Two former NSW MPs were given "last-minute" interviews for overseas trade commissioner roles despite there already being preferred candidates, according to an email from inside Investment NSW.
On August 14, 2021, Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown said she had been "asked" to include the two candidates in interviews for the India and Singapore-based roles.
The email, sent to Ms Brown's assistant and the recruiter, shows the candidates were included despite the recruitment process already being well underway.
"We've been asked to interview two last-minute candidates for the Senior Trade and Investment commissioner roles … Jodi McKay — India/Middle East (and) Pru Goward — India/Middle East or Singapore," she wrote.
The release of the email is likely to place more pressure on NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet over whether there was political interference in the recruitment of other trade commissioner roles, after sustained scrutiny over a similar job based in New York which was given to former deputy premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro.
The Premier has launched an independent inquiry into the New-York-based role, which is expected to be finished within days.
On Monday Mr Barilaro appeared before a parliamentary inquiry, where he is expected to be questioned about his involvement in the recruitment of trade commissioners, and his appointment to the New York position.
He has since withdrawn from the role, and much of the focus has turned to how involved he and another minister, Stuart Ayres, were in the hiring process.
Last week, Mr Ayres stood down as trade minister and deputy leader of the NSW Liberal party, after a draft review raised concerns about his involvement in the recruitment process for the Americas role and whether he might have breached the ministerial code of conduct.
Mr Ayres denies any wrongdoing.
"However, I agree it is important that this matter is investigated appropriately and support the Premier's decision to do so," he said in a statement.
Mr Barilaro has maintained he always followed the proper process.
The email from August last year — seen by the ABC — shows how Investment NSW sought to hastily accommodate the last-minute interviews.
"It's important we do this ASAP as there are already preferred candidates waiting for confirmation as to whether they have the role," Ms Brown wrote.
Ms McKay is a former NSW Labor leader, while Ms Goward is a former NSW Liberal minister and sex discrimination commissioner.
The ABC understands Mr Barilaro approached Ms McKay about the India trade role.
Both women were interviewed but neither was appointed.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on behalf of either Ms McKay or Ms Goward.
"My interest in the role was very well known and supported by the Indian Australian community," Ms McKay told the ABC.
"I went through the interview process, I wasn't told where the process was up to, I was obviously unsuccessful."
Ms Goward, whose husband died over the weekend, declined to comment.
During Monday's inquiry, Ms Brown was questioned about the email, and she said Mr Barilaro had called to see if he could refer the positions on to Ms Goward and Ms McKay.
"I think by using that language I was essentially saying each of those candidates had requested they be included in interviews," she said.
"The deputy premier [John Barilaro] gave me a call ... and said, 'Am I able to refer the STIC opportunities on to people?' And I said, 'Of course' ... and he said, 'Fantastic, there are two people who are going to give you a call just to see how to apply,' and he texted me their numbers.
"I called each of them and let them know the process."
Ms Brown said it was the only time Mr Barilaro called her about prospective candidates, adding there was no pressure to interview them nor to review the decision not to hire them.
"I was very clear, at this point, again, that these were Government Sector Employment Act roles so I knew I didn't have to interview them," she said.
"But I definitely thought both of these individuals would be really interesting people to interview and they would have something to say about the opportunities so I was keen to include them on the list.
"We'd actually already had approximately half a day of interviews for the ASEAN and India-Middle East role the month prior so it's fair to say they had come in late — they were a late consideration."
Ms Brown agreed it was not unusual to receive late applications, and said it was "perfectly reasonable" for Mr Barilaro to refer candidates to her.
The ABC sent detailed questions to the Premier and Investment NSW about who asked for Ms McKay and Ms Goward to be interviewed at such a late stage. The Premier's office deferred the questions to Investment NSW.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the agency said details about candidates applying for public service roles were private and confidential.
A nearly identical email was included in a large tranche of documents released through the NSW parliament late last year.
However, in that version neither woman's name is listed.
The ABC has seen the version which includes both names.
"In order to ensure the names of potential candidates were kept confidential outside of the recruitment process, Ms Brown's executive assistant removed candidate names from her email to a third party while trying to organise interview panel members," an Investment NSW spokesperson said.
"A full candidate information pack was provided to panel members ahead of each interview."
Penny Sharpe, Labor's leader in the upper house, who has been involved in the parliamentary inquiry into Mr Barilaro's appointment, said they would seek to investigate beyond the New York role.
"Serious concerns about the appointment of other trade commissioners have been raised," she said.
"This is why will be seeking to widen the terms of reference to the inquiry."
In response to questions about whether the independent inquiry commissioned by the Premier had looked at who asked for Ms McKay and Ms Goward to be interviewed, a spokesperson from the Department of Premier and Cabinet said the terms of reference were focused on the New York position.
