Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National

NSW Police investigating scuffle between John Barilaro and cameraman in Manly on Saturday

John Barilaro filmed in altercation with cameraman in Manly (Instagram: @Creatures_of_Manly )

Police are investigating a public scuffle involving former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro and a cameraman over the weekend.

Video shows Mr Barilaro in a fight with a cameraman outside a bar in Manly on Saturday night. 

The footage shows dozens of onlookers watching on as Mr Barilaro grabs the man's arm, while he steps back and tries to push him off while holding a large camera on his shoulder. 

A NSW Police spokesperson said inquiries into the incident were ongoing and no further information was available.

Mr Barilaro told Nine radio he was being harassed by a cameraman and reporter while out with friends on Saturday night and was "saddened" by the incident.

"The way I was confronted outside in the dark, outside of a bar … a camera shoved in your face, a microphone in your face … [I] asked him just to walk away … if that was you, how would you have responded?" Mr Barilaro said.

"All I did was push a camera out of my way, I did not manhandle an individual. 

"I have every right to defend myself and protect myself and my friends." 

Mr Barilaro said he was "breaking his silence", adding that he was being treated like a "criminal" amid the ongoing media scrutiny surrounding the inquiry. 

He said he was willing to give evidence to the inquiry and said the Labor Party was "playing games". 

"The way I'm being treated, the way I'm being harassed, intrusion into my life doesn't just affect me … [it] affects more people, family, friends," Mr Barilaro said. 

"Call me to the inquiry because it's you that's causing this intrusion and harassment. Let's do that before this gets even uglier." 

It comes as the NSW parliament is likely to be recalled on Friday after the state government failed to hand over documents regarding Mr Barilaro's plum appointment. 

NSW Labor's Penny Sharpe and Daniel Mookhey have been a major part of the inquiry, asking witnesses questions.  (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)

A parliamentary committee is investigating how the former deputy premier was appointed as Trade Commissioner to the Americas, which he has since withdrawn from.

The controversial appointment came with a $500,000 annual salary package.

The inquiry will not proceed with hearings this week, because the committee said it had not received all the paperwork to put to witnesses.

Labor MLC John Graham has written to the Legislative Council President, asking for the house to be recalled on Friday so it can consider the government's failure to comply with an order to produce the documents. 

Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said Mr Barilaro's job application and CV were yet to be handed over.

"We're having to take the rare step of recalling parliament to help bring an end to the government's obstruction," Mr Mookhey said. 

"Our preference is for the government to obey the law and hand over the documents.

"Without them, the inquiry is stuck having to put together a puzzle without all the pieces."

John Barilaro has since stood down from the New York-based role.  (AAP: Dean Lewins)

Mr Mookhey said the government had had more than seven weeks to provide the documents.

"They were due in the upper house in the first week of July ... and August is approaching and there is no sign of them," he said. 

"For the Premier to now be insisting that they'll be produced is welcome, but his government should've produced these documents well before.

"The sooner the government produces these documents, the more likely it is that the upper house can get to the bottom of this entire affair."

The upper house compelled the state government to hand over secret documents under Standing Order 52 (SO52), which allows the committee to order the production of state papers usually relating to a matter of broad public interest.

Top candidate Jenny West has now been left jobless. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Premier Dominic Perrottet acknowledged there had been delays in carrying out the requests. 

"Some of those have not been met, by the way that's not unusual," Mr Perrottet said. 

"It is not uncommon for slippage to occur right across government.

"There's a whole lot of SO52s that have been issued, my expectation [is that] they should be complied with."

Two of Mr Barilaro's former staff members gave damning evidence to the inquiry last week, including his chief of staff of two years, Mark Connell, who told the investigation his former boss had always wanted the US trade commissioner role.

Mr Connell alleged Mr Barilaro labelled the trade role "the job for when I get the f*** out of this place".

Mr Barilaro has strongly denied the accusation and said the inquiry was "drip-feeding select information", which went against procedural fairness.

Senior political staffer Joseph Brayford said he was instructed to inquire about the commissioner role hiring arrangements and contacted Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown to ask for advice. 

Ms Brown gave the final sign-off on Mr Barilaro's appointment. 

Earlier, former bureaucrat Jenny West told the inquiry she had been verbally offered the New York job before it was rescinded. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.