Amy Brown was of the central figures in the John Barilaro appointment saga, as the former CEO of Investment NSW, the government body responsible for hiring senior trade investment commissioners.
Now, she is set to leave the public sector altogether, with the secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Michael Coutts-Trotter, issuing a statement this morning declaring that: “It’s a privilege to hold a role as a senior leader in the NSW public service. With this, rightly, comes a high degree of accountability.”
He thanked Brown for her service, and said that the conclusions in the review of Barilaro’s appointment meant that she could no longer hold office.
Former senior bureaucrat Jenny West was initially appointed to the plum New York Commissioner post, but the offer was rescinded when she was told it would instead be a “present for someone”.
Barilaro was consequently awarded the role, which later led to a scandal engulfing the NSW Perrottet Government for months, with former trade minister Stuart Ayres resigning over the matter. Barilaro later claimed he was the “victim” in the saga” and told the parliamentary inquiry that he would have “walked away from the shit show”.
Brown shared on a LinkedIn post prior to the statement from Coutts-Trotter that she will be pursuing roles in the private sector.
She also conceded in the post that, “leadership can, at times, be difficult.”
“Courageous leadership is not always comfortable. But it is a necessary part of how the public service performs its professional role in support of responsible government,” she wrote.
She said that on joining the public sector in 2013, her goal was to partner with the private sector in a way that could drive innovation and create value for taxpayers.
While it’s noted in the report that Brown did have regrets about the process, she said any breach of the code was unintentional. The report found that Brown had discussed Barilaro’s suitability for the role with the then NSW trade minister, Stuart Ayres.
Elizabeth Midwater, who is currently the CEO of the Greater Cities Commission, is expected to take on the role in an acting capacity.
The New York posting remains open.