Upper House politicians’ bid to refer Premier Gladys Berejiklian to ICAC
A group of Upper House MPs are plotting to refer Premier Gladys Berejiklian to ICAC for investigation in the wake of her relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The public may have forgiven her, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s political rivals are far from finished dining out on Daryl-gate.
Almost a month since the Premier sensationally revealed a “close personal relationship” with disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, The Sauce can reveal a group of Upper House MPs are plotting to try to refer the Premier herself to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for investigation.
Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
It is understood a motion may be moved as early as Tuesday when state parliament resumes, with One Nation MLC Mark Latham, Labor and the Greens among those supporting it.
While the Premier was a witness in the investigation into Mr Maguire, the politicians believe Ms Berejiklian still has questions to answer.
Mr Latham, who told parliament that Mr Maguire had a key to Ms Berejiklian’s north shore home, is among those who question the closeness of the relationship and whether its nondisclosure represents a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.
“I’ll be supporting a motion to refer the Premier to ICAC for investigation in her own right,” he said.
The Premier has said she did nothing wrong, did not assist Mr Maguire in any way in his various deals, and had always believed the then-Wagga Wagga MPs’ business interests were appropriately disclosed.
As for ICAC, the corruption watchdog requires a referral by both houses of parliament before it is compelled to investigate.
Given the chances of the Lower House supporting the motion are as likely as Donald Trump going quietly, it will be up to ICAC to decide if an investigation into the Premier is necessary.
Either way, this show feels far from over.
NOT NOW DARYL!
Got to hand it to the NSW Department of Education on timing the release of a series of HSC motivational videos designed to give Year 12 students a giggle.
Featuring little jokes, the videos are part of the department’s ‘”Stay Healthy HSC” campaign and have been uploaded onto school Facebook pages over the past few weeks.
However, it was more than Year 12s who were giggling when the one featuring two talking shoes began doing the rounds online.
One asks: “What did one shoe say to the other?”
A female voice responds, declaring — wait for it — “Not now Daryl, I’m not in the mood.”
YOUNG LIBERALS
He was suspended from the Liberal Party after describing the replacement of Malcolm Turnbull with Scott Morrison as the most “pointless and destructive spill in Australia’s history”.
Almost two years since Hugo Robinson was backbenched by his annoyed conservative party elders, the Young Liberal vice-president is on track to fill the top job.
With the incumbent Chaneg Torres stepping down, the 16-member Young Liberal executive is understood to be considering Robinson as a replacement.
The move has angered many of the young conservatives within the left-controlled Young Libs who have not forgiven Robinson for the article.
A Liberal Party official said Robinson was only being considered as an “interim” replacement for the top job until the AGM next year, when a formal election would be held.
Even so, his rival are not impressed.
As for Torres, he too is supporting the move to install Robinson in the role — for now.
In a letter to Young Liberal members, he said he wanted to see a woman elected into the role next year.
“The last female Young Liberal president was 15 years ago,” he wrote.
“We can do better.”
HE’S BACK
It has been almost two years since Luke Foley resigned as Labor leader amid allegations made by an ABC reporter that he had put his hand inside her underpants at a Christmas party.
Foley always denied the claims, but chose to quit politics altogether soon after the scandal.
However, The Sauce can reveal the former union boss remains a card-carrying member of the NSW ALP while also turning up to the odd party event.
Among his most recent appearances was on October 25 at a NSW Labor Israel Action Committee (LIAC) speaker series featuring Ron Kampeas – the Washington DC bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) wire service.
Hosted by long-time Israel supporter and former Federal MP for Eden-Monaro, Dr Mike Kelly, the series is running online with participants taking part via Zoom.
A Labor source said Foley was not a member of the committee, but had participated as an interested party member.
“Some of the people who participated were actually not even party members and we also had some Liberals taking part,” the source said.
WORK BLUES
A Fairfield City councillor has come under attack for choosing to participate in council meetings via Zoom instead of turning up in person.
At the same time, Labor councillor Anita Kazi has posted photographs of herself on social media attending events such as a Croatian film festival and a trip to the Hunter Valley.
Meeting minutes show the Five Dock-based councillor has attended just one meeting in person in the past nine months, participating in the remaining 22 online.
While councillors were permitted to participate in council meetings via Zoom, Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said the community expected councillors to “show up”.
“The council is COVID-safe. We can fit 60 people in here. I have been turning up to every council meeting in person,” he said.
“Councillors have an opportunity to come in person or via Zoom, but it’s a bad look when you don’t turn up but go and socialise elsewhere.”
Councillor Kazi said she participated via Zoom because it was more efficient.
“Like the mayor, I live outside the council boundaries,” she said.
“That’s never been a secret.
“And I participate via Zoom because it’s often more efficient.”
Mr Carbone said he lived on the “boundary” of Fairfield and Penrith local government areas “but I am turning up for my community every single day”.
DUMMY SPIT
Election dummy spits appear to be trending.
A source at the Young Nationals AGM on Saturday claimed a vote to elect members on the party executive and central council was halted after the inner-city representatives looked to be failing in their bid to oust their rural counterparts.
The metro reps had been trying to install their own people in a bid to influence the upcoming Senate preselection.
Of the 75 possible votes in the preselection, the Young Nats have five.
After failing to get the spots they needed, the staffers — led by senior adviser Tom Aubert — moved to defer the meeting for another time.
However another source claimed the meeting was simply deferred because the venue had asked the group to move outside, making it impractical to keep it going.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Not everyone wants to work from home.
According to Lower House Speaker Jonathan O’Dea, demand among NSW MPs to attend the final parliamentary sitting weeks is so high that he has had to comb the chamber looking for ways to cram in extra bodies while keeping COVID-safe.
After already expanding out into the Speaker’s gallery, The Sauce can reveal that from next week MPs will also be seated in the upper public galleries.
Opening up the Cooper and Northern upper galleries will mean the number of MPs will expand from the existing “low-30s” to “just over 50”, Mr O’Dea said.
GOT SOME SAUCE? Email linda.silmalis@news.com.au
MORE FROM THE SAUCE