A parliamentary inquiry has found former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro’s appointment to a plum New York trade job had “all the trademarks of a ‘job for the boys’.”

The inquiry, chaired by Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann, was conducted over nearly six months last year, and today has released an interim report.

It found Mr Barilaro’s proposal to convert the state’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner roles to be ministerial appointments were brought about without a reasonable basis.

The report also found former trade minister Stuart Ayres was “not at arm’s length” during the recruitment process which appointed Mr Barilaro.

The interim report includes a dissenting statement from Nationals MLC Wes Fang and Liberals Scott Farlow and Peter Poulous, which says the findings should be rejected. 

“This report is nothing short of a politically motivated hit job in the lead up to an election,” they stated. 

More to come.