Jenny West, a former senior NSW bureaucrat at authorities company Funding NSW, mentioned she obtained a congratulatory textual content from Funding NSW chief govt Amy Brown in August final 12 months, advising that she could be appointed the state’s senior commerce and funding commissioner to the Americas.
The provide was later withdrawn and the function was given this 12 months to former deputy premier John Barilaro. He mentioned on June 30 that he wouldn’t take up the submit however maintained he had adopted the correct appointment course of.
Jenny West offers proof on Monday.Credit score:Nick Moir
West mentioned Brown “actively inspired” her to use for the function and texted her on August 12 final 12 months to verify she could be appointed to the submit. A briefing be aware, signed by then-premier Gladys Berejiklian and in addition dated August 12, was hooked up to the textual content and famous her appointment to the function.
She mentioned the textual content learn “congratulations, that is one to border” with emojis of the Statue of Liberty and a champagne bottle.
“I phoned my household to allow them to know the information,” West mentioned. “By the thirteenth of the eighth I had the contract phrases finalised, so someday later.”
West mentioned Brown advised her in September that the function was set to be transformed to a political appointment quite than a public service appointment, and the recruitment course of was halted. West’s current function at Funding NSW was additionally terminated with out trigger.
Requested if she believed she was handled pretty, West mentioned she was “shocked with how the method had been executed”.
“I believed the method was uncommon as a result of it was a correct public sector course of. I went for a job; I utilized for it; I acquired provided the function; after which to have that function withdrawn after which to be advised that it was going to be a political appointment, not a public sector appointment, I couldn’t get my head round how a course of could possibly be stopped halfway, after which to be advised that I’d misplaced my current job, so I, to be trustworthy, I couldn’t get my head round that.”
The recruitment course of for the New York commerce submit restarted this 12 months however West mentioned she believed she couldn’t reapply for it as a result of she had been made redundant from Funding NSW in current months.
“I might have reapplied for the function however I couldn’t, and the explanation that I couldn’t … is that individuals could not know that in case you’ve really been made redundant you may’t reapply for a task within the public service for 9 months,” West mentioned.
“I didn’t imagine that I might be capable to reapply for the function as a result of it was [set to become] a political appointment and never a public sector appointment.”
She agreed {that a} job similar to her earlier function at Funding NSW was marketed just lately by the state authorities, however it was at a decrease degree.
When she discovered the commerce function had been given to Barilaro, she assumed it was a political appointment.
“I did settle for that they might be political appointments,” West mentioned.
Brown has mentioned the appointment of Barilaro was made by her in accordance with the Authorities Sector Employment Act, and was a public sector appointment quite than a political one.
