Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet will return to Sydney on Saturday with desperate colleagues who are watching the government slowly disintegrate. There are no positive stories from his first trade mission as Prime Minister, but there are genuine fears that the Coalition is in freefall and nothing is being done to stop it.
The John Barilaro US trade appointment fiasco has now dragged on for a ridiculous amount of time and is only gaining momentum. A clearly frustrated Perrottet continues to point to the independent review he commissioned, which he hopes will end the sorry saga. This is unlikely.
Trade Minister Stuart Ayres and Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet in Mumbai on Thursday. Credit: AAP
Perrottet had initially hoped to receive the review, led by former Public Service Commissioner Graeme Head, while he was abroad. However, this did not happen. The longer it takes to deliver to the Prime Minister, the more damage will be done.
Meanwhile, his embattled trade minister Stuart Ayres joined him in India on the last leg of the mission, and it only served to draw more attention to the fiasco. Document after document about the recruitment process is being handed over to the upper house, worsening the situation for Perrottet, and more for Ayres.
Ayres has repeated time and time again that the appointment of the trade commissioners, including Barilaro, was done completely at a distance from the government. However, documents have emerged that cast serious doubt on this. Ayres appears reluctant to explain, for example, why he suggested to Investment NSW boss Amy Brown that she add certain names to shortlists.
And the upper house inquiry into Barilaro’s appointment, which Perrottet and Ayres have tried to discredit as nothing more than a political hit job, will continue, with Brown called back to testify on August 3.
The investigation will continue to add fuel to the fire, although the truly spectacular evidence could come from Barilaro himself, who has been invited to appear for two days on August 8 and 12.
Barilaro, who stepped down from the job once it became clear his position was untenable, is unlikely to be in the mood to protect his former colleagues, ensuring the fiasco drags on.