Look who’s back! Gladys Berejiklian fights to save embattled Liberal MP

Penrith MP Stuart Ayres has done what Premier Dominic Perrottet couldn’t, convince the state’s former leader to show public support in the lead up to the election.

The big guns have been brought in just over a week out of the state election with former Premier Gladys Berejiklian posing with Penrith MP Stuart Ayres and his former Federal Minister partner Marise Payne.

The trio met for dinner which Ayres documented on social media — no doubt hoping the popular former Premier’s appearance could help him stretch out his minuscule 0.6 per cent margin in the key western Sydney seat.

Berejiklian has largely remained out of the public eye since quitting at the height of her popularity over an ICAC investigation into her and her former partner Daryl Maguire.

She has since taken on a high-flying role in Optus which has effectively gagged the former pollie from political interventions.

Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian posing with Penrith MP Stuart Ayres and his former Federal Minister partner Marise Payne after dinner.

Berejiklian was notably absent from Dominic Perrottet’s official Liberal campaign launch last week but it seems her former cabinet colleague Ayres has managed to do what the Premier couldn’t — get a public reference from their ex boss.

Perrottert rejected that he had been snubbed but said he would love to see Berejiklian campaigning for the party every day.

“It’s great to have Glad as part of the campaign and you know, as I said yesterday, she was a great Premier of NSW and to see her campaigning in Penrith I know will make a real difference,” he said.

“Stuart is a fighter for Western Sydney. He’s been a great advocate for the people in the community...Gladys knows that it’s only the Liberals who have the long term economic plan to keep NSW moving forward and that is why she’s out in Penrith prosecuting the case for Stuart to be re-elected.”

The Premier said his predecessor “wants the Liberals to be re-elected”.

“If Gladys came to Epping that would say something...She’s been a strong support of mine,” he said.

“I know that having Glad on the campaign trail across NSW, particularly in Western Sydney, will make a real difference.

“If I could have Glad out every day that would be great but she’s obviously very busy.”