John Barilaro asked if he wanted change to job process

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John Barilaro asked if he wanted change to job process

An inquiry into John Barilaro'sBarilaro's appointment to a plum New York-based trade job has heard that his office has asked if a change to the recruitment process is possible.

Barilaro, the former deputy prime minister who resigned from parliament last year, was announced as the state's trade commissioner to the Americas almost a fortnight ago, with a salary package topping $500,000.

The request, which stalled the recruitment process for several trade positions, was told by Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown during a meeting.

In August of last year, the agency was close to announcing another successful candidate, while advice was sought about converting the appointment process.

Barilaro said he would leave politics a day after the recruitment process was stopped.

The trade roles were not converted to ministerial appointments.

Ms Brown told the inquiry that a member of the then-deputy prime minister's office said that the request to look into transitioning the roles to ministerial appointments was made by a member of the then-deputy prime minister's office.

In any way, did he tell the deputy prime minister that this was a request from Labor MP Courtney Houssos.

Under questioning from Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann about why there had been a preferred candidate referred to in internal emails up until September, Ms Brown said a previous candidate, Jenny West, was made a verbal offer for the role.

The recruitment process included panel interviews, there was a first-ranked candidate that was verbally offered the role, and then I was given a direction by the government to stop the recruitment because of a change in government policy to convert the roles into statutory officers appointed by a minister, she told the inquiry.

It was a decision of the government, and it would have come through the minister for industry and trade, John Barilaro. More to come.