Briefings to the industry and trade minister have failed to justify the value of the roles, galvanising Labor’s decision to axe the posts.
The state’s global trade network attracted more than $1 billion to NSW in the past year, but the new government has been unable to quantify what impact, if any, a clutch of highly paid overseas trade commissioners had on the windfall.
Chanthivong said attracting investment to NSW was critical in generating jobs and export opportunities, but said the former government lost sight of the network’s purpose. The former government’s Global NSW strategy came under fierce scrutiny following the appointment last year of Barilaro as a $500,000-a-year trade commissioner in New York.Barilaro secured the position despite senior public servant Jenny West having already been offered the job. That offer was rescinded before Barilaro applied, months after his resignation from politics. He has consistently rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.
In its final report, the inquiry found recruitment for the roles lacked integrity and transparency, while ministers had an inappropriate influence over both.The state currently has four trade and investment commissioners serving in posts around the world – in the UK, North Asia, South-East Asia and China. Dedicated roles for the Americas, and India and Middle East remain vacant and will not be filled. All four will see out the remainder of their contracts with the last to end in April 2025.
The parliament last year heard NSW had spent almost $13 million on six overseas trade offices, including the New York posting to which Barilaro was initially appointed.
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