Controversial NSW deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres will resign in the wake of the John Barilaro ‘dream job’ saga.
EARLIER
Controversial deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres has insisted he failed to help John Barilaro land a $500,000 job in New York in a lengthy Facebook post.
Mr. Ayres dismissed allegations that he had a hand in appointing Mr. Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for America.
The minister claimed that the only person authorized to make the deal was the CEO of Investment NSW.
Mr Ayres added at a press conference on Monday that he had only sent a copy of the vacancy to Mr Barilaro after it had already been posted to the Australian Financial Review.
Labor accused Mr Ayres of lying after saying he had not met Mr Barilaro during the recruitment process and kept his distance.
Controversial deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres has insisted he failed to help John Barilaro land a $500,000 job in New York in a lengthy Facebook post
“The selections of our Senior Trade and Investment Commissioners (STICs) appointed in India, Japan, Singapore and China have been conducted in accordance with the GSEA,” Mr Ayres wrote on Facebook.
“It was an independent, transparent and creditable selection process and the same process was used for the role of STIC – Americas.
“Not liking Mr. Barilaro or his style of politics is not an appropriate reason to reject his application, let alone not select him for the role.”
Mr Ayres distanced himself from Mr Barilaro and said the pair did not consider each other close friends.
“While I respected Mr Barilaro in his role as Deputy Prime Minister, National Party leader and his passionate (and sometimes exaggerated) advocacy for regional NSW, I don’t think we ever called each other close friends,” he wrote.
‘Actually, I can’t think of once in the 11 years that we were in parliament together that we drank a meal or a beer together outside a work function.’
Mr Ayres doubled down on his comments during a heated press conference on Monday, insisting that he not interfere in the hiring process.
“I was not involved in this recruitment process,” he said.
‘I was not on the selection committee. I wasn’t writing those reports.
“That practice and process is entirely within the purview of the New South Wales Public Service and Investment New South Wales.”
Mr Ayres doubled down on his comments during a heated press conference on Monday, insisting that he did not interfere in the hiring process
Mr Ayres dismissed allegations that he had a hand in appointing Mr Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for America
Mr Ayres made a lengthy Facebook post denying allegations that he helped Mr Barilaro get the job in the New York plum trade
Mr Ayres admitted to having had ‘discussions’ with Amy Brown, the CEO of Investment NSW, but has never had any influence on her decision-making about who should be selected.
“The discussion was about people who were already on the list,” he said.
“It wasn’t a request from me, it was just a discussion that took place in the office about the people who were shortlisted.
“It’s not up to me to decide who gets on that shortlist.”
He insisted that despite mounting pressure, he would not step aside as deputy Liberal leader.
The trade minister made the comments ahead of the publication of documents related to the nomination process on Monday by a parliamentary committee investigating how Mr Barilaro got the plum job.
More emails, reports and Mr Barilaro’s resume will be among the documents to be released before the upper house inquiry resumes Wednesday.
The Labor opposition says the government’s ‘fingerprints’ are all over the controversial nomination.
An email released last week raised more questions about Mr Ayres’ role.
Among the documents submitted was the email sent in February by Amy Brown, CEO of Investment NSW, in which she said she had discussed a shortlist of candidates with Mr Ayres.
She said Mr Ayres had requested that a candidate be added to the selection process. The candidate’s name has not been made public.
An email released last week raised more questions about Mr Ayres .’s role
Another Investment NSW document showed that Mr Ayres and Mr Barilaro met on or before June 16 – the day before it was announced that the former Deputy Prime Minister had secured the role – and Mr Ayres had indicated that he supported the appointment .
Senior official Jenny West has provided evidence for the investigation and said she was told she had the job and then lost her senior job at Investment NSW after the offer was withdrawn.
The $500,000-a-year New York-based trading post was turned into a political appointment and went to Mr Barilaro, who relinquished it last month saying it had become untenable.
When the upper house inquiry hearing resumes Wednesday, Ms. Brown will be recalled.
Mr Barilaro will give his side of the story to the investigation next Monday.