Perrottet received briefing note on successful STIC candidate

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NSW premier Dominic Perrottet received a briefing note informing him former public servant Jenny West was the successful candidate for the senior trade and investment commissioners (STIC) to the Americas role, contrary to what he had said in parliament. 

“Note the selection of Ms Jenny West as the successful candidate for the STIC – Americas role,” a briefing note said in August 2021 to the then-treasurer Perrottet, according to the ABC.

However, during Question Time on Wednesday June 22, as previously reported in The Mandarin, Perrottet had said he was not told a suitable candidate had been found.

“Here are the facts: the first recruitment process did not identify a suitable candidate. As such, a second recruitment process was undertaken. That process was independent and led by a third-party recruiter,” the premier said at the time. 

West, who was at the time deputy secretary at Investment NSW, was informed by Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown she would no longer be getting the role, despite being verbally told she had the job. West was also made redundant from her role at Investment NSW.

Chris Carr, NSW Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade (DEIT) general counsel, previously told the upper house inquiry into Barilaro’s appointment West was never ‘fully offered’ the job, as the contract had yet to be signed due to US tax implications being looked into. 

Briefing notes were also sent to trade minister Stuart Ayres and Barilaro himself, with Ayres the only one of the three having signed the briefing note. 

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns was previously calling for the NSW parliament to reconvene over documents not being released.

Barilaro, who has since withdrawn from the role citing media scrutiny, has criticised the leaking of information to the press as going against “procedural fairness”. 

There are currently two separate inquiries into Barilaro’s appointment: the aforementioned upper house inquiry, alongside another one ordered by Perrottet himself and headed by former NSW public service commissioner Graeme Head. 

A transcript of West’s testimony to the upper house inquiry has been sent to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption as well. 

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STIC Americas role would be a ‘present’, said Investment NSW CEO