“I am here today at the committee’s request,” West said. “I have never spoken publicly about this matter for the sake of my family and their privacy I have been trying to move on from what has been a very disappointing episode in my life.”

West said she started as deputy secretary, trade and international, within Investment NSW in October 2020 and applied for the senior trade and investment commissioner role for the Americas at the encouragement of Brown.

She was advised that she was the successful candidate in August last year but Brown later told her that she had been advised by the government that the positions would be “political appointments, and not public sector appointments” and the recruitment process was halted.

Brown said she was also told that her existing job would be terminated.

“On 18 September 2021, Ms Brown emailed me advising that any contract for me [for the New York post] ... would have to await the outcome of the cabinet decision.

“On 27 September 2021 Ms Brown told me that cabinet had endorsed the request for senior trade commissioner roles to become political appointments.

“In the space of four weeks I went from having been appointed to the role ... to potentially not having a job. I felt so confused by what Ms Brown had told me.”

She said Brown told her in a Teams meeting on October 14 that the trade commissioner role “will be a present for someone”.

“She added, and I again quote, ‘you are an extraordinary performer and I am upset that this has happened.’”

West tells the inquiry that she immediately emailed her lawyers. She said that the expression “present for someone” was an “unusual turn of phrase and I took notes of it”.

READ MORE:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw-politics-live-inquiry-into-john-barilaro-s-us-trade-appointment-hears-from-thwarted-candidate-20220711-p5b0lh.html

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