Stuart Ayres, formerly the trade minister of New South Wales (NSW), was cleared of concerns that he breached the ministerial code of conduct.
An independent review by barrister Bruce McClintock was conducted after concerns were raised that Ayres had overstepped his role in the appointment of former NSW Deputy Premier to a high-paying U.S. trade role.
“I do not consider that Mr Ayres breached the ministerial code of conduct,” McClintock said in his report (pdf).
According to the findings, McClintock said it appeared that Ayres did not attempt to influence the outcome of the recruitment process, the process was not conducted at “arm’s length,” and there was no basis for a conflict of interest….