Stuart Ayres didn’t visit his new trade commissioner because he was worried about being seen by Victorian public servants, the government said.
NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres refused to visit the state’s newly opened London trade office on a trip to the British capital in February because he wanted to keep his trip secret from the Victorian government, according to his department.
Six days later Mr Ayres left for London with the head of his department, Amy Brown, to open discussions with Formula 1 about moving the Melbourne Grand Prix to Mr Ayres’ electorate in Western Sydney. The six-day trip cost $56,140, according to official documents. Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Tourism and Sport and Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Tuesday.“The reason they didn’t go to the office is because the Victoria trade office is in the same building, two or three floors below,” the official said. “They use the same elevator. The purpose of the visit wasn’t known at the time and was sensitive because of Formula 1. It wasn’t anything other than trying to be careful.
The NSW pitch focused more on building a new track rather than the more popularly suggested idea of a Monaco-style grand prix track snaking through inner Sydney and The Rocks.Mr Ayres’ office didn’t respond to a request for comment. Ms Brown, who was promoted to secretary of Mr Ayres’ department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade in January, referred questions to the department. Mr Brandis and Mr Cartwright didn’t respond to requests for comment.
An independent recruiter who co-ordinated the hiring process, NGS Global managing partner Marianne Broadbent, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Complaints were raised with Ms Broadbent, a former chair of management at Melbourne Business School, about the hiring process, the source said, but not about her.
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