ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos.

Mr Smith said he didn’t agree with the report’s claim that references were the deciding factor for the panel’s decision.

“They’re good referees, but I wouldn’t say they were the tipping point,” he said.

“It’s kind of a performance on the day on the panel.”

He noted he had not been shown any selection panel reports for the two and half months between interviewing Mr Barilaro and being asked to endorse his selection via email.

Mr Smith told the inquiry he felt “bypassed” and disrespected during the selection process, especially when he learned that the former deputy premier had signed the contract a week before Mr Smith gave his approval.

“Having been through all the other processes … to get a note one day saying ‘please sign here’ – some two months after you’d had the interview anyway – seems to me to be used or being taken for granted,” he said.

Overall, Mr Smith maintained the role should have been offered to one of the other frontrunners.

“(Mr Barilaro) interviewed well; he could have done okay, but there were others that have a deeper international experience and offshore experience,” he said.

“There was some element of surprise to have the self-described Crocodile Dundee of Queanbeyan want to go to New York.”

The inquiry also heard about Mr Barilaro’s involvement in the controversial negotiations in establishing Stephen Cartwright as the Agent-General in London.

Dr Broadbent confirmed Mr Cartwright had not initially applied for the lucrative role when it opened. Discussions with the preferred candidate, Paul Webster, had reached the stage of salary negotiations when Mr Cartwright was raised as a potential candidate in mid-February 2021.

Former secretary of NSW Treasury Michael Pratt asked Dr Broadbent’s recruitment firm, NGS, to interview Mr Cartwright for the role.

“It has been suggested to him that he might consider the role, by the then-deputy premier,” Dr Broadbent said.

“He was interested in making a contribution to NSW and he decided that this role was something he was very interested in.”

Mr Cartwright emerged as the frontrunner for the position, and engaged in protracted salary negotiations with Dr Broadbent and Investment NSW.

The inquiry heard Mr Cartwright had been assured by former Trade Minister John Barilaro and former NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet that his base salary would be augmented by generous allowances.

Although Mr Cartwright had suggested a salary in the ballpark of $800,000, Dr Broadbent told the inquiry the remuneration put forth for approval was $600,000 per year with a three-bedroom house, significant contributions to school fees for his children and a travel allowance.

The top tier recruiter said she received “a number of emails” about salary expectations from Mr Cartwright, who said he was fielding other offers.

When asked about the future of the trade commissioner roles, Mr Smith concluded they were “really important”.

“The state that lags, that doesn‘t have a presence, doesn’t take it seriously, will get the result you expect to see,” he said.