Gladys Berejiklian took a ‘clear interest’ in Wagga gun club
Dominic Perrottet and Gladys Berejiklian set aside $20 million for a project in Darryl Maguire’s electorate days after the Wagga Wagga MP resigned under a corruption cloud.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Dominic Perrottet and Gladys Berejiklian set aside $20 million for a project in Darryl Maguire’s electorate days after the Wagga Wagga MP resigned under a corruption cloud.
Maguire resigned in mid-2018 after giving evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Dasha — an investigation into Sydney developers linked to Maguire.
The MP’s time in NSW parliament was finished but his time in the ICAC was just beginning as the corruption watchdog launched Operation Keppel to investigate Maguire’s own dealings.
Operation Keppel, which revealed Maguire’s secret relationship with Ms Berejiklian last year, turned its focus to two massive grants for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music on Thursday.
The ICAC heard the top levels of NSW Government approved $10m to the conservatorium so it could move to new premises in a converted government owned site.
Ms Berejiklian personally wrote to Maguire saying bureaucrats under Deputy Premier John Barilaro would work with the conservatorium as they relocated.
Maguire, still an MP in February 2018, issued a press release announcing the move but he also said the conservatorium would also get a “world class” recital hall.
The bureaucrat handling the funding, Chris Hanger, told the ICAC on Thursday there was no recital hall planned.
Maguire left parliament a few months later, in August, triggering a by-election in Wagga Wagga.
Mr Hanger said a staffer from Deputy Premier John Barilaro came to him in August and requested a letter be sent to Premier Berejiklian and Treasurer Perrottet.
The letter, Mr Hanger said, was to recommend the government set aside $20m from newly established Regional Development Community Fund for the recital hall.
“There was a time pressure on the request made of you by Premier Berejiklian’s office … in relation to the $20m for this recital hall?” Counsel Assisting the Commission Scott Robertson asked.
“Yes,” Mr Hanger said.
The time pressure, the ICAC heard, was because Ms Berejiklian wanted to announce the $20m funding reservation as part of the Wagga by-election.
A letter came back from Ms Berejiklian and Mr Perrottet on August 23 indicating they agreed to set the $20.5m aside, the ICAC heard.
The next day, August 24, Arts Minister Don Harwin announced the Berejiklian government announced the government had “committed” to build the recital hall.
Ms Berejiklian has publicly denied she “approved” the funding, saying she announced it as part of the campaign but that was not the same as approval.
The letter from her and Mr Perrottet confirming the money was “reserved” appeared on Ms Berejiklian’s letterhead.
Mr Perrottet is not accused of any wrongdoing and has told reporters he would not provide a “running commentary” when quizzed this week.
The grant is the second project linked to Maguire that the ICAC has examined this week.
The ICAC has already heard allegations then-Treasurer Berejiklian, in late 2016, was pushing for a $5.5 million grant for the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) Wagga Wagga gun club.
She was secretly dating the club’s main proponent, Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, at the time.
ICAC TOLD GLADYS HAD ‘PARTICULAR INTEREST’ IN GUN CLUB
Gladys Berejiklian had a “clear interest” in getting her secret boyfriend’s gun club grant across the line even after experts found it would cost taxpayers more than it would benefit them, the corruption watchdog has heard.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has heard allegations then-Treasurer Berejiklian, in late 2016, was pushing for a $5.5 million grant for the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) Wagga Wagga gun club.
She was secretly dating the club’s main proponent, Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, at the time.
The ICAC has heard the business case for ACTA didn’t add up — yet it was being pushed by Treasurer Berejiklian and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, the ICAC heard.
Premier Mike Baird raised concerns but agreed to supporting the project with conditions.
Cabinet’s expenditure review committee, chaired by Ms Berejiklian in December 2016, approved the grant without the Treasurer announcing she had any conflicts of interests, the ICAC has heard.
The project then went to the Department of Regional NSW who were tasked with turning the “unsatisfactory business case” for ACTA around so it could get its money.
Chris Hanger was the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Regional NSW in early 2017 when Ms Berejiklian became Premier and John Barilaro became Deputy Premier.
He was determined not to “rubber stamp” ACTA’s grant and government analysis ultimately concluded the gun club would have a Benefit Cost Ratio of 0.88.
That’s government-speak meaning ACTA’s gun club would cost the people of NSW more than it would benefit them, the ICAC heard.
