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John Barilaro, the former deputy premier of NSW, finally lost his cool on Monday afternoon after sustained blows from Labor at the inquiry into his appointment to a plum $500,000 New York job.
A senior public servant was initially promised the elite trade job in New York before it was given to Mr Barilaro.
The former NSW deputy premier was due to start the role in June but stepped down after intense media scrutiny revealed a number of questions about the job, with an inquiry into the appointment kicking off at the end of June.
Facing pointed questions from the opposition at the inquiry for most of Monday, Mr Barilaro did his best to weather the punches and keep his composure as he was asked about his references for the job, how he scored the lucrative role and who was involved in him winning the position.
But the opposition finally wore Mr Barilaro down by the afternoon, leading him to blast the questioners and describe himself as ‘the victim’.
There were angry raised voices on both sides over the timing of his resignation from politics and when a submission to change the appointment process for the role were addressed by the Liberal-National cabinet.
An outraged Mr Barilaro said it was ‘disgusting’ to suggest he sought to change the process so he could apply and get the role he called a ‘s**t show’ – which he resigned from before ever taking up due to the scandal it caused in the last two months.
‘I will absolutely refute that disgusting slur and accusation (that he changed the process to favour himself),’ he said.
Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro gives evidence during the inquiry into his appointment as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, August 8, 2022
He was then asked by Labor, ‘Which part of it is disgusting?’
He replied: ‘You’re making me out to be corrupt’, later adding that he was ‘the victim… not the perpetrator’.
Mr Barilaro was also rattled by questions on his relationship with Jennifer Lugsdin, who he made inquiries for about a job she was interested in and subsequently got.
Ms Lugsdin was his media adviser at the time he made the phone call on her behalf to Investment NSW head Amy Brown.
Mr Barilaro said he could not remember when that conversation with Ms Brown took place, but that he was not in a relationship with Ms Lugsdin at the time.
‘I was not in a relationship with her while I was deputy premier or trade minister,’ he said.
Ms Brown later gave evidence that Investment NSW asked Ms Lugsdin to make a conflict of interest declaration in December 2021, after media reports about her relationship with Mr Barilaro.
‘But we don’t actually have records of that happening. Most likely because we finished up her employment with us on the 22nd of December, which was only a number of days after,’ she said.
Labor MP Penny Sharpe said the opposition would introduce evidence when Mr Barilaro returns on Friday that shows Ms Lugsdin was involved in media releases advertising the New York trade role.
‘We’re flagging that we will be spending more time on this… which is how (Mr Barilaro) came to know about the job,’ she said.
Johnn Barilaro was rattled by questions on his relationship with Jennifer Lugsdin (pictured), who he made inquiries for over a job she was interested in and subsequently got
‘Someone you are in relationship with… clearly was aware about the various processes associated with the advertising and the nature of this position.’
The inquiry chair, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann asked Mr Barilaro if he could ‘see why the public is suspicious about this whole process?’
‘I absolutely understand. That is why I’m here today, voluntarily, to explain the process,’ he said, sitting in front of a sign saying ‘Engage, examine, inform.’.
‘It was a public service, independent process. Just because you’re a former member of parliament doesn’t exclude you.’
Mr Barilaro added that ‘I’m the victim, I’m not the perpetrator.
‘What did I do wrong? I got offered a job, I accepted the job… I can’t tell you what occurred behind closed doors because I wasn’t involved in it.’
Amy Brown (pictured) was a witness at the inquiry into John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum $500,000 job in New York
Before the inquiry broke for lunch, Mr Barilaro was resolute that he would not name the third referee on his application for the New York job, despite it already having emerged that his other two referees were senior public servant Gary Barnes and Australia’s US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos.
But after contacting the referee – former NSW premier Mr O’Farrell – during the break, he was able to reveal his name when the inquiry resumed.
Mr Barilaro said Mr O’Farrell ‘was one of the reasons I got into politics. He inspired, he’s been a dear friend,’ he said.
‘I’ve been lucky enough in my life journey to have met some wonderful people.
‘Mr O’Farrell knew, and knows, my ability and capabilities. He’s been a supporter and a friend, and I asked him.’
With the pressure on him beginning to show, Mr Barilaro said ‘If I knew what I know now I wish I had never had applied (for the New York job).
Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro is pictured giving evidence during the inquiry into his appointment as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Monday, August 8, 2022
‘If I knew what I knew now I wouldn’t have walked into that s**t show.’
He said this was because ‘the trauma I have experienced in the past six to seven weeks is significant’.
While there it is understandable that Mr Barilaro views recent events as ‘traumatic’, it was less so when he said that in applying for the job, he ‘had no other information that every other candidate wouldn’t have had’.
‘I refute that I somehow used information not available to anyone else,’ he said.
Sparks will surely fly on Friday when Mr Barilaro returns to the inquiry, with Labor indicating they have a lot more tricky questions to come.
Monday’s events may just turn out to have been the calm before the storm.