The man in charge of NSW's transport network has defended his appointment to the top job as the government rejects comparisons to a former deputy premier's controversial trade posting.
Former corporate affairs chief Josh Murray was appointed to the role of transport secretary in July, but government documents released on Wednesday revealed recruiters were concerned he lacked the required experience.
But Labor leaders have furiously defended the choice, saying it bears no comparison to ex-deputy premier John Barilaro's contentious and short-lived appointment to a $500,000-a-year trade ambassador role.
It was earlier revealed Mr Murray was shortlisted after the head of Transport Minister Jo Haylen's office requested he be interviewed.
NSW Premier Chris Minns denied the circumstances were similar to those of Mr Barilaro's 2022 appointment, saying former Liberal trade minister Stuart Ayres repeatedly denied playing any role in that recruitment in comparison to his own government's transparency.
"We've made no secret of the fact that the transport minister herself believes he's the right person for the job," he said.
A progress report by corporate headhunting firm NGS Global initially listed Mr Murray, a former Laing O'Rourke executive and chief of staff to Labor premier Morris Iemma, as "under review or not recommended to proceed".
It described his experience as being without the "level of operational complexity required" of a transport secretary and his appointment to the role would bring a "significant risk".
Mr Murray denied reports he was not on the shortlist for the secretary job and was only added at the request of Ms Haylen's chief of staff.
"I was on the shortlist," he told Sydney radio 2GB.
"Then, the independent panel interviewed me and recommendations were made to them who would go forward to meet the minister and then be eventually interviewed by the premier's department."
He did, however, confirm he received an update from Ms Haylen's chief of staff to say the job listing was live before he applied online.
Mr Murray said he had his own concerns about how recruiters managed the hiring process, saying they got his name wrong and appeared to believe he was applying for a different role.
"I was concerned that I was in that process, because I knew that if I was successful down the track we'd be having a conversation like this one," he said.
Mr Murray said he had spent the past 15 years working in infrastructure delivery in Australia and overseas, making him suitable for the role.
Ms Haylen has also stood by the recruitment process, calling any comparisons to Mr Barilaro's appointment "completely absurd".
"You are trying to compare the appointment of John Barilaro to a position that he created for himself (and) then subsequently undermined the cabinet process to appoint himself after someone else was appointed," she said earlier this week.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward said Mr Murray was "dangerously underqualified" for the role.
She will call for a parliamentary inquiry to probe whether there was any improper intervention in the selection process.