But ACTA’s gun club grant didn’t hit a dead end, Mr Hanger said, because the Deputy Premier’s office told him to go back and sort it out.
It was clear to Mr Hanger, he told the ICAC, that newly minted Premier Berejiklian’s office was the driving force behind the ACTA push.
“A range of conversations at that time indicated the Premier (Berejiklian)’s Office was particularly interested in that particular project,” he said on Thursday.
“It was clear that once (our analysis against ACTA) was communicated we needed to go back and do further work on the business case — and that was done.”
Ms Berejiklian’s office did not directly order Mr Hanger to fix the project, he said, rather the communications came from Peter Minucos, a staffer working for Mr Barilaro.
Mr Hanger said he had spoken up, at the time, that it wasn’t the place or time for a political adviser to weigh in.
Emails released by the ICAC show that bureaucrats, as late as July 2017, were still trying to wrap their heads around the grant proposal.
One called it “unusual” noting it “had to move fast” to host an international shooting event the following year.
The ICAC has heard that was not correct — the club was going to host the event regardless of any grant funding.
Mr Baird said his treasurer should have divulged her relationship with the gun club’s main advocate, Maguire, so any potential conflicts could have been managed.
The commission released its witness list on Thursday morning revealing both Mr Minucos and Mr Barilaro will give evidence before the ICAC on Monday.
WHEN DARYL, GLADYS AND BARILARO WILL FRONT GUN CLUB
The anti corruption watchdog will spend at least two days grilling former premier Gladys Berejiklian next week – after it has heard from a raft of top politicians and staffers, a witness list reveals.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption, on Thursday, released its witness list for next week as it investigates a suspect $5.5 million grant handed to a gun club in former MP Daryl Maguire’s electorate of Wagga Wagga.
Recently retired Deputy Premier John Barilaro will appear on Monday after the ICAC heard government departments tasked with regional NSW were asked to handle the gun club grant.
Ms Berejiklian’s chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank and staffer Brad Burden will also be called to give evidence.
WATCH DAY FOUR OF THE ICAC HEARING HERE
Ms Cruickshank, who fronted the ICAC last year, said she had to intervene to stop Maguire from gatecrashing another MP’s trip to China.
Maguire is accused of using his position in NSW parliament to sell access and influence to businesses operating between China and NSW.
He will front the ICAC on Wednesday.
Ms Berejiklian, who was secretly dating Maguire, will spend at least Thursday and Friday in the witness box, Counsel Assisting the Commission Scott Robertson said. She has denied any wrongdoing.
The hearings could spill over into a third week, Mr Robertson flagged, meaning Ms Berejiklian may face more days of questioning.
The ICAC is investigating whether Ms Berejiklian hurried the $5.5m grant through the various hoops to get it before a funding committee, which she chaired in her time as Treasurer in 2016.
Multiple bureaucrats have told the ICAC that the project simply didn’t stack up and lacked a convincing business case.
Then-premier Mike Baird told the ICAC, this week, Ms Berejiklian supported the grant proposal and did not reveal she had any conflicts of interests.
Mr Baird said his treasurer should have divulged her relationship with the gun club’s main advocate, Maguire, so any potential conflicts could have been managed.
AYRES, PERROTTET REFUSE TO COMMENT
Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres has refused to answer questions about his role in the approval of a $5.5 million grant given to Wagga Wagga gun club as day four of an ICAC hearing into Gladys Berejiklian got underway.
“I’m going to be a witness at the commission’s hearing tomorrow,” he said.
“I will not be providing a running commentary. You can watch my evidence tomorrow.”
Premier Dominic Perrottet also declined to weigh in on former premier Mike Baird’s comments to ICAC that Gladys Berejiklian should have disclosed her secret relationship with Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.
“I’m the Premier of the state, I am not going to be giving a running commentary. It will be completely prejudicial. It’s an ongoing inquiry,” he said.
“(The inquiry) should be done with complete independence.”
More Coverage
Vigils held one-year on from Hamas attack on Israel
An early morning vigil has been held at Bondi Beach on the anniversary of October 7 Hamas Terror attack in Israel. Members of the Jewish community, dignitaries, MPs and survivors were in attendance.
Fears October 7 anniversary could ignite unrest in Sydney
Fears of unrest in Sydney consume the first anniversary of Hamas’ terror attack, after pro-Palestinian protesters swarmed the CBD on Sunday, taking aim at state and federal politicians.