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Former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has been charged over the alleged assault of a news cameraman in Sydney.

The tussle which Barilaro has been charged over occurred outside a bar in Manly on July 23 while Barilaro was out with friends.

NSW Police served a Future Court Attendance Notice to Barilaro via his legal representatives for "alleged assault and malicious damage offences" around 2pm today.

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Barilaro is expected to appear in Manly Local Court on October 12.

After the alleged incident Barilaro said that he was a victim of sustained and unjustified media harassment after ongoing attention over his controversial posting to a US trade job.

"To come out in the dark and to have a camera shoved in your face, a microphone in your face," he told Ben Fordham on 2GB last month.

"At that point, you know, I asked him to 'just to walk away, I've got nothing to say.'"

Footage of the incident showed a scuffle between Barilaro and the cameraman while members of the public surrounded the pair.

"All I did was push a camera out of my way, I did not manhandle an individual," Barilaro said.

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The former Monaro MP has been in the spotlight for weeks after he was appointed to a plum government trade role in New York, which came with a $500,000 salary.

He has since withdrawn from the job and a parliamentary inquiry into the appointment process is continuing.

An independent parliamentary report commissioned by the NSW premier has also been handed down and found the appointment process was "flawed" and made numerous recommendations.

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Offending by a woman who forged a doctor’s prescription for sleeping pills was picked up by an eagle-eyed pharmacist who knew something was amiss.And if Theresa Olding hadn’t gone back to the Cambridge Countdown pharmacy to get…

Anthony Albanese has formally established an independent inquiry into Scott Morrison's secret portfolio scandal.

It comes two weeks after it was revealed Morrison had secretly appointed himself into five ministerial roles during the pandemic while prime minister.

The inquiry will be led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, and its report will be provided by November 25 this year.

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"We need to have a quick and appropriate inquiry which is not about the politics but about how this happened, why it happened, who knew about it," Albanese said.

"We need to have transparency in the process because our system of parliamentary democracy relies upon conventions, relies upon the Westminster system of checks and balances."

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the inquiry into Scott Morrison's secret portfolios was "required" and "absolutely made necessary by the solicitor-general's advice".

LIVE UPDATES: John Barilaro charged over alleged assault

"We need to make sure this can never happen again," Dreyfus said.

"(Justice Virginia Bell) will be able to make concrete recommendations to our government so that we make sure that no future government can ever do what Mr Morrison did."

Morrison could be compelled to attend the inquiry into his secret portfolios if necessary.

"I would find it extraordinary if anyone refused to talk to a former High Court judge who is, I think, beyond reproach," Anthony Albanese said.

"I don't think it will require compulsion. 

"But if it was the case that Virginia Bell felt like she was not getting the cooperation that was required, then I'm certain that other measures could be considered."

Albanese said he had not spoken to his predecessor on this matter.

EXPLAINED: The Morrison secret portfolio story

He dismissed the suggestion the inquiry could turn into a "political witch-hunt".

"I do note that a range of former prime ministers have said that they would not have done this action," Albanese said. 

"I note that Peter Dutton seems to have been dismissing the significance of this."

He touted Justice Virginia Bell as "someone far removed from politics".

"The fact that we have such an eminent person undertaking this inquiry, I think, means that it should be welcomed by all who hold our parliamentary system of democracy dear," he said.

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Dreyfus noted three former Liberal prime ministers, John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, all expressed their concern over Morrison's actions.

"The three past Liberal prime ministers of our country have, all of them, condemned this conduct," Dreyfus said.

"I'm very happy that Ms Bell has agreed to undertake this inquiry, and to undertake it expeditiously."

The inquiry's deadline of November 25 will allow the government to take legislative action in the last two sitting weeks of parliament of the year, Dreyfus said.

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