Berejiklian asks colleagues to ‘forgive her’ after Maguire revelations
Gladys Berejiklian faced a barrage of questions from reporters on Tuesday afternoon, claiming there was “nothing wrong” with her carrying on a relationship with a former MP under a corruption inquiry.
NSW
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Premier Gladys Berejiklian has faced a barrage of questions during both a heated media conference and in parliament, but has maintained there was “nothing wrong” with her carrying on a relationship with a former MP under a corruption inquiry.
“I have not done anything wrong,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
But her reassurances did little to satisfy the press gathered at the gardens at Parliament House in Sydney earlier today.
At issue was Ms Berejiklian’s testimony on Monday she had been involved in a “close personal relationship” with Daryl Maguire, the former Wagga Wagga MP at the centre of a current Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.
One reporter asked the Premier: “Do you think it is OK for MPs to get a cut from developers on the side?”
The Premier replied: “Look, I obviously made my comments known about that. I will not tolerate, never have, and never will, any improper conduct by any MP.”
Pressed again on the same question, the Premier said: “At the end of the day, what guides us in this place are the rules that are in this place.
“MPs, depending on the office they hold, have restrictions but they also have obligations in relation to the way they conduct their business.”
Another reporter asked whether the Premier was worried about what Mr Maguire will tell ICAC when he faces the inquiry later this week.
“I’m not concerned whatsoever,” Ms Berejiklian said.
One of the unknown reporters zeroed in on was when the Premier’s relationship with Mr Maguire started.
When she was asked in front of ICAC if she was in a relationship with Mr Maguire “from at least about the time of the 2015 election”, the Premier answered: “Or slightly after, thereabouts.”
Asked to clarify, she said: “Thereabouts.”
But the Commission saw text messages between the two in 2014, in which Ms Berejiklian congratulated Mr Maguire on getting a commission on a business deal.
Asked by a reporter whether the relationship had already begun by the time of that text exchange, the Premier answered:
“It is a very subjective and personal thing as to when you think something changed from a friendship to a close personal relationship. It is a very subjective thing.”
Later in Question Time Ms Berejiklian was accused of turning a “blind eye” to corruption.
Defending her actions in relation to Daryl Maguire, Ms Berejiklian said she would have reported her the man - with whom she was previously in a close personal relationship - if “at any stage I knew that anything was going to happen that was wrong”.
She repeated earlier statements claiming Mr Maguire had spoken to others about his business interests.
“At any stage had myself or any of my colleagues who were in contact with him picked up that there was any wrongdoing it would have been reported,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She said”public servants” and other MPs “made sure no benefit was achieved” by Mr Maguire.
In a string of questions about the scandal, Labor Leader Jodi McKay said Ms Berejiklian had “turned a blind eye to corruption and failed to report what was legally required of (her) to ICAC”.
Ms Berejiklian said she had been “full and frank” in her evidence to ICAC.
“All times I have and always will put the public interest first,” she said.
PREMIER PLEADS WITH COLLEGUES ‘PLEASE FORGIVE ME’
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has apologised to her Liberal party colleagues, pleading with them to “forgive” her, following Monday’s explosive evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Ms Berejiklian opened the Liberal party room meeting by apologising over yesterday’s revelations of her five-year secret affair with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.
She said words to the effect of: “I hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me,” according to Liberal MPs in the meeting.
However concerns were raised in the meeting about Mark Latham’s threat to block all government legislation in the Upper House unless Ms Berejiklian resigns, The Daily Telegraph was told.
Coronavirus restrictions have forced the Liberals to hold their party room meetings virtually, a point of growing frustration within some on the backbench.
The Premier indicated that the party may be able to meet in person from next month.
However it’s understood that Upper House Liberal Matthew Mason-Cox insisted MPs should meet in person next week, citing the need for frank discussion.
Deputy Liberal Leader Dominic Perrottet addressed the meeting after Ms Berejiklian, speaking in support of his leader.
The meeting also heard from Mark Speakman as the government’s Lower House Leader, and Damien Tudehope, the Upper House Leader. Both men also backed in the Premier.
“We’ll see what happens over the course of the week,” Upper House Liberal Matthew Mason-Cox said.
“A lot of the colleagues are shocked and still absorbing the detail of what’s occurred.
“That is a political problem we don’t need at this stage,” Mr Mason-Cox said.
Ms Berejiklian will likely face a no-confidence motion in parliament today with Opposition Leader Jodi McKay saying the Labor Party will pursue the Premier.
Ms McKay has already called for the Premier to resign and flagged the possibility of a no-confidence motion against her.
“I think Gladys Berejiklian should not even walk into Question Time today as Premier,” she said.
Ms Berejiklian refused to say whether she had the support of her Liberal Party colleagues while leaving her North Shore home this morning.
Clutching her signature Cheds breakfast, the Premier said she was “feeling okay” before slipping into her vehicle to travel to NSW Parliament.
The corruption watchdog is investigating whether Mr Maguire, whom the Premier affectionately called her “numero uno,” used his professional position for personal gain.
Secret recordings and text messages yesterday revealed that the embattled ex-MP complained of his $1.5 million debt to Ms Berejiklian and at one point said he had struck a deal that would solve his money woes. In that same call, he mentioned the Badgerys Creek development in Western Sydney.
Mr Maguire will front the ICAC this week.
ALBO DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM RESIGNATION CALLS
Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese has distanced himself from calls by his NSW state counterparts for Ms Berejiklian to resign.
“I think that’s a matter for state colleagues,” he said on Tuesday.
Mr Albanese said he believed there were “two separate issues” in the saga – Ms Berejiklian’s “personal relationship” with Mr Maguire, and the “discussions” about financial interests between the two.
“I think that people are entitled to have relationships, and she says herself that she stuffed up,” he said.
“It would have been a really difficult day for (Ms Berejiklian) yesterday.
“I’m very sympathetic with her on a personal level because she’s a private person, quite clearly. On a personal level, I feel for her.”
COLLEAGUES BLINDSIDED BY PREMIER’S EVIDENCE
Gladys Berejiklian’s most senior colleagues were blindsided by the Premier’s evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption yesterday.
Despite Ms Berejiklian digging in her heels as leader, a number of her MPs were privately suggesting she should resign for the good of the team.
As Ms Berejiklian’s explosive evidence to the ICAC played out, her own MPs were openly weighing up options for who could replace her as Premier.
The salacious details revealed at the corruption probe into former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire came as a shock to Liberals, with potential leadership contenders caught unaware about the details of Ms Berejiklian’s evidence to the inquiry.
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Options raised by MPs as potential leaders included: Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, Planning Minister Rob Stokes, Transport Minister Andrew Constance, and Attorney-General Mark Speakman.
During the evidence, a number of senior Liberals said the Premier’s position “didn’t look good”.
Others went further, suggesting her position was “untenable” and “impossible”.
But after Ms Berejiklian declared she would stay on as leader, her closest allies lined up to back her in.
Mr Perrottet, the Deputy Liberal Leader, described Ms Berejiklian as “somebody of the utmost integrity and honesty”.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to be by her side,” he said.
Environment Minister Matt Kean last night denied suggestions from other MPs that he would consider a deal to support Mr Perrottet as leader.
Mr Kean remains one of Berejiklian’s most staunch supporters and on Monday actively dismissed talk of a leadership change.
“Gladys Berejiklian is the best leader in the country and even she is entitled to a personal life,” Mr Kean said.
Ministers from the party’s moderate, centre right and right wing factions were all publicly backing the Premier yesterday.
Moderate Minister Gareth Ward said: Gladys Berejiklian is an honest and hard working person. The people of NSW have seen her lead – and I have no doubt that they will back her as will I.
Victor Dominello said “she is unquestionably one of the greatest leaders this country has ever seen”.
Mr Dominello took to Twitter to tell Ms Berejiklian to “stay strong … NSW needs you”.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres also threw his support behind Ms Berejiklian.
“Gladys Berejiklian has led the state through the last six months in its most testing period of time, she‘s got my full support.
“I’ve got no doubt that she will always be putting the people of NSW first,” he said.
The Liberal party‘s centre right faction has held a teleconference and elected to continue to back Ms Berejiklian for the job.
Minister David Elliott said the Premier had the faction‘s support.
“Centre right has just held our teleconference and the Premier has our complete and unanimous support. Suggestions that she should walk away from public life because of a failed personal relationship with a spiv are, quite frankly, draconian.”
However, privately MPs were raising questions about how much damage the party could sustain in parliament under political attack from the Labor Party, with Ms Berejiklian as leader.
“If she wanted to look after the team she would vacate (the leadership),” one said.
Another likened the explosive evidence given to the ICAC as a “Pandora’s box” that could unearth further revelations.
However, it was said that it would be unlikely to have anyone move against the premier without a declared challenger.
The government enters a parliamentary sitting in an increasingly difficult position, as legislation in the Upper House could be put in jeopardy unless Ms Berejiklian resigns.
Crucial crossbencher Mark Latham said One Nation is “not inclined to support anything” the government proposes unless Ms Berejiklian resigns.
The government needs the support of the crossbench including One Nation to pass legislation in the upper house.
“I’m not inclined to support anything they put up when they’re led by someone who has (made) 14 breaches of the Ministerial code of conduct, and who has acted disgracefully by hiding a secret relationship,” Mr Latham said.
During Ms Berejiklian’s evidence to the corruption watchdog, Greens Upper House MP David Shoebridge said it was “hard to see how the Premier can survive a day in parliament this week given the bombshells being dropped”.
However Ms Berejiklian got the backing of two former Premiers on Monday.
She said Barry Mr O’Farrell, who resigned over an undeclared bottle of wine, contacted her to tell her “stay in your job”.
And Mike Baird attracted over 1,000 Facebook likes within minutes for supporting the woman who succeeded him.
“It’s been a very difficult day for my friend Gladys,” he said.
“I’ve always known her as a woman of high integrity, who works tirelessly for the people of NSW. She’s a great Premier, doing great things for this state.”
When he decided to step down as premier in 2017, Mr Baird backed Ms Berejiklian – then Treasurer – for the job.