A senior NSW public servant who was appointed to a trade role in New York says she was later dumped from the job and told it would "be a present for someone".
Jenny West, the former deputy secretary of Investment NSW, has given evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into the process that led to former deputy premier John Barilaro being appointed as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas.
Ms West said she felt "so confused" in October when the CEO of Investment NSW, Amy Brown, told her she no longer had the job, just a month after she had been offered the role.
"Miss Brown said that the position - and this is a quote - 'will be a present for someone'," she said on Monday.
When asked how she felt following the comments, she said she was "shocked"
The job was later given to Mr Barilaro in June.
Ms West said she was told she was no longer getting the trade commissioner job and her role with Investment NSW would be terminated.
"(Ms Brown) added, and again I quote, 'You are an extraordinary performer and I am upset that this has happened."
"I went in four weeks from getting ready with my family to go overseas for three years, to being told I wouldn't have a job," Ms West said.
She took notes during the meeting, and emailed her lawyers, concerned she would be sacked without cause.
Ms West, who had worked at Investment NSW for 18 months, was later terminated on November 30.
She worked closely with and reported directly to Ms Brown who encouraged her to apply for the trade position.
Before the offer was rescinded, Ms West said Ms Brown texted her telling her she was the successful candidate on August 12.
"She sent me a text saying, 'congratulations, this is one to frame', and she had an emoji of the Statue of Liberty and a champagne bottle."
Attached to the text was a briefing signed by then premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Ms West was later told in September a submission had been made to convert the roles from a public service appointment to a cabinet appointment, and her role had been put on hold.
Ms West then reached out to her manager, Michael Coutts-Trotter, asking for a 15-minute meeting regarding the situation.
"I did not receive a response from him," she said.
"The next I heard from him was by way of a formal letter terminating my employment one month later on 14th of October 2021."
"I am trying to move on from what has been a very disappointing episode in my life," she said.
Documents made public last week show Ms West's appointment was signed off by Investment Minister Stuart Ayres in August.
Later that month, a request came from Mr Barilaro's office to shift the hiring process away from public servants to ministerial appointments, requiring cabinet approval.
Mr Barilaro announced last month he would withdraw from the role saying it was "not tenable with the amount of media attention this appointment has gained".
"I stress, that I have always maintained that I followed the process and look forward to the results of the review."
Premier Dominic Perrottet has also launched an internal inquiry into the appointment, led by former public service commissioner Graeme Head.
