John Barilaro’s NY trade appointment showed signs of a ‘job for the boys’, NSW inquiry finds

The appointment of John Barilaro to a New York trade job followed a process that involved a ‘pattern of ministerial interference and lack of transparency’, an inquiry has found. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

The appointment of the former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro to a New York trade role followed a “flawed” process that showed “all the trademarks of a ‘job for the boys’ position”, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

An interim report published on Monday also found the former trade minister Stuart Ayres, who quit cabinet during the saga, “showed poor judgment and was inappropriate” in his dealings with Barilaro in the lead-up to the appointment.