Gladys Berejiklian: The political power player who’s not afraid of spiders

GLADYS Berejiklian is not just a political power player about to take NSW’s top job — she’s also a caring sister who once took a half-hour break from parliament to remove a dead spider from her sibling’s sink.

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GLADYS Berejiklian is not just a political power player about to take NSW’s top job — she’s also a caring sister who once took a half-hour break from parliament to remove a dead spider from her sibling’s sink.

Sisters Gladys and MaryBerejiklian.

Gladys Berejiklian and her new deputy Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mary Berejiklian yesterday recalled that particular experience as she described the state’s next premier as a woman with a “sweet heart” who “hasn’t changed at all” in her time in public life; “a quiet achiever and a thinker”.

“I absolutely hate spiders and I once had a dead spider in my sink and I called my sister Rita to take it out,” Mary said.

“Rita came over with big yellow gloves on and tools to get rid of it but was too scared like me. So we called Gladys and she left parliament on a 30-minute break and took the spider out.”

Gladys Berejiklian, with her mum, dad and sisters.

Mary Berejiklian described Gladys as an older sister who “was always looking after everybody”.

“As the eldest of the siblings and her cousins, she was always looking after us.

“I was always the sporty one and she was the brain. Mum was a registered nurse working at nights and Dad was doing long hours with his job as a welder and Gladys looked after us at a very young age when they weren’t around.”

Mary Berejiklian describes her sister as having simple tastes; saying she would just as soon play with the hose in the backyard growing up, rather than go to the beach or swimming pool.

“She was and is very, very
focused and absolutely driven,” Mary says.

“She’s a big planner and that transferred to her career.”