NSW business chamber head appointed to UK trade role thanked John Barilaro for his ‘accessibility’

Stephen Cartwright thanked John Barilaro for his "accessibility" and asked the then New South Wales deputy premier to let him know if his "knowledge, skills and experience can be of benefit to the Government in the future", in a letter he wrote to advise he was standing down as the head of the state's business chamber.

Cartwright was later appointed to a senior trade commissioner job in London, a role which has come under intense scrutiny after an inquiry heard he had applied "late" after Barilaro personally suggested he put his name forward.

The head of the state's business chamber for more than a decade, Cartwright wrote to Barilaro, then the NSW deputy premier and trade minister, in July 2020, and "personally" thanked him for his support.

"I would take this opportunity to personally thank you for your enthusiastic and constant support of the chamber, as demonstrated by your accessibility and your regular attendance at our numerous functions," Cartwright wrote in the letter.

"I believe that you and I share a deep passion for supporting small businesses, especially in regional areas, and I wish you every success as you continue to lead our state through its current and future challenges."

Writing that he had "thoroughly enjoyed" his time working on two state government boards, Cartwright encouraged Barilaro to contact him about other opportunities.

"[I]f there is ever any way that my knowledge, skills and experience can be of benefit to the government in the future then please do not hesitate to ask," he wrote.

The letter, which was obtained through a parliamentary order, sheds further light on the relationship between Cartwright and Barilaro prior to his application for the role.

Cartwright was appointed as the state's senior trade commissioner to London in July the next year after officially departing the chamber in August 2020.

But the parliamentary inquiry has heard his application was only considered after contract negotiations with another preferred candidate had begun.

Last week the head of the recruitment firm managing the hiring, Dr Marianne Broadbent, told the inquiry a selection panel for the job had already settled on Paul Webster when she was instructed by the former Treasury secretary Mike Pratt to "keep things open" so Cartwright could apply.

That occurred in about February 2021, Broadbent said, roughly seven months after the letter was sent to Barilaro.

Broadbent then met Cartwright for a screening interview where, she said, he told her it "had been suggested to him" by Barilaro that he should apply.

On 30 March, Cartwright was interviewed for the position by the panel and replaced Webster as the preferred candidate.

Guardian Australia has previously revealed Cartwright approved negative television ads that targeted a Labor business tax policy at the last state election in his previous job as the chamber head.

In his letter to Barilaro in July 2020, he was similarly critical of the former NSW Labor government while lauding the Coalition.

"When I took up the role in July 2009, [Labor's] Nathan Rees was the premier, and NSW was unchallenged as the worst performing state/territory in the Commonwealth when it came to every important economic measure," he wrote.

"In my first series of meetings with premier Rees it became clear that the NSW government, at that time, had little interest in hearing from the Chamber about the needs of business, and sadly this attitude continued during the administration of premier [Kristina] Keneally."

He said he formed a view "that this had to change", and launched two campaigns called "NSW Deserves Better" and "The 10 Big Ideas to Grow NSW" in 2010 and 2011 prior to the election that saw the Coalition sweep to power.

"After the landslide win by the Coalition in March 2011, I am pleased to say that the O'Farrell government quickly implemented six of our 10 Big Ideas," he wrote.

"I will always feel that I was privileged to have led the chamber in NSW during such an important and successful phase of our state's history."

The inquiry has previously heard Cartwright had "eye-watering" salary expectations of about $800,000 a year, and threatened to "go to" Barilaro and premier Dominic Perrottet during the protracted pay negotiations with Investment NSW's Amy Brown.

Last week Broadbent revealed Cartwright had written to her during salary negotiations to say that Barilaro told him he had "reached an agreement" with then treasurer Dominic Perrottet to supplement the role's salary with living expenses.

"Apart from improving the base salary package [he mentioned low 5s] he indicated [privately of course] that he and the treasurer had reached an agreement that the cost of suitable family accommodation [including cleaning etc] in an inner suburb of London could be taken care of by the NSW govt outside of the salary package," Cartwright wrote at the time.

Cartwright has previously directed questions about his hiring to the London role to Investment NSW. He has described the chamber as "a highly democratic and fiercely apolitical business organisation" and said he has "never been a member of or affiliated with any political party".

"I finished my 11 years of service with the chamber in September 2020 and then enjoyed a six month break before commencing my search for a new leadership role," he previously told the Guardian.

Cartwright has been contacted for comment.